Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Sulcan Mahmood – work commitments

Councillor Sajid Mohammed – unwell

Councillor Sam Harris – annual leave

Councillor Maria Watson – personal reasons

Councillor Adele Williams – personal reasons

None.

A citizen asked the following question of the Executive Member for Housing and Planning:

Rough sleeping

What is being done on issue of sleeping rough and begging in shop doorways within the city?

Councillor Jay Hayes replied as follows:

Thank you, Lord Mayor, and I thank the citizen for their question. Homelessness has been on the increase since the Tory government came into power in 2010 and there has been a 75% increase in the 14 years they were in power. However, in Nottingham, we have loads of services in place to tackle rough sleeping. We have an outreach team, who go out to rough sleepers and provide support and access to services. We have commissioned over 100 bed spaces for our rough sleepers. We also have a Housing Solutions Team who have a rough sleeping specialist who works with homeless sleepers to prevent homelessness and to provide pathways into much more long-term and secure accommodation. The Council has established coordinated joint partnership working with the police, homeless health team, mental health team, substance misuse specialist, and social workers in supporting rough sleepers on benefits with access to healthcare and housing and accommodation. I will urge anybody who is rough sleeping, when they come in contact with these teams, to please take us up on that offer and let us support you into long-term accommodation. I am pleased to announce as well to the Council that this Labour government is wanting to really tackle homelessness and get on top of it. This year we have seen an increase in our homeless budget from £337,000 under the Tories to £456,000 under this Labour government. We’ll be using that money to do more preventative work, to stop people going out on the streets and being homeless, and if there’s anybody who wants to support anyone who’s rough sleeping, they can support charities like Framework, or donate to Street Aid, who provide support for our rough sleepers. Thank you.

Councillor Georgia Power presented a petition on behalf of 85 Bestwood and Top Valley residents asking the Council to reopen a public right of way.

The minutes of the last meeting of Council held on 11 November 2024 were confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

The Chief Executive made the following announcement:

Vicky Murphy was appointed as our new Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, starting in November. As a registered and qualified mental health social worker, Vicky brings over 28 years of experience to her role, including leading national initiatives through the Kings Fund and regional projects for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services. Vicky is a highly experienced transformation lead, known for her ability to transform services across various local authorities and health organisations. Her efforts have significantly improved performance and outcomes for residents while achieving and exceeding agreed savings targets. 

The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:

It is with sadness that I report the death of former councillor Steve Young. Steve was elected to serve the Clifton South ward in 2015, where he served for a total of 4 years until 2019. During that time, he served on many different committees, including as a Chair of the Area 8 Committee.

It is also with sadness that I report the death of former councillor and Honorary Alderman Barrie Jackson. Barrie was elected to serve the Portland ward in 1991, where he served for a total of 12 years until 2003. During that time, he served on many different committees, including as a Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee for 6 years. In May 2006 he was appointed as an Honorary Alderman in recognition of his eminent service.

A minute’s silence was held.

Local Government Settlement

Councillor Salma Mumtaz asked the following question of the Executive Member for Finance and Resources:

Can the Executive Member for Finance and Resources explain the impact that the increased Local Government Settlement is expected to have for Nottingham and the impact it will have on the Council’s current financial position?

Councillor Linda Woodings replied as follows:

Thank you, Lord Mayor, and thank you Councillor Mumtaz for your question. Last Tuesday, at our Executive Board meeting, I was in a very unusual situation for any finance lead – to be able to present a report detailing an improvement in this council’s financial position. As you know too well, for the past 14 years, this Council and our fellow citizens have faced harsh austerity measures under the Conservative government, and in Nottingham that equated to the tune of £100 million less per year in our un-ringfenced grant from Government, with the burden of additional cost for social care having to be passed on to the council tax payers of Nottingham, because unlike wealthier areas of the country, Nottingham has never had the luxury of being able to freeze council tax, or add anything less than the maximum allowable. So, after 14 years of brutal austerity, I feel very fortunate today to be able to announce that the provisional financial settlement for Nottingham states that we can expect an 8.5% increase in our core spending power, and that is 5% higher than the overall national rise, and obviously substantially more than the 1% that the Tories have announced. For Nottingham, 8.5% equates to an additional £31.6 million. Now, some of that is ringfenced for specific areas of service. For example, we should receive an extra £6.7 million for social care. We get more for the Better Care Fund – around £4 million. A new £3.5 million Prevention Grant for children’s services, and a New Homes Bonus of £1.1 million, which under the previous government, we thought would be stopped. Our Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Grant has been increased by £225,000, and as you heard, we get extra funding for homelessness and extra funding for SEND places. Further to this, £31.6 million is general grant. Overall, we have received an increase in our basic funding of £2 million, and that includes improvements to our Revenue Support Grant and a top-up to business rates that we’ve received. But, most significantly of all, Nottingham has received an extra £11.1 million of a new Recovery Grant, and that is a one-off measure for this coming year, to restore the deprivation top-up grants that have been systematically stripped away by former Tory governments over the last 14 years. And I am never going to stop reminding people that Rishi Sunak actually bragged about doing this. In Tunbridge Wells, during his leadership campaign, he said, to quote, “I am changing the funding formula to give money to places like this” – he means Tunbridge Wells – “and I have taken it away from deprived  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

Report of the Leader of the Council

Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of the Council, proposed the report informing Council that, since the last report to Council in November 2024, there had been two decisions taken under the urgency provisions within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules and no decisions taken under the special urgency provisions within the Access to Information Procedure Rules. The report was seconded by Councillor Ethan Radford.

Resolved to note that

(1)  two decisions have been taken under urgency provisions within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Article 11) of the Constitution since the last report to Council;

(2)  no decisions have been taken under the special urgency provisions within the Access to Information Procedure Rules (Article 13) of the Constitution since the last report to Council.

Report of the Executive Member for Finance and Resources

Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Finance and Resources, proposed the report seeking approval of the recommendation of the Executive Board of 21 January 2025 in relation to proposed changes to the Council Tax Support scheme for 2025-26. The report was seconded by Councillor Neghat Khan.

Resolved to

(1)  note the consultation feedback attached to the report as Appendix 1;

(2)  approve the proposed changes to the Council Tax Support scheme for 2025/2026 attached to the report as Appendix 2;

(3)  delegate approval for the Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2025/2026 Regulations to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and Resources.

Report of the Lord Mayor

Councillor Carole McCulloch, Lord Mayor and Chair of Council, proposed the report. The report was seconded by Councillor Liaqat Ali.

Resolved to

(1)  note the relative strength of political groups on the Council is now as follows:

Labour Group 89.09% (49)

Nottingham Independents and Independent Group 7.27% (4)

There are two councillors who are not a member of a political group.

(2)  note the allocation of seats on Council committees and joint committees to political groups as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

(3)  note that, in accordance with the allocation of seats to political groups as set out in Appendix 1, Councillor Salma Mumtaz is no longer a member of the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority; and to appoint Councillor Andrew Rule as a member of the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority.

To note the following changes to committee membership:

a)  Councillor Audra Wynter has been appointed as a member of the Licensing Committee

b)  For all committees to which the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group is entitled to appoint to, all members of the Group not appointed as the committee member have been appointed as named substitutes.

c)  Councillor Shuguftah Qudoos has been removed as a member of the Licensing Committee, Regulatory and Appeals Committee, Joint Committee on Waste and Mineral Planning, and Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee, leaving vacant seats.

It was noted that:

a)  Councillor Audra Wynter has been appointed as a member of the Licensing Committee;

b)   for all committees to which the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group is entitled to appoint to, all members of the Group not appointed as the committee member have been appointed as named substitutes;

c)  Councillor Shuguftah Qudoos has been removed as a member of the Licensing Committee, Regulatory and Appeals Committee, Joint Committee on Waste and Mineral Planning, and Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee, leaving vacant seats.