THE budget may have balanced at cash-strapped Pembrokeshire County Council but concerns remain with some aspects of services.

A budget outturn monitoring report for 2017-18 was brought before the corporate overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday (June 12).

Director of finance Jon Haswell highlighted the balancing of last year’s tight budget thanks to last-minute grants from Welsh Government.

But Cllr Mike Stoddart called it “mathematical alchemy” with the balance achieved by taking from reserves.

The original estimated expenditure budget for 2017-18 was £204.8million with a projected outturn – or actual spend – of £205.5million. The final outturn figure was £204.8million.

“It’s inevitable that the budget will balance because you have moved money from reserves,” said Cllr Stoddart.

But Mr Haswell said “considerable grant money” was received at the end of the year which led to a bigger contribution to reserves.

Cllr Reg Owens questioned why, with housing budgets coming in under estimates, so many complaints were received about delays in fixing or improving homes for tenants?

“If we have got this money swishing around, why have we got this money swishing around and are not using it to make living conditions better for the tenants?” he asked.

Mr Haswell said the authority had achieved and retained a Welsh Housing Quality Standard and has also increased the number of internal tradespeople employed to carry out work, improving wait times considerably.

He also told members that significant investment in new housing and improving housing was planned this year with funds available.

Recruiting social workers was also raised as a concern, prompting questions from Cllr Alison Tudor about the levels of social workers employed. She asked whether problems with recruitment meant statutory requirements were not being met.

This was backed by Cllr Owens who said lower pay than neighbouring authorities had been previously addressed but Pembrokeshire County Council must “not slip back into underpaying our social workers.”

Councillors were told that adult social care was the biggest pressure on authorities across the UK, not just Pembrokeshire, and it was an area where it was very difficult to reduce costs.

Mr Haswell added that currently the level of social workers was not a cause for concern but it would be monitored as there was a “minimum recruitment.”

An issue that will be revisited at the committee’s next meeting will be how second home tax revenue is being spent.