About Richard
Richard Butler has represented the Cotgrave division on Nottinghamshire County Council since June 2001, and is also a Rushcliffe Borough Councillor representing the Cotgrave ward.
When the Conservatives gained overall control of Nottinghamshire County Council in June 2009, he was appointed Cabinet Member for Environment & Sustainability. Previously, in Opposition, he served firstly as the Conservatives' spokesman on Community Safety and then on Adult Social Care & Health issues.
Richard was born in Nottingham and educated at St Peter's Junior in Ruddington, South Wolds School in Keyworth and South Notts College. He has a background in the management of post-16 learning, skills and communications and previously worked in newspaper and TV advertising and the retail sector. He is interested in wildlife and has a keen concern for the green belt around the county. He says he wants the rest of the country to realise that Nottinghamshire is a fascinating county with many attractive areas.
Richard regularly attends the meetings of Parish Councils in the Cotgrave division and is happy to receive comments, observations and requests. He is available to meet constituents at any convenient time at a suitable venue. His contact details are displayed on the left of this page.
Richard's latest news...
Visits to Cotgrave Church of England Primary School and Langar & Barnstone WI
I was delighted to be asked to present DARE achievement certificates to pupils from Cotgrave Church of England Primary School at a special service held in All Saints Church, Cotgrave on 8th December.
They had been following the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) course which I had helped fund from my Councillor's Divisional Fund (CDF) allowance. There was an overwhelming feeling of pride for all the pupils who took part and they were were able to talk and explain about the dangers of drugs. Well done to them all!
Later on the same day, I joined the ladies of Langar & Barnstone WI for their Christmas party in Barnstone Village Hall, where I was pleased to present them with their new public address system, again supported by my CDF. This is being used to help members communicate with others, especially some who have hearing difficulties.
If you are a member of a community group in my area and would like some assistance, please let me know.
(Posted 21/12/11)
Ashlea Special School's Christmas Production
I was honoured to attend Ashlea Special School's Christmas production. This year, they performed a magnificent version of Jungle Book. The pupils and students of all ages did a spectacular job, and to see the pleasure that they were getting from the show, as well as the enjoyment that we in the audience experienced, was magical.
(Posted 21/12/11)
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)
Latest from my Environment & Sustainability portfolio
In addition to my duties as a County Councillor for Cotgrave, I am also the Council's Cabinet Member for Environment & Sustainability. At most County Council meetings I present a report on latest developments within my portfolio. Please follow these links to see my recent reports:-
November 2011
September 2011
June 2011
(Updated 17/11/2011)
Community Lorry Watch in Langar cum Barnstone and Cropwell Bishop
A new scheme to put the brakes on Heavy Goods Vehicles rumbling through narrow lanes in two Nottinghamshire villages was launched during October. Nottinghamshire County Council is working with Parish Councils in Langar cum Barnstone and Cropwell Bishop to operate Community Lorry Watch. Under the scheme, residents will record the details of any vehicles travelling through their village which they believe are over the legal weight limit for the roads.
The villages were selected for the scheme after the Parish Councils reported a number of sightings of HGVs. Local residents have been filing reports for the last 12 months, demonstrating their commitment to the scheme and the severity of the problem.
Trading Standards Officers from Nottinghamshire County Council compile the information and investigate the reports with the Vehicle Operating Services Agency. The intelligence is also used to co-ordinate future enforcement action in the villages by Trading Standards Officers. Any drivers who breach HGV weight restrictions may either be warned or prosecuted and could face a fine of up to £1,000, plus court costs.
Following a preliminary enforcement day at Langar cum Barnstone and Cropwell Bishop by Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards Officers, two drivers were cautioned and a further five are still under investigation.
Nottinghamshire County Council already oversees Community Lorry Watch schemes in Coddington, Papplewick and Linby where they have proven to reduce the number of HGVs breaching weight restrictions.
To report a lorry which you think may be breaching weight restrictions on any Nottinghamshire Road, complete the form on the County Council's website at https://secure.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/traffic-and-travel/lorry-watch/.
(Posted 14/11/11)
Improved facilities for disabled children
A scheme to improve changing facilities for disabled children at leisure centres in Nottinghamshire has now been completed thanks to money from Nottinghamshire County Council’s Aiming High for Disabled Children programme.
