Keith's latest news...
Council plans to adopt a committee system
Pending approval at the Council’s Annual General Meeting on 17th May 2012, Nottinghamshire County Council plans to exercise its new power under the Localism Act 2011 to adopt a committee system of decision-making. This will replace the current Leader and Cabinet model adopted under the Local Government Act 2000.
The rationale for a committee system is that it is the most democratic and transparent form of governance. It ensures all 67 democratically elected Councillors are able to fully participate in decision-making and shaping the policy of the Council. It ensures greater transparency in that all reports are publicly available prior to any decision being made, and all decision-making meetings are held in public.
Reports were taken to the Full Council meetings in January and March (Item 11), with final approval being sought, as stated above, in May.
(Posted 17/4/2012)
Budget Conversation underway
Nottinghamshire County Council has announced proposals for its 2012/13 budget.
Nottinghamshire residents are invited to give feedback on the budget proposals and take part in our Budget Conversation, which is open until Friday 29th January 2012. The results of last year's consultation led us to change some of our proposals and we will be listening very carefully once again. Please let us know your views.
(Posted 17/11/2011)
Newark bus station official opening
I am delighted to report that Newark's brand new bus station was officially opened on Friday 11th November.
Part of the £50m Asda supermarket development on the town’s Potterdyke car park, the new state-of-the-art bus station is fully enclosed and boasts digital information screens, seating, CCTV for added security, toilets, baby changing area, vending machines and a staffed information point.
The new building is jointly owned by Nottinghamshire County Council – which will operate the bus station – and Newark and Sherwood District Council. Both worked alongside Asda on its development.
It has been estimated that there will be around 2,000 bus arrivals and departures a week – with around 25,000 passenger arrivals and departures over the same period.
The new bus station provides a welcoming first impression for anyone arriving in Newark by bus and I am confident that anyone using the new bus station will be impressed by the modern, first-rate facilities it offers. As joint owner of the facility, we are delighted to see it open and become available to residents of Newark and Sherwood. It is a significant part of the regeneration of this part of Newark town centre which will help to maximise the area’s economic potential.
(Posted 11/11/2011)
Newark job fair
Newark residents seeking employment were able to attend a jobs fair on Thursday 10th November, where employers were on hand to discuss seasonal and permanent job vacancies and support agencies were available to offer careers, CV and interview advice along with information on volunteering and apprentice opportunities.
The event took place at the Palace Theatre at Appletongate in Newark and was organised by Nottinghamshire County Council (Making the Connection) and Newark & Sherwood District Council in partnership with Newark Jobcentre Plus and Futures Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
As Nottinghamshire County Council's Business Champion I welcome these events, especially at a time of local and national financial strain.
(Posted 10/11/11)
Grants available for sports clubs in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Council is challenging local sports clubs and organisations to come forward with new projects that encourage people to get involved in sport. The reward, from the Community Sports Fund, is a maximum of £1,500 to Clubmark accredited clubs and £1,000 for other not for profit organisations such as voluntary or community organisations. The money can be used to help with costs such as coaching fees, facility hire, equipment costs and publicity costs but it must be spent within 12 months.
To be eligible for the fund, applicants must be a club or organisation based in Nottinghamshire and affiliated to their national governing body. New organisations will need to demonstrate their intent to affiliate.
We’re passionate about supporting grassroots sport at all levels and clubs need funds - that ‘s why the Community Sports Fund is such a fantastic scheme as it gets money straight to where it can have the most impact. The best ideas for projects, that encourage new people in sport through a structured programme of activities, will benefit. To apply for a Community Sports Fund visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/sport-support
The closing date for applications is 2nd October 2011.
(Posted 15/8/2011)
£2.5 million boost for Supporting People
Despite local budget pressures and a reduced grant from central Government, Nottinghamshire County Council has invested an extra £2.5 million in its Supporting People programme.
Supporting People is a national programme that provides housing related support to help vulnerable people live independently. It will see its Government grant in Nottinghamshire reduced to £17.6 million this year, threatening the County Council’s previous year’s Supporting People spend of £22.5 million.
However, thanks to a new £1.5 million investment from the local NHS, plus a further £1 million diverted from the County Council budget, the Government’s allocation has been given a vital boost in Nottinghamshire. This limits the reduction in the County’s Supporting People budget to just over 10%, from £22.5 million to £20.11 million. The restricted budget reduction has also been made possible by the County Council’s decision early this year, following public consultation, to keep its savings on Supporting People to £10 million over the next three years rather than two higher reduction options of £12.5 million and £15 million.
These funding measures support feedback gained from a second, two-month public consultation on Supporting People services this year (in Feb/March), to form new proposals which went before Full Council on 30th June 2011. These proposals ensure that:-
- Most accommodation based services continue to be funded, albeit at reduced levels;
- ‘Floating support’ services, which offer support to people in their own homes, will be delivered consistently across issues of homelessness prevention and offender, drug and alcohol, gypsy and traveller and young people’s services;
- Mental health services are reviewed and delivered more efficiently;
- Young people’s services are reviewed for greater efficiency;
- Community alarm and warden services for older people are replaced with a new short term service targeted at helping vulnerable people to remain independent in their own homes.
