Cardiff is the Welsh city hit hardest by UK Government austerity, with spending in 2017/18 £148 per head lower than in 2009/10, according to a report from research and policy institute, Centre for Cities.

The Cities Outlook 2019 report also found Cardiff to be the only Welsh city in the top 50 UK cities hit hardest by austerity.

Andrew Carter, Centre for Cities Chief Executive, said:  “Cities drive the Welsh economy and while austerity has improved local government efficiency, its sheer scale has placed public services in Wales’ cities under huge pressure.”

Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation and Performance, Councillor Chris Weaver said:  “Despite declarations to the contrary, austerity is not over. Council’s across Wales and the UK are still being forced to make some incredibly difficult decisions in order to balance the books.  This council has already found £136 million in savings over the past five years and, when combined with increased demand for services and rising costs, that leaves us facing significant financial challenges.

“We’re continuing to modernise the way we work to ensure we deliver on our Capital Ambition agenda and provide the best possible services for residents – and it’s working, our annual Local Authority ranking has improved for three years in a row, and according to our latest Ask Cardiff survey 64% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with our services, up from 57% in the previous year.

“But we’re facing a £90 million budget gap over the next three years, and with almost two-thirds of our budget used to provide schools and social services alone, the continued squeeze on our finances will mean that in the future there will be services we are no longer able to provide.”

Centre for Cities Chief Executive, Andrew Carter added:  “Councils have managed as best they can but the continued singling-out of local government for cuts cannot continue.  There is a very real risk that many of our largest councils will in the near future become little more than social care providers.”

To download the report in full, visit:  https://www.centreforcities.org/publication/cities-outlook-2019