Reg's latest news...
Success! The A453 gets the green light!
I am absolutely delighted by the Chancellor’s announcement that the Government is fast-tracking the widening of the A453. This is the best Christmas gift that businesses and residents in Nottinghamshire could have, bringing a £540m boost to the East Midlands economy.
In May this year, Nottinghamshire County Council pledged £20m towards the scheme if it was bought forward. Since that pledge was made, the campaign to widen the road has garnered support from the local business community and other local councils, including a pledge of £500,000 towards the scheme from Rushcliffe Borough Council in October.
The A453 has been on the Council’s wishlist since the 1970s. At last it is going to happen and I am thrilled for local businesses and commuters alike. I want to particularly thank East Midlands Airport, Boots, RH Freight, Hardstaffs, the Nottingham Post newspaper and partner authorities for their support in this campaign.
In the five years up to October 2010, there were 185 accidents involving personal injury on just the Nottinghamshire part of the A453. The Nottinghamshire section of the road is the second most congested part of the national road network after a short section of the M25. This congestion has been costing larger businesses as much as £100,000 a year because of increased fuel usage, difficulty reaching customers, abandoned journeys and accident costs.
Finally, we can look forward to smoother and safer journeys on this vital road link through Nottinghamshire from the M1 and I am immensely pleased that the Government has listened to our determined campaign.
(Posted 29/11/2011)
West Bridgford Library
West Bridgford Library will close at 6.30pm on Friday 18 November for major re-development. This will provide a new, larger and improved library, which will be built on the current site, opening in spring 2013.
A temporary library will be open on Monday 5 December at 52A Rectory Road, West Bridgford, NG2 6BU. The temporary library is much smaller so will provide a basic service with a reduced stock for adults and children and fewer computers. The opening hours of the temporary library will be: -
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Monday 9.30 - 7.00
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Tuesday 9.30 - 6.00
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Wednesday 9.30 - 4.30
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Thursday 9.30 - 7.00
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Friday 9.30 - 6.00
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Saturday 9.00 - 4.00
(Posted 18/11/2011)
Street lighting in Ruddington division - have your say
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE County Council has published detailed proposals for street lights in Ruddington division as part of its project to save over £1 million a year and cut carbon emissions and light pollution.
Letters about proposals for the town have been sent to the district council and emergency services for their comments. The proposals have also been published at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/streetlightingenergysaving.
Residents in the Ruddington area have until 16th December to comment on specific lights. Comments will then be analysed to see if the proposals should be amended and work could start on the lights a few weeks later.
The project involves turning many street lights off between midnight GMT and 5.30am GMT in residential areas, dimming many on main roads between 10pm and 7am and switching some off entirely in remote areas.
A risk assessment is being done for every light and the most appropriate option introduced for each town, village, suburb or road. Many lights will not be altered, including those near hospitals, accident black spots or areas with higher than average crime rates. The project should be complete across the county by 2014.
The Council is working closely with the emergency services and will monitor the project to make sure crime and collision rates do not rise.
The Council expects to save 26% of the energy used, 5,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and an estimated £1.25 million (based on last year’s electricity prices) a year. The cost of altering the lights will be £3.22 million, so the project will pay for itself in just a few years. An added benefit of reduced street lighting will be much better views of the night sky and the project is supported by Nottinghamshire Campaign for Dark Skies.
(Posted 14/11/11)
Budget Conversation underway
Nottinghamshire County Council has announced proposals for its 2012/13 budget.
Nottinghamshire residents are invited to give feedback the budget proposals and take part in our Budget Conversation, which is open until Friday 29th January 2012. The results of last year's consultation led us to change some of our proposals and we will be listening very carefully again. Please let us know your views.
(Posted 11/11/2011)
Latest from my Finance & Property portfolio
In addition to my duties as County Councillor for Ruddington, I am also the Council's Cabinet Member for Finance & Property. At most County Council meetings I present a report on latest developments within my portfolio. You can read my recent reports by following these links:-
November 2011
September 2011
June 2011
(Updated 11/11/2011)
West Bridgford Library
On 6th July 2011 the Cabinet considered the latest report on proposed works to replace West Bridgford Library and create a Young People's Centre whilst retaining the 1938 original library building. Provision of a Registrar's office and Shopmobility service are also included in the scheme. It is anticipated that building works will start on site in November 2011 and be completed in February 2013.
