Isle of Anglesey County Council today (Thursday, 5 March) approved its budget for 2026 to 2027, aimed at maintaining essential services.

Councillors agreed a 5.1% increase in Council Tax and use of general reserves to support those statutory services which continue to face strong demand and inflationary cost pressures, in particular education, adult social care and children’s services.

For the average Band D household on Anglesey, this will mean an annual increase of £87.03, or around £1.67 per week. The percentage increase is broadly in line with the Welsh average and the rises seen across all North Wales authorities. However, Anglesey’s Council Tax level still remains lower than the Welsh average and is the lowest in North Wales.

Although the Welsh government’s final settlement was better than expected - it was not enough to cover all rising costs and still left a significant funding gap.

The council also opted to use £1.685m from its reserves to help balance the budget and avoid deeper cuts to its frontline services.

Anglesey council Leader, Councillor Gary Pritchard, said, “This budget is about protecting what matters most - our schools, our care services, and our communities.”

“We understand the pressures facing households but also have a responsibility to protect those essential frontline services that residents of Anglesey depend on every day. Without this Council Tax increase, deeper cuts to essential local services would have been unavoidable.”

Councillor Pritchard added, “I believe this is a responsible budget which ensures we can meet rising costs, safeguard the most vulnerable and keep this council on a stable financial footing for the future.”

The council’s Director of Function (Resources) and Section 151 Officer, Marc Jones, said the approved 2026 to 2027 Budget was robust and aligned with the council’s priorities.

 It had:

• ensured each service had sufficient resources to meet current demand
• used a balanced mix of savings, reserves, and Council Tax income
• set a tax level consistent with independent assessments of need and comparable Welsh authorities

The approved budget will also ensure that schools received the full funding required to meet inflation-driven pressures and additional funding to fund an increase in the number of children with additional learning needs; and that £1.226m is invested in smaller critical services struggling with statutory and operational demands.

Ends 5 March 2026