Nottinghamshire
and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority has agreed a 2021/22
budget, at its meeting today (Friday 26 February), that will invest in the safety of
its communities while securing savings and value for money.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service will continue
to invest in a Joint Headquarters with Nottinghamshire Police, due to open next
year, that will enhance the services’ ability to work together and make more
effective use of resources. NFRS also
intends to build a replacement fire station in Worksop with the latest in
renewable technology, also due to open next year.
The
budget will allow for further investment in response to the Grenfell Tower
Inquiry and more training and development for staff to meet continuous
improvement challenges, while savings of £640,000 will be made elsewhere.
To
meet all these commitments, the Fire Authority has approved a Council
Tax increase of 1.95%, equating to £1.06 a year for a Band A property and £1.59
for Band D, for the Fire Authority's portion of the Council Tax bill.
Chair
of the Fire Authority Councillor Michael Payne said: "This budget
demonstrates our clear commitment to the communities of Nottinghamshire and
Nottingham as we invest to meet the future needs of the Service. Most households within the city and county
fall into Bands A or B which means that their bill will increase just £1.06 or
£1.24 for the fire part of the bill over the entire year. I'm sure our citizens believe Nottinghamshire
Fire and Rescue Service offers real value for money and, therefore, understand
our decision to increase the Fire Authority Council Tax by 1.95%.”
Fire
Authority Member Councillor Andrew Brown said: "The Service needs to
continue to invest in the future delivery of its services and its staff,
ensuring it can respond to the ever-changing needs of our communities as well
as the changing demands of the fire sector.
This budget will enable the Service to do this while also making savings
where possible."
Chief
Fire Officer John Buckley, who is also Chair of the National Fire Chiefs
Council Finance Committee, said: "We are already implementing
recommendations following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and will continue to do
so. The Joint Headquarters and the new
station at Worksop are part of our long-term strategic plan to replace ageing
and expensive-to-run accommodation.
Since the start of the pandemic, we have also been carrying out a huge
amount of humanitarian assistance to support the NHS, East Midlands Ambulance
Service and the general public, including delivering food and medication,
driving ambulances, setting up COVID testing centres and working at vaccination
centres.”
The
Fire Authority Council Tax report and link to the online meeting are available
on Nottingham City Council’s website. Further details of the Council Tax increase are available on our Accounts page.