Pembrokeshire County Council faces £2.2m budget overspend

Pembrokeshire County Council is facing a projected budget overspend of £2.2 million for the current financial year. A report presented to the Cabinet on September 7 indicated that the approved £347.4 million budget is expected to reach £349.6 million. Key financial pressures include a projected £1.166 million overspend in School Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and a £0.6 million increase in school and college transport costs, partly driven by rising fuel prices and updated mileage allowances.

In response to these financial constraints, a moratorium on all non-essential council expenditure has been enacted. While the Welsh Government has proposed funding for ALN pressures in future budgets, the exact level of support for Pembrokeshire remains unconfirmed.

Additionally, the council is managing the potential closure of several public toilets due to funding shortages. While some facilities have been transferred to community councils or funded by the National Park, three more locations face closure if alternative funding is not secured by late November. Previous closures have already occurred in areas such as Marloes and Burton.