Council's Annual Report 2023-2024
Well-being Objective 3
Enabling our communities and environment to be healthy, safe and prosperous (Prosperous Communities)
Overview of Progress
A healthy and well-functioning economy provides the foundation for sustainable growth, improved living standards and the development of prosperous communities. The Council recognises that fair and meaningful employment, a thriving business base and well skilled labour market are the foundations of a healthy economy and are committed to driving this agenda forward. Economic recovery following a challenging Covid period continues at pace, however some challenges remain. Disposable household income remains below national averages and economic inactivity rates remain above averages.
Businesses continue to be supported through a range of interventions, including improved access to commercial space, networking opportunities, access to funding and an increased focus on ensuring businesses can take advantage of local supply chains and procurement opportunities. Wider regeneration activity has seen improvements to our town centres with the aim of increasing footfall and attracting inward investment.
Our employability schemes continue to support those furthest away from the labour market and jobs are actively being created through Council intervention to ensure that people can access opportunities to improve their lives. Training and upskilling to create a future proofed workforce continues with uplifts seen in the numbers of those qualified to level 4 and above.
The delivery of Pentre Awel continues at pace which will have far-reaching benefits for the County, some of which are already being realised through Community Benefits.
Work continues to address one of the common barriers faced by individuals looking to return to or find employment by seeking to increase the availability of childcare in the County where demand is not being met.
The Natural Environment is a core component of sustainable development. The Council declared its commitment to addressing the climate and nature emergencies and will continue working towards becoming a Net Zero Carbon Local Authority by 2030, addressing the issues that are driving a decline in our biodiversity and support nature recovery. A slight increase in Nitrogen Dioxide levels has been observed, however, this is still lower than the Wales average. The first phase of the Waste Strategy has been implemented and changes have resulted in an increase in reuse and recycling tonnage performance which has already surpassed the national target which was expected by 2025. Furthermore, the percentage of waste sent to landfill has reduced, working towards the National target of Zero Waste to landfill by 2025.
Areas of the County are susceptible to the negative effects of the climate emergency, especially flooding. The Council has implemented interventions through the Flood & Water Management Act and Shoreline Management Plan to mitigate against the effects of flooding, which is a growing concern among residents.
The County remains a key strategic stronghold for the future of the Welsh language, with the social and economic benefits of bilingualism being widely recognised. Our 'Strategy to Promote the Welsh Language in Carmarthenshire 2023-28' sets out what we will do to work towards restoring the Welsh language in the County by increasing the numbers of those who can speak Welsh, increasing the situations where people can speak Welsh, raising the status of the language, supporting communities to maintain the language and by having a positive effect on population movements.
Total Crime in Carmarthenshire has reduced by over 14% during 2023/24 which is positive. We recognise the importance of effective partnership working to sustain these low rates which is evidenced by the activity of the community safety work, Community Cohesion Team and the collaborative working required with regards to the Serious Violence Duty.
Transportation and highways play a key role in supporting and sustaining our communities, providing the vital infrastructure which connects people to one another, supports access to services and supports a thriving economy. The Council prioritises maintaining the highway network within its means, however, special provision is made during the winter time to ensure uninterrupted access to essential services.
The County is vast and mixed in terms of its rural/urban landscape, this poses challenges, which are difficult to address, especially with depleting resources. We have continued our work to enhance road infrastructure and develop transport solutions for the more rural areas of the County.
There has been a significant increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on Carmarthenshire roads, with a 66% increase from 2022 to 2023. We are committed to making roads safer through partnership working, awareness, education, and training to improve road user skills and behaviour.
Sport, leisure, culture and outdoor recreation are the heartbeat of our communities. These services provide a range of health and well-being activities, facilities, and programmes to support our residents and communities to lead healthy, safe, and prosperous lives. Similarly, the promotion of our County as an attractive and commercially viable place to visit and invest in is a key economic and well-being factor. Overnight and day visitors to the County contributed £597m to the local economy supporting 6,652 full time jobs. In addition, visits to libraries and leisure centres are up significantly on the previous year. Several innovative leisure and well-being initiatives are also delivered through a variety of mechanisms to ensure people have a wide range of options and opportunities to lead active and enriched lives.
