A new plan which sets out Nottinghamshire County Council’s 10-year vision to deliver a “healthy, prosperous, and greener future” for communities has been approved.
The Nottinghamshire Plan is a nine-point blueprint shaped by the responses to the Big Notts Survey, which was conducted earlier this year and led to more than 12,000 residents having their say on their hopes and aspirations for the county.
County council leaders say the plan will address residents’ hopes and concerns as Nottinghamshire and the country continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and look to the next 10 years and beyond.
Levelling up life opportunities are at the heart of the wide-ranging plan by investing in priority communities, improving Nottinghamshire’s roads and pavements, and making core council services such as adults and children’s social care fit for the future.
The aspirational plan also outlines how securing greater investment by bringing more powers and funding from London to Nottinghamshire would support the delivery of major infrastructure projects like HS2 and the East Midlands Freeport.
Responding to residents’ concerns about climate change, the county council has also set itself a bold target of making all its activity net carbon neutral by 2030 – as well as planting more than 250,000 trees to support local biodiversity.
Set out in nine ambitions, the Nottinghamshire Plan details actions the council will fulfil over the next four years, including:
- piloting Family Hubs which give access to all family support services under one roof;
- providing sufficient school places in good schools so that parents have greater choice;
- creating the world’s first 5G Connected Forest within the historic Sherwood Forest area.
Nottinghamshire County Council Leader, Councillor Ben Bradley MP, said he was delighted to share the vision and thanked residents for helping to shape the living document.
He said: “There are both opportunities and difficult decisions ahead.
“We’ve got ambitious plans to secure greater investment in Nottinghamshire through a devolution deal and major infrastructure projects like HS2 and the East Midlands Freeport.
“We’ve also committed to making all Council activity net carbon neutral by 2030 and to improving our roads and pavements.
“But we still face financial pressures and, while we work out the best way to use our resources, we’ll keep on listening to help us make the right choices.
“We have a strong track record as a forward-looking and resilient council, and we want to continue on that journey as we take forward our learning from the pandemic, work in new ways, and continue to improve our services.
“We can’t deliver such a bold and ambitious vision alone, and we’re proud to be partnering with communities and organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors as we put our plan into action.
“We’ve already made some great steps together, supporting each other and protecting vulnerable communities during the pandemic.
“Now, we’re looking forward to working together into the future, and with the help of residents and our partners, we can make Nottinghamshire the best place it can be – for all of us.”
