Libraries, leisure centres may shut, residents told

Services including libraries and leisure centres could be set to be reduced or closed by a Welsh council to balance the books.

Caerphilly council said it would have to make more than £21m of savings as it made "difficult decisions" on spending.

Consultants have been hired to develop a "transformation agenda" to cut out what it calls unnecessary spending and streamline the council's operations.

It comes after council leaders across Wales warned they could struggle to maintain essential services despite a cash boost from the Welsh government.

Caerphilly council will receive an extra £16.1m from the Welsh government this year.

But council tax is still expected to rise, with some residents paying £114 more than last year.

The council currently operates more leisure centres than any other local authority in Wales.

Chris Morgan, the cabinet member for leisure services, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the "next step" was to reduce the overall number.

"It is essential that as many people as possible provide feedback to help us shape the way we deliver this key service in future," said Morgan.

Ten libraries in the area are also at risk, and the council appears likely to push ahead despite a clear majority of respondents disagreeing with the proposals.

The council said it would like to reduce the number of library sites to a handful of regional "hubs" that will "provide a more sustainable and resilient" service.

Those sites have been earmarked for Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Rhymney, Risca and Ystrad Mynach.

Residents who disagreed said they wanted a local service within walking distance, and feared the impact on communities.

The council said it spent nearly half a million pounds annually on its library service.

The cost of providing many services has risen more quickly than any increases in central government grants, which account for most of the council's funding.

Its "transformation agenda" has helped find £5.3m of savings for the coming year, according to a new report.

But aspects of the strategy have proved controversial because of various cuts, reductions or mothballing plans in spending areas not deemed essential.

Cabinet members will meet on 16 January to discuss the draft budget proposals and launch a public consultation.

The council will then draw up its final budget proposals for 2025/26.