Council to invest millions in potholes and road repairs under budget plans

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

A city council could plunge millions into potholes and other road repairs, under the local authority’s final budget proposals.

Cabinet members have agreed to back a series of budget measures they said prioritised residents’ most pressing concerns.

A proposal to increase council tax in Newport by 4.9% remains in the budget, with leader Cllr Dimitri Batrouni arguing the authority’s task was “about balancing pressures on residents and investing in the services they actually want to see”.

He told cabinet colleagues on Wednesday there was “continuing pressure” on public services, and growing numbers of people needed support in the “fast-growing” city.

Following the public consultation on the draft budget proposals, new measures backed by the cabinet this week include £1 million of spending to unlock £12 million of borrowing for highway maintenance, and an ongoing £500,000 uplift to the council’s highways maintenance budget.

A further £300,000 for road safety schemes, £200,000 for improvements to road signs and painted lines, and £200,000 to enhance the city’s main “gateways” were also announced.

Elsewhere in the budget, the council plans to add £875,000 to the children’s social care budget to “fully fund” current demand for local placements.

And £1.5 million could be spent to secure an extra £18 million in borrowing for regeneration projects.

Cabinet members also supported proposals for more investment in grassroots and professional sport, community groups – as well as more staff to cover city-centre cleaning, safety wardens, and HMO licensing.

“This is a balanced budget [and] a prudent budget that also invests in this city’s growth,” said Cllr Batrouni, before similar positivity from his cabinet colleagues.

Cllr Rhian Howells, the cabinet member for infrastructure, said she believed residents would feel “heard” after road maintenance proved to be a popular theme during the consultation.

The extra funding for children’s care will provide valuable “breathing space” for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents, added Cllr Laura Lacey, the cabinet member for social services.

Addressing the proposed rise in council tax, Cllr Batrouni accepted residents would want to keep bills “as low as possible”, but argued that a 4.9% increase would maintain the local authority’s position as having one of the lowest rates in Wales.

All councillors will debate and vote on the final budget proposals later this month.