I?m pleased to see that we have taken another positive step forward on the roadmap out of lockdown for Covid-19. Our shops, leisure centres and pubs have now been open for more than a week as part of ?Step Two? ? and people in Nottingham have taken a responsible approach to reopening our city. It is encouraging that while we return to something that is closer to normality, we are still taking all of the right precautions to keep ourselves and others safe from this virus. On a personal note, it was great to walk through the city centre today and see lots of people enjoying lunch and supporting our local businesses. I was out to get a long overdue haircut and it was a real boost to see the city centre and myself looking more normal! I?d like to thank everyone who is following the guidelines and observing ?hands, face, space? and our local businesses for all they are doing to keep customers safe.

The number of cases of Covid-19 remains low in Nottingham. It is vital that we keep it that way in order to allow us to continue to move along the roadmap and reopen even more of our city. One of the best ways we can reduce the spread is to take twice-weekly tests for Covid-19 ? and by taking appropriate action if we test positive. This is important: one in three people who have Covid-19 do not display symptoms and so have no idea they could be spreading it to others. Building tests into our weekly routine is essential. You can find out more about testing on our website here: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/asymptomatictesting

We are collaborating with a team of researchers from Nottingham Trent University Environment department to enable us to gain an understanding of what local people think about climate change and Nottingham?s ambition to become the first UK city to be carbon neutral by 2028.

We are inviting local people to join one of our focus groups that will be running in May. We are asking people for their ideas as to what Nottingham can do as a city to tackle climate change, what people think about the strategy to become carbon neutral by 2028 and what should the Government's concerns be when it hosts the United Nations 2021 Climate Conference in Glasgow this year?

Find out more and join in on the conversation: Have Your Say on Nottingham Carbon Neutral by 2028.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/residents-voices-on-nottinghams-carbon-neutral-strategy-2028-tickets-150033471151

Yesterday at Executive Board, which is one of the council?s most important decision-making committees, I was pleased to take the next step to improve hundreds of homes in Nottingham with energy efficiency measures. These measures will help people in our city heat their homes for less, tackling fuel poverty as well as climate change.

Nottingham City Council has acquired ?2.2 million to improve 237 properties across the city with various energy efficiency measures. This includes:

• 13 private households in the most deprived areas of the city having insulation measures for walls, roof and floor, plus windows
• 157 owner occupied properties receiving fully funded solar panel installations
• 67 council-owned properties which will benefit from external wall insulation or internal wall insulation.

This funding is in addition to ?12.3 million worth of funding agreed earlier this year which will benefit almost 700 homes across Nottingham, with a range of measures for private as well as council homes, from cavity wall, loft and floor insulation to solar panels.

These measures are very important as part of Nottingham?s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2028 and also beneficial to many residents in our city who struggle with their heating bills. I hope there will be other funding opportunities in the future to help even more households in our city.