(Posted 14/7/2011)
More grass cuts
Nottinghamshire County Council is increasing the number of times it will be cutting grass verges this year.
As part of this year’s budget savings it was originally intended to reduce the frequency of routine grass cutting in urban areas from six to four times a year. However, we have listened to public feedback and have now increased that frequency to five cuts. In rural areas the frequency remains at two cuts a year.
At the same time we have issued guidelines for a growing number of residents who are happy to cut the grass verges outside their homes. Again, this is a direct result of feedback from the Council’s Big Budget Conversation consultation process, when hundreds of people said they would be prepared to cut verges if it helped to release money for use on other priorities, such a repairing potholes.
The guidelines highlight what needs to be considered when cutting grass near the roadside. They can be found online at: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/roadverges
(Posted 14/7/11)
Pledges of support sought for A453 widening
As you may have seen in the Nottingham Post newspaper, Nottinghamshire County Council has stepped up the campaign to convince the Government of the urgent need to improve the A453. A letter has already been written to transport secretary Philip Hammond pledging £20m towards the cost of widening the route.
The Leader, Councillor Kay Cutts, has now also written to major businesses in the region, urging them to support the bid. The importance of improving the A453 to Nottinghamshire and the regional economy cannot be underestimated.
In order to maximise our chance of success we need to gather pledges of support from as many local people and businesses as possible. There is now a dedicated A453 web page on the Nottinghamshire County Council web site where you can read about the campaign and sign up to pledge your support.
(Posted 17/6/2011)
Strict spending controls save £20 million
As Cabinet Member for Finance & Property I am pleased to report that strict controls to stop non-essential spending at Nottinghamshire County Council have helped the authority to save £20.4m during 2010/11. Details of the saving are contained in the Council’s final accounts for 2010/11 which will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 8 June.
The saving is due to a budget underspend and is in addition to the £29m saving made during 2010/11, much of which was reinvested in social care and protecting children at risk.
We have stopped non-essential spending including holding back on staff and councillors attending conferences and not travelling to meetings when email or telephone calls suffice.
Spending control measures were introduced in September to help meet the Council’s current financial challenges. Here are a few examples of the savings made on non-essential spending during 2010/11:
- £460,000 saved on reduced water and energy consumption.
- £820,000 saved by holding back on the purchase of IT equipment.
- £1.06m saved on staff travel and subsistence.
- £63,000 saved on restricting staff attendance at conferences.
- £743,000 saved on print and stationery.
The Council also has a strict policy on staff vacancies which restricts the filling of vacant posts unless there is a business need.
(Posted 31/5/2011)
Taking up ideas from the Big Budget Conversation
As reported in the Nottingham Post 16thMarch, Nottinghamshire County Council Cabinet Members are very keen to develop some of the ideas and suggestions put forward by Nottinghamshire residents during the Council's Big Budget Conversation consultation. One proposal we are actively investigating is for the authority to generate revenue by allowing advertising and corporate sponsorship on Council property. This could range from adverts placed on grit bins to sponsorship of events at country parks and the National Water Sports Centre. Obviously, this would have to be managed with care, but we are willing to consider any legitimate means of maximising the authority's income which avoids increasing the burden on council tax payers in these difficult financial times.
(Posted 17/3/2011)
Council Budget 2011/12
At the Nottinghamshire County Council Budget Meeting on 24th February 2011 I joined my Conservative colleagues in voting to freeze Council Tax for a second successive year. In doing so, I approved £4.1 million of changes to the Council’s original budget proposals in direct response to the outcomes of the Big Budget Conversation. Extra money has now been found from reserves for the Supporting People programme, grant aid to voluntary groups, libraries, country parks and welfare rights advice.
With less formula grant funding from the Government, Nottinghamshire County Council has to find more than £80 million of savings in 2011/12 by reducing management and administration costs and reviewing expenditure on non-essential services. Just over half of this is being reinvested to meet growing demand for our most vital services, including: -
In presenting the budget I gave a speech explaining the reasoning behind the current Cabinet's proposals and how we believe this policy differs from that of previous council administrations. The budget was approved at the Council meeting by 34 votes to 29.
