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Councils will pay for coronavirus for 'more than a generation'
May 26, 2020
It will take more than a generation for Welsh councils to pay for the coronavirus pandemic, according to the body representing them.
Councils have gained a deficit of about £173m during lockdown, due to a loss of income and increased costs.
Anthony Hunt, from the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), warned they were facing a "recovery period of years".
The Welsh Government said it had made £110m available for councils.
One of the concerns raised by local authorities is the spike in applications for council tax reduction, and the cost of the all-Wales "Test, Trace and Protect" initiative.
Extra £23m funding 'to tackle Covid-19' in Wales Coronavirus 'costing councils £30m a month'
Mr Hunt, the WLGA's finance spokesman, said: "There's a risk that the legacy of the coronavirus won't just be a medical one but will be a financial one that damages our communities as well."
He is also the leader of Torfaen council and said it was "too early" to talk about council tax increases.
But Rob Jones, leader at Neath Port Talbot council, warned increases were inevitable "to keep pace with what is going on in the world".
He added the potential cost of test and trace would be a "heavy burden for financial and human resources".
All 22 Welsh local authorities have been asked how the pandemic has impacted them, and 19 responded.
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