WARNINGS that Ceredigion County Council could overspend by around £1m have proven unfounded, with council chiefs praising departments after the authority managed to complete the financial year with a surplus of £220,000.

The council had been expecting to overspend its budget, even estimating throughout the financial year, including in the third quarter of the financial year, that it would overspend. But it has now announced that it has in fact ended the financial year with a financial surplus.

The final figures show that most departments ended up underspending on their budget.

The adult social care budget overspent by almost £500,000, but council leader Ellen ap Gwynn insisted that social services in Wales were being underfunded by the Welsh Government.

Cllr ap Gwynn said the final financial figures were a boost to the authority which has faced a string of funding cuts in recent years.

She said: “It is good news as after the first quarter we were expecting to overspend by £1m or so, but we’ve managed to come in a bit under budget.”

But she said that, while there had been an increase in the amount of statutory duties imposed on social services by the Welsh Government, there had not been an increase in funding for services.

Cllr Ceredig Davies said, while the final budget position was better than expected, it was important the council explained its financial situation to members of the public who had seen reductions in council services as part of savings efforts from the council.

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