I would like to thank the hundreds of Nottingham residents who took part in our consultation on devolution proposals for the East Midlands. It?s vital that we listen to your views as they help us to shape plans locally and it is encouraging to see there is substantial support for the plans.

Devolution would see the region get a package of new powers and funding, worth ?1.14 billion, to promote economic growth, secure more investment in our area, for more and better jobs, and for better transport, skills training, housing, and an enhanced greener environment. It would also mean more power in local hands.

The majority of respondents to the consultation backed the proposals:

• 53% agreed with the proposals for transport, compared to 35% disagreeing
• 52% agreed with the proposals for skills, compared to 32% disagreeing
• 51% agreed with the proposals for reducing carbon and improving the environment, compared to 33% disagreeing
• 51% agreed with the proposals for public health, compared to 33% disagreeing
• 46% agreed with the proposals for homes, compared to 39% disagreeing.

The only area which was more balanced was around governance, with 42% agreeing and 45% disagreeing. Some questioned the need for a regional mayor but in Nottingham there was a slight majority for one. Having a regional mayor is a condition set by the Government for a level three deal, which offers the most powers and highest funding.

If the proposals for devolution go ahead, the area will get a guaranteed funding stream of ?38 million a year for 30 years.

The next steps will see proposals, shaped by feedback from the consultation, go to all four councils - Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Nottingham City Council for approval to move to the next stage.

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Council Tax bills for Nottingham residents will start to arrive from next week for the forthcoming financial year which runs from the beginning of April to the end of next March.

A combination of factors ? including huge cuts in Government grants to councils over the past 13 years and significant increases in inflation affecting pay, fuel and energy costs ? have meant that unfortunately we felt we had no other option but to increase Council Tax by the full 4.99% permitted under Government proposals to balance our budget.

By drastically reducing the amount of funding it provides to councils, Government has shifted the burden for funding local services - from bin collections, adult social care and child protection, to street cleaning, public transport, parks and much more - onto Council Tax payers.

Around 80% of households in Nottingham are placed by the Valuation Office in Council Tax bands A and B, which means the increase will be between ?6 and ?7 more per month for the vast majority of residents. This means that on average, the council charges among the lowest Council Tax per household nationally, further limiting our ability to raise sufficient funds for services.

But we know that with the cost-of-living crisis, many people are struggling and the council provides support through its Council Tax Support scheme which takes the form of council tax discount. Around 19,600 households are expected to benefit from the Council Tax support scheme at an estimated value of ?27.8 million in 2023/24.

More here on Council Tax

Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint and support our ambition to be the first carbon neutral city in the UK? Sign up to the Green Rewards app and you could be in with a chance to win prizes every month for logging your actions. Vouchers for Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham City Transport and the National Ice Centre are all up for grabs!

The app has lots of ideas to help you get started on your sustainability journey, from recycling right to taking public transport.

Notts Green Rewards is a partnership project with Nottinghamshire councils which has recently been shortlisted for an LGC award.

Join thousands of people who are taking climate action by searching for Notts Green Rewards in your device's app store or visiting the website.

https://notts.greenrewards.co.uk/

Nottingham got its fair share of wintry weather yesterday, with more low temperatures expected today and tomorrow.

The council is always ready to respond in these conditions. Our gritting team is always out when conditions require it, ensuring the main routes are treated. We make sure anyone sleeping rough is brought in out of the cold and offered shelter and hot refreshments. Elderly and infirm residents can still rely on receiving a meal at home.

Some services do get affected though ? for example any bulky waste collections scheduled today have been cancelled so our teams can focus on emptying household bins and supporting with gritting. Some other services such as emptying litter bins and street cleaning may also be scaled back for the same reason. We will provide any updates on services impacted by the weather here: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/snow.

Weather like this can be a problem for elderly and vulnerable people so it?s worth checking on any neighbours, friends or family members to make sure they are OK, eating and drinking well, staying warm or need anything bringing to them such as medication or food.