By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham City Council has proposed a raft of cost saving measures as it looks to fill a £50m hole in next year’s budget – and many proposals will have an impact on how services run and those who run them.
The budget gap for 12 months beginning April 2024 currently sits around £53.7m, and proposed savings announced on Tuesday, December 12 are only expected to reduce this to around £33.2m.
The fresh round of savings will not help the authority fill a separate £23m gap in its budget for this year, which led to the issuing of a Section 114 notice, effectively declaring bankruptcy, at the end of November.
Some savings are subject to public consultation, meaning residents will get the chance to have their say on some major changes before they are made.
Below is the full list of measures proposed by council officers that require public consultation. In brackets: (proposed four-year saving/staffing impact)
Communities, Environment & Resident Services:
Improve recycling performance: Implementation of a side waste policy to regularise domestic waste tonnages collected and a programme of activity to support residents in presenting consistent materials for recycling thereby reducing contamination penalties (£500,000/0)
Increased income from Woodthorpe Nursery: Additional income generation through a fees and charges review and an increased number of community events taking place at the Woodthorpe Nursery and plant shop (£10,000/0)
Introduce charges for garden waste collection: To continue to offer a kerbside collection for residents who wish to pay for the service. Free disposal will be available at the Household Waste Recycling Centre (£500,000/0)
Review of Museums Service to identify alternative delivery model reducing reliance on council funding: The Museums Service is currently undergoing a Delivery Model Assessment (DMA) process to identify an alternative delivery model for these primarily discretionary services that minimises reliance upon contribution from the Council (TBC).
Remove council contribution to One Nottingham: Increase third party income to maintain existing service provision and remove council contribution to One Nottingham (£23,000/0)
Risk based approach to environmental health work relating to Planning Applications: Adopt a risk based approach to environmental health work relating to Planning Applications relating to high-risk cases (£100,000/2)
Review of Library Service: Undertake an assessment of the Library Service provision ‘whilst maintaining a comprehensive and efficient service’. Will require a further public consultation regarding a review of the Council’s Library Needs Assessment and ‘the Next Chapter’ Libraries Strategy (£1.524m/31)
Introduce baseline service level for mechanical road sweeping: Establish city wide baseline level for mechanical sweeping of the highway and other maintained areas of once every 12 weeks (£168,000/6)
Green Spaces and Natural Environment Service Review: Review of the Green Spaces and Natural Environment Service current operating model which includes a wide range of service reductions (£254,000/8)
Reduction of contribution to Area Based Grant: Reduction of contribution to voluntary and charity sector through area-based grants (£1.34m/0)
Reduction of Community Protection and Resident Development service areas: Reduction of both the Community Protection and Resident Development services. Requirement to deliver duties relating to environmental enforcement and antisocial behaviour will be met (£3.032m/63)
Review of Community Centres: Review of the current operational model for Community Centres to seek to remove all Council contribution from their operation (£674,000/6)
Permanent closure of City Centre water features: To remove maintenance budgets for the water features at Old Market Square and Sneinton Square (£30,000)
To cease to deliver an in-house pest control service: Externally commission pest control work at Council assets and direct social housing tenants to external pest control providers (£58,000/3)
Cease contributions to the Cultural Sector (£198,000/0)
Ceasing of Ward Budgets (£125,000)
Growth and City Development:
Proposal to introduce a charge for use of public toilets: Introduction of charges for use of Greyhound Street public toilets (£64,000/0)
Reduce public transport infrastructure: To reduce provision in the city to only provide accessible bus stops and remove funding to operate two bus-based park and ride sites and Victoria Bus Station (£500,000/4)
Review Concessionary Fares: Review of concessionary fares in conjunction with the wider region and emerging combined authority to ensure consistency of approach (TBC)
Reduce all linkbus services, remove Easylink and withdraw funding contribution to the Medilink service: Tendered services reduced to a minimum level of service to residential areas which otherwise have no access to public transport networks. This would mean replacement of existing link bus network with minimum service level provided to residential areas, but no regular service to places of employment and education (1.3m/1)
Review and restructure the Not in Employment, Education or Training
prevention services across the city (£100,000)
Adults
Restructure and reduce Adult Social Care Assessment function: Restructure and reduce tiers of management and overall resource across the Adult Social Care Assessment function including Occupational Therapy and Sensory Teams (£2.2m/40)
Close Jackdawe in-house homecare and source from external market (£284,000/46)
Closure of Barkla Close In-house Residential Respite care for adults with learning disabilities and to instead commission this respite care from the external market (£123,000/13)
Cease all grant funding of Lunch Clubs (£73,000/0)
Close The Oaks and Cherry Trees Residential Care Homes for Adults (£313,000/88)
Cease Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Telephone Service (£15,000/0)
Children’s and Education
Reduce Youth Service: Closure of the Ridge Adventure Playground and Bulwell Play and Youth Centre with increase targeting of youth services to those young people in most need (£218,000/6)
Close Colwick Park Activity Centre, which provides outdoor sport and
learning opportunities for children and young people (£126,000/5)
Finance & Resources
Proposal to cease Welfare Rights service: Proposal to remove Council’s benefit and welfare advice offer except to Council tenants (£392,000/23)
Digital-only Customer Services Hub offer: This proposal moves transactional contact with the Council to a digital only offer. Telephone contact would be automated and no face-to-face provision would remain at Loxley House. Support for residents with specific needs will remain through relevant service areas (£700,000/23)
The total savings from proposals which must go to public consultation is £14.9m, with an estimated 367 full-time or equivalent job losses.
Further measures that do not require public consultation have been proposed and most approved by the council’s Executive Board.
These include reducing the Learning and Development Team by 11 staff positions, saving £39,000, removing vacant posts and re-structuring of staffing, roles and responsibilities in youth justice services, cutting five jobs.
Some of the proposals with more significant impacts on jobs include reviewing the finance team structure, which could cost 10 jobs, reviewing the Insurance and Risk and Audit and Fraud teams, which could cost 12 jobs.
There is also plans to redesign the legal team which could result in the loss of seven jobs.
Furthermore, it is proposed the Arrow Magazine and Citizens’ Survey cease operation, and members’ allowances will be reviewed.
In total 187 jobs could be cut without the requirement of public consultation, with savings totalling £20.6m.
The full list of proposals that do not require consultation can be found on the council’s December 19 Executive Board meeting agenda.
