This week in Nottinghamshire:

Children's Services Restructure Discussed

The Nottingham City Council Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee convened on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, to discuss a significant redesign of the Directors of Children's & Education Services and their respective areas of responsibility¹. The committee reviewed a report from the Corporate Director for Children and Education Services, but the specific details of the redesign were not disclosed in the available minutes. This decision could impact the quality and delivery of services for vulnerable children and families in Nottingham. Link to the meeting

• The committee also nominated a Vice Chair, but the identity of the nominee was not recorded in the minutes.
• Future meeting dates were set for September 9, 2025, and February 3, 2026, at Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham. Link to Loxley House

Strategic Energy Partnership and Regulatory Services Under Scrutiny

The People and Communities Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, to discuss a range of issues, including a proposed Strategic Energy Partnership and the performance of regulatory services. No video was provided. Link to the meeting

• The committee was scheduled to discuss a report from Councillor Sam Lux, Executive Member for Carbon Reduction, Leisure and Culture, regarding the development of a Strategic Energy Partnership to help Nottingham City Council achieve its ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2028. The report stated that a strategic energy partner would provide qualified staff, external investment, and assistance in securing government funding.
• The committee was also scheduled to review the performance of the council’s regulatory services, including Community Protection Officers, food hygiene, licensing, and environmental health. The report highlighted a gap between the statutory demand on the service and the resources available to meet it, with a shortfall of 1078 inspections in 2025/26, requiring an additional 5.4 Full Time Equivalent Environmental Health Officers.
• The committee was scheduled to agree its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year, including topics such as fleet infrastructure, recycling, community safety, and decarbonisation of housing stock.

Joint Committee on Mineral and Waste Planning

The Joint Committee on Mineral and Waste Planning met on Friday 6 June 2025. No video was provided. Link to the meeting

Upcoming Meetings

• The Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday 10 June 2025 to discuss the replacement of the council's asset management system and the procurement of a waste reprocessing contract. Link to the meeting
• The Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority - Community Safety will meet on Friday 13 June 2025 to discuss service delivery performance, improvements recommended by an HMICFRS inspection, and the Safer Communities Strategy. Link to the meeting
• The Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority - Human Resources will meet on Friday 13 June 2025 to discuss the Workforce Plan 2025-28 and the People and Culture Strategy. Link to the meeting
• The Health Scrutiny Committee will meet on Thursday 19 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The East Midlands Shared Services Joint Committee will meet on Monday 16 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority - Finance and Resources will meet on Friday 20 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel will meet on Monday 16 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The Executive Board will meet on Tuesday 17 June 2025. Link to the meeting

This week in Nottinghamshire:

Best Start Strategy Aims to Give Every Child the Best Chance

The Nottingham City Health and Wellbeing Board met this week and endorsed the Nottingham City Best Start Strategy 2025-2035¹. This strategy focuses on improving outcomes for children aged 0-5 in Nottingham City, with the overarching vision that:

Every child has the best start in life and parents-to-be, caregivers, babies, and young children have what they need to thrive. Families, communities, and services join together to make Nottingham and Nottinghamshire a great place to be born and grow up.

The strategy identifies five key priorities: reducing unfair differences, ensuring healthy beginnings, nurturing positive connections, promoting safe environments, and fostering early learning. The board has committed to supporting the development of a 3-year delivery plan and integrating future reporting on the Best Start Strategy within the refreshed Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy reporting framework. This could mean more joined-up support for families and children in Nottingham. Link to the meeting

HR Report Reveals Sickness Absence Concerns

The Corporate Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Annual Report of Human Resources, revealing that Nottingham City Council recorded 14.28 days lost per FTE¹ in the last 12 months. The report also highlighted that a new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy was launched in January 2025, with equality objectives incorporated into four Corporate EDI Action Plans. These plans focus on creating an inclusive workforce, providing accessible services, building an equitable city, and supporting economic growth for all. The council continues to meet commitments under the Race at Work Charter, demonstrating a commitment to improving equality in the workplace. Link to the meeting

Council to Improve Budget Setting Process After Identifying Key Challenges

Following scrutiny of the 2025/26 budget-setting process, Nottingham City Council has identified key challenges and proposed actions for improvement. Issues included budget volatility, data quality challenges, and a lack of coordination between services and finance teams. The consultation process also suffered from unclear policy positions and timing issues, reducing public engagement. To address these issues, the council plans to introduce a structured approach to budget-setting, enhance coordination and oversight, improve scrutiny and consultation processes, refine internal processes and reporting mechanisms, and refine member engagement. These changes aim to ensure a more transparent and effective budget process in the future. Link to the meeting

