Posted on: Friday 30 January 2026
Next week, Torfaen Councillors on the Cross-Cutting Resources and Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider the council's budget proposals for 2026/27.
The Leader of Torfaen Council, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: "Thanks to extra money from Welsh Government this year and the work we’ve done to drive efficiencies, this is a positive budget that avoids cuts to front line services and gives new opportunities for investment in schools, care and children's services.
"Our improved funding position shows a like for like cash increase of £9.3m which has enabled our most recent estimates to be updated, with a lower council tax increase than first proposed.
"This budget also now reflects our focus on investing in early intervention and prevention services and also The Torfaen Deal, our new way of working with our partners and communities."
The draft budget includes:
- £4.5 million or around a 5.5% increase to meet schools pay inflation and cost pressures.
- A £300,000 annual budget to fund large scale maintenance and replacement of IT infrastructure within schools.
- £250,000 to support the school leaver apprentice scheme and a further £400,000 of investment in new apprenticeships for Torfaen school leavers.
- £1.6m to maintain services for around 952 Adult Social Care clients.
- Provides £600,000 from earmarked reserves to support the Council's plan to reduce demand for care placements in Children’s Services.
- Provides £260,000 to increase the number of community capacity builders and young people support workers to deliver the communities approach and support young people not in education, employment or training.
- Funds £447,000 to meet the inflationary pressure of the Council’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme for those in most need, based upon current demand of 9,321 cases.
- Provides £617,000 to meet funding pressures in School Transport and additional learning needs.
- Adds a further £346,000 for schools to improve support for children with additional learning needs.
- Helps social care providers meet increases in the Real Living Wage.
- Allocates £700,000 to fund the impact of the real living wage on the lowest paid employees in the Council’s pay structure.
- Allocates £147,000 to meet cost pressures in the Waste Service, with £183,000 additional investment in the Waste Education and Enforcement Team that was established as part of the 2025/26 budget setting process.
- Provides £170,000 to help support young people and families experiencing domestic violence.
- Provides £200,000 to address conflict in families and prevent children from entering care.
- And a further £2.4m capital investment on roads.
Subject to scrutiny and public engagement, these proposals will be taken forward to the budget setting Council meeting in March, alongside the reduced proposed Council Tax increase of 3.95% - cementing Torfaen’s position of having the 4th lowest council tax in Wales.
Agenda for Cross-Cutting Resources and Business Overview & Scrutiny Committee - 03/02/2026