Cotgrave Leisure Centre has had its changing rooms revamped to include a changing bed, a hoist in the changing room, support rails and a pool chair. Specialist equipment has also been purchased to make sport more accessible across the county including off road wheel chairs, sports chairs, hand bikes, Inline Sledge Hockey equipment and funding for new sports clubs and sessions.
The aim is to help transform the lives of disabled children and their families across the county. We want Nottinghamshire to be a great place for all children and young people to grow up. I am delighted with the new facilities and equipment and hope that they will help young people across the County lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
(Posted 10/11/11)
Langar gets its village pond back
Hundreds of residents from Langar and Barnstone turned out on a beautiful bright autumn morning to celebrate the completion of the new village pond in Langar. I was delighted to cut the ribbon at the event, which follows a great deal of work and research carried out by the village's pond restoration group. The pond is on the site of the original village pond which was filled in many years ago.
The volunteers worked hard to bring a bit of village history back to life, and thanks to co-operation and help from Everards Brewery, their ambition has been achieved.
Nottinghamshire County Council's Local Improvement Scheme funded and help project manage this work. This is another example of the wishes and ambitions of local people being brought to fruition with help from the County Council. You can see pictures and read more about the pond project on the Langar & Barnstone parish council website: (http://www.theparishcouncil.org/parishphotos2.html#PondGrandOpening)
(Posted 27/10/11)
Upper Saxondale play park
Later the same day, it was a pleasure to attend the opening of Upper Saxondale's brand new play park. This has been achieved after a tremendous amount of work and campaigning by a small group of residents who felt that there was a real need for a play area for children. This is quite an isolated community and there were very few facilities nearby for children.
This play park is the 2000th project to be delivered through Nottinghamshire County Council's Local Improvement Scheme. I am delighted that we were able to support parents and residents to fulfil this ambition. Well done all!
(Posted 27/10/11)
1st Cotgrave Scouts AGM
Along with my colleague Cllr Bryan Tansley from Rushcliffe Borough Council, I was very pleased to attend the AGM of the 1st Cotgrave Scouts Group on 13th October. This is an excellent group of cubs, beavers and scouts who are a credit to themselves and Cotgrave. They proudly showed us their new tents, camping and cooking equipment which they are looking forward to using on their adventures. We were also delighted to be asked to hand out winners' medals and shields.
(Posted 24/10/11)
Candleby Lane School has a busy life!
There is never a dull moment at Cotgrave Candleby Lane school which, its children and staff keep telling me, is the best school in the universe!
I was very pleased to join other governors to help the school select pupils for different jobs and projects in its "Candleby Life" initiative. This is where "jobs" are offered for pupils in activities such as becoming play leaders, farm managers, working in "Cafe Christoph", being in charge of chocolate - very popular! - or policing.
Just as in the outside world, pupils had to apply for their job, and were then interviewed by a teacher and governor. I was genuinely impressed at how well all the applicants did in the way that they conducted themselves at the interview and how they had all done research to find out about what their roles would involve. Considering that these are all primary school aged children, I think it bodes very well for their futures.
(Posted 5/10/11)
Lots going on in Langar & Barnstone!
One of my parishes, Langar & Barnstone, has recently seen quite a bit of activity that has helped to bring neighbours together and simply say hello to one another.
Councillor Richard Butler at the Vale Market Cafe
Firstly, there was their annual village fete held at the beginning of September. This, like many other rural community fairs, saw numerous stalls selling a wide variety of home and locally made products, bring and buys, tombolas and, of course, delicious bacon cobs! But it also saw the opening of their brand new multi use games area (MUGA) which has been a long-held wish for the parish. This has been achieved following a great deal of work being carried out by parish councillors and residents who worked with the county and borough councils to take it all forward.
Then, later in September, I was delighted to attend and say a few words at the parish's first Saturday morning Vale Market Café. Again, organised by villagers, this is an initiative to provide a once-a-month event to bring the community together. Held in the village hall, it provides drinks, snacks, fresh locally grown produce along with craft and food stalls and they even have a play corner set aside for children whilst the grown ups chat away. There is also a book exchange so that villagers can bring along a book that they have enjoyed reading and exchange another of their choice.
(Posted 4/10/11)
Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)
My portfolio includes Nottinghamshire County Council's Local Improvement Scheme (LIS).