Other Matters

• The Nottingham City Health and Wellbeing Board ratified the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) Workplan 2025-2026, which will assess current and future health and social care needs in the area. Link to the meeting
• The Nottingham City Health and Wellbeing Board retrospectively approved the 2025-26 Better Care Fund (BCF) planning requirements, which aims to pool budgets between the NHS and local authorities to support person-centred health and social care services. Link to the meeting
• The Corporate Scrutiny Committee received an update on the review of the council’s IT infrastructure, but further details on this discussion are exempt from public disclosure. Link to the meeting

Upcoming meetings:

• The Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee will meet on Wednesday 04 June 2025 to discuss a strategic energy partnership and regulatory services. Link to the meeting
• The Joint Committee on Mineral and Waste Planning will meet on Friday 06 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday 10 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority - Community Safety will meet on Friday 13 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority - Human Resources will meet on Friday 13 June 2025. Link to the meeting
• The People and Communities Scrutiny Committee will meet on Wednesday 04 June 2025 to discuss a strategic energy partnership, regulatory services and to agree their work programme for the coming year. Link to the meeting
• The Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee will meet on Tuesday 03 June 2025 to discuss the redesign of the Directors of Children's & Education Services and areas of responsibility. Link to the meeting

This week in Nottinghamshire:

• The Nottinghamshire & City of Nottingham Fire & Rescue Authority met, but no transcript or summary was available.
• The Executive Board approved plans to replace the Housing Services vehicle fleet, build new social housing on Robin Hood Chase and Colston Road, and repurpose Sketchley Court for temporary accommodation.
• The Planning Committee approved a residential building on Queens Road, a sports hall at Bluecoat Wollaton Academy, and student accommodation on Radford Road, and flats on Highbury Road.
• The Children and Adults Scrutiny Committee discussed the Nottingham Inclusion Strategy and the Family Help Transformation Model.
• The Health Scrutiny Committee discussed dental services and reviewed the past year's activities.

Executive Board - Tuesday 20 May 2025

The Nottingham City Council Executive Board approved plans to replace the Housing Services vehicle fleet, and to build new social housing on the sites of some existing shops and garages. They also agreed to repurpose an Independent Living scheme to provide temporary accomodation.

The board approved the procurement of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) for the Housing Services Vehicle Replacement Programme (VRP), with a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital spend of £10 million over two years. The existing fleet was purchased in 2013, and increasing maintenance costs and downtime were negatively impacting services to tenants. The report Fleet acquisition noted that using the Nottingham City Council Light Commercial Vehicle Framework will ensure that vehicle providers are scrutinised, and that bidders will be asked to supply information on how they are reducing the amount of CO2 generated from their production methods.

The board agreed to the full decommission and demolition of the Robin Hood Chase Shops, and approved £3.507 million of Right to Buy Replacement Fund (RTB RF)/HRA direct revenue funding for the scheme. The decision was made to address the council's housing register of over 10,000 households, and to alleviate pressures from homelessness. The shops are not viable for investment due to their location and inability to attract commercial interest, and are a maintenance liability with no prospect of income to support these undertakings. The report Appendix 5 - Carbon Impact Assessment notes that the proposed scheme comprises approximately 15, 2-to-3-bedroom family houses, and that the homes will be energy efficient with an aim to attain an 'A' SAP rating¹.

The board approved the decommission and demolition of the existing block of garages at Colston Road, and approved the development of the cleared site for approximately 32 units of social housing. They agreed to the use of £5.095 million RTB RF/HRA capital funding for this scheme. The decision was made to address the council's housing register and homelessness pressures. The scheme capitalises on the recently enhanced accessibility of RTB RF to entirely fund new social housing. The site was identified as one of six preferred sites for viable residential development in a 2023 LGA funded study by David Locke Associates. The report Appendix 3 - Carbon Impact Assessment notes that the proposed scheme comprises around 32 1-bedroom apartments in one block of four storeys, and that the homes will be energy efficient with an aim to attain an 'A' SAP rating.

The board agreed that Sketchley Court be decommissioned as Independent Living Accommodation and the current tenants be relocated. They also agreed that refurbishment and remodelling works be carried out to Sketchley Court for use as temporary accommodation for homeless families, and approved HRA capital costs totalling £434,600 for the conversion works. The decision was made because demand for IL accommodation has declined, and there is a need to rationalise the amount that is currently being provided across the city to ensure best use of the council’s housing stock. As at January 2025, the council utilises over 508 units of temporary accommodation (not including Bed & Breakfast), and there are currently an additional 187 households in B&B or Nightly Paid Temporary Accommodation (NPTA). The report Appendix A - Equality Impact Assessment notes that the decommissioning of Sketchley Court, if approved, will involve the relocation of the current tenants to other IL accommodation in the city, and that as IL is accommodation specifically for people aged 55+, this proposal will inevitably have an impact on older persons.