As a Council we focus on the following thematic and service priorities:
- WBO3a Thematic Priority: Economic Recovery and Growth
- WBO3b Thematic Priority: Decarbonisation and Nature Emergency
- WBO3c Thematic Priority: Welsh Language and Culture
- WBO3d Thematic Priority: Community Safety, Resilience, and Cohesion
- WBO3e Service Priority: Leisure and Tourism
- WBO3f Service Priority: Waste
- WBO3g Service Priority: Highways and Transport
In Summary
Carmarthenshire’s economy has seen improvement in recent years, following a period of uncertainty and recovery following the pandemic. There is recognition of this as we move towards a refreshed economic vision which aims to focus on the opportunities available to us and the challenges that we must overcome to realise real economic growth.
The county continues to exhibit above average levels of economic inactivity, and employment rates remain below national averages. Unemployment rates have increased slightly but remain lower than national averages.
There has been a decrease in business births and an increase in business deaths, however the Council is committed to providing support to businesses to ensure their sustainability and ability to diversify and upscale.
Over the long term, Carmarthenshire’s GVA (Gross Value Added) has grown relatively slowly. However, the recent picture is more positive since the pandemic, and there has been a narrowing of the gap between Wales and the UK, but there is still some way to go to reduce the gap to the level at the start of the millennium.
Qualification levels have improved and there are now less people with no qualifications at all. Significant funding was secured by Economic Development, reflecting a significant achievement in external funding and private sector investment.
Overnight and day visitors contributed a considerable amount to the local economy supporting thousands of full-time jobs.
How are we doing?
- Employment rates have improved slightly in Carmarthenshire as at end of March 2024 to 72.0% compared to 71.7% at the end March 2023, although they continue to be below the Welsh and UK averages of 73.5% and 75.4% respectively. Unemployment figures increased slightly to 3.0% in March 2024 compared to 2.9% March 2023. This is better than the Welsh and UK averages of 3.5% and 3.8% respectively. Economic Inactivity[3] in Carmarthenshire remains high despite a slight improvement from 23.3% in March 2023 to 21.7% in March 2024, this is above the Welsh average of 20.3% and well above the UK average of 17.7%.
- 46.3% of those aged 18-64 in Carmarthenshire are qualified to Level 4 or above (December 2023), this is an improvement on the previous year of 40% and above the Welsh average of 45.0%. Developing skills and qualifications improves employability prospects, boosts career prospects and creates a well-skilled and able labour market. It also ensures that we have a workforce that is fit for the future. Those with no qualifications in Carmarthenshire reduced to 5.3% in December 2023, compared to 7% the previous year and well below the Welsh average of 7.9%. Carmarthenshire is well underway to meet Welsh Government’s National Well-being Indicator Milestone - of 'the percentage of working age adults with no qualifications will be 5% or below in every local authority in Wales by 2050'.
- Business births have reduced from 820 in 2021 to 630 in 2022, and Business deaths have increased from 650 in 2021 to 700 in 2022.
- 955 Direct and Indirect Jobs were created with Regeneration assistance during 2024/25, this is a reduction on the previous year’s figure of 1,466 but some delays to commencement of significant direct delivery and third party grant funded construction projects means that these will now be realised during 2024/25.
- 158 individuals were supported through Council employability schemes to earn the real living wage during 2023/24, this is a decline in number compared to 204 in the previous year. Many of the clients supported were still receiving advice and guidance at the end of the financial year as they experience multiple barriers and have complex needs. Therefore, additional support is needed before they access employment opportunities.
- Over £35m of funding was secured during 2023/24 by Economic Development via Private Sector Investment and various successful applications for external funding.
- Overnight and day visitors contribute £597m to the local economy supporting 6,652 FT jobs.
For progress and data on this thematic priority see pages 3-15 -
In Summary
Over the last six years we have reduced our carbon emissions by over a third. This is strong progress in the pathway to meeting our commitment to Welsh Government’s ambition for net zero Welsh public sector by 2030 and in working together with local and national partners to meet the legal commitment to achieve a net zero Wales by 2050.
Carmarthenshire has invested in low carbon energy projects, with a significant increase in energy generation compared to the previous year. Figures compare positively with national averages.
Areas of the County are susceptible to the negative effects of the climate emergency, especially flooding. The Council has implemented interventions through the Flood & Water Management Act and Shoreline Management Plan to mitigate against the effects of flooding, which is a growing concern among residents.
We are making a difference to many communities with our flood risk analysis and business case developments. We have a better understanding of risks in many communities through the development of our Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy. All developments must have sustainable drainage which is managing flooding for both new developments and the surrounding community.
How are we doing?