This increasingly popular and respected service is something that I am very pleased and proud of. LIS helps to regenerate and transform the county’s village and town centres, countryside, businesses, leisure and tourism spots. It helps local people in local communities develop a local 'pride of place' and responsibility for the environment.
The scheme also aims to promote rural initiatives, market town projects that improve a centre’s attractiveness and economic viability, conservation, heritage and projects that encourage economic and cultural regeneration. As well as improving our environment, towns and villages, LIS also provides jobs for local people, showcasing the work of local craftsmen and helping to train young people in a trade.
This year more than 400 schemes will be delivered across the county directly as a result of people wanting to make their community a better place in which to work and live. I am pleased to visit LIS schemes large and small all over the county and see that the scheme really does help local communities to make a difference. The enthusiasm that I see from residents, community groups and others involved in planning and running projects is very encouraging and inspiring.
(Posted 22/8/2011)
Bridgfest success
The 'Bridgfest' youth festival in West Bridgford on 14th August 2011 clocked up its biggest attendance since this became a regular annual event on the summer calendar.
Out of the 1,200 plus young people coming along to the day of free music, sport and fun organised by Nottinghamshire County Council, 700 also signed up to a charter of non-violence condemning the recent spate of anti-social behaviour demonstrated by a small number of people in some of Britain’s cities. Those adding their names to the charter also called for the media to increase their coverage of the positive behaviour and activities that most young people are involved with on a regular basis.
Bridgfest is a great example of youngsters enjoying a great afternoon of outdoor music and positive activities peacefully. Their behaviour was outstanding - a real credit to them. The atmosphere was fantastic and high levels of respect between those at the event were evident.
Since the first Bridgfest in 2009 when less than 500 teenagers attended the event, the festival’s popularity has kept on growing. Along with the 1,200 eight to 25-year-olds it attracted this year, a further 2,500 adults and younger children also attended.
Twelve rock and pop youth bands from the Rushcliffe area performed on the main stage and the urban marquee hosted MC-ing, DJ-ing, street dance and poetry. The fun activities on offer, including body zorbs, sumo wrestling with inflatable suits, graffiti art and circus skills, were mainly aimed at young people between 10 and 19, but children from five were also catered for. In the science gazebo, there was a chance to experiment with chemical balloons, hoop planes, make an iodine clock, and test your visual powers with optical illusions. Youngsters could also scale the climbing wall, check out the bungee run and skate ramps or join in football activities.
A big thank you to all our partners and providers who helped make Bridgfest such a success.
(Posted 15/8/2011)
Segway experience on offer at Cotgrave Country Park
Visitors to Cotgrave Country Park on Sunday 17th July were able to trade in a gentle stroll around the park in favour of exploring its woodland, wetland, lakes and grassland on a Segway. The two-wheel vehicles took groups of visitors who wanted to experience the feeling of hovering above the ground, controlling their movement by simply leaning their bodies, around the 44-hectare site which is managed by Nottinghamshire County Council.
The vehicles are environmentally-friendly and travel up to 6 kilometres an hour. They offered users a fun, new way to get around the park and explore some of the areas they might not have seen before.
If you missed the first opportunity there are further chances to have a go on 21st August and 18th September. Visitors can either choose a guided tour or simply just have a quick try out. The Segway route takes in grassland habitats, Heron Lake and a small section of the Grantham Canal.
The 15-20 minute tours are £10 with the 'have a go' five-minute tasters costing £3. You’ll need to be 12 years of age or over.
(Posted 20/7/2011)
£2.5 million boost for Supporting People
Despite local budget pressures and a reduced grant from central Government, Nottinghamshire County Council has invested an extra £2.5 million in its Supporting People programme.
Supporting People is a national programme that provides housing related support to help vulnerable people live independently. It will see its Government grant in Nottinghamshire reduced to £17.6 million this year, threatening the County Council’s previous year’s Supporting People spend of £22.5 million.
However, thanks to a new £1.5 million investment from the local NHS, plus a further £1 million diverted from the County Council budget, the Government’s allocation has been given a vital boost in Nottinghamshire. This limits the reduction in the County’s Supporting People budget to just over 10%, from £22.5 million to £20.11 million. The restricted budget reduction has also been made possible by the County Council’s decision early this year, following public consultation, to keep its savings on Supporting People to £10 million over the next three years rather than two higher reduction options of £12.5 million and £15 million.
