'Modest and fair' budget means a prosperous future for Hucknall, say Conservatives at Nottinghamshire County Council

The Tory-led council’s financial blueprint for the next 12 months will deliver roadworks and high-quality care for vulnerable adults – with the focus on communities where residents most need additional support and delivering more for local people.

This investment will be funded by a ‘modest’ one per cent rise in council tax, with the adult social care precept implemented at three per cent.

It means the majority of Nottinghamshire households will see their bills increase by just 86p per week.

However, for Hucknall folk, the rise comes on the back of Ashfield District Council raising its portion of council tax to the maximum allowable limit, plus precept rises for both the police and crime commissioner and the fire service.

The Conservatives say the county council budget has taken into account cost-of-living pressures facing residents with the increase in council tax below the average rate of inflation.

The additional council tax revenue will be earmarked to fund improved infrastructure investment, including £15 million over four years to deliver patching repairs on the county’s road network.

This follows the council’s wide-ranging Highways Review, which pledged to overhaul how local roads are fixed with an emphasis on long-term, permanent measures.

The adult social care precept will fund continued care for some of Nottinghamshire’s most vulnerable adults, with demand for the service increasing significantly over the 18 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coun Ben Bradley MP (Con), council leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Our budget underpins a bigger picture. It is the start of a story about change, the transformation of our services, and about how we deliver more for local people.

“None of what we have approved today will happen overnight, but I want Nottinghamshire residents to know and to take away where we’re headed.

“Your council services will not be standing still, your council tax will not be managing decline.

"We’re going to tackle these challenges head on, and our residents are going to be at the heart of it.

“We’ll deliver more sustainable services with better outcomes, ensuring that every one of our residents can access high quality local services and get the help they need, when they need it, and ensuring we focus on communities where residents most need additional support.

“We have a whole host of opportunities to offer more to residents such as creating new jobs and investment to ultimately make Nottinghamshire a dynamic county and a place which will create growth and success for all our communities.

“These are the first chapters – we’re still writing the story and it will take years to be fully written.

"But over the coming years we will deliver a healthier, more prosperous, and greener county for Nottinghamshire residents, starting with these investments and proposals.”

Coun Richard Jackson (Con), the council’s finance committee chairman, said the budget was ‘modest and fair’ and had considered the financial challenges households are currently facing.

He continued: “I believe our budget strikes the right balance between easing the cost-of-living pressures our residents are facing and continuing vital services for vulnerable residents.

“I am proud that we have a proven track record of delivering savings while maintaining frontline services in Nottinghamshire over a significant period and this council is in a far better financial shape than most others due to long-term, prudent management.

“The truth of the matter is the majority of households will only see their council tax bill go up by just 86p per week with the average increase just over £1 – which I believe is modest and fair.

“In return for which, I can promise that this council will continue to deliver and indeed improve the services that matter the most to our residents.

“I want to assure taxpayers that extra revenue from an increase in council tax will be pumped into improving our roads and critical infrastructure, which in turn will lead to improved economic growth for the whole county as well as better job opportunities for young and old.

“The adult social care precept will continue to fund care and support for our most vulnerable residents, many of whom are our friends, relatives and loved ones.”

Other key points from the budget meeting included doubling capacity to make high quality, long-term road repairs across the county; Investing £400,000 in the Kinship service ensuring more children are raised in a family home; Channeling £2 million into completing the LED street lighting replacement scheme across the county: Providing another £8.5 million for social care recruitment and retention; Establishing 52 permanent posts for additional reablement and social worker capacity; Providing £355,000 for eight social care and community care posts.