Planning Committee - Wednesday 21 May 2025

The Nottingham City Council Planning Committee met on 21 May 2025 to discuss several planning applications and future meeting dates. The committee approved the procurement of plastic domestic waste and recycling wheeled bins, and a grant funding extension for the Create Growth N2 Programme for 2025/26. They also reviewed planning applications for developments on Queen's Road, Sutton Passeys Crescent, Radford Road, and Highbury Road, each with specific considerations around design, community impact, and planning obligations.

The committee reviewed application 24/00290/PFUL3 for the redevelopment of the remaining part of the site to provide a part 8, part 9 and part 18 storey residential building (Phase Two) with associated infrastructure, amenity space and landscaping. The application is for a prominent site with important design and heritage considerations. For viability reasons, the planning obligation may include contributions less than required by planning policy. The committee approved the principle of the development and delegated power to the Director for Planning and Transport to determine the final details and terms of the Section 106 Planning Obligation² and to grant planning permission subject to conditions.

The committee reviewed application 25/00303/PFUL3 for the construction of a 3-court sports hall with PE storage, changing facilities, toilets & 12 classrooms (to facilitate School Expansion by 300 pupils), with associated car parking at Bluecoat Wollaton Academy. The application was brought to the committee due to significant public interest contrary to the officer recommendation. The committee voted to grant planning permission subject to conditions. Power to determine the final details of the conditions was delegated to the Director of Planning and Transport. The proposed expansion of the Bluecoat Wollaton Academy (BWA) addresses a shortage of secondary school places within the City.

The committee reviewed application 23/02055/PFUL3 for the conversion and alteration of an existing building and new build following demolition to provide 71 units of purpose-built student accommodation (total of 136 bedrooms). The application was brought to the committee because planning obligations are proposed to be waived on viability grounds. The committee voted to grant planning permission subject to conditions and the prior completion of a Section 106 Planning Obligation. Power to determine the final details of the conditions of planning permission and the Section 106 Planning Obligation was delegated to the Director of Planning and Transport.

The committee reviewed application 23/00955/PFUL3 for the conversion of the second and third floors to 12 flats (Class C3). The application was brought to the committee because planning obligations are proposed to be waived on viability grounds. The committee voted to grant planning permission subject to conditions. Power to determine the final details of the conditions of planning permission was delegated to the Director of Planning and Transport.

Children and Adults Scrutiny Committee - Wednesday 21 May 2025

The Children and Adults Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Family Help Transformation Model, and the development of the Nottingham Inclusion Strategy. Councillors were also scheduled to agree the committee’s work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the Nottingham Inclusion Strategy, which aims to ensure all children in Nottingham City schools and academies can access education that meets their individual needs, and is responsive to disabilities, neurodivergence, and racial, religious and cultural heritage. The report pack states that Nottingham has been on average 50% higher than the national average for permanent exclusions over the last 5 years.

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the Children’s Integrated Services Family Help Transformation Programme. The Family Help model aims to provide timely, relationship-based support for children and families, addressing their needs at the earliest point. The report pack states that the new Family Help structure went live on 1 April 2025. The report pack states that the transformational design supports the aspirations of the Department for Education’s Families First for Children Programme¹ and elements of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill².

The committee was scheduled to agree its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. According to the draft work programme, the committee is scheduled to discuss the following topics: Alternative Education Provision, Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy, Adult Social Care Transformation, Nottingham City Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report, Tackling Child Exploitation Strategy, Performance Data, Youth Justice, Children’s Services Transformation, Impact of the 2026/27 Budget proposals on Children’s Services and Education, and Children’s Services Improvement.

Nottinghamshire & City of Nottingham Fire & Rescue Authority - Friday 23 May 2025

The Nottinghamshire & City of Nottingham Fire & Rescue Authority met, but no transcript or summary was available.

Health Scrutiny Committee - Thursday 22 May 2025

The Health Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss dental services, review the past year's activities, and plan for the upcoming year. The committee was also expected to appoint a vice chair and review its terms of reference.