We’ve talked to those who use the services, to our District Council partners, to project providers and voluntary and community groups, including church leaders, to find ways to make savings through efficiencies. We will target the money at front line services that meet the needs of those who are most vulnerable and in greatest need.
Nottinghamshire was successful in securing Government money under Supporting People when the programme first started eight years ago but we’ve seen this central funding steadily fall by nearly £11 million since that time. We believe that after the £10 million savings have been made, the level of funding in Nottinghamshire for these services will still compare well with other Council areas.
(Posted 20/7/2011)
More grass cuts
Nottinghamshire County Council is increasing the number of times it will be cutting grass verges this year.
As part of this year’s budget savings it was originally intended to reduce the frequency of routine grass cutting in urban areas from six to four times a year. However, we have listened to public feedback and have now increased that frequency to five cuts. In rural areas the frequency remains at two cuts a year.
At the same time we have issued guidelines for a growing number of residents who are happy to cut the grass verges outside their homes. Again, this is a direct result of feedback from the Council’s Big Budget Conversation consultation process, when hundreds of people said they would be prepared to cut verges if it helped to release money for use on other priorities, such a repairing potholes.
The guidelines highlight what needs to be considered when cutting grass near the roadside. They can be found online at: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/roadverges
(Posted 14/7/11)
Chairman's Charity
As a member of the Newark Branch of the Royal British Legion I am absolutely delighted that the new Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council, Councillor Keith Walker, has chosen the Royal British Legion as his Chairman's Charity for the year 2011-12. I wish him every success in raising as much money as possible for this worthy organisation and I shall do everything I can to help.
(Posted 1/6/2011)
Newark Civil War Trail
As reported by the Newark Advertiser, a heritage trail has proved so popular that 15,000 more information leaflets have been printed for visitors, paid for by Nottinghamshire County Council through the Newark Town Partnership.
The leaflets, a guide to the Newark Civil War Trail, were relaunched at the Gilstrap Centre, Castlegate, Newark.
The trail takes in sites of importance in the English Civil War, including Newark Castle, the Parish Church and The Wharf. The route can also be extended to include the Queen’s Sconce at Sconce and Devon Park.
A picture of the Woolpack pub, on Stodman Street, has been updated to one of its replacement, The Prince Rupert.
I think this is a fantastic example of work to highlight the better parts of Newark, and a very worthwhile project.
(Posted 1/6/2011)
Innovation centres
As Deputy Cabinet Member for Culture & Community and Nottinghamshire County Council's Business Engagement Champion, I am delighted to report that the authority has awarded a contract to Oxford Innovation to manage its three business innovation centres and offer advice and support to small companies.
Oxford Innovation already manages 15 business and innovation centres across the UK, with over 400 occupiers, and has a proven track record in delivering specialist business advice to new and high growth (fast developing) companies to help them expand.
The contract, which took effect from 1st April 2011, was jointly awarded by Nottinghamshire County Council, Bassetlaw District Council, Mansfield District Council, Newark & Sherwood District Council and the East Midlands Development Agency (emda).
Oxford Innovation will take over the management of Mansfield i-centre, Newark Beacon, and The Turbine in Worksop. The three centres are home to 150 small local businesses which will benefit from specialist business advice and support and high quality office, workshop and meeting space.
The County Council and its partners are fully committed to helping local innovative businesses to grow and become world class by offering high quality business premises and business support. We welcome Oxford Innovation as a partner and look forward to the benefits they will bring to local businesses.
(Posted 1/6/2011)
Council Budget 2011/12
At the Nottinghamshire County Council Budget Meeting on 24th February 2011 I joined my Conservative colleagues in voting to freeze Council Tax for a second successive year. In doing so, I approved £4.1 million of changes to the Council’s original budget proposals in direct response to the outcomes of the Big Budget Conversation. Extra money has now been found from reserves for the Supporting People programme, grant aid to voluntary groups, libraries, country parks and welfare rights advice.
With less formula grant funding from the Government, Nottinghamshire County Council has to find more than £80 million of savings in 2011/12 by reducing management and administration costs and reviewing expenditure on non-essential services. Just over half of this is being reinvested to meet growing demand for our most vital services, including: -
During the debate, in my capacity as Deputy Cabinet Member for Culture & Community and spokesman on economic development, I made a speech updating the council on progress made in this respect during 2010-11 and the challenges anticipated in the 2011-12 financial year.
The budget was approved at the Council meeting by 34 votes to 29.