Carmarthenshire is one of the most proactive counties in Wales in terms of investment in low carbon energy projects. This substantiates the forward-thinking approach that we adopt with regards to addressing the threats posed by the climate and nature emergencies. The most recent data for 2022 indicates that there was a total of 8,104 projects in Carmarthenshire generating 333MW of energy. This is the third highest level in Wales and an increase on 2021 figures.
Flooding is a concern in Carmarthenshire, and according to Natural Resources Wales (2019), over 15,000 Business and Homes are at Risk from either River, Tidal or Surface Water Flooding, with over 5,400 of these are at Medium or High Risk. The increasing threat of the climate and nature emergencies places greater emphasis on the need for suitable and proportionate flood defences to protect those at greatest risk. Through the Council’s Flood & Water Management Act and Shoreline Management Plan several interventions have been completed, including the installation of new defences and upgrades made to existing defences. According to the National Survey the level of concern about flooding expressed by Carmarthenshire respondents has increased from 36.2% in 2018/19 to 49.3% in 2022/23. This exceeds the Welsh average of 44.7%.
In our 2023 residents survey, the largest proportion of respondents indicated ‘neither’ when asked whether the climate emergency is being addressed locally. This might suggest that people are unaware of the measures put in place. For those that did answer, slightly more people disagreed than agreed.
For progress and data on this thematic priority see pages 17-23 -
In Summary
Welsh language and culture make Carmarthenshire unique. Our Welsh speaking communities are resilient; however, there has been a significant decline in the number of speakers across the County. These Results have further increased the importance of promoting and normalising the use of the Welsh language.
As Carmarthenshire experiences the highest percentage loss of Welsh speakers of all the counties of Wales for the second decade running, firm and confident action as outlined in the ‘Carmarthenshire Welsh Language Promotion Strategy 2023-2028’ must be taken to stop this declining trend.
How are we doing?
The Census data for 2021 indicates that Carmarthenshire is home to 72,838 Welsh speakers, 39.9% of the population.
In our 2023 residents survey, most respondents agree that it is important to promote and protect the Welsh language.
242 members of staff attending various levels of Welsh Learning courses between September 2022 and June 2023 (Academic Year), this is higher than the previous year of 227.
For progress and data on this thematic priority see pages 25-28 -
In Summary
Total crime in Carmarthenshire reduced during 2023/24. Effective partnership working will support in sustaining these low rates.
The residents survey for 2023 indicated that most respondents like living in Carmarthenshire.
Most people agreed that they feel safe in their community. However, there was some disparity within local community areas, for example Llanelli exhibited an overall negative score.
How are we doing?
99.13% of food establishments in Carmarthenshire met food hygiene standards during 2023/24.
Unfortunately, only 49% of high-risk Trading Standard businesses that were liable to a programmed inspection during 2023/24 were inspected. The reason for this is that during the second half of the year, there was an increase in reactive high-risk criminal investigations and high-profile proactive work to tackle the sale of illicit vapes and the underage sale of vapes which required resources to be redirected from routine inspections. All outstanding premises were prioritised in the first quarter of 2024-25
For progress and data on this thematic priority see pages 30-33 -
In Summary
There was a significant increase in library and leisure centre visits.
A number of initiatives and large-scale developments provide access to opportunities which meet the varying needs of residents and visitors.
These initiatives have contributed to the well-being of residents and visitors by promoting health, reducing environmental impact, saving costs, fostering social interactions, and improving urban infrastructure, leading to a higher overall quality of life.
How are we doing?
Overnight and day visitors contribute £597m to the local economy supporting 6,652 full-time jobs. There were over 660,000 visits to our libraries during 2023/24 (in person and online), this is a 28% increase on the previous year. This was achieved through various events in our libraries all over the County such as Clip Corner in Carmarthen Library offering access to thousands of radio and TV programmes from the archives of BBC, S4C & ITV Wales, Santa visits, wreath and bauble making, chess club and film shows, together with World Book Day visits, Mother’s Day and Easter Craft sessions and watercolour painting sessions. Our digital visits continue to remain high with customers benefitting from our range of digital eBooks, audiobooks, newspapers, magazines, and training apps.
