In The News Wrexham … “We currently have a financial risk of £8 million pounds overspend in children’s services. Council Tax. Guildhall, Wrexham (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live). It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 3,583,907. Rival politicians clashed heads after a council budget meeting containing a tax rise of 6.95 per cent for ratepayers in Wrexham … It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. There were two abstentions from Conservatives Cllr Paul Roberts and Cllr Rodney Skelland. Telephone Traveline: 0871 200 22 33 But they scored twice in the last 13 minutes to salvage a share of the spoils to ensure a much happier return journey to Essex. The council’s administration has said the budget will allow investment in frontline services, with an extra £3.5m earmarked to go into social care following a critical inspection report on children’s services. The budget passed the vote with 35 in support, opposed by 11 councillors made up of the Labour group present and Independent group’s Cllr David Maddocks. Latest headlines from other news sites... Wrexham Football Club appoint Fleur Robinson as new CEO. The Welsh Government said the report was not surprising and believed initiatives to help people pay council tax and free school meals would help tackle the problem. Annual property taxes in the UK are low by international standards. Directions: For satellite navigation use the post code LL12 7RF. Please enter your 8 digit council tax number (starting with either 4 or 9), the amount you wish to pay and then click Add To Basket. “We are now struggling to maintain those essential services, particularly in terms of social services, adults and children’s social services, education and the environment – all of which are crucial services. Get notified about news from across North Wales, Football club donate tonight’s game stream profits to support Young Carers Action Day as Young Carers ID card launches, Revised plans submitted to build 90 houses on Glyndwr University campus in Wrexham, Plans lodged to create new lake and wildflower meadow to boost local biodiversity, “Impossible” to say when school pandemic control measures could end as pupils return to classrooms, Young carers’ ID card launched on day of action, “Blended learning” approach announced for universities in Wales after Easter, Match passes for tonight's game are available to buy now online ( (LINK) ) purchase your stream pass now, and help to support our community's unsung heroes - and watch the team get 3pts too! “However, the budget I am recommending was built in some additional resources for service to the vulnerable, while affording a degree of protection to essential services. “For the record, have attended every budget workshop and raised this overspend at numerous workshops and also at the executive board. Island Line is a brand of the South Western Railway train operating company which runs the 8 1 ⁄ 2-mile Island Line on the Isle of Wight.A stand-alone franchise from 1996 until 2007, it then became part of the South Western franchise operated by South West Trains until … If you do not know the number or route of the bus you require, please use the 'Bus service information' table further down this page, which lists all the services operating in Cheshire West and Chester, in numerical order. It is also home to Glyndwr University. If you are on tax credits and your hours have temporarily gone down because of the coronavirus crisis, you will be treated as working your normal working hours until the end of June 2020. ... Refurbs in partnership with Flintshire County Council is developing a repair and reuse centre with a community café and we need staff to run it! “That’s an essential service, especially in these times, that demands extra funding. For the second year in a row, the budget included an … Public housing (known as council housing or social housing in the UK) provided the majority of rented accommodation in the United Kingdom until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in social housing. He argued that a rise of 6.95 per cent was “aimed at protecting council services and jobs as much as possible for both next year and moving into the future.”. Leader of the Labour group, councillor Dana Davies gave the bleakest assessment and raised concerns about the “financial risk” as a local authority. Masters degrees which have the opportunity for research council funding will be advertised as such. Service cost. Cllr Bithell said the comment on the lack of transparency was ‘awful’ and took it as personal criticism of ‘one of the best senior officers within the council’. “There hasn’t been enough money put into children’s services for a long time. 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Leader of the Plaid Cymru group, councillor Marc Jones, said he would be supporting the budget as despite the council tax increase, it includes investment into children’s services. “So I would never as lead member say there will never be an overspend, but I think we’ve done everything we possibly can with the injection of money in the plan that’s in place to make sure that we’ve got the best possible chance of delivering the best possible care that we can.”. About the service. He added that he and others “have been challenging why the overspend as escalated during the financial year” but pointed to the pandemic as a possible context. “We only really know that this overspend links to out county placements in the Children’s Services departments where demand has increased by 60 per cent, though the cost has increased by 250 per cent. A Council Tax rise of almost seven per cent was backed by councillors last night in a heated meeting, with the Labour group not supporting the plans after raising questions again about an ‘overspend’ in Children’s Services. “I hope that changes, there’s an MS election in this year and I hope that there’s a change of heart. Simply quote the council’s bank details - Sort Code 54 10 10, Account Number 72521775, and quote your Council Tax account number as shown on your bill. 