Record investment in services that matter to the people of Swansea is on the cards for the coming year.
Schools, care and community services are all set to benefit from an extra £27.4m, or 5.2% increase in funding from the Welsh Government to help the council support residents through difficult times.
Under plans being seen by Cabinet on January 9, extra funding to help services deal with inflationary pressures, raised energy costs and increased demand for council services.
Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said: “It means that we’ll be spending an average of just under £2.4m a day on essential services that mean so much to the people of Swansea.
“Whether it’s our schools or care services, our roads, keeping our streets clean or looking after our parks and libraries, the council is focussed on making the extra investment pay off for the people of our city.
He said: “Our proposed budget for the coming year is worth nearly £1bn and aims to see the biggest-ever spend on education and schools of more than £238m – an increase of more than £12m for schools alone. It’s a significant investment in our children’s futures that will have a lasting impact for families right across the city.
“This plan matches the extra funding we’re getting from Welsh Government and reflects our determination to protect key service as much as we can.
“On top of the boost for education, it’s expected social services will be boosted by a net just under £11m, taking the budget to a record near-£207m for the coming year.”
He added: “Thanks to prudent financial management, Swansea is better placed than most councils to protect services that residents value most by using some of the reserves we have prudently created over recent years.
“It means that while we would have to make savings of around £12.7m – less than last year – we will still be investing a net extra of almost £30m in services which will enable us to protect front-line services and jobs as much as we can in the coming year.”
Cllr Stewart said: “We’ve been investing record amounts in front-line services and the recovery since the pandemic and throughout the cost of living crisis to help Swansea residents during these difficult times.
“In the last year we’ve seen record investment in schools and social care, a huge support package to help residents deal with winter pressures, and major investment in homes, housing and tackling homelessness.
“We have also seen major projects opened like the Mumbles sea wall project, 71/72 Kingsway and Y Storfa and Swansea Arena is going from strength to strength. In 2026 projects like the upgrade for Castle Square Gardens and the re-development of the former St David’s shopping centre, investment worth tens of millions of pounds that will continue to flow into our city and communities, to improve lives and opportunities for residents.
“We’ve also been offering extra practical support to those who are struggling with the cost of living crisis, with more than £550,000 made available via our #HereForYouThisWinter campaign that has seen hundreds of community projects help thousands of local residents and families through these challenging times.”