The committee was scheduled to review how NHS dental services are being planned and commissioned following the completion of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Oral Health Needs Assessment (OHNA). The report pack included the OHNA, which gave a high-level overview of oral health across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The OHNA identified that Nottingham city is a high priority area for improving access with particular focus on new patients, those from lower socio-economic populations, young adults, young children, older adults, and adults and children from the 20% most deprived as well as inclusion groups, particularly those identified by the ICB through the Core 20 plus 5 inequalities agenda.

The committee was scheduled to review its activity during the 2024/25 municipal year and agree on a proposed work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. The report pack stated that the committee's formal Terms of Reference are set out under Article 9 of the Council’s Constitution, where it has been established to hold local decision-makers to account for their decisions, actions, performance and management of risk, review existing policies and strategies, contribute to the development of new policies and strategies, explore any matters affecting Nottingham and/or its citizens, make reports and recommendations to relevant local agencies, review decisions made but not yet implemented by the Council’s Executive, exercise the Council’s statutory role in scrutinising health services for Nottingham City, and be part of the accountability of the whole health system and engage with commissioners and providers of local health services and other relevant partners.

The committee was scheduled to review its terms of reference to ensure clarity regarding its role, purpose, objectives, powers and procedure rules. The report pack stated that the Health Scrutiny Committee has been established as one of the Council’s five Overview and Scrutiny Committees to discharge the functions conferred by the Localism Act 2011, the NHS Act 2006 as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Board and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013, and other relevant legislation in relation to matters concerning health, including the Council’s Public Health functions.

This week in Nottinghamshire:

• The City Council was scheduled to elect a new Lord Mayor, appoint committee members, and discuss the Nottingham City Council Improvement Plan.
• The Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee approved a £355 million procurement plan for Housing Property Services and agreed on fee rates for Adult Social Care contracted services.

City Council - Monday 12 May 2025

The City Council of Nottinghamshire was scheduled to hold its annual general meeting, which included the election of the Lord Mayor and the appointment of the Sheriff. Councillors were also scheduled to discuss the establishment of and appointments to various council and joint committees, the Executive appointments, and the Nottingham City Council Improvement Plan. Amendments to the constitution and decisions taken under urgency procedures were also on the agenda.

Here's a more detailed look at what was scheduled to be discussed:

Appointment of Corporate Director of Finance and Resources

The council was scheduled to discuss the appointment of a Corporate Director of Finance and Resources, who would also serve as the Section 151 Officer¹.

Establishment of and Appointments to Council Committees and Joint Committees

The council was scheduled to consider the establishment, terms of reference, and membership for various council committees and joint committees for the upcoming municipal year. These committees play a crucial role in the council's governance structure.

Key changes were proposed, including:

• Reframing the structure of the five scrutiny committees to align with the delivery areas of the Our Council Plan 2025-29.
• Reducing the number of formal scrutiny committee meetings from 35 to 30 to allow more time for scrutiny reviews.
• Removing Ridewise and Nottingham Trent University as co-opted members of the Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Advisory Committee.
• Amending the terms of reference for Licensing Panels to clarify the appointment of a chair in exceptional circumstances.

The proposed committees and joint committees included:

• Appeals Committee
• Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee
• Audit Committee
• Children and Adults Scrutiny Committee
• Corporate Scrutiny Committee
• Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Advisory Committee
• Health Scrutiny Committee
• Health and Wellbeing Board
• Independent Panel
• Investigating and Disciplinary Committee
• Licensing Committee
• People and Communities Scrutiny Committee
• Place, Economy and Infrastructure Scrutiny Committee
• Planning Committee
• Regulatory and Appeals Committee
• Standards and Governance Committee
• Trusts and Charities Committee
• Joint Committee on Mineral and Waste Planning
• Police and Crime Panel
• Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Partnership

Executive Appointments, Committees and Delegations

Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of the Council, was scheduled to present a report outlining the appointment of executive members and their areas of responsibility. The report also included the terms of reference and membership of executive committees, as well as any delegations to joint arrangements.

Key changes included:

• Councillor Helen Kalsi taking on Executive functions for Adults, Social Care and Health.
• Councillor Ethan Radford, Deputy Leader of the Council, becoming Executive Member for Finance and Resources.
• Councillor Linda Woodings taking on Executive functions in relation to regional growth and devolution as Executive Member of Regional Development, Growth and Transport.

Nottingham City Council Improvement Plan

Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of the Council, was scheduled to provide an update on the council's progress in implementing the Improvement Plan, one year after the appointment of commissioners. The plan focuses on three key aims:

• Becoming a council that delivers with clear direction and purpose.
• Becoming a council that is financially sustainable.
• Becoming a council that is well-run with effective people, processes and systems.

