Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire Authority set to approve £46m budget
Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority is expected to agree its 2022-23 budget when it meets on Friday (February 25).
If the £46m budget is approved, the authority plans to continue its investment in new vehicles, buildings, equipment, IT and training.
The budget would allow the service to complete its move to a joint headquarters with Nottinghamshire Police, finish the new fire station at Worksop, and investigate replacing Eastwood Fire Station.
At the same time, temporary savings of £1.6m have been identified by, for example, delaying whole-time firefighter recruitment.
To meet all these commitments, the fire authority is expected to approve a council tax increase of 1.95%, equating to £1.08 a year more for a Band A property and £1.62 for Band D, for its portion of the bill.
Chairman of the authority Michael Payne said: "The ongoing uncertain economic climate presents us with a financial challenge, but we aim to deliver a sustainable, balanced budget while continuing to put the needs of our communities first and making some savings where possible.
“Most households within the city and county fall into Bands A or B, which means their bill would increase just £1.08 or £1.26 for the fire service part of the bill over the entire year.
"We will continue to ensure Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service offers good value for money for the residents and businesses we serve here in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”
Chief fire officer John Buckley, who is also chairman of the national Fire Chiefs Council finance committee, said: "It is important that we keep investing in our buildings, vehicles, IT, equipment and people so they remain fit for purpose and effective.
"We will explore the latest technology, wherever possible, and reduce our impact on the environment.
"We will continue to explore opportunities for collaboration so that public money is invested wisely. We need to invest in some key areas, such as firefighter training for high-rise fires in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
"This budget would allow us to do all that.”
