PEMBROKESHIRE County Council’s budget for the coming year, 2026-27, has been approved. It will see additional funding for schools (£4.7m), for Social Care (£5.9m) and for a number of other vital front line public services including roads and building maintenance.

Council tax will rise £1.46 per week, i.e. an extra £76 overall, for the average Band D property; less than half last year’s increase.

At a special meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members considered a previously Cabinet-backed recommendation for the setting of the 2026/27 council budget, with a council tax increase of 4.6 per cent.

Last year, Pembrokeshire’s council tax increased by 9.35 per cent, lower than that year’s Cabinet recommendation of 9.85 per cent.

The overall council tax bill is made up of the county council element, the largest part, the Dyfed-Powys Police precept, and individual town or community council elements.

A report for councillors, presented by cabinet member for finance and efficiencies Cllr Alistair Cameron, recommending the 4.6 per cent rate, said the Welsh Government settlement for Pembrokeshire was better than expected, leaving a funding gap for 2026-27 of £14.7m for the overall budget.

The most significant cost pressure for the 2026-27 budget continues to be within Social Care, the report said, with a projected total increase in pressure of £12m for 2026-27 representing 42 per cent of the total council service pressures for 2026-27; and £30.5m across the remainder of the medium-term financial plan.

It warned that 47 of Pembrokeshire’s 61 schools continue to rely on their reserve balances to fund in year expenditure, and that this is not a sustainable position, with the current trajectory suggesting school balances will be in an aggregated deficit position by 2027-28.

Cllr Alistair Cameron later said: "I would like to thank those residents who responded to the recent public consultations and want to assure residents that this budget has been set with your needs and priorities at the forefront.

"This budget supports the service areas we’ve identified that require extra investment, such as schools and social care. Schools across Pembrokeshire will receive £4.7m of additional funding this coming year, which follows on from the £13.6m of extra investment in schools over the previous two years.

"This budget will also put extra funding into a number of front-line services which we know need to be prioritised including road repairs, gully clearing and building maintenance.

"Pembrokeshire, like all local authorities, faces increasing demands on key service areas, but this administration is very aware we cannot keep asking residents to pay significantly more Council Tax each year. This budget recognises this whilst safeguarding vital services."

Conservative Group leader Cllr Di Clements welcomed the “more realistic council tax increase” than previous years, stressing taxpayers needed “consistency from one year to the next,” adding: “I’m hoping that’s the end of very high council tax increases we’ve seen of late.”

You can view the Budget meeting at https://pembrokeshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home .