A new plan has been created to help boost Nottingham?s local economy over the next ten years.

The council has worked with organisations across the city to create a draft Economic Plan for all private, public and third-sector partners, residents, and stakeholders.

The vision is to deliver a vibrant, sustainable, and investment-friendly Nottingham that promotes inclusion, secures resilience and unlocks prosperity for our residents and businesses.

The new economic plan will be delivered and overseen by the Nottingham Growth Board and we have now launched a public consultation, which runs until Friday 1 March.

The idea behind the Economic Plan is to have a shared vision to improve the economy of Nottingham, with proposals to help the city grow in a fair and sustainable way that benefits all. To do this there will be a framework of activity to help focus ambition and investment in our city, with a plan that all partners can work towards to create sustainable economic growth.

Nottingham has many strengths, but there are areas we can improve and there are more opportunities to be had.

The vision will be delivered by four key ambitions across four themes:

• People and Skills: To facilitate additional employment of 20,000 new jobs by 2030
• Enterprise and Investment: To generate ?1bn of additional Gross Value Added by 2030 in the city
• Infrastructure & Regeneration: Develop infrastructure and services to serve a city population of 345,000 and a population across Greater Nottingham of 710,000 by 2030
• Liveability and Experience: To secure the next ?4bn of regenerative investment in our city

You can find out more about the Economic Plan and fill in the survey here.

Approval was given on Tuesday at Executive Board for 60 homes to be purchased across the city to help reduce the council-house waiting list.

Many of the properties that the authority will buy are former council houses that have been previously purchased under the Right To Buy scheme, which allows most tenants to buy their home at a discount.?

The council will buy the 60 properties with money from both the Housing Revenue Account, which is spent on the running of services related to council housing, and funds from the receipt of the sale of council houses received from the Government. The latter can only be used on the provision of housing that people can afford, and will meet up to 40 per cent of the cost of each purchase.

The council will be seeking to actively purchase properties from May this year that fit the needs of people on the waiting list. It is likely that these will be two and three-bedroom houses, bungalows, and high and low-rise flats.?

More here?

This week saw the first ever Midlands Adoption Week. Adoption East Midlands (AEM) is leading a campaign to get more people to come forward to adopt and the city council is supporting their activity.

The week has highlighted adoption and dispelled some of the misconceptions around it. There has also been a focus on the needs of children who have been waiting the longest to find an adoptive family.

AEM is the combined adoption agency for the cities of Nottingham and Derby and the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It shows how neighbouring authorities are working together to find permanent homes for vulnerable children.

Adoption has huge benefits for our children in care and can be very rewarding for families. It also helps the city by reducing the costs of placing children into private sector care.

For further information about adoption and up and coming information events, see here?

Join us for Nottingham Central Library?s monthly music and performance programme ?Sound At Central? on Saturday 24 February, from 7pm to 11pm.

The fantastic line-up of bands and artists for this month?s event include programming by Cheap Thrills and featuring Sancho Panza, a funk/rock band from Nottingham.

Wizards Can?t Be Lawyers, who formed on the Nottingham jam scene in 2023 are also performing, alongside Pan Ini, a multidisciplinary artist exploring performance art, comedy and poetry.

Plus, Caetano Capurro, a Uruguayan poet and DJ based in Nottingham and Jamie Thrasivoulou, an award-winning writer and poet will both perform.

The caf? will be open and serving a small section of food and drink for the evening.

Tickets are ?11 per person.

Book here?