Labour-led Monmouthshire Council has called an extra emergency full council meeting in anticipation of its budget plans being defeated at a scheduled meeting, just hours before the legal deadline to confirm budget plans for 2025-26.

Scheduled council meetings are set over a year in advance, but the administration has now called an additional meeting for Friday March 7, 24 hours after the scheduled budget vote on Thursday March 6.

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Richard John has repeatedly criticised the minority administration for setting a budget timetable that has a first vote on the budget just a couple of days before the legal deadline.

Following a Conservative gain from Labour in the Monmouth Town ward by-election in October 2024, the Labour group has 21 of the 46 seats on the council and is in a formal coalition with one Green councillor.

If the council’s budget is rejected, councillors will have less than 24 hours to rework and agree a new annual budget of £216million.

If a council failed to set a budget by the deadline of 11th March, a ban may be placed on all non-essential spend, council tax bills couldn’t be issued and it would likely face Welsh Government intervention.

Cllr Richard John, “Every year, I have warned the Labour administration that it’s incredibly reckless for a minority administration to seek approval for the first draft of its budget so close to the legal deadline.

“As recently as last month, I raised these concerns as the council has proposed exactly the same irresponsible timetable for next year’s budget process.

“Some Welsh councils agreed their budget plans for 2025-26 last week, but the Labour administration in Monmouthshire deliberately chose this timetable with a budget vote close to the deadline, leaving no time for any meaningful negotiations on their plans.

“If the 2025-26 budget is not acceptable to members on March 6, this timetable gives councillors less than 24 hours to put together a new budget of almost a quarter of a billion pounds. This is grossly irresponsible and is less likely to deliver a budget that’s fit for purpose.

“Failure to agree a budget by the deadline would be a financial catastrophe for the council, unprecedented in Welsh local government and would risk Welsh Government intervention.”

Monmouthshire Council is due to publish its final budget plans for 2025-26 on Tuesday 25th February.