Powys County Council serves around 133,000 residents across the largest county by area in Wales. This sparsely populated rural area includes towns like Brecon, Newtown and Welshpool, with an economy centred on agriculture, tourism and public services.
Cabinet considered a single-item report on consulting the public about council tax premiums for long-term empty properties. Members discussed a stepped premium approach, the need to notify owners (including those outside Powys), available discretionary exemptions for probate cases, and the requirement for a follow-up impact assessment before any future change is made. Cabinet unanimously approved the consultation.
Powys County Council’s 2026 meeting covered governance and spend policy related to councillor remuneration, travel allowances, and the process for appointments to committees and external bodies. Key items included: (1) setting and publishing the councillor remuneration schedule (basic salary, senior salaries, carer/assistance, etc.) with a July publication deadline; (2) a temporary increase to travel mileage rates due to energy costs; (3) approvals and processes for committee allocations and appointments, including vacancies to be filled by the Monitoring Officer; and (4) potential extraordinary actions (no-confidence motion) and WLGA/external body appointments.
Cabinet discussions focused on three procurement/policy shifts: (1) Post-16 education reform to align schools, FE and training with sector pathways and parity between academic and vocational routes, with an updated roadmap and ongoing stakeholder engagement; (2) Local Growth Fund investment programme to support Cymru Tech and related infrastructure, with indicative capital and revenue funding and delegation of refinement to officers; (3) A discretionary Council Tax discount for self-catering properties moving from business rates to Council Tax, removing the backdated 75% premium for the backdated liability period and funded from existing provisions.
This Powys County Council meeting covered multiple key governance and financial matters including: (1) Council Tax Resolution 2026-27 approving a 4.9% increase for 65,692.50 council tax base with council tax charges set for all bands; (2) Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Inter-Authority Agreement to meet Fit for the Future requirements through a new Investment Management Company (IMCO) structure requiring FCA authorization; (3) Pay Policy Statement 2026-27 with Chief Executive pay at 6.54x lowest paid employee rate; and (4) Health crisis motion discussions plus suicide prevention awareness initiative. Key procurement themes include pension fund management restructuring, council service delivery contracts, and strategic health partnerships.
Powys County Council held a budget setting meeting on 26 February 2026 to approve the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026-2031, including a £390.55 million revenue budget for 2026-27 and a £742 million capital programme. The council faces significant financial pressures including inflation impacts (£30+ million), pay pressures, rising social care costs (£112 million annually, up from £74.6 million five years ago), and increased demand for services. A 4.9% council tax increase was approved alongside £12 million in savings. Key procurement-related discussions included school funding (£104 million allocation), waste and recycling services, highways maintenance (£20+ million spent), fire services, and National Park support. Social care and education drive the largest budget allocations, with particular pressure from contractor and provider cost increases.
Powys Cabinet approved comprehensive proposals to expand Welsh-medium education provision across the county. Key decisions include: (1) establishing a new all-age Welsh-medium school on Bilth campus from September 2027, with phased expansion of year groups through 2031, requiring capital investment in Llandrindod by September 2029; (2) closing Ysgol Golub Penyfan's Craddock Campus and transferring 15 pupils to Brecon campuses; and (3) converting Sennybridge County Primary School from dual-stream to Welsh-medium provision starting September 2027. The proposals involve significant capital investment coordinated with Welsh Government, procurement of construction contractors (AECOM appointed for cost/project management), and detailed transport and staffing planning. Additional funding from Welsh Government is essential for viability.