Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Annual statement of assurance 2024 - 2025

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. In 2024/25 our key objectives were:

  • Develop, consult on and ultimately launch our new CRMP, which will outline the strategic direction of the service from 2025 to 2028.
  • Continue the rollout of our Heavy Fleet Replacement programme, including a refresh of our Fire Appliances.

Our focus for improvements included:

  • Improve the sustainability of our estate, for example by replacing gas fired boilers at Highfields with air source heat pumps and low energy lighting

During 2024/25:

  • We developed our CRMP for 2025–2028, which outlines how we will deliver fire and rescue services across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire over the next three years. It sets out our key priorities and ambitions, aligned with our long-term vision to become an outstanding fire and rescue service, as detailed in Our Ambition 2032—available on our website
  • Developed in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders, the plan reflects both local needs and the risks we face. Through stronger partnerships with community groups across the City and County, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of local concerns and priorities. These relationships played a key role in our public consultation in late 2024, helping us target our resources where they are most needed—to protect those at greatest risk from fire and other emergencies
  • While financial uncertainty remains a challenge, we are committed to making evidence-based decisions using the best available data. This ensures we meet our statutory duties while providing effective, efficient services within a balanced budget—delivering a fire and rescue service that is fit for the future, and both financially and environmentally sustainable
  • We have continued to roll out a new fleet of 17 new fire appliances. 4 new engines have been completed with a further 13 expected to be in service during 2025/26. The new appliances have been developed with a ‘clean-cab’ concept to help protect our firefighters from potentially harmful contaminants following incidents
  • We have also been developing a new Command Support Unit (CSU). The CSU is expected to be in service in 2025 and will be one of the most advanced vehicles of its type in the country
  • We have awarded a contract for a new Arial Ladder Platform (ALP). The new vehicle will provide an increased reach of 45 metres and is expected to be in service during 2026

Other Highlights

We have continued to upgrade our buildings around the county to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and more sustainable for the future. In addition to general maintenance and upkeep works across the estate during 2024/25:

  • We have completed refurbishments at 7 stations across the county. The upgrades at Ashfield, Bingham, Blidworth, Collingham, Harworth, Misterton and Stapleford provide improved access and inclusive facilities to support the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce
  • Upgrades to training and welfare facilities at Service Development Centre have been completed
  • Working at height training provision has been improved at stations across the county, with structural repairs being carried out on training towers at Mansfield, West Bridgford and Collingham stations
  • Welfare facilities have been upgraded at Collingham and Warsop stations
  • Preparation for improved access control across our estate has been carried out
  • Additional EV charging points have been installed at Bingham, East Leake, Retford, Edwinstowe and Misterton
  • Scoping and consultation work has commenced for the proposed building of a new fire station at Stockhill

We have continued upgrade our light fleet vehicle resource with the introduction of:

  • 2 hybrid vehicles for our Protection and Prevention teams
  • A new vehicle at Hucknall station to support out Marauding Terrorist Attack (MTA) capability

Financial sustainability and capital expenditure

The current economic climate remains uncertain with many external influences both in the UK and abroad.

During 2024/25 CPI inflation increased from 2.3% at the beginning of the year to 3.5% at the end of the year.

The Authority has 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 and a replacement mobilising system, making essential improvements to our existing estate to improve accessibility and provide an inclusive environment for staff and visitors and rebuilding Stockhill Fire Station.

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 2024/25 is KPMG. The auditors are responsible for auditing two key areas:

Firstly, financial statements. Then, our 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 2024/25 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 the Finance and Resources Committee Authority in June 2025. 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.

2024/25 Financial Budget

The 2024/25 budget was set at £52.688m including the anticipated use of £138k of the budget pressure reserve. During the year additional use of other specific earmarked reserves were approved increasing the budget to £52.720m.

We underspent by £772k (1.46% of the revised budget), and the budget pressure reserve of £138k was not required.

The underspent budget has been moved to reserves:

  • £200k has been earmarked for anticipated costs relating to the replacement mobilising system
  • £120k to fund additional resource for the CFRMIS project
  • £225k to provide the Authority with one-off support across the following areas Project Management, Health & Safety, Business Intelligence and Procurement
  • £40k to a Quantity Surveyor to support the Access and Inclusion project
  • £20k to develop the Authority’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy
  • £20k Senior Leadership Development
  • £13k has been moved to the General Fund Reserve

Capital expenditure for the year totalled £4.642m. This was lower than forecast 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, access and inclusion programme and the Replacement Mobilising System. Reserves at the end of March 2025 were £11.530m.