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Important reports being discussed by the Council’s Executive Board next week show that we have really turned a corner over the last year, getting our finances back on track and developing an ambitious five-year plan to deliver for local people and lead the city forward.
The reports focus on our Budget for 2025/26; the Council’s current financial position, with a significantly reduced overspend for the current financial year; and the new Council Plan for 2025 -2029.
Our 2025/26 Budget includes £20 million of growth funding to ensure key services are delivered effectively to meet the needs of local people, and a proposed increase in Council Tax of 4.99%, made up of a 2.99% General Fund increase and a 2% Adult Social Care Precept.
We are keeping increases in line with the Government set cap, along with a large number of councils across the country, when previously it had been unable to rule out increasing Council Tax by 10%, which six councils nationally have now been granted permission to do by the Government. This has been possible due to nearly £18 million of planned savings from new ways of working and operational efficiencies plus a better-than-expected financial settlement from the new Labour Government.
A remaining budget gap of £23.4 million for 2025/26, significantly down from the £69 million previously forecast, will be met through Exceptional Financial Support from the Government. This is not additional Government funding but permission for the Council to use funds from the sale of assets to support day-to-day revenue spending.
The budget outturn for the current year 2024/25 shows that a previously forecasted overspend of nearly £13 million has now been reduced to just over £1m due to mitigating action taken by the Council.
Our renewed Council Plan for 2025 – 2029 sets out the high-level objectives that the Council wants to achieve and includes three core missions - A renewed Council; Delivering for local people and Leading Nottingham forward.
Our priority as a Council is to get our house in order and ensure we are financially sustainable for the future. The significant improvements made over the last year are part of major transformation taking place at the Council which will help us to become more efficient in the way we work and focus on delivering good services. That we are able to invest £20 million in sustaining and improving vital services at the same time as keeping a Council Tax increase within the Government’s 5% limit shows that we have turned a corner in getting a firmer grip on our finances.
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The Nottingham Independents' Castle Beer Festival celebrates local independent breweries, cidermakers, and foodies at Nottingham Castle on Friday 4 & Saturday 5 April 2025.
It will showcase over 100 different beers from 10+ local breweries, alongside a selection of ciders, street food, and live music, all set within the iconic Castle grounds. Breweries include Castle Rock, Blue Monkey, Black Iris, Neon Raptor, and Shipstone's.
The brewery bars and food stalls will circle the bandstand, where a line-up of local musicians will take centre stage.
Find out more and book tickets: www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/nottingham-independents-castle-beer-festival
A sculpture capturing the role of local women in the city’s textile trade has been unveiled at the Green Heart.
The piece entitled Standing In This Place is the work of sculptor Rachel Carter and community history group the Legacy Makers. It depicts two women in period costume – an enslaved black woman working in the American cotton fields and a white woman in an East Midlands textile mills.
The life-sized statue is the first example of civic art of its kind in the UK and has been made possible after more than £250,000 was donated. It has been commissioned by the National Justice Museum.
Read more...
Splendour Festival makes its widely anticipated return to Wollaton Hall & Deer Park this summer, with two days of fantastic live music on Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 July 2025.
Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis and Jake Bugg will headline along with Clean Bandit, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Natasha Bedingfield, Echo & The Bunnymen, Seasick Steve, The Levellers, The Fratellis and many more.
A brand-new stage will also welcome Day Fever - the daytime disco with perfect party tunes curated by Jon McClure (of Reverend and the Makers) and Vicky McClure.
Day and weekend tickets are on sale now - Nottingham city residents can receive a 10% discount by entering their council tax number and postcode when booking. Find out more and book tickets: www.wollatonhall.org.uk/splendour-2025
Until 27 April, Nottingham Castle is home to an exhibition giving Nottingham residents and visitors the chance to see world-class paintings by Artists Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley, who helped to define the artistic movement known as Impressionism.
Their work forms the core of this exhibition, thanks to four paintings on loan to Nottingham Castle from The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA. They are joined by treasures from Nottingham’s own collection, chosen in response to themes and details drawn from each painting, celebrating art and artefacts, some of which were inspired by the Impressionist movement here in our own city.
Impressions runs until 27 April 2025 - see it with the Nottingham Castle £15 annual ticket - one adult and up to three children can use it to take advantage of everything at the Castle, including play area, exhibitions and more for a year.
National Highways has announced that it will be closing the A52 QMC roundabout this weekend, as part of ongoing bridge repair works.
The project is at the point where the damaged beam is ready to be removed and replaced, and the closure is for safety while that takes place.
The closure will be from 8pm this evening (Friday 7 February) to 6am on Monday 10 February, with a contingency date of the following weekend.
These roads will be closed:
- A52 eastbound from Priory Island to QMC roundabout
- QMC roundabout between the A6514 Middleton Boulevard northbound entry slip road and the southbound exit slip
- The Middleton Boulevard northbound entry slip road off QMC roundabout
- Middleton Boulevard underneath the roundabout
Diversion routes are here. National Highways expects these to be busy so has asked drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.
Camera enforcement of moving traffic offences will begin in two locations from Monday 10 February.
Cameras in two areas will protect pedestrians while allowing emergency vehicles, buses and permit holders through:
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At the section of Shakespeare Street from its junction with Goldsmith Street (the block paved pedestrian friendly area). Vehicles travelling through an area of high pedestrian activity create a significant risk of serious injury to other road users
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At the section of Victoria Embankment from a point in line with the suspension bridge Vehicles travelling through the recreational area in front of the war memorial create a significant risk of serious injury to other road users. Physical barriers were previously introduced on Victoria Embankment to prevent through traffic, and these will be removed and cameras installed. The route will be clearly signed to inform drivers that ANPR technology is now in place.
Read more here
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