Nottingham City Council says it has ‘been busy getting its house in order ‘and now plans to demonstrate the benefits of this for the city, says Deputy Leader, Cllr Ethan Radford.
The Council has set out new budget plans which enable the authority to continue major improvements through firmer financial management, providing Nottingham taxpayers with better value-for-money through efficiency savings and paying down debt, while investing in the services which are important to local people.
The Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan from 2026/27 to 2029/30 being considered by its Executive Board on 21 October outlines how the authority aims to balance its budget, ending the use of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS), where the Government allows councils to use one-off money from the sale of assets to pay for day-to-day running costs.
Next year alone as part of a proposed £15m investment package in front line services, an extra £4.5 million has been set aside. This will be used to:
- strengthen neighbourhood safety with additional Neighbourhood Safety Officers on our streets
- enhance street cleaning tackling more fly tipping and litter
- upgrade our roads by filling potholes and repairing our highways
- revamp our parks with new and improved equipment
- enrich local communities through local community grants and empower local people with local partnerships with devolved decision making.
Cllr Ethan Radford, the Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance and Resources, said: “This budget will be clear proof that we are now a financially stable council. That we are, in fact, more stable than many other councils who are not in government intervention.
“We have talked a lot over the last year about how we’ve been getting our house in order after 14 years of underfunding from national government. Well, things have changed, and for Nottingham they are changing for the better.
“We’ve been getting a firmer grip on our finances, getting overspends under control, improving the ways in which we operate as a council. So far ,we’ve reduced our debt by almost a third since 2021, and only needed to use 17% of the Exceptional Financial Support we had earmarked at the start of the year. We owe it to the Nottingham taxpayer to use their money well. Which is why in this budget we are proposing to offer better value for money for local people.
“You never stop getting your house in order, there is always improvement that can be made. But we now feel we’re in as good a position, if not better, than many other councils and it’s time our budget reflected that.
“We believe it is time for a budget that matches not just the needs but the ambition of this city. We can’t fix everything overnight, but we’re putting forward proposals in this new budget that we believe will prove we are becoming a renewed council that delivers for local people and leads Nottingham forward.
“Through this new budget we will continue to get out house in order, to improve as a council that uses tax-payer’s money well by focussing on becoming a more efficient, well-run council rather than cuts to front-line services.
“For this reason, none of the proposals we are putting forward actually require formal public consultation as in previous years. But we are a publicly funded organisation and we believe the public have a right to see how we are using their money and have the opportunity to tell decision makers like us what they think.
“So in the interests of openness and transparency, we will still show our plans for savings and spending and will be carrying out extensive engagement with local residents, businesses and partners to seek their views on the overall direction of the council and what they feel is important. This is your money, and we want to know what you think.
“As the report highlights, Nottingham City Council, like all councils, still faces significant financial headwinds from increased demand for social care. We must also wait for the Government to confirm later this year how much funding local councils across the country will receive.
“However, we are now much better placed to respond to the needs and ambitions of this city. With this new budget we are proposing to the people of Nottingham, we are turning words into action.”
Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Conservative Opposition, Cllr Sam Smith, welcomed the withdrawal of the commissioners in the city, which will see a return of all decision making back to democratically elected councillors, but said: “Let’s not forget that the City Council’s oversight by commissioners is a result of financial incompetent decisions made by Labour Councillors that included losing over £24m of taxpayers’ money on Robin Hood Energy, spending over £29m on demolishing the Broadmarsh Centre and unlawfully spending about £50m from funds that should have been spent on improving council houses.
“All those decisions were poor decisions made by Labour Councillors and City residents have paid the price with council tax increases and cuts to local services.
“Nottingham City Council’s debt may be falling but a large chunk of this is being achieved by Labour Councillors holding a fire sale of assets to generate quick sales and an expected net receipt of roughly £30m. While this approach helps pay off debt, it also reduces the Councils revenue income from things such as rent and room hire.
“Comparing the City’s debt with the County’s debt is like comparing apples to oranges. The City’s population is 323,000 vs County of 848,000, meaning the City’s debt is still three times the amount per person with the county providing key services to more people which then cost more.
“While the Conservatives ran Nottinghamshire County Council, we never increased Council Tax by the maximum 4.99% and we did not cut services either. The difference in the city is stark”
