City Council sets out plans to axe 272 jobs
Nottingham City Council has set out proposals to slash £15.6m from its 2021/22 budget in a move that see some 272 roles axed.
Other cuts include reviewing leisure centre operations, reducing the number of Community Protection Officer by 20, scrapping some LinkBus services and shaving £3.2m off adult social care provision.
The council says it is setting out new ways of working to take it forward for the next three years in a recovery and improvement plan.
The council’s leadership says it is “determined” to maintain the stability of services needed to support residents through “extremely difficult circumstances”.
The council’s portfolioholder for finance, councillor Sam Webster, said: “This budget comes during an extremely difficult time for the people of Nottingham, the nation as a whole and the council.
“The impact of Covid has been devastating in many ways. The health effects coupled with the economic situation has dealt a blow to many of our residents. During this most difficult time for our City the council has stepped up to support our most vulnerable residents and taken on new responsibilities ranging from getting every rough sleeper into safe accommodation to administering tens of millions of pounds worth of business grants to help small employers through the pandemic.
“Thousands of key workers work either directly or indirectly for the council, from care workers and bin lorry crews to bus drivers and school catering staff. Our key workers have stepped up to help people through this crisis. We wouldn’t have come through it without them.”
Webster added: “During the year, the council received two important reports – a Public Interest Report from the external auditor and a Government led non-Statutory Review. We have accepted the findings of both reports and we welcome working with a new Improvement Panel and the sector expertise that they will bring as we work to transform and modernise the council.
“Looking ahead, the council will have a leading role to support economic recovery. We will work with local businesses, universities, charities and Government agencies to attract new investment to Nottingham. We’re determined that Nottingham should be a fairer, greener, more inclusive city post-Covid, with our carbon neutral 2028 pledge still strong and focussing on our mission to help create thousands of new jobs for the people of Nottingham.
“As 2021 unfolds, we hope to see several major job-creating projects come to fruition, notably the reopening of the renovated Nottingham Castle, the new Nottingham College city hub campus, the HMRC regional hub as well as the new bus station, car park and green public space around the Broadmarsh site. The council’s ambition for Nottingham remains undimmed.”
