LOCAL authorities provide some vital public services that many people across the country rely on every day.
Whether it’s schools or social care, waste collections or road maintenance, councils oversee the spending of public money on services designed to improve people’s lives.
As we approach the festive period, what better time than to take a deeper dive into how and where councils spend their money.
Welsh councils’ budgets are made up of funding from Welsh Government and business rates, which in Merthyr Tydfil provides £133.14m, and council tax from residents, which provides £39.37m.
The latest overall council budget is worth £172.51m which goes on services such as birth registrations of which there have been 2,725 in the last financial year.
The council has supported 648 children over the last 12 months with a care plan and as at March 2025, the council was responsible for 169 looked after children.
In Merthyr Tydfil there are 19 primary schools including two Welsh language schools, three secondary schools, one special school, one pupil referral unit and one 3-16 school which provide education to 8,998 pupils.
There are 23 early years settings in Merthyr caring for children aged 0-4 including 11 pre-schools, five Cylch Meithrin and seven day nurseries.
From April 2025, all two-year-olds were eligible for part time funded childcare and in the autumn term of 2025, 532 children were being funded to access part time Flying Start childcare.
In the last financial year, Cwm Golau Integrated Children’s Centre made 22,833 childcare places available with 7,540 accessing the sensory room and 560 babies and parents accessing breastfeeding and baby massages.
The Merthyr Tydfil Borough Wide Youth Forum provides a platform for young people aged 11-25 to have their voices heard on issues that affect them.
It provides support with youth clubs, street-based youth workers and a young people’s participation service.
Last year, the council’s planning department dealt with 289 planning applications including school and hospital refurbishments, a new school, town centre works, housing developments and renewable energy projects.
There were 421 inspections at food businesses to ensure hygiene standards were met. 581 licence applications were vetted and 31 test purchases took place to see if children were being sold age restricted goods.
The CCTV team dealt with 1,686 incidents and community wardens intervened on 1,279 occasions.
There are 5,974 social houses in Merthyr and the use of temporary accommodation such as bed and breakfasts has reduced from a peak of 120 placements to 18 as at the end of March 2025.
The council rehoused 349 households through the social housing register in 2024/2025, a 10% increase on the previous year.
The housing intervention team helped 3,203 households with advice and support to stop homelessness and 3,079 did not need to use homelessness services as a result.
The council’s contact centre handles more than 87,000 interactions a year with 560 face to face visitors at reception, 6,569 phone calls answered and 142 emails handled every month.
In the last financial year, 110 marriage and civil ceremonies have taken place.
The council has around 190 miles of road to maintain along with 7,500 street lights, 168 miles of footpaths, 66 miles of bridleways and around 14 miles of byways open to all traffic.
Around 1,456,056 tonnes of waste, recycling and food waste is collected and processed each year and last year the council carried out 714,766 waste, food waste and recycling collections as it aims for the Welsh Government’s 70% recycling target.
There are 2,068 active businesses in the county borough and the council provides advice, financial support and signposting for funding.
Last year, the council’s employability team supported 323 back into work, 508 people gained new qualifications, 39 people accessed volunteering opportunities and 46 apprenticeships were created and filled.
There were over 220,000 visitors to leisure centres and over 60,000 public swimming sessions were organised.
More than 800 children and adults are enrolled in swimming lessons and there were 25,000 gym workouts recorded.
The council’s adult social care service supports 264 adults in long term care and 456 adults receive community based care.
Community opportunity planners have supported 20 people to access community groups, volunteering and employment.
Merthyr Tydfil is home to four libraries and two museums.
There were 1,188 death registrations in the last financial year and the council looks after five cemeteries.
