Ceredigion County Council’s leader has said that the council “would be criticised by the press” no matter what they did as Plaid Cymru councillors signed off on a council tax hike of more than 11 per cent, slashes to services and fee hikes in a bid to plug a black hole in council finances for 2024/25 of more than £18m despite the best efforts of opposition members.

At a full council meeting on 29 February, councillors signed off the draft budget for Ceredigion for 2024/25.

A 11.1 per cent rise in council tax, a limit on black bags, charging for parking on Aberystwyth promenade, cuts to services, job losses and fees hikes for amenities including public toilets were all approved by a majority of councillors for April.

Councillors from the Liberal Democrat and Independent groups, along with Gwyn Wigley Evans of Gwlad and Carl Worrall from Plaid Cymru all voted against elements of the budget including the council tax rise due to fears over its deliverability and effect on residents, but the votes of remaining Plaid Cymru members meant the full budget was voted through, 20 to 16.

Leader of the council Cllr Bryan Davies told members at the meeting: “We have very difficult decisions to make.

“Unfortunately the situation hasn’t changed much in the last few weeks, and there are huge challenges ahead of us.

“It is quite a storm.

“These decisions are going to affect everyone.

“It is going to affect the residents of Ceredigion unfortunately.

“We are going to be criticised in the press anyway, so we have to think with our heads not our hearts.

“We are doing the best we can with the settlement we have.”

Chief Executive Eifion Evans told members that with £18m of savings needing to be found, that “everything had to be on the table” in terms of cuts.

Duncan Hall, Corporate Lead Director for Finance at Ceredigion County Council, warned that the outlook for the future was still “bleak.”

“There is a challenge coming down the track that in many ways will be even more challenging,” he said.

Elizabeth Evans Liberal Democrat group leader said: “This is a Plaid Cymru budget and residents will focus on the fact that their council tax is increasing and services are diminishing.

“Nobody should underestimate the desire to provide services.

“The settlement from the Welsh Government is overbearingly poor.

“If we are struggling financially, then are residents are doubly so.

“We cannot continue as we are.

“I do not like the uncertainty and risk of having further in year cuts if some of these savings can’t be achieved.”

Cllr Rhodri Evans told member: “My concern is that some of these cuts are far-reaching.

“There is poverty and people struggling financially in Ceredigion.

Penparcau councillor Carl Worrall said: “I have concerns over the effect that a council tax rise will have on already struggling residents.

“At the end of the day, this is hitting people.

“We have people out there struggling and I want to speak out for them.”

Council chair Maldwyn Lewis said Ceredigion should be “proud to be able to achieve a balanced budget”, amid the current economic climate.

A report put before members said councillors “have had to face incredibly difficult and unpalatable budget choices as part of weighing up how and where to reduce the cost of council services, alongside considering the appropriate level of funding to be raised through Council Tax.”

“Balancing the budget scales has been an unenviable task,” the report said.