Nottingham City Council has  started public consultation on proposals for the Council’s 2008/09 revenue budget.

The results from this consultation will help the Council understand more about customers’ expectations and concerns, adding to information from the annual MORI opinion survey. This information will help councillors to recommend a number of priorities and savings to the City Council in March 2008, which aim to provide improved services to residents, while only increasing Council Tax by 3%.

Details of the consultation are available by clicking here, including, for the first time, a video podcast from City Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Mike Edwards, in which he sets out the background to the budget proposals.

Key parts of the proposed budget include:

1. Using £12million of extra Government grant to:

• Spend £4million to support the national scheme to provide free bus travel for older and less mobile people.
• Spend £4.5million to provide better care for children who need it most
• Meet other Government and national expectations and continue work to transform our neighbourhoods, provide more help for our customers and replace street lights throughout the city.

1. Meeting the costs of inflation and serving 2,259 extra households through an £11million programme of efficiencies, savings, increased tax base and charges.

1. Providing a 4.1% increase in the spending per pupil to support higher achievements in schools.

1. Using the £2.7million raised by the 3% increase in Council Tax to invest in a number of proposed priorities identified as important by customers including:

• £900,000 to extend doorstep recycling
• £400,000 to support more older people at home
• £600,000 to increase street cleaning and anti-graffiti initiatives with the aim of becoming the cleanest major English city
• £600,000 to improve the maintenance of play areas and parks
• £200,000 to improve contact with customers

Councillor Michael Edwards, Deputy Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "The budget proposals are dramatic. Inflation has broadly been met within existing resources and new expectations have been met by grant.

"All money raised from the 3% Council Tax increase would be spent on new and more services like additional recycling and support for older people at home, better play areas and parks and more street cleaning. These proposals represent better value for money.

"The Council is seeking the views of representatives of the voluntary and community sectors and of business and asking focus groups for considered views. In addition, everyone is welcome to send in comments."

Views on the 2008/09 budget proposals can be sent by email to: sue.rush@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or by post to Budget Consultation, Nottingham City Council, Severns House, 20 Middle Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DW