The report outlined progress against these aims and identified key risks and mitigations.

Members’ Allowances Scheme

The council was scheduled to consider the recommendations of an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) regarding the Members’ Allowances Scheme. The IRP convened to address the indexation of allowances, considering the flat cash sum increase to Local Government Employees’ Pay for 2024/25.

The IRP's recommendations included:

• Increasing the Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances by 4%, backdated to 1 April 2024.
• Adopting a methodology to increase the Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances by the average increase for a City Council employee on an average salary for a four-year period from 12 May 2025.
• Continuing to index Members’ Allowances by reference to increases in Local Government Employees’ Pay where percentage increases are implemented in the future.

Decisions Taken Under Urgency Procedures

The council was scheduled to receive a report outlining decisions taken under urgency provisions within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules and Access to Information Procedure Rules since the last report to council in March 2025.

Amendments to the Constitution

The council was scheduled to discuss and approve amendments to its constitution, focusing on:

• Council Standing Orders
• Committee Procedures
• The role of Statutory Governance Officers

Questions from Citizens and Councillors

The agenda included time for questions from both citizens and councillors.

Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee - Tuesday 13 May 2025

The Nottingham City Council Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee met on 13 May 2025, and made two key decisions. The committee approved a £355,210,000 procurement forward plan for Housing Property Services (HPS) for 2025-2029, and agreed to proposed fee rates for Adult Social Care contracted services for 2025/26, with a total spend of £3.491m.

Housing Services Procurement Plan

The committee approved the Housing Property Services procurement forward plan for 2025-2029, with a delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Growth and City Development to procure and award frameworks and contracts to the value of £355,210,000.

Steve Edlin, Assistant Director for Asset Management, explained that the council has a statutory duty under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to deliver housing services, including responsive repairs, planned investment, capital programme delivery, new build, and vacant property repairs. While work is performed in-house where possible, specialist contractors or additional resources are sometimes required. The plan outlines how these requirements will be procured.

HPS manages approximately 24,500 residential properties, including 13 high-rise blocks on Housing Revenue Account (HRA) owned land across the city. Services provided include responsive repairs, planned maintenance, reactive and minor works, capital works, facilities management, fleet management, compliance, building safety, new build, and professional services.

The committee rejected the option of allowing contracts to end, as this would remove statutory, regulatory, and legislative compliance across the council’s housing stock, increasing the risk of prosecution and reputational damage. They also rejected insourcing all activities due to the complexity and high risks involved, including a lack of competency-based skills and training, equipment, and specialised resources. Councillor Ethan Radford, Chair of the Committee, also noted that opting for short-term contracts was deemed unacceptable due to the stipulations of the Procurement Act 2023, which mandates that local authorities produce a forward procurement plan.

Adult Social Care Service Fee Rates

The committee approved a total spend of £3.491m and delegated authority to the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, in consultation with the Director for Adult Social Care and Health, to agree on fee rates for Adult Social Care contracted services for 2025/26. These rates will be implemented following a consultation process with providers and backdated to 5 April 2025.

Jackie Wyse, Head of Commissioning, Contracts, Quality and Personalisation, stated that the council is required to review fee rates annually for services it has a statutory duty to provide. She referenced Section 5 of the Care Act 2014, which mandates that local authorities promote the efficient and effective operation of a market in services for meeting care and support needs.

The committee noted that the Care Act statutory guidance advises against actions that may threaten the sustainability of the market, such as setting fee levels below a sustainable amount for providers. The recommendations consider inflationary pressures, changes to National Insurance, and changes to the National Living Wage on the adult social care market, aiming for a fair allocation of funding and a sustainable market within the budget.

The committee agreed that consultation on these proposals would be undertaken with adult social care providers. The Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, in consultation with the Director for Adult Social Care and Health, will review the consultation responses and, if no significant issues arise, will instruct variations to existing provider contracts.

The committee considered the option of varying price uplifts across market sectors, but decided that a flat percentage across all adult social care sectors ensures that pricing strategies align with the council’s strategic direction, optimising financial sustainability while addressing challenges in each sector.

Other Business

Councillor Jay Hayes was appointed Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2025/26.

The minutes from the meeting held on 15 April 2025 were approved, subject to an amendment to minute 89, Declarations of Interests, to replace ‘…..Chair of the Advice Nottingham Consortium…..’ with ‘…..Chair of the Bestwood Advice Centre…’.

The committee agreed to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the exempt appendices relating to the Housing Services Procurement Plan and Fee Rates for Adult Social Care Services.