These funding measures support feedback gained from a second, two-month public consultation on Supporting People services this year (in Feb/March), to form new proposals which went before Full Council on 30th June 2011. These proposals ensure that:-
- Most accommodation based services continue to be funded, albeit at reduced levels;
- ‘Floating support’ services, which offer support to people in their own homes, will be delivered consistently across issues of homelessness prevention and offender, drug and alcohol, gypsy and traveller and young people’s services;
- Mental health services are reviewed and delivered more efficiently;
- Young people’s services are reviewed for greater efficiency;
- Community alarm and warden services for older people are replaced with a new short term service targeted at helping vulnerable people to remain independent in their own homes.
We’ve talked to those who use the services, to our District Council partners, to project providers and voluntary and community groups, including church leaders, to find ways to make savings through efficiencies. We will target the money at front line services that meet the needs of those who are most vulnerable and in greatest need.
Nottinghamshire was successful in securing Government money under Supporting People when the programme first started eight years ago but we’ve seen this central funding steadily fall by nearly £11 million since that time. We believe that after the £10 million savings have been made, the level of funding in Nottinghamshire for these services will still compare well with other Council areas.
(Posted 20/7/2011)
Pocket Park & Ride launched at Stragglethorpe
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE County Council is launching its second ‘pocket’ park and ride site, to help cut congestion and carbon emissions, on July 18, 2011.
Drivers will be able to park for free in the 56-space car park at the Shepherds pub, owned by Mitchells & Butlers, on Main Road, Stragglethorpe, between 7am and midnight and then catch a bus into West Bridgford or Nottingham from the stop outside. The Council is spending £39,500 on minor improvements to the car park and road, including lighting and CCTV, a bus shelter, cycle shelter and signs. It will pay the pub £1,000 a year for use of the site.
We opened what we believe is the first ‘pocket’ park and ride site in the country in December at Cotgrave Welfare and, if these prove successful, the aim is to open further sites in pub, club or community car parks that are mainly empty during the day.
This new site will be 70% bigger than the first one at Cotgrave and it is in an even more convenient location, so we hope and expect it can become popular.
The Rushcliffe district in particular needs a park and ride service and we believe that several smaller sites are much more cost-effective than one large site. We are also hoping to extend the scheme to the north of the county.
Details of Stragglethorpe buses are available at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/timetable-a.
(Posted 14/7/11)
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)
School buildings investment
I am delighted to report that Ash Lea in Cotgrave division is one of the schools set to benefit from the first phase of Nottinghamshire County Council's new £100 million programme to refurbish and improve school buildings.
At the Annual General Meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council on 19th May, the Cabinet Member for Children & Young People's Services, Councillor Philip Owen set out the full Schools Capital Refurbishment Programme List, covering three years up to 2014.
In line with the "Three R's" set out by the Government for school building works (Refresh, Refurbish, Re-use), Nottinghamshire County Council has set the criteria to prioritise the schools most in need of improvements for the first year. The condition of roofs, external walls and windows, electrical arrangements and mechanical issues such as boilers have been considered.
More in-depth surveys of the schools in the first year list will take place from June and works on a small number of schools will begin during the summer holidays. The Council started a review of school buildings across the county following the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
The County Council will be funding around £30m of the programme with the remaining money coming from the authority’s Government grant for school maintenance.
(Posted 1/6/2011)
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: -
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)
Cotgrave Candleby Lane School's Big Green Adventure
Cotgrave Candleby Lane School recently held a production called "The Great Big Green Adventure". As a governor and supporter of the school, I was very proud of the work that the children, staff and parents had done to make the show successful.
I was especially interested to see how well the children understood the different ways that items can be re-used or recycled, and I hope to be able to help arrange a visit for the children to a waste transfer station so that they can see for real where items such as paper and plastic bottles go after being collected from peoples' homes.
(Posted 9/7/10)
Green Flag for Robert Miles Primary school
I was very pleased to present a cheque for £500 to Robert Miles Primary School in Bingham. This was to recognise their achievement of an environmental Eco-Schools Green Flag award for the second year running. I was very impressed with the children's knowledge and commitment on recycling and environmental issues.
The school is very proud of its work and they are to be congratulated. The children were also pleased to see the green flag raised proudly on their flagpole in the playground.
