Council puts forward plans to axe 91 jobs
Some 91 jobs could go at Nottingham City Council after it put forward proposals to try and save £28m as it looks to balance its 2022/23 budget.
The council says it has made £303m of budget savings since 2010 and claims it has been left £19.4m out of pocket through not being fully compensated for income lost as a result of tackling Covid.
The council’s executive board will consider its first stage of consultation proposals next Tuesday (November 16).
Other cost-cutting measures put forward are:
– Reducing play and youth services, saving £615,000
– Closing six Children’s Centres and moving to a hub model of three centres, saving £331,000
– Reducing the frequency of some Linkbus services and increasing Medilink fares, saving £371,000
– Maintaining one free residential car parking zone permit and introducing an administration charge for second and third parking permits, saving £412,500
– Introducing a proposed charge for bulky waste, including discount schemes, saving £80,000.
The council will also report progress towards finalising a balanced Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for the next four years to Executive Board. This is described as a “vital” part of the council’s response to the Non-Statutory Review and its own Recovery and Improvement Plan and underpins all future work to deliver services. Following feedback from consultation, the full MTFP report will be presented to the February 2022 executive board.
The City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Finance, councillor Sam Webster, said: “Like other councils across the country, we are facing extremely difficult decisions about the services we provide, unless the Government provides adequate funding in the forthcoming Financial Settlement.
“It’s important to stress that the proposals we are putting forward are not set in stone and are for genuine consultation over the coming weeks. We want to hear the views of local people and how changes will affect them and their communities.
“What is clear is that, as demand for vital statutory services continues to rise, we simply cannot maintain the level of all the services we feel are required for Nottingham. Councils of all types are facing the same problems, not least of all because one of the main statutory services we have to provide – care for the elderly – is not being properly funded through national taxation. Instead it is being inadequately funded by adding an extra charge to Council Tax bills – amounting to £211 more on Band D bills over the last six years.
“We have a legal and moral duty to deliver care services to Nottingham’s elderly residents when they need it and we are having to shift resource to cover the rising cost of looking after the growing numbers of children who are in the care of the council.
“Until this and the wider underfunding of councils is addressed, local taxpayers are quite wrongly being made to pay more and getting less.”
