MORNING EDITION: Council tax increase of 2.99 per cent proposed

Good morning 🌅 Happy Tuesday! Here's your latest email updating you on the latest news and information from across Gedling borough. See you Wednesday!

📈 Council tax increase of 2.99 per cent proposed for borough residents

A 2.99 per cent council tax rise has been proposed for Gedling residents to help the authority ‘ensure financial sustainability’.

The increase was approved by Gedling Borough Council’s cabinet in a meeting on Thursday (19).

For the 2026/27 financial year, beginning on April 1, council tax for the borough is planned to increase by 2.99 per cent, which is £5.82 more a year for a Band D property. Around half of council tax payers in Gedling borough live in Band A or Band B properties.

With the rise, Band A properties will pay £3.86 more a year, with Band B paying £4.51, Band C paying £5.15, Band D paying £5.82, Band E paying £7.08, Band F paying £8.37, Band G paying £9.65 and Band H properties paying £11.58.

The final local government settlement – detailing how much funding councils will receive – was announced on February 9 by the Labour Government and is the first multi-year settlement in a decade, covering the period between the 2026/27 and 2028/29 financial years.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, finance officer Tina Adams described it as “like wading through treacle” due to changes to funding formulas.

The council’s increase in core spending power – money available for councils to fund their services- has risen by 6.4 per cent for 2026/27 compared to the current financial year but Ms Adams stated: “Whilst this is an increase, a number of grants previously received have been rolled into this new calculation.”

The final settlement also brought “significant changes” to business rates pooling, an area where Gedling is projecting funding losses in the hundreds of thousands in 2027/28 and 2028/29.

The council is expecting “quite a lot of pressures” in 2026/27, including a reduction in investment income by £300,000 due to falling interest rates, an ongoing £100,000 cost for local government reorganisation and a £250,000 budget for a food waste collections pilot scheme.

It also needs to find around £2.53 million in savings “in the next few years” as part of its money-saving programme.

Despite these challenges, the council is still expecting financial sustainability over the next few years.

Ms Adams said to councillors: “I am duly advising cabinet the estimates are sufficiently robust and we do have a level of reserves forecast for March 2027 which I professionally consider to be adequate to ensure financial sustainability while still recognising the increasing risk we are currently facing over the medium term.”

Cllr David Ellis (Lab) said: “I think [officers] described it as wading through treacle – I think it’s more smoke and mirrors than treacle, trying to make sense of any of this.

“The only bottom line is austerity continues. Whatever extra money is available is going to upper-tier authorities for roads, social care and SEND, not for services we provide.

“We’ve still got a robust financial position which is bottom line for us.”

While not bound by any regulations, many councils, including Middlesborough and Nottingham, consider 7.5 per cent of the authority’s entire revenue budget to be a good amount of reserves. Gedling’s council has the same goal.

This money is kept for unforeseen costs and emergencies and for Gedling this figure would be £1.26 million in 2026/27.

But the authority is projected to exceed this in 2026/27 at £5.72 million, meaning it has a surplus of £4.46 million as usable, spare money.

This surplus sits at £2.57 million in 2027/28 and just under £500,000 in 2028/29.

By Lauren Monaghan,
Local Democracy Reporter

👷 Former Arnold care home set to be demolished

A former Arnold care home is set to be demolished to make way for new supported living and affordable homes.

The former Leivers Court Care Home, based at the end of Douro Drive in Killisick, has been vacant and boarded up since 2019, despite a petition attracting hundreds of signatures for it to stay open.

Nottingham Community Housing Association applied to Gedling Borough Council back in 2024 to bulldoze the site to make way for 30 new homes, split between supported living and affordable family homes.

The plans went through the council’s planning committee in February 2025 where they were approved, although it wasn’t until Friday, February 20 they were given the final seal of approval.

The empty care home can now be knocked down to make way for 22 one-bedroom apartments in a three-storey block, designed as supported living homes for young people.

The block will have a private, secure courtyard garden area, along with a staff office and communal area.

Separate to the supported living apartments, eight affordable rent family homes will be built on the site, including six two-bed properties and two three-beds.

Plans say the scheme will be managed by Nottingham Community Housing Association and will “contribute towards the demand for much-needed affordable housing in the East Midlands”.

The revamped space will use the existing access off Douro Drive and a new shared access road will be made.

Only eight parking spaces will be provided for the supported living apartments, mainly to be used by support staff and visitors, as plans say the residents are not expected to own cars.

For the family homes, 16 spaces will be provided along with three spots for visitors.

By Lauren Monaghan,
Local Democracy Reporter

🏋️ Plans for new Carlton Active Hub move forward

Plans for a new leisure centre in Carlton have taken a major step forward after Gedling Borough Council Cabinet approved an outline business case for a new modern facility in the borough.

Carlton Active would be built to replace Carlton Forum and Richard Herod Centre and be a single, future‑focused facility that Gedling Borough Council say is 'designed to serve the community for the next 50 years'. 

The future concept design focuses on bringing together modern swimming facilities, expanded fitness equipment, health and rehabilitation spaces, social areas and a family‑friendly café, all on accessible, ground‑level layouts. 

Carlton Active will also significantly reduce energy use and carbon emissions by replacing two outdated buildings with one modern hub.

The Council say they also carried out additional independent assessments into the potential inclusion of indoor bowls, following a public petition. This work confirmed that including indoor bowls would substantially increase costs and reduce space for higher‑demand facilities such as swimming and fitness. undermining both affordability and long‑term sustainability. 

In a statement, the council said they are 'committed to actively supporting' the Gedling Indoor Bowls Club and will explore alternative site feasibility work for indoor bowls, while recognising the financial challenge of enabling this.

The project will now move into the next, more detailed design stages, subject to budget approval.

Councillor Henry Wheeler, Cabinet Member for Lifestyles Health and Wellbeing said: “This is about listening and responding to our residents. They have clearly told us that they want leisure provision to change so that it truly reflects and meets the needs of today and tomorrow. 

"By investing in a modern, accessible and sustainable hub, we can protect essential services, improve health and wellbeing for thousands of residents, and reduce the financial and environmental risks that come with running ageing buildings.

"Carlton Active is designed to support older people, disabled residents, families and young people alike — helping more people to be active, connected, and to live well for longer.”

😄 And finally...

From Gedling Borough Potholes Facebook group.

Submitted by Chris Cann

🌤️ WEATHER UPDATE

Here's what's in store...

Today will be dry, but often cloudy with a few brighter or sunny spells. Cloud will clear in the afternoon to give longer sunny periods. Moderate winds but feeling mild. Tonight tjere will be clear skies to start before low cloud and fog patches move slowly across the borough overnight. It will remain relatively mild.

On Wednesday, morning fog and low cloud will lift to give a dry and mild day, with brighter spells, but remaining cloudier. Maximum temperature 15 °C.