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(LINK). COUNCIL tax in Flintshire is set to rise by less than four per cent, the council says. There is even a World Heritage Site in Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Cllr Jones said: “Given the economic uncertainties, it’s going to hit people very hard. More here: Enter your normal working hours if … I haven’t had an answer.”. Cllr Davies interjected with ‘a point of clarity’ noting that her comments and questions had been directed to the leader of the administration, not at a council officer. Cllr Davies fired a range of related questions to Cllr Pritchard, asking when he became aware of the projected £8 million overspend in children’s services and what action he took, if it was made via a delegated decision and why councillors were not made aware. With a large and varied population, Wrexham has more than 30 languages spoken across the county. SENIOR councillors in Flintshire are being asked to approve a council tax rise of just under four per cent as the local authority looks to invest in education. EPC: EPC = D. A full copy of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) relating to this property is available electronically at You will need to use the post code (LL12 7RF) and property name or number (6 Heol Dinas). We inherited this, but what we are doing is we are working towards funding it appropriately. These begin with a taught Masters degree in the first year, followed by a 3-year PhD programme. Images released of man that police need to identify as part of an ongoing investigation. Although not addressing the specific questions, he did refer to children’s services and spending, adding: “Children’s services overspend, under spend, it’s a departmental pressure of children’s services and I would rather have money taken out of reserves to protect the young children of Wrexham and put them into care and make sure that in a safe environment, than not spending that money. We’ve asked numerous questions about this overspend with extremely limited information received. Speaking on the budget element of the service, he added: “We know it’s a very difficult, almost impossible budget to manage at times, we know just how difficult it is. Read 1,149,661 times in last 30 days, and 103,134,293 times since we started in 2011. For the second year in a row, the budget included an increase of 6.95 per cent for ratepayers, which amounts to an extra £85 per year for an average band D property. This payment option is ONLY for use by individuals who are either currently employed or have been offered employment for a Wrexham County Borough Council / School post that requires the post holder to have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check. “There’s been no detailed report to explain the overspend, how the overspend has been paid back, whether the spend actually meets the needs of the children, or if that significant spend is going to continue into the next financial year. Groundwork Training have been working with Wrexham Adult and Community Learning Partnership to offer our specially formulated Pathway Courses. “We are all corporate parents. Council Tax Index 2020/21. This means you retain your usual entitlement to tax credits during this period. *Stats independent & directly measured by Google, via the Analytics Live API. The cost is £25 per bin for 2020/21 and the service runs from August 31, 2020 to August 31, 2021. Councillor Paul Pemberton followed on the theme of the comments, calling the finance officer a ‘top guy’ and ‘did not deserve’ comments made by Cllr Davies. He added that his group had “consistently argued” for the council to reduce expenditure on the number of executive board members and other allowances. This table shows the average Band D council tax payable annually in councils in England, Wales & Scotland. Cllr Pritchard said: “It has been more difficult this year to arrive at a balanced budget, given the extremely low settlement that has been received by the council from the Welsh Governments. A Council Tax rise of almost seven per cent was backed by councillors last night in a heated meeting, with the Labour group not supporting the plans after raising questions again about an ‘overspend’ in Children’s Services. Note: These figures include adult social care and the Greater London Authority precept (if applicable) but exclude any parish precepts. Members of the Safeguarding, Communities & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee will examine the reasons why Children’s Services are reporting an overspend of £5.9m for eight months of the financial year. She added that up that the Labour group would not support a budget with an ‘£8m failure’ that ‘the taxpayers of Wrexham’ would have to help cover. Wrexham is a county and town in North Wales. Credit / Debit Card Telephone payments You can make payment with most credit or debit cards by calling our our automated telephone payment service on 01352 704 470 and following the prompts given. “But, if you don’t support this budget this evening, and that’s your choice, you are saying that you don’t support investments in children’s services, that you don’t want to invest in education in schools. “There’s a real real concern about openness and transparency as we are asking for information and not getting any of the details. “Because if you’re challenging me, you’re challenging the senior team as well. The cost of the DBS check is £42. The county has a population of over 135,000. What do you want to invest in?”