(Updated 28/2/2011)
Gritter Twitter
Nottinghamshire County Council will now be advising the public of when the county’s roads will be gritted, using Twitter. During the cold weather last winter there were a number of calls to the Council’s Customer Service Centre asking when the roads would be gritted. Now people can sign up to the Council’s Gritter Twitter feed to receive the latest gritting alerts.
In an age of social networking and 24-hour news, the Council recognises the need to give people ‘live’ information that will help them plan their journey. You can sign up to follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nottscc
The Nottinghamshire County Council website also provides a searchable map of gritting routes for public information.
(Updated 10/12/2010)
Improvement Programme latest
At the full meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council on 21st October I joined my Conservative colleagues in supporting the recommendations for action contained within the Nottinghamshire County Council Improvement Plan Progress Report.
The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Martin Suthers set out the financial challenges facing local authorities across the country and stated that Nottinghamshire County Council needed to save £150 million over the next three years.
He said this would require savings of £69 million in 2011/12, to be achieved through a series of major initiatives including reprioritisation of services, improvements in business management and a review of property owned by the Council.
Of this £69 million, it is intended to reinvest £39 million largely in services for our most vulnerable service users. The council has faced a 59% increase in children’s social care referrals over the last year and a 25% increase in the number of children in care over the last two years.
For Children and Young People, a proposed reinvestment of £22.5 million will provide:-
Our Adult Social Care & Health services are under similar pressure, with 500 extra people aged over 80 and 4,000 extra people over the age of 65 in Nottinghamshire every year. Our proposed reinvestment of £13 million in 2011/12 will provide: -
- the care and support services necessary to meet this increased demand
- more support for adults with physical disabilities
- more support for adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs
- extra resources for independent sector care.
I joined my Conservative colleagues in arguing that Nottinghamshire County Council must live within its means and ensure frontline statutory services are maintained.
(Posted 5/11/2010)
Business Engagement Champion
As Chairman of the Nottinghamshire Business Engagement Group, I am pleased to have been appointed as the county's Business Engagement Champion. My role is to ensure that Nottinghamshire County Council works wherever possible to support and promote local businesses, both large and small.
I am happy to attend business club meetings and other business gathering throughout Nottinghamshire, indeed wherever you feel my presence as Deputy Cabinet Member for Culture & Community and spokesman on regeneration may be of assistance.
(Posted 1/9/2010)
Community Speedwatch
I am pleased to have taken part in speed gun training to assist the Community Speedwatch initiative of the Hawtonville Safer Neighbourhood Group. At present we have a group of volunteers but more would definitely be welcome. If you would like to join us I am qualified to offer training. Please contact me using the details on the left of this page.
(Updated 1/9/2010)
Improvement Programme
Like every council in the country, Nottinghamshire County Council faces ongoing, significant and unavoidable increases in demand for key services. At the same time, it faces an unprecedented and long-term reduction in the resources available to it. Present forecasts are that the Council must reduce its current expenditure by at least £88m, or 18% of its revenue budget, over the next three financial years. Most of this reduction will be used to fund increased demand in other service areas. £30m of reductions have already been identified for 2010/11, leaving a further £58m to be found in 2011/12 and 2012/13.
In the past, reductions have been achieved through a process of allocating savings targets across departments. However, the scale of the financial challenge is now such that a more strategic approach is needed to achieve reductions in a structured and consistent way.
At the County Council meeting on 25th February 2010 the Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Martin Suthers gained approval for a new Improvement Programme to deliver these aims, called ‘One Council - One Business - One Plan’. This will involve an estimated investment of £21 million over five years to deliver total aggregated savings of over £200m over a five year period.
The Improvement Programme will include: -
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a complete overhaul of the Council’s approach to procurement
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implementation of an integrated Business Management System and changes in processes
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rationalisation of the Council’s property portfolio and improvement in flexible ways of working
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a fundamental review of all services followed by a comprehensive programme of organisational redesign
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departmental improvement programmes that deliver service-specific developments and
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the Chief Executive’s own programme to deliver improvements in partnership working, communications and organisational development.
The aim of ‘One Council-One Business-One Plan’ is to drive out inefficiency, target resources, minimise the impact on service delivery and create an organisation that is fit for purpose and financially sustainable in the long term.
(Posted 8/3/10)
New Strategic Plan
Nottinghamshire County Council's new Strategic Plan 2010-2014 sets out our promise to the people of Nottinghamshire; our priorities for the next four years; and how we aim to support the people of our county to be aspirational, independent and to share with us responsibility for the future.
This Plan complements the wider Nottinghamshire Sustainable Community Strategy which is the collective plan that outlines how organisations in the county will work together to promote and deliver a better Nottinghamshire.
Our plan is ambitious. It is a plan based on what local people tell us they want, and what they want to see happen. The success of our plan relies on us working well together with local people and organisations. Whilst we face challenging financial times, nevertheless we have opportunities to promote and deliver a better future for Nottinghamshire.
(Posted 8/3/10)
