A public consultation over Nottingham City Council 's savings proposals has been launched. Residents have been invited to have their say on the proposals agreed by councillors on Monday (December 20) as the city council sets its budget for 2023/24.
At an Executive Board meeting, councillors endorsed £29m of savings proposals, over £10m of which require public consultation. The city council said its finances are also amongst the ones impacted by the cost-of-living crisis created by soaring inflation, fuel and energy costs.
A challenging employment market, increased demand for services and post-pandemic issues also add to financial pressures, they said. Proposals agreed by the Executive Board include raising Council Tax by the full 4.99 per cent permitted under Government proposals - made up of 2.99 per cent Council Tax and a further 2 per cent precept specifically towards Adult Social Care costs.
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Eighty percent of Nottingham’s homes are in the two lowest Council Tax bands – almost twice the national average – meaning this increase would equate to between £1.25 and £1.46 more per week for the vast majority of city residents. Other proposals, involving a workforce reduction of 110 full-time equivalent posts, include:
- Changes to adult social care, including more independent living support instead of residential or nursing care
- Reviewing fees and charges for parking, cremation and burials, leisure centres and cafes
- Reviewing grants to community groups, community centres and cultural organisations
- Withdrawing the Shopmobility service at the Victoria Centre
- Stopping collection of household bins put out on the wrong day
- Short-term mothballing of two floors of Loxley House pending the review of options for our offices and depots
- Increasing tariffs for EnviroEnergy customers.
Some of the proposals are part of the council's transformation programme which is underway to radically change the way the council operates. The council’s overall budget gap is £32.2m, leaving a further £3.2m of savings to be found by February.
The City Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance, Cllr Adele Williams, said: “Most councils up and down the country are facing significant financial difficulties, and once again we are faced with some really difficult decisions about how we balance our budget next year. We have also looked in this budget process for ways in which we can become more efficient and effective with each pound we spend for Nottingham.
“Demand continues to grow for vital services such as adult social care, which now makes up over a third of the council’s entire budget. Proposals we approved today include making efficiencies by providing these services differently, along with savings from a range of other council services."
People can take part in the council’s consultation into its proposals by filling in the survey or finding out about consultation events here.
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