. Finance (Council tax account queries, Council tax support, payments, benefits) - 01978 298992 Housing (Housing repairs) - 01978 298993 Planning & Building Control (Planning permission, advice & guidance) - 01978 298994 “As a local authority, we have been in terms of the amount of council tax we raise, very much at the bottom end of the scale. Flintshire Council says that annual rises in council tax of five per cent or more are "no longer acceptable". The budget passed the Full Council vote with a majority of councillors voting in favour of the Council Tax rise and budget. But we will continue to bring a budget in and we’ll continue to deliver services, we’ll continue to support staff and we’ll continue to invest in essential services.”. She said: “Part of our budget setting process involves consideration of financial risks, the impact and what financial provisions we have to make and take forward into next year’s financial year. I’ve asked that question. He said: “I have to say one of the reasons I can’t vote for this is that I don’t really understand where we are, despite repeated questioning, and I don’t understand either the process or the end result or where we’re going or the maths of it, and some of the concepts used I don’t understand either.”. “These are services that impacts on the most vulnerable in our community, the very people that we are elected to protect. To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. “I’ll say this to Cllr Dana Davies and to Cllr Malcolm King: You can abstain tonight, you can sit on the fence, you can make all the excuses you like. It is famous for Wrexham FC - the oldest football club in Wales. Speaking at last night’s virtual meeting Leader of the Council, Mark Pritchard, said the changes were being introduced after Wrexham was awarded the second lowest settlement by the Welsh Government. Wrexham is a county and town in North Wales. The broad issue of the overspend recently surfaced during public budget discussions, where questions were raised by Cllr Dana Davies over who ‘signed it off’. It is famous for Wrexham FC - the oldest football club in Wales. As we mark a year since the first coronavirus death in Wales, I am announcing plans to create two commemorative woodlands to remember all those who have died. The Victoria Road club looked set to make the long trip back from north Wales empty handed, after falling two goals down in the first hour. “That’s why because despite all the reservations we have about the rise in Council Tax at a time when many Wrexham residents are struggling, Plaid Cymru, as a group will support this budget. Funding usually covers course fees and a tax-free maintenance grant. You can find a number of these programmes listed at FindAPhD.com. Council Tax. I can assure you, there’s no wrongdoings and there’s nothing wrong with this council at a senior level from the chief executive Ian Bancroft, down to his six chief officers, openness, transparency, professionalism at its best.”. More: (LINK), @wrexham town centre looking cheery and only short of a bonnet this morning as many shops, including Gerrards, have pulled a rabbit out of the #Easter hat, Too many families throughout Wales have lost loved ones to this awful disease. Cllr Pritchard picked up on the points raised by Cllr Davies, inviting further correspondence in response, stating: “Cllr Davies has asked me a direct question with regards to openness and transparency. However the budget came under fire from members of the Labour group, with councillor Malcolm King rejecting support due to an array of bafflement. The county has a population of over 135,000. Council Tax Band: The property is valued in Band "F". We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. An asterisk (*) denotes a mandatory field ... Data Controller: Wrexham County Borough Council Link to Data Controller's privacy notice: Here. The Council Tax rise was backed by a majority of councillors from across the political parties, with leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Hugh Jones stating that the council was facing two “unpalatable options”. While I’m here as an elected member, I know that I have full support of everybody I’ve spoken to, that they’ll continue to invest in children’s services.”. Help us improve GOV.UK. “If you look back at the settlements that we’ve had, since austerity, we haven’t had a good funding settlement from the Welsh Government for a long time. “I am disappointed and quite sad that once again, we we have received a very low settlement and the second lowest in Wales. “If your question in the openness and transparency of this council, I suggest you send an email to myself as leader of the council, challenge the chief executive on it, and the chief finance officer. Deputy Leader councillor David A Bithell disputed the lack of transparency claim, pointing to a monthly monitoring report that “goes out to all elected members every month with the up to date financial position”. “Therefore I think we in many ways are paying a price for that lower level of tax increase over recent years.”. Conservative councillor Andrew Atkinson picked up the baton and also fired back at Cllr Davies, describing her comments as a “very highly politically motivated as a way of using children’s services to just have a bash this evening with some of the language that was used, about the service about failures and the like, and the way that those words like failures were used, and I don’t think that’s acceptable”. “That said, we do recognise that significant extra funding is going into children’s social services and that’s a must, because this service has only just moved from of serious concern to being inadequate. Cllr Jones said: “We either vote for an increase that adds burden on our Council Tax payers, or we cut those services that leader has referred to in terms of libraries, social care, and children’s services.