(Posted 9/7/10)
Cllr Butler receiving the traffic petition from pupils at Cropwell Bishop Primary School
Cropwell Bishop Primary School Traffic Petition
Children at Cropwell Bishop Primary School work very well with their village and community. They also have a school council who meet up with the Cropwell Bishop Parish Council.
The children and many grown-ups are worried about pedestrian visibility and speeding traffic through the village, so the children decided to organise a petition. Not only did they and their families sign the petition, but they also arranged for shops and businesses to help sign it too.
The School Council then invited me to visit their school so they could present the petition to me, which I shall then present to the full County Council meeting in July. I also entered into a very enjoyable question and answer session at their assembly.
(Posted 9/7/10)
Entry to Employment (e2e) visit
I was asked recently whether I could visit and talk to a group of young adults who are taking an e2e (Entry to Employment) course, to tell them about the work that councils do and discuss ways in which younger people can get involved with their community and other matters of concern. This proved to be very interesting and confirmed that people of all ages have positive thoughts and hopes for the future of their communities.
(Posted 9/7/10)
Willoughby-on-the-Wolds play area
I joined my colleague Cllr John Cottee at the celebratory opening of the new village play area in Willoughby-on-the-Wolds. The play area has been a long-held wish for the village and many residents were involved in its planning and implementation, ranging from the donation of the land to forming a committee and working group to make their ambition come true.
I was pleased that our Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) was able to help with the provision of funding and play equipment.
(Posted 9/7/10)
Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)
I was delighted that around 300 people attended the official launch of the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)which was held in Newark. Delegates found out about numerous schemes that have already taken place all over Nottinghamshire and were encouraged to consider submitting their own ideas for improvements in their areas.
It was also very pleasing to see and hear from village and parish representatives from around the county who have already benefited from LIS. Often, relatively small projects and improvements can make a major difference to communities.
(Posted 9/7/10)
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)
Richard'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 Cotgrave 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: -
Upper Saxondale Residents' Association: to purchase a new village notice board
Cropwell Bishop Allotment Society: to help with set up costs of the association
Cotgrave Colts FC: to purchase equipment and new playing strip
Cotgrave Young Farmers Club: to cover room hire and meeting costs
Sheldon Field: to purchase new cricket wickets for the field
Colston Bassett Village Hall: to fund improvements to the hall
Cotgrave C of E Primary School: to purchase new equipment for 3-5 year-old pupils
Langar cum Barnstone Parish Council: to assist preparations for their Village Fête, support the Parish Council Community Award Scheme and purchase a projector and sound system for the village hall
First Cropwell Bishop Scout Group: to assist with set-up costs
Cotgrave Bowls Club: to assist the club to meet their running costs
Cruse Bereavement Care: to cover the administration costs of the Rushcliffe Branch
Cotgrave & South Notts Art Group: to pay for room hire for club meetings
Dogstar Foundation: to organise a charity run through Cotgrave
Rushcliffe Barn Owl Project: to assist with their ongoing wildlife protection work
Cotgrave C of E Primary School: to purchase soft play equipment for the toddler group
Cropwell Bishop Parish Council: to meet the cost of restoring the entrance to the village cemetary and to assist with youth work in the village
Ballet: I was pleased to assist a constituent with travel costs to attend a special English Contemporary Ballet project in Edinburgh
Communities Together Fun Day: to pay for transport for young residents to attend the annual Radcliffe, Cotgrave and Shelford Fun Day
Cropwell Butler & Tythby Village Hall: towards refurbishing the toilets at the hall
Girlguides in Cotgrave: to assist Girlguiding UK with the cost of setting up a new girlguides unit in Cotgrave.
Burhill Allotments: an award to the Cotgrave Social Welfare Scheme Gardening Section to fund the improvement of Burhill Allotments and encourage more community use of these facilities.
Cotgrave Futures Trust: to assist with the cost of setting up their website (see link!) and purchase a new TV/DVD for group use in the community hall
Cotgrave Town Council: to enable the installation of a bollard in the main precinct to allow access for maintenance vehicles
Cropwell Bishop Primary School: to run the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) project for their pupils and cover the cost of a wildlife trail and 'eco' project
Richard's committees...
In addition to being a member of Cabinet I serve on other committees including: -
Joint Planning & Transport
Joint Advisory Board (Planning)
Full details of Nottinghamshire County Council meetings can be found on the Council Diary.