The number of visitors to our leisure centres during 2023/24 reached 1.6m for the first time, this is 21% up on the previous year and higher than to pre-Covid levels. This has also been mirrored in the uptake of memberships and learn to swim in association with good growth in community- based activity. Investment has been ongoing into the facility infrastructure and the development of class programmes in rural sites has seen significant growth of membership at those locations notably St Clears and Llandovery. Membership has also grown in Carmarthen, Amman Valley, and Llanelli Leisure Centres. The new pitches at Amman Valley have also seen an uplift in regular bookings and footfall. Focus on retention and loyalty has helped to see retention improve plus using refer a friend across the year has been a great driver.
For progress and data on this service priority see pages 35-37 -
In Summary
The first phase of the Waste Strategy was implemented in January 2023 these changes have resulted in an increase in reuse and recycling tonnage performance, surpassing the National Target which was expected by 2025.
The average municipal waste per person not recycled has reduced.
The percentage of waste sent to landfill has reduced, working towards the National target of Zero Waste to landfill by 2025.
The Council has implemented a new kerbside collection system, increased kerbside glass collection, and engaged in comprehensive community outreach to promote recycling and sustainability.
The expansion of our Eto reuse projects also directly supports this priority by promoting resource efficiency, recovery, repair, and a circular economy within the County.
The Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS) surveys show a slight decrease in street cleanliness and an increase in litter levels.
The Council has improved the average number of days taken to clear fly-tipping incidents, despite an increase in the number of incidents.
How are we doing?
Our recycling figure for 2023/24 has improved to 70.49%, already exceeding the National Target of 70% due by the end of March 2025. The most recently published comparative figures for 2022/23 show the average recycling rates across Wales was 65.71% at which point we were below the Welsh average at 65.25%.
The % of waste sent to landfill has reduced further during 2023/24 and is now down to 2.01%, this is well underway to meeting the National target of Zero Waste to landfill by 2025.
Our 2023 residents survey received almost 4,000 respondents, although the majority tend to agree that their local environment is pleasant and well looked after there is a relatively high proportion which disagree. Some comments highlighted issues in relation to street cleansing, waste, litter, and verge/hedgerow maintenance are possible contributing factors.
The average municipal waste per person not recycled has reduced further to 121Kg at the end of 2023/24, compared to 144Kg in 2022/23. The most recently published comparative figures for 2022/23 show that Carmarthenshire were better than the Welsh average and had the 4th best figures in Wales. The 2023/24 comparative data will not be published until January 2025.
Our bi-monthly Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS) surveys conducted during 2023/24 to check the cleanliness of our streets, show a decrease in cleanliness at 71.5%, compared to 72.7% the previous year, with an increase in the levels of litter found in the streets.
The average number of days taken to clear fly tipping incidents has improved to 2.3 days during 2023/24 despite a 5% increase in the number of incidents from 1,615 to 1,701.
For progress and data on this service priority see pages 40-42 -
In Summary
The Council prioritises maintaining the highway network, especially during Winter, to ensure uninterrupted access to essential services. However, the road surface condition deteriorated in 2023/24, with a significant increase in reported defects.
We have continued to work through major strategic challenges such as the national 20mph campaign, development of regional transport planning and the trajectory towards net zero carbon aspirations.
We have been proactive in delivering change and have successfully brought in grant funding to support service delivery. However, we face challenges with reducing capital and revenue budgets combined with rising public expectation, supply chain pressures and deteriorating asset condition which is leading to a difficult operating environment for Highway and Transportation services.
How are we doing?
No road condition surveys were completed during 2023/24 but were completed during the early part of 2024/25, these will be reported in the 2024/25 Annual Report. Therefore, the following results are based on the 2022/23 surveys, results for each of the road categories improved from the previous year:
- 3.1% of our A Class were in poor condition (3.6%)
- 2.4% of our B Class were in poor condition (2.8%)
- 10.1% of our C Class were in poor condition (11.7%)
Our 2023 residents survey received almost 4,000 respondents, whilst many agreed that they can access the services that they need, a similar number of respondents indicated ‘neither’, with a further significant number of respondents disagreeing with this statement. This has resulted in a shift from overall agreement of a score[1] of 0.05 to overall disagreement with a score of -0.05 when comparing this year’s results with last year’s. Location based trends align with those seen for the next statement on access to good public transport, with the lowest scores evident in the Tywi and Gwendraeth areas.
With regards to the statement ‘there are good transportation links around me’, the residents survey score declined from -0.41 to -0.45. Further analysis indicates that scores were lowest from respondents living in the Tywi (-0.94) and Gwendraeth (-0.66) community areas. This is to be expected given these areas include some of the County’s most rural wards.
For progress and data on this service priority see pages 44-47 -
