Contents
Introduction
In 2023 we launched our ambitious Vision 2040 which seeks to transform our district into a hub of new technologies, to regenerate our town centres in the process, and to genuinely improve the opportunities and life chances for Bassetlaw residents of all ages and backgrounds. We will do this alongside promoting greener and more sustainable ways of living and “doing business”.
A key part of delivering Vision 2040 is to build the financial resilience of the Council, so we can maximise the benefits of opportunities like the STEP Fusion Energy project at West Burton, support our communities facing cost of living pressures and continue to deliver quality services to residents.
To build this resilience the Council must be pro-active in how we manage our finances and take action to deal with emerging pressures. Funding from central Government has reduced significantly over the last decade and costs have risen due to inflation, including increases in energy, fuel and the cost of materials.
The Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) sets out our expected financial position over the next five years and is projecting a budget shortfall of £3.8million to March 2030.
As part of our approach to tackling this shortfall, we want to know what services matter most to our residents and businesses, find out which services people use the most and capture any ideas the public may have on how to balance our budgets. This information will then be used by Councillors and Officers during the budget setting process, culminating in the annual budget meeting on 27th February 2025 at Retford Town Hall. At this meeting the Council will agree its budget for the next financial year and crucially, agree yearly savings targets for the next five years until 2030.
Please take the time to tell us your views. Your feedback will be crucial in helping inform the decisions we make. Your responses are highly valued, and we thank you for your time in helping us shape our future services.
Councillor Julie Leigh, Leader of the Council.
Councillor Alan Rhodes, Cabinet Member for Corporate and Financial Services.
About this Survey
The Council’s financial year runs from 1st April to 31st March. This means that we start setting our annual budget for the following year in October. As part of this process, we would like residents and businesses to let us know what is important to them.
In this survey you will be asked about how satisfied you are with your area and the Council, how we should balance our budget and whether you think Council services should either be; funded, reduced or stopped, or transformed to deliver cost savings. There are also some standard demographic questions that help us understand the views of different groups and of people living in different areas of the district.
The results of the survey will be presented to Cabinet on 6th February 2025 as part of the General Fund Budget 2025/26 to 2029/30 report. This report will set out the considerations that have had to be made to balance the budget for 2025/26 and to establish savings targets for future years.
We will also publish the result of the survey on our website in January 2025.
The survey runs from 1st November 2024 to the 12th December 2024. The easiest way to complete this survey is online. This survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
You can also return paper versions of the survey to Bassetlaw District Council, Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop, S80 2AH or leave them in one of the ballot boxes next to where you picked up your survey.
We can also provide alternative formats on request, including large print and translations. Please email policy@bassetlaw.gov.uk
Prize Draw
If you would like to take part in a prize to win one of six £25 love to shop vouchers, please tick the box and provide your contact details on completion of the survey.
Bassetlaw District Council will only use this data for the purpose of contacting the winners of the prize draw and it will be destroyed once all winners have been notified.
Our Services
Below are just some of the ways we used your money in the year 2023/24 to maintain and enhance the district for our 118,000 residents.
- Bedding plants planted - 77,102
- Rounds of Golf - 41,000
- Tonnes of waste recycled and composted - 12,795
- Shopmobility users - 4,570
- Visitors to Council offices - 27,821
- Residents on Electoral Register - 89,907
- Food outlets inspected - 480
- Health and safety visits - 252
- Visits to parks and open spaces - 250,000
- Tonnes collected by street sweepers - 1,793
- Telephone calls handled by Customer Services - 505,237
- Planning decisions issued, 1,250
- Households prevented from becoming homeless - 86
- Playgrounds inspected weekly - 37
- Housing Benefit cases handled - 3,388
- Litter bins provided across the district - 1,556
- Allotment plots let - 679
- Businesses received green grants - 30
- Woodlands managed - 6
- CCTV cameras monitored - 363
- Number of pre-start and start up businesses receiving support - 164
- Tonnes of glass collected from Council bring sites in Bassetlaw - 1,036
- Visitors to Council Leisure facilities - 874,646
- Pupils visited Bassetlaw Museum - 2,631
What Bassetlaw District Council does
Nottinghamshire has a two-tier system of local government. This means in Bassetlaw, services are provided between two Councils. These are Nottinghamshire County Council and Bassetlaw District Council. Many rural areas are also represented by Parish Councils as well.
Bassetlaw, as a District Council, provides the following services:
Business and skills - Support to local businesses, Retford Enterprise CEntre, Middleton's Yard, The Bridge Skills Hub, Markets.
Leisure and Cultural Services - Parks and Open Spaces, Allotments, Splash Pools, Museum, Leisure Centres.
Supporting our Communities - Community Safety, CCTV and Anti-Social Behaviour, Environmental Health, Strategic Housing and Homelessness, Licensing, Planning & Building Control, Customer Services, Policy & Communications, Council Tax and Business Rates collection, Benefits.
Waste and Recycling - Bin collections, Street Cleaning, Fly-Tipping.
Property and Estate Management - Office Buildings, Town Halls, Car Parks, Cemeteries, Worksop Creative Village, Industrial Estates and Units, Commercial assets.
Running the Council - Finance, Legal Services, IT, HR, Democratic Services, Elections.
The following services are provided by Nottinghamshire County Council and other public sector organisations, NOT Bassetlaw District Council.
For this Budget conversation, please do not comment on the following services:
- Highways and road repairs.
- Household waste and recycling centres.
- Children's services, schools and education provision.
- Community and public transport.
- Adult social care.
Your Council Tax and how the Council is Funded
Bassetlaw District Council collects Council Tax on behalf other authorities and public sector partners. The chart below shows the percentage of Council Tax you pay to each organisation. For every £1 you spend on Council Tax, 8.25p goes to Bassetlaw District Council.
| Percentage of Council Tax | Cost of Service | Percentage of Service |
|---|---|---|
| Nottinghamshire County Council | £1,807.08 | 74.56% |
| Notts Police and Crime Commissioner |
£282.15 |
11.64% |
| Bassetlaw District Council |
£199.92 |
8.25% |
|
Notts Fire & Rescue Authority |
£92.21 |
3.80% |
|
Parish & Charter Trustee Precepts |
£42.39 |
1.75% |
|
Average Band D Council Tax |
£2,423.75 |
100.00% |
What you pay towards Bassetlaw District Council Services per day
Properties across the United Kingdom are separated into valuation bands from A-H, based on a variety of factors such as the size of the property, layout, location, and value. Within Bassetlaw, approximately 50% of all properties fall within Band A.
Council Tax Band (per day)
- Band A - 37p
- Band B - 43p
- Band C - 49p
- Band D - 55p
- Band E - 67p
- