Nottingham City Council to axe jobs as budget cuts bite

At least 27 jobs are set to go at Nottingham City Council after it voted through £23m of savings yesterday (4 March).

The Council, which says the government has slashed its main grant by over £100m since 2013 says it will also cut bus services and increase Council Tax.

Nottingham City Council leader, Councillor Jon Collins, said: “The Government is once again drastically reducing the amount of money it provides for council services in Nottingham, and expecting local people to contribute more through their Council Tax. We don’t want to increase Council Tax but the Government has left us with no other option if we are going to continue providing vital local services, especially with 70% of our budget now going on adult social care and children’s services.

“This is the tenth budget in a row where we have been faced with major cuts in funding. Since 2010/11 Nottingham’s core settlement from government has fallen by £145m – that’s the equivalent of £529 taken from each household in the city.”

The Council says it will continue with its commercial activities which bring in over £20m a year to offset the cuts.

Collins added: “We remain ambitious for Nottingham and so wherever possible we are finding ways to invest in the city’s future, through improved education, training and job opportunities, key capital projects that bring growth and prosperity and enriching our local communities with better housing, transport and affordable leisure activities.”