The Nottingham City Council Executive Board met on 16 September 2025, confirming minutes from the previous meeting and addressing key issues such as social housing improvements, budget monitoring, and support for vulnerable children and families. The board approved a plan to allocate funding for social housing upgrades, addressed budget adjustments, and agreed to accept a grant to support vulnerable children and families. They also delegated authority to relevant officers for the implementation and management of these initiatives.

Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund - Wave 3

The board approved the allocation of £18.202 million in match funding from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme budget to complement a grant of the same amount from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, bringing the total funding for the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund - Wave 3 to £36.404 million. This initiative aims to improve the energy efficiency of social housing, targeting an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C for all properties by 2030.

Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing and Planning, presented the report, highlighting that Nottingham City Council Housing Services has been allocated £18.202m under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 3 scheme.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about cladding issues on properties in the Eddleston Drive estate, which Councillor Hayes said were being addressed despite complications arising from a mix of tenants and leaseholders.

The board resolved to:

• approve the allocation of £18.202 million of match funding from the HRA Capital Programme budget.
• approve match funding comprising £3.079 million from the No Fines/External & Solid Wall Insulation budget and £15.123 million from the External Fabric budget.
• delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Growth and City Development to manage the budget and enter into contracts for the project.
• procure and award contracts via Nottingham City Council's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Installations DPS and Energy Efficient Professional Services DPS.

The decision was motivated by the scheme's potential to improve the energy performance of social housing, reduce carbon emissions and fuel bills, tackle fuel poverty, and support green jobs. The alternative option of not accepting the funding was rejected because it would mean the council would miss the opportunity to lever in additional funds to support the EPC C target, and the funding of achieving this target would fall completely to the HRA account.

Budget Monitoring Period 3 Report 2025/26

The board reviewed the Budget Monitoring Period 3 Report 2025/26, which presented the council's financial performance for the period ending 30 June 2025. Councillor Ethan Radford, Executive Member for Finance and Resources, noted that the General Fund is currently showing an underspend of £3.070m against the approved budget.

The board resolved to:

• note the General Fund forecast underspend.
• approve the reversal of the second uplift on catering fees in Education for 2025/26, following concerns that income fell when the fees were increased.
• delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer¹ to realign budgets within directorates as appropriate.
• approve the virement² from Corporate to directorates for cross-cutting savings targets, movement of Children's Social Care Prevention Grant to the directorate, and business rates.
• approve the carry forward of capital budgets into 2025/26 where required.
• note the General Fund budget includes Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) of £20.793m for 2025/26, with a reduced EFS requirement of £17.723m forecast.
• note that £11.2m in savings are not expected to be delivered, relying on mitigations such as staffing vacancies.
• note the HRA forecast overspend in 2025/26 of £0.090m.
• note the 2025/26 Capital Programme net acceleration of £34.100m and the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) pressures impacting the High Needs Block (HNB).
• note the ongoing reductions in income from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for jointly funded external care placements, with a current risk forecast of £9.7m not contained within the figures.

Families First Programme and the Children's Social Care Prevention Grant

The board approved the acceptance of the Social Care Prevention Grant, totalling £3.68m, awarded by the Department for Education (DfE) from April 2025 to March 2026. This funding aims to support the delivery of the Children's Social Care reforms as defined by several key documents, including the Families First Partnership Guide and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024.

Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People, and Education, presented the report, emphasising the importance of integrated and preventative services in collaboration with statutory partners.

The board resolved to:

• note the progress update on the Families First Partnership Programme.
• approve the acceptance of the Social Care Prevention Grant and endorse the associated grant expenditure plan, as detailed in Appendix A - Resource Expenditure Plan.
• approve the proposed governance arrangements and terms of reference for the Families First Partnership Programme, as detailed in Appendix B - Governance Terms of Reference.
• delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Children's and Education Services to make operational decisions, authorise expenditure, and enter into procurement contracts necessary for programme delivery.

The decision was driven by the need to support the effective design, implementation, and strategic progression of the Families First programme, ensuring compliance with national guidance and governance standards. Alternative options, such as declining the grant or delivering the programme using existing capacity, were rejected due to the critical nature of the funding and the need for strategic oversight.

Our Council Plan 2025-29: 2025/26 In-Year Delivery Plan

The board discussed the Our Council Plan 2025-29: 2025/26 In-Year Delivery Plan, which outlines how the council will deliver on its strategic missions and track performance. Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of the Council, presented the report, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in delivering the plan's objectives.

The board resolved to delegate authority to the Leader of the Council to agree the content of the 2025/26 In-Year Delivery Plan for publication. This decision was motivated by the need to operationalise the council's corporate plan through business planning and a performance framework.