Nottingham proposes cutting 550 jobs
Nottingham City Council has proposed cutting 554 full-time equivalent posts in an attempt to tackle its financial shortfall.
After the council issued a section 114 notice last month[1], officers have set out initial savings proposals in the face of a GBP53.7m budget gap for 2024-25. The local authority said the proposed staffing reductions would be ‘supported through a targeted voluntary redundancy approach’. Other proposals include a review of library service provision, reducing public transport infrastructure to the statutory minimum, removing grants to the charity, arts and cultural sectors, and closing some in-house care services.
The savings proposals would only reduce next year’s deficit to GBP33.2m. The council said ‘further work is urgently being undertaken’ to find additional savings. Council leader David Mellen said: ‘The proposals include some valued services and funding that we have been able to continue to provide in Nottingham but have already been stopped by many other councils.
‘Some of the proposals reluctantly have support from the majority group on the council, whereas others do not have that support at this stage.’ The council’s executive board will consider the proposals on 19 December before a four-week public consultation takes place, with final decisions made when the 2024-25 budget is set in February. Nottinghamshire Trades Union Council said it plans to lobby in front of the council house before next week’s meeting, in order to call for ‘no more cuts’, defend jobs and services, and demand more government money.
The GMB union warned that the city is ‘already cut to the bone, with vital services across Nottingham struggling with staff shortages’. GMB organiser Adana Godden said: ‘Council funding in Nottingham has been cut by more than 40% since 2010; our union won’t stand by quietly as our members pays the price for this. ‘GMB members keep Nottingham running and our priority in the coming weeks will be defending them, their jobs and conditions.’
References
- ^ After the council issued a section 114 notice last month (www.localgov.co.uk)