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 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 through the year on what has actually been spent and how that differs from the budget 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 core services, the increase in that allocation is not confirmed until December each year, but we can't wait that long to plan our services for the year ahead (which begins in the spring), so we estimate what services we need and the funding we might get until then. 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.