Council Information: Your questions answered

We have put together a list of frequently asked questions to address as many of your common questions as possible. We often hear comments about how we spend our money, why council tax keeps increasing, and much more. We hope these FAQs help explain what we do and why.

What is the difference between the role of a councillor and the role of an officer?

Councillors are elected representatives who make decisions, set policies, and represent the views of the community.

They are responsible for:

• Representing residents: Acting as a voice for their constituents and addressing their concerns.
• Decision-making: Participating in council meetings to make decisions on local policies and services.
• Community engagement: Engaging with the community through meetings, events, and consultations.
• Oversight: Monitoring the performance of council services and ensuring accountability

Officers, on the other hand, are employed by the council to implement the decisions made by councillors. They provide professional and managerial expertise, deliver services, and offer advice to councillors to help them make informed decisions.

Why are there so many councillors?

The number of councillors is determined by the Boundaries Commission. Each councillor represents a specific ward or division.

Powys, which covers a quarter of Wales, has 68 councillors. This number was reduced to 68 in the last election. What do councillors do?

What is my council tax spent on?

Council tax is used to fund a variety of local services, including:

• Education: The Council directly funds all of the schools across Powys to deliver education for our pupils.
• Social Care: Services for the elderly, children, families and vulnerable adults.
• Environmental Services: Waste collection, recycling, and environmental protection.
• Transportation: Maintenance of roads, street lighting, and public transportation.
• Housing: Support for social housing and homelessness prevention.
• Public Safety: Funding for police and fire services.

Find out more at - How your council tax is spent

There are too many staff working for Powys County Council

We have around 3,000 staff working to deliver the services we provide, as well as all our staff working in our schools throughout Powys.

Ten years ago, we had a total of 6,500 staff, but the financial pressures have meant we now deliver services with less people.

84% of our staff are Powys residents and only 2.3% of our staff are in senior roles.

Why don't you cut back on the staff wages?           

All jobs are graded, and pay awards are set nationally. Reducing the pay bill means fewer staff, leading to fewer public services. 84% of our staff are residents, possibly your family and friends.  We are the biggest employer in Powys supporting the local economy.

How are decisions taken in the council?    

Council constitution tells you all about how the council is run - Council constitution and corporate governance

Policy decisions and budget allocations are made by Councillors. Scheme of delegations, agreed by Council, sets who can spend different parts of the budget and at what point decisions need to be taken e.g. by Cabinet / Full Council

Where did the money come from for the active travel paths?

The active travel routes are identified and planned through consultation with stakeholders and communities and the schemes are paid for by grant funding, such as the Welsh Government Active Travel or Safer Routes in Communities grants. The money is ringfenced and cannot be used for other things.   

How did my neighbour's planning application get approved and mine didn't?

Several factors influence the outcome of a planning application, and each case is assessed on its own individual merits in accordance with both national and local planning legislation. For more information, please visit Planning Questions and Answers

Council budget is confusing. I hear different figures throughout the year.          

We receive different types of funding and the availability of funding can vary throughout the financial year. For example, grant funding opportunities can pop up from Welsh / Central Government at any time during the year and these are usually for very specific types of work such as town centre improvements or active travel routes.

We report publicly through the year on what the Council has actually spent and how that differs from the planned budgets allocated to each service at the beginning of the year.

In terms of our core funding from Welsh Government which funds a large amount of our services, the increase in that allocation is not confirmed until February each year, although we do have indications around 3 months beforehand. We start to plan our services for the year ahead (which begins in the April) well ahead of the Welsh Government funding announcements so we have time to plan changes to service delivery and understand their impact. Different types of funding

Take a look at our Budget Book which shows the budget for each service. Council Accounts 

Why do I keep receiving correspondence in English and Welsh?

We must comply with the Welsh Language Standards.

These standards ensure that both languages are treated equally, promoting the use of Welsh and making services accessible to Welsh speakers.

We ensure everything we send you is bilingual and respects the language preferences of all residents.

What is Sustainable Powys?             

We are facing a critical situation because of national and international issues outside of our control, so we must fundamentally change the way we deliver services - Sustainable Powys.

We are reviewing the services we provide and how they are delivered to meet current and future needs.

Find out more on our website. Sustainable Powys

Why are you closing local schools?

As a rural county, we have many primary schools with low pupil numbers. Some schools have as few as seven pupils, and the cost of running and maintaining the school is huge.

We can't afford to maintain lots of small, and in some case 'old' buildings and they don't provide the best environment or facilities to education pupils. 

Our Transforming Education programme aims to ensure that schools in Powys have inspiring, environmentally sustainable buildings that can provide opportunities for wider community activity.

Transforming Education Strategy

Why does the council charge for car parking in my local town?  

If we don't charge for car parking, then the money to maintain the car parking provision has to come out of the council's budget. There's a limited budget for all services, so ultimately if we don't charge for car parking then we will start to see funding being taken away from services for children, adults and vulnerable people.  Charging people that actually use the car park including visitors reduces the burden on Council Tax payers.

Why do we see you doing work on "menial" things when you say you have no money?

Local Authorities are required to deliver what we do by law and national governments.  The funding we receive from Welsh Government is provided to do this.

We also have opportunities during the year to bid for specific grants (such as for active travel routes) so we take those opportunities when they become available but can only spend those funds on specific things.

Why do my bins sometimes not get collected? 

