Nottingham City Council has set out initial budget proposals for next year in a newly published report.
Council Leader, Councillor Neghat Khan, says the proposals are about “getting our house in order and putting the Council on a sustainable financial footing.”
The report will be considered by the Council’s Executive Board on 17 December before views are sought from local residents, businesses and partner organisations on savings and other proposals as part of an extensive six-week public consultation.
“We know that the people of Nottingham want a council that gets the basics right and delivers the best local services we can afford, while also looking to the future so the city reaches its full potential,” said Cllr Khan.
“As a council, we continue to face huge pressures in caring for the elderly and disabled, supporting families and looking after children in our care and homelessness. Together these pressures are squeezing out other services.
“This budget is about getting our house in order and moving the council to a financially sustainable position. Taking the tough decisions to lead the city forward doesn’t mean we can’t afford to be ambitious. It means we can’t afford not to be.”
Further work is continuing to identify ways in which a balanced budget for 2025/26 and a robust Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) can be achieved. This work, along with the Government’s provisional Local Government Finance Settlement due to be announced on 19 December will be reported to Executive Board in January. The final Budget and MTFP will go to the Executive Board in February for recommendation to the Full Council in early March.
Initial proposals being considered on 17 December include £17.91 million of savings and income proposals to help balance the budget and enable the Council to invest in essential priority services. These include:
Council wide saving and income proposals of £10.788 million that require consultation including:
- Effective management of vacant posts through an initiative to manage vacancies more prudently.
- Reduce costs and improve efficiency by streamlining layers of management and team sizes.
- Improve productivity and manage staffing budgets by reducing sickness rates and enhancing performance management.
- Introduce commercial expertise to reduce third-party spending and improve procurement processes
- Conduct a council-wide IT review to rationalise applications, systems, licenses, and subscriptions, ensuring business continuity and cost savings.
- Improving digital access through development of the website and digital forms, shifting demand to more efficient service delivery.
Savings and income proposals of £7.122 million that do not require consultation
Adult Social Care savings of £3.584 million including:
- Improving early intervention and prevention.
- Ensuring the services citizens have chosen are in line with their eligible needs.
- Reviewing provision of support hours to ensure needs are met appropriately and recommissioning care to the right contracted level.
- Reviewing social care transport including eligibility, how it is charged for and ways in which it is commissioned.
- Reviewing high-cost care packages to ensure best value outcomes for citizens.
- Realigning and reviewing grant income the Council receives for adult social care.
Children’s Integrated Services savings of £2 million
- Operating model redesign to optimise efficiencies
Other savings of £1.538 million including:
- Redesigning Sport and Leisure services to reduce the Council subsidy.
- Making the museums and galleries service financially sustainable by increasing revenue, reducing costs and establishing a charitable development trust and exhibitions company.
- A revised events programme refocussed towards cost neutral or commercial events.
- Reducing the amount the Council subsidises the Theatre Royal Concert Hall through a ‘front of house’ restructure and the introduction of a new ticket insurance product for customers.
- Generating income through a new contract for bus shelters and advertising display units across the city.
- Repaying external market borrowing earlier than planned.
Cllr Khan continued: “We have been honest about the financial challenges we have faced, and we will continue to be open about what we will do and how we will do it. Through this budget and our ambitious vision for Nottingham, we will deliver a renewed council that focusses on delivering for local people so that we lead Nottingham to the future with renewed pride and optimism.
“It is never easy to balance the budget and there has never been a more important time to get this right. Councils right across the country are facing unprecedented pressures and demand, with people relying on vital services throughout their daily lives. That is why we must be ambitious about renewing the Council and look to lead Nottingham forward.
“Our promise is to deliver a ‘one council’ approach by being more efficient in the way that we work, modernising outdated practices and focussing on delivering good services and positive outcomes. We will renew this council. Nottingham deserves a council that delivers good local services and sets an ambitious vision for a city where people want to live, work and study. In getting this budget right, we will focus on delivering just that.
“We must become a renewed council and get our house in order so we can refocus on delivering for local people, empowering our communities, tackling climate change, providing safe and affordable housing, enhancing education and skills and working with partners across our city to put Nottingham first.”
