Political leaders in Powys have reacted with shock and anger to news that the county is to again receive the largest funding cut in Wales.

“While local government in Wales has been protected with an average cut in Welsh Government funding of just 1.4 per cent next year Powys had been hit by a 4.1 per cent reduction – the third year in succession that the cut has been greater than four per cent,” said Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance Councillor Wynne Jones.

“It is shocking that the largest, most rural council in Wales, the council with arguably the highest running costs because of its rurality and demographics receives the largest cut. Next year’s cut means that the council has had a cumulative reduction in its budget of more than 13 per cent in the last three years.

“The 4.1 per cent reduction will see the Welsh Government element of the county’s funding cut from nearly £175m to just under £168.5m, a reduction of more than £7m and that is without taking into account the impact of inflation and increasing service demands.

“Another concern is the Welsh Government’s insistence on providing protection for education and social services which make up 65 per cent of our budget. The demand reduces the flexibility the council needs to properly manage its budget by squeezing the savings out of just 35 per cent of the budget.

“The county has suffered from the absence of a funding floor that has been available in the past to protect authorities like Powys who are at the bottom of the funding table. It is clear that the funding formula for Welsh councils needs a radical overhaul. It is clearly unfit for purpose and does not reflect the increases in the elderly population in Powys or the cost of providing services in a large rural county.

“We shall be contacting our AM’s immediately to urge them to vote down this budget and to work to secure a better deal for rural counties like Powys, including getting an urgent review of the current unfair funding formula that gives a very bad outcome for those outside of the main urban authorities,” he added.Chris Davies MP has expressed his “disappointment” with the settlement handed down from the Labour-run Welsh Assembly to Powys County Council.The County Council settlement for Powys has been cut once again, this time by 4.1%, and Powys remains bottom of the settlement league table, behind Ceredigion.Chris said “For the past decade, the Welsh Assembly has been letting down the people of Powys with their council settlement. Rural counties such as ours are being penalised by the Labour run Welsh Assembly in Cardiff, and it is time for them to reconsider their funding formula to properly take into account services that are spread over a vast rural distance.The fact that the settlement has been allowed to be cut nine years in a row means that either we are not being represented in the Assembly, or that Brecon and Radnorshire’s AM does not understand the challenges our area faces. I believe that the time has come for a new, stronger AM to give Brecon and Radnorshire a clear voice in the Assembly that will be listened to.”