The millions of pounds Vale of Glamorgan Council expects it will have to save next year is nearly double what it had to save this year.

In a report presented to council cabinet members on Thursday, 28 November, Vale of Glamorgan Council said its expected budget gap for 2025-26 is £14.8m.

When it approved its budget for 2024-25 in March, the local authority said it had to make £7.7m worth of savings to bring expenditure in line with income.

The council said increased demand for services along with the increased cost of delivering them are contributing to the funding gap.

Leader of Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Lis Burnett, said: "There is no disguising the fact the council remains in an extremely challenging financial position.

"Local authorities have seen consistent real terms funding cuts for more than a decade and when combined with rising costs, it is becoming harder and harder to balance the books.

"The obstacles facing us are huge, but the council has an ambitious transformation agenda that we are confident will bring efficiency savings across the organisation, while careful use of reserve funds can also help address the problem.

"Even so, this is an extremely testing situation, one that will mean further difficult and unpalatable decisions lie ahead as we look to protect the services relied upon by our most vulnerable residents."

Some of the biggest cost pressures Vale of Glamorgan Council is facing include social care and provision for pupils with additional learning needs.

This year, schools and social care account for 70% of the council's budget, up from 68% in 2023-24, and that share is set to increase further in the future.

Following the UK Government's budget announcement in October, it was revealed the Welsh Government would receive an additional £1.7bn.

However, this amount includes both 2024-25 and 2025-26, with the resources covering already agreed annual pay increases and a significant share likely going to the health service.

The Welsh Government's decision on how this £1.7bn is to be allocated will be known at its budget announcement on December 10.

Vale of Glamorgan Council said dwindling resources have been compounded by high energy prices, inflation and interest rates.

Budget working groups are currently operating across all areas of the council to identify savings.

These will be presented to the council's cabinet as part of the budget setting process which concludes with the final document being agreed at a meeting of all councillors in March 2025.