Agenda item

Engaging with Government on challenges facing the Council

A citizen asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

In the event of a Labour victory in the General Election on 4 July, will the Council Leader write to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to demand an urgent meeting and more importantly, immediate emergency funding for Nottingham City Council with the aim of achieving two important objectives: firstly, safeguarding all of the jobs and services put in jeopardy by the approval of the 2024/25 budget on 4 March; and secondly, resolution of the financial shortfall should lead to the removal of the three unelected Commissioners, and put political decision making and control back in the hands of the elected representatives, where it belongs.

Councillor Neghat Khan replied as follows:

Thank you, Lord-Mayor.  As we are all aware, there definitely was a Labour landslide victory in the General Election. We have a new Prime Minister and a new Labour Government, and we should all take a moment to appreciate what that means for our city and for our country. We have an end to fourteen years of Tory chaos, and we have hope for better times to come. One incredible result for our country.

I will indeed be writing to Sir Kier Starmer to congratulate him on becoming Prime Minister. Labour has policies that will make real, material differences to people here in Nottingham - a New Deal for Working People with rights from day one; 40,000 more operations, scans and appointments every week; free breakfast clubs in every primary school; reforms to our planning laws stopping developers ducking their obligations; green investment in every community via the new National Wealth Fund and Warm Homes plans; Young Future Hubs, with drop-in mental health support services for the under-25s; a fair deal for renters, stopping no-fault evictions; and delivering a National Care Service, a policy that will be transformative just like Labour’s National Health Service in 1948.  It is clear to me that Labour’s manifesto, as they deliver it, will make real improvements and savings for our city. As we return to the question of money, Sir Kier Starmer, in his visit to North Nottinghamshire earlier this year, committed to long-term funding settlements to councils, allowing us to better plan and budget for our services, and this will be a big help in our forecasting. I am also far more hopeful now of success in Levelling Up and Housing Infrastructure Fund bids put in by the Council than I ever was under the previous Government.  However, I will not be asking for emergency funding.  The citizen who asked this question is wrong to imagine there is a magic money tree. The Tories spent fourteen years thrashing this country and our economy. So much is now broken and in need of urgent repair. The new Labour Government does not have a quick fix, and throwing more money at a problem is not always the answer. In Nottingham we have identified key areas where we know our Council needs to improve and do better for our citizens. That is the responsible thing to do. In this economic climate we are forced to change. There are services that we currently provide that will have to be reduced. There are other services that must change to be more efficient, and there are some things that we will simply have to stop doing and look at new ways of working with our partners to deliver them. This means we must continue our budget plan as agreed in the Council Chamber in March.  I lay the blame for this overwhelmingly at the door of Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron. Their policies, economics, and austerity have set this country back and gutted our public services.  I will add that the Commissioners are helping us in our planning and resilience. They have been very supportive in their advice on how we improve the way our Council is run. I am grateful for their guidance, and I thank them for this. We ask for no special treatment from the Government now that it is a Labour one. I am determined to do everything in my power to put Nottingham back where it belongs – a thriving Core City which delivers for the people who live, work, study and visit here – all of this under a Labour Government that puts country before party. I am certain we have a bright future ahead.  Thank you.

Greyhound Street Toilets

A citizen asked the following question of the Executive Member for Carbon Reduction, Leisure and Culture:

Could I ask the Executive Member to reconsider the plans to charge for use of the currently free toilet facilities on Greyhound Street in Nottingham City Centre? These proposed charges will affect a range of key workers including street cleaners, bus and taxi drivers; disabled people; those with medical conditions; homeless people; pensioners; and many others who rely on these facilities. If rumours are true that it is a card-only payment system this will again hit those citizens who don’t have these payment options. It is also a public health issue and the minuscule savings provide a false economy, compared to the public health risks and hazards inherent in these plans.

Councillor Sam Lux replied as follows:

Thank you Lord Mayor, and I’d like to thank the citizen for the question.  The proposal to charge a fee for the use of the Greyhound Street toilets was approved in the budget which was agreed by Full Council in March. The budget process last year sought to reduce services provided by the Council back to the levels against which the Council is required to deliver as a statutory duty. Unfortunately, the Council has no statutory duty to provide free public toilets, and charging for them was the only way which we could continue to keep them open.  The maintenance and upkeep of the toilets is expensive, in part due to a high level of anti-social behaviour. There remain other free toilets in the city centre, such as at Broadmarsh Car Park and Victoria Shopping Centre.  The payment mechanism will be card-based, as a cash-based system would be more costly to implement meaning the proposals would either be unviable or the increase would need to be passed on to the user.  The proposal was supported by an Equality Impact Assessment through which the Council has committed to monitor the impact of the proposal.  Thank you.

Library Service

A citizen asked the following question of the Executive Member for Carbon Reduction, Leisure and Culture:

Can consultation meetings be arranged in the four libraries earmarked for closure?

Councillor Sam Lux replied as follows:

Thank you Lord Mayor, and again I’d like to thank the citizen for this question.  To help us develop final proposals on better ways to reshape the Library Service and address the delivery of savings being sought, a comprehensive consultation exercise is currently underway and will run until the 19August of this year. Since its commencement on 28 May, we have to date already received over 2,700 responses regarding the savings proposals being made and have had 3 in-person meetings in the Council House, Harvey Hadden and Bulwell Riverside Library. We’ve also held 1 online consultation session to discuss the issue and impacts of savings being proposed.  There’s no plan to hold any further public consultation sessions.  At present Aspley Library is closed due to health and safety works being needed and Lenton and Radford Library, while operational, is reduced in capacity. Therefore neither we felt were suitable to hold public meetings, and since the necessary savings being discussed affect all libraries, we have tried to choose geographical locations appropriately to enable all library users to attend and contribute. We would really encourage every citizen to get involved with the consultation currently taking place to ensure that when final decisions are made we are able to reflect all the views and ideas being expressed and look at alternative solutions to achieving savings where practical options do emerge.  The link to the survey will be shared in writing and the same webpage also hosts information about the proposal, frequently asked questions, and supporting documents. Paper copies of the survey are also available at all Nottingham City Libraries, where staff are willing to support if required. We encourage you to complete the survey in whichever way is convenient.  Thank you.