Our waste and recycling crews work hard, in all weathers, to empty bins from nearly 70,000 households each week.  

Occasionally we are unable to get to everyone as planned. This could be because of a vehicle breakdown, staff sickness, inclement weather or road conditions, or sometimes inconsiderate parking on narrow streets prevents the large lorries from getting through and completing their rounds.  

Unfortunately, due to having to operate within tight budgets, we do not have extra staff or vehicles to deploy in these circumstances. 

If your waste or recycling has not been collected by 5pm on your normal collection day, please check online for details of when we will be back: Bin collection day

Why don't you fix the potholes? 

Our roads and pavements are regularly inspected, and safety defects are noted and repairs arranged.   

We also have a very quick and easy way for residents to report any problems with the roads online: Report a problem with a road or pavement

The timescales for any repairs depend on the severity of the defect, the category of the road and available resources. 

Why can't you just raise council tax to bridge the budget gap?

Raising council tax will not bridge the gap alone, we would still need to change the way we deliver services.

Can you expand on how improved engagement is anticipated to help bridge the budget gap?

We're engaging with you to find out what you need from us to be supported, and to get an idea of the scales of delivery. We're engaging with you for your insight into where the gaps are, and where the resource needs to go.

What does the term community lead provision mean for residents?      

Community led provision enable service delivery to be shaped by local need and gives communities the freedom to develop local solutions.

We will work partners to support communities to provide for themselves wherever possible using town, village halls and local facilities.

We will use place plans, Local Development Plan and align strategies to inform and deliver provision.

Are there any assets in Powys County Council where we can generate money through saving / generating energy?

The council has invested and continues to invest in renewable energy and energy saving proposals. This invest to save process is a fundamental part of the council becoming financially sustainable.

We have over 600 property assets, including 135 county farms, with a total backlog maintenance estimate of £5m. The council has committed to bringing in £10m per year from the sale of council assets and county farms are included in this.

We do have an overall programme of work regarding which assets we may retain or sell. However, we hope you will appreciate this is a personally and commercially sensitive area for our farming and business tenants.

As we move through our programme of work, we are working together with our tenants to discuss their individual circumstances and tenancies. Information about the sale of assets will be issued on a case-by-case basis as appropriate.

 If you are interested in any property that is for sale, you can view our "Properties for Sale" page: View details of properties for sale or rent

How much are the Green initiatives going to cost? Can't this money be put into services?

While green initiatives are costly, they are essential for the long-term sustainability for our future generations. However, it is essential to balance this with immediate needs like pothole repairs which is a challenge. For any green initiatives undertaken, we will look to grants and external funding.

How much do Powys pay insurance adjusters?

We do not pay loss adjusters. They would be instructed on a large-scale loss but insurers would pay them in that instance.

Why aren't properties advertised on Rightmove to ensure getting a fair market value?      

Rightmove and other agents have been considered by Strategic Property for the disposal on assets. Following review, generally based on cost, assets are advertised using Zoopla, the council's website and on occasions local/national agents (where expedient). This is considered to give the council appropriate coverage.

Do you intend to hold community health meetings elsewhere?

Four more 'Keeping Healthy In...' events will be held in 2025/26. Locations are to be confirmed (provisionally Machynlleth, Newtown, Brecon, and Knighton).

The Farming Fit rural health and wellbeing outreach project is continuing with livestock markets throughout the county being visited on a cyclic basis. All dates are published at: Farming Fit

What is the current approach following the Estyn report?

Post-Estyn Inspection Initiatives in Powys

Following the recent Estyn inspection, Powys is taking significant steps to ensure sustainable education improvement across the region.

The Education Service is currently writing a Post-Inspection Action Plan, which will be submitted to Estyn. The aim is to ensure education objectives address all key areas required for improvement.

To oversee progress, the Council has initiated an Accelerated Improvement Board. The board will monitor and guide implementation of the action plan. Additionally, the Corporate and Strategic Equality Plan has been strengthened to include precise areas for education improvement and clear measures to track progress.

By keeping all stakeholders informed and engaged, we aim to build trust and ensure that our efforts lead to meaningful and lasting improvements in education for all learners in Powys.

What is a core town? 

The county will have five core towns where you can access our main services. Other services, such as waste and recycling collections, highway maintenance, environmental health services, and education, will continue to be delivered locally.

We will work with communities to decide which main services will be provided in the core towns and which need to be delivered locally.

Find out more about the core areas at: How we get there?

Do we need extra administration in the 5 core areas?

No additional money or administration will be required, as the 5 core areas are part of place planning. Instead, we will be utilising the staff that we have to support the communities we serve.

Why did Ystradgynlais become a core area?

The decision was centred around population, demographics and travel times.

The full decisions report can be found at: 2024 10 Cabinet Report - Sustainable Powys.pdf

Current public transport isn't good enough to get residents to core towns. How will you address this?  

Work is currently being undertaken to improve our transport network to provide better access to core areas.

Have you considered the aging population when planning 40-minute travel times?

We are working on public transport improvements which will help support the elderly to travel, for example through schemes like Dial-a-Ride. We will also encourage and enable communities to support each other.

How will dial the "Demand Responsive Network / Dial a Bus" work?

The system will enable more people to access public transport by providing a demand responsive network option for smaller settlements. The service will operate using a telephone system for making bookings at least 2 hours prior to travel. The network is likely to use 8-seater taxis, meaning it can be more flexible in terms of pick up and drop off locations.