Strategic Goal 6: We will manage and invest in our service to ensure it is fit for the future

This goal is focused on financial and environmental sustainability and investment in our service to ensure it is fit for purpose.

In 2023/24 our key objective was to:

Develop a strategy and roadmap for decarbonisation of our premises and activities

Our focus for improvements included:

Undertake work to improve accessibility and inclusion of facilities at our premises
Implement a central management system for electric vehicle charging facilities across our estate
To become more inclusive in our decision-making and engagement by developing a community advisory group to advise on the service’s work, reducing bias and promoting inclusion

During 2023/24:

We developed our roadmap for decarbonisation as part of our commitment to the environment and sustainability. Feasibility and planning have been ongoing throughout the year and a funding grant has been secured for sustainability alterations at Highfields Fire Station from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund
We have been looking at how our fire appliances may be fuelled in the future. A trial is underway at London Road Fire Station where the appliances are being fuelled using HVO Renewable Diesel, which could result in up to 90% lower CO2 emissions than regular diesel
Utilising the D2N2 local partnership agreement, we have been able to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points across the service. 20 new charging points will now be available on stations at Edwinstowe, Newark, Retford, Warsop and Worksop
As part of an accessibility and inclusion project, alterations have been progressing at Ashfield, Bingham, Blidworth and Harworth Fire stations with upgrades also being completed at Service Development Centre. Contracts have also been awarded for works to commence at other sites during 2024/25
We have been exploring the possible benefits and feasibility of a central management system for electric vehicle charging at buildings across the service
We have invested in new firefighting equipment, including 17 new fire appliances which will come into service during 2024/25
We have continued to work alongside members of our Community Advisory Group, who meet on a bi-monthly basis. The group, comprising of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, participate in stakeholder panel meetings to provide assurance and advice on some of the key initiatives we carry out in our communities

Financial sustainability and capital expenditure

Throughout 2023/24, events in the UK and abroad had a significant impact on the economic climate. Inflation was 8.7% at the beginning of the year and has fallen to 2.3% at the end of the year.

We have benefited from the increase in interest rates in terms of the interest we earn on our cash balances, however this also increases our cost of borrowing for our capital programme.

Against this backdrop, we reviewed our capital expenditure plans for the next ten years. We have prioritised spending capital to support delivering our Strategic Goals.

This includes investing in new appliances, improvements our training and development centre and making essential improvements to our existing estate to improve accessibility and provide an inclusive environment for staff and visitors.

We will always try to provide the best possible service to our communities with the financial resources available. Providing value for money is a priority when planning for the future.

As part of those plans, we work hard to ensure that the service we provide is both financially and environmentally sustainable. This means ensuring that our buildings, vehicles and equipment remain fit for purpose and cost effective and allow us to provide an effective and efficient service.

Financial Performance

Under the Local Government Act 1999, fire and rescue services are responsible for ensuring that their business is conducted in accordance with the law and proper standards, and that public money is properly accounted for and used economically, efficiently and effectively.

We provide financial assurance through the publication of an Annual Statement of Accounts. This is a statutory requirement under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, and the accounts are prepared following the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting. The financial statements are subject to review by independent auditors.

Our appointed external auditor for 2023/24 is KPMG. The auditors are responsible for auditing two key areas:

Financial statements
Use of resources – concluding on the arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness (the value for money commentary)

Internal audit forms part of the wider system of internal control which deals with our exposure to financial, and to some extent, non-financial risk.

Our internal audit function is provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. The 2023/24 Internal Audit Annual Report provided a judgement of Substantial Assurance around the service’s arrangements for corporate governance, risk management and the control environment.

The full report is to be considered by Fire Authority in July 2024. This will allow members to see the work of the internal audit and the contribution that it makes to the overall system of internal control.

2023/24 Financial Budget

The 2023/24 budget was set at £49.965m including the anticipated use of £404k of the budget pressure reserve. During the year additional use of other specific earmarked reserves were approved increasing the budget to £50.258m.

We underspent by £1m (1.99% of the revised budget), and the budget pressure reserve of £404k was not required.

The underspent budget has been moved to reserves:

£300k has been earmarked for anticipated costs relating to the existing mobilisation system whilst the replacement system is being implemented
£175k has been moved to a new reserve created to help manage the revenue costs of capital schemes
£121k has been moved to the General Fund Reserve

Capital expenditure for the year totalled £7.271m. This was lower than expected due to options and scoping works on some of the larger schemes taking longer than anticipated to ensure the best solutions are being pursued.

The major areas of spend were replacement fire appliances, training and development centre and replacement ICT equipment.

Reserves at the end of March 2024 were £10.9m.