The Nottingham City Council Executive Board met on 20 May 2025, and approved plans to replace the Housing Services vehicle fleet, and to redevelop sites at Robin Hood Chase and Colston Road for social housing. The Board also agreed to repurpose Sketchley Court into temporary accommodation for homeless families.

Housing Services Vehicle Fleet Acquisition

The Executive 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. They also delegated authority to Nicki Jenkins, Corporate Director for Growth and City Development, to procure and award contracts within the Nottingham City Council Light Commercial Vehicle Framework, up to the value of £10 million.

The decision was made to ensure the ongoing, cost-effective procurement of vehicles to support frontline services and contribute to the city's low emission targets. The report Fleet acquisition noted that not replacing the aging fleet would lead to increased service disruption, higher maintenance costs, and non-compliance with regulations. The report also stated that:

The aging fleet is having a direct impact on tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs). Q3 2024/2025 report shows that dissatisfaction rose by 5p.p since the previous survey, from 15% to 20%. When tenants were asked to explain why they were dissatisfied they gave comments surrounding outstanding repairs and timescales for repairs.

Other options considered included leasing vehicles, procuring an electric vehicle (EV) fleet, and not delegating authority to the Corporate Director for Growth and City Development. Leasing was deemed not value for money, while an EV fleet presented challenges due to the home start nature of Housing Services vehicles, the lack of rapid charging points, and the absence of a unified charge card system.

Demolition and Redevelopment of HRA Shops at Robin Hood Chase for Social Housing

The Executive Board agreed to the full decommissioning 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 Board also agreed to appropriate the library unit from the General Fund to the HRA, and delegated authority to Nicki Jenkins, Corporate Director of Growth & City Development, to approve any changes in unit number or unit cost, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing & Planning.

The decision was made because the shops are not commercially viable due to their location and inability to attract sufficient commercial interest. The redevelopment will deliver around 15 new council houses, addressing the council's waiting list and homelessness pressures. The report Demolition and redevelopment of HRA shops at Robin Hood Chase for social housing stated that:

NCC currently has over 10,000 households on its housing register, and also faces significant general fund pressures from homelessness regarding the use of nightly paid temporary and emergency accommodation. Increasing the housing stock will allow for the allocation of secure tenancies creating throughput in established temporary accommodation and therefore reducing use on nightly paid accommodation from the private sector (e.g. Hotels).

Other options considered included retaining the shops and selling the site on the open market, but these were rejected due to the shops' unviability and the complications arising from the Asset of Community Value status affecting three of the units.

Development of Colston Road Garage Site for Social Housing

The Executive Board approved the decommissioning and demolition of the existing block of garages at Colston Road, and the development of the cleared site for approximately 32 units of social housing. The Board agreed to use £5.095 million RTB RF/HRA capital funding for this scheme, and delegated authority to Nicki Jenkins, Corporate Director of Growth & City Development, to approve any changes in unit number or unit cost, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing & Planning.

The decision was made to address the council's housing register and homelessness pressures, and to maximise the delivery potential within the council's existing portfolio. The report Development of Colston Road Garage Site for Social Housing noted that the site was identified as one of six preferred sites for viable residential development in a 2023 study.

Other options considered included doing nothing and selling the site, but these were rejected due to the low occupancy of the garages and the unlikelihood of attracting a substantial capital receipt.

Repurpose of Sketchley Court to Temporary Accommodation

The Executive Board agreed to decommission Sketchley Court as Independent Living Accommodation and relocate the current tenants. They also approved refurbishment and remodelling works to 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. Additionally, the Board agreed that revenue costs for relocation assistance, a relocation officer, non-secure tenancy management/officers, and furnishing, totalling £434,877, would be met by the HRA, and that the HRA would recharge the General Fund £10,345 per annum for tenancy management of six temporary accommodation properties.

The decision was made due to a decline in demand for Independent Living accommodation and the need to rationalise the amount being provided across the city. The report Repurpose of Sketchley Court to Temporary Accommodation stated that:

Demand for IL accommodation has declined over recent years 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. Currently IL homes account for 8% of the Council’s housing stock but 23% of all voids.

Other options considered included doing nothing, delivering a new build scheme instead of a refurbishment, and selling Sketchley Court on the open market. These were discounted due to the continued oversupply of IL accommodation, the high costs and long delivery times of new builds, and the need to find an alternate site.

Exclusion of the Public

The Board resolved to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining items in accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972¹, under Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraphs 3, 5 and 6b.