(Posted 28/2/2011)
Gritter Twitter
Nottinghamshire County Council will now be advising the public of when the county’s roads will be gritted, using Twitter. During the cold weather last winter there were a number of calls to the Council’s Customer Service Centre asking when the roads would be gritted. Now people can sign up to the Council’s Gritter Twitter feed to receive the latest gritting alerts.
In an age of social networking and 24-hour news, the Council recognises the need to give people ‘live’ information that will help them plan their journey. You can sign up to follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nottscc
(Posted 11/11/2010)
Improvement Programme latest
At the full meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council on 21st October I joined my Conservative colleagues in supporting the recommendations for action contained within the Nottinghamshire County Council Improvement Plan Progress Report.
The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Martin Suthers set out the financial challenges facing local authorities across the country and stated that Nottinghamshire County Council needed to save £150 million over the next three years.
He said this would require savings of £69 million in 2011/12, to be achieved through a series of major initiatives including reprioritisation of services, improvements in business management and a review of property owned by the Council.
Of this £69 million, it is intended to reinvest £39 million largely in services for our most vulnerable service users. The council has faced a 59% increase in children’s social care referrals over the last year and a 25% increase in the number of children in care over the last two years.
For Children and Young People, a proposed reinvestment of £22.5 million will provide:-
Our Adult Social Care & Health services are under similar pressure, with 500 extra people aged over 80 and 4,000 extra people over the age of 65 in Nottinghamshire every year. Our proposed reinvestment of £13 million in 2011/12 will provide: -
- the care and support services necessary to meet this increased demand
- more support for adults with physical disabilities
- more support for adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs
- extra resources for independent sector care.
I joined my Conservative colleagues in arguing that Nottinghamshire County Council must live within its means and ensure frontline statutory services are maintained.
(Posted 5/11/2010)
Ruddington High Street improvements
A £150,000 project to install block paving on Ruddington High Street will begin September and should be completed before Christmas. This work forms part of Nottinghamshire County Council's Local Improvement Scheme and should greatly enhance the shopping area and attract visitors.
(Posted 3/8/2010)
Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum
A £25,000 project is in progress at the Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum to replace windows and improve the fabric of the building. Again, this work forms part of the Nottinghamshire County Council Local Improvement Scheme.
(Posted 3/8/10)
Wilford Road and Clifton Road
Work has now been completed on the £350,000 accessibility scheme to install a cycle path and a proper footpath and improve the grass verges on Wilford Road and Clifton Road in Ruddington. The completed project has enhanced the environment tremendously and seems to have been welcomed by local residents. The highway on Wilford Road and Clifton Road has also been resurfaced and interactive speed signs have been installed.
(Posted 03/08/10)
A60 improved
I am pleased that the resurfacing of the A60 from the Nottingham Knight roundabout to Ashworth Avenue in Ruddington has now been completed.
(Posted 24/5/10)
Improvement Programme
Like every council in the country, Nottinghamshire County Council faces ongoing, significant and unavoidable increases in demand for key services. At the same time, it faces an unprecedented and long-term reduction in the resources available to it. Present forecasts are that the Council must reduce its current expenditure by at least £88m, or 18% of its revenue budget, over the next three financial years. Most of this reduction will be used to fund increased demand in other service areas. £30m of reductions have already been identified for 2010/11, leaving a further £58m to be found in 2011/12 and 2012/13.
In the past, reductions have been achieved through a process of allocating savings targets across departments. However, the scale of the financial challenge is now such that a more strategic approach is needed to achieve reductions in a structured and consistent way.
At the County Council meeting on 25th February 2010 the Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Martin Suthers gained approval for a new Improvement Programme to deliver these aims, called ‘One Council - One Business - One Plan’. This will involve an estimated investment of £21 million over five years to deliver total aggregated savings of over £200m over a five year period.
The Improvement Programme will include: -
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a complete overhaul of the Council’s approach to procurement
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implementation of an integrated Business Management System and changes in processes
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rationalisation of the Council’s property portfolio and improvement in flexible ways of working
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a fundamental review of all services followed by a comprehensive programme of organisational redesign
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departmental improvement programmes that deliver service-specific developments and
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the Chief Executive’s own programme to deliver improvements in partnership working, communications and organisational development.
The aim of ‘One Council-One Business-One Plan’ is to drive out inefficiency, target resources, minimise the impact on service delivery and create an organisation that is fit for purpose and financially sustainable in the long term.
(Posted 8/3/10)
New Strategic Plan
Nottinghamshire County Council's new Strategic Plan 2010-2014 sets out our promise to the people of Nottinghamshire; our priorities for the next four years; and how we aim to support the people of our county to be aspirational, independent and to share with us responsibility for the future.
This Plan complements the wider Nottinghamshire Sustainable Community Strategy which is the collective plan that outlines how organisations in the county will work together to promote and deliver a better Nottinghamshire.
Our plan is ambitious. It is a plan based on what local people tell us they want, and what they want to see happen. The success of our plan relies on us working well together with local people and organisations. Whilst we face challenging financial times, nevertheless we have opportunities to promote and deliver a better future for Nottinghamshire.
(Posted 8/3/10)
Gritting
The exceptionally cold weather which affected Nottinghamshire and most other parts of the UK between December and February led to unprecedented pressures on local authority gritting supplies. Nottinghamshire County Council possessed stockpiles far exceeding Government recommendations and was able to keep its priority routes gritted even when other councils had exhausted their supplies. The biggest difficulty was obtaining replacement supplies, given the exceptional pressure on the two national companies who supply the country’s salt.
Taking these events into account, it was agreed at the recent County Council budget meeting to increase the gritting budget by £50,000 for 2010/11. It is also intended to use 6mm rather than 10mm salt, which will improve spread rate and increase our gritting capacity still further.
(Posted 8/3/10)
Reg's latest Councillors' Divisional Fund awards...
Following a decision taken by Council on 19th May 2011, each County Councillor now has an annual fund of £10,000 to support worthy initiatives in the division they represent.
The Councillors' Divisional Fund aims to make use of each councillor's 'grass roots' knowledge to identify projects, events, people and clubs that work hard to benefit and promote their local area, but often lack access to resources. Even a small amount of funding can sometimes make a huge difference.
If you know of a deserving initiative in the Ruddington division that might be eligible to receive a CDF grant, please do contact me. You can click the following link to read the eligibility guidance criteria.
Here are some of those I've been able to help so far: -
Tollerton Primary School: a grant to replace markings in the playground
Robin Hood Cadet Corps of Drums: assistance with the cost of travel for the cadets to play at war graves in France
Ruddington Parish Council: funding towards summer holiday activities for young and older people and assistance with the provision of cricket equipment
Ruddington Army Cadet Force: a contribution to help meet running costs
First Tollerton Scout Group: a grant to purchase new camping equipment
Costock C of E Primary School: a grant to help promote the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) programme to pupils
Costock Parish Council: a grant to install a door safety device
Bunny C of E Primary School: a contribution towards improvements to the playground
Plumtree Cricket Club: a grant to help promote ladies' and girls' cricket
Ice skating talents: a grant to help provide high level training to two talented young local ice skaters who are tipped as possible future Olympians
Ruddington Youth & Community Centre: a grant to provide a carpet for the meeting room and improvements to the outdoor 5-a-side football pitch
Bunny PCC: a grant to re-cover 87 chairs for use in the Bunny community hall
St. Giles Church in Costock: funding to help with repairs to the church roof and electrics
St. Peter's Junior C of E School: funding contributions towards a holiday club, sports club and outdoor seating
James Peacock School: a grant to help provide a wildlife education base at the school
The Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park: a contribution towards installing a labyrinth in the park
Rushcliffe Barn Owl Project: a grant to assist with the running costs of this project, which aims to preserve and develop the local barn owl population
Royal British Legion: funding to help the Ruddington and District Royal British Legion to purchase a public address system for their branch building
South Wolds Community School: financial assistance towards the costs of an expedition for pupils to the Amazon Rainforest
Ruddington Framework Knitters' Museum: a grant to upgrade electrical systems and lighting at the museum
Literacy Volunteers: a contribution to the Literacy Volunteers Scheme towards books and word games for use in two schools in the Ruddington division
1st Ruddington Scouts: funding to assist the Scout Group with refurbishments to their toilet block, which was previously in a very poor condition.
Reg's committees...
In addition to being a member of the County Council Cabinet, my current committee service also includes: -
Administration Committee
Pensions Committee
Full details of council committee meetings can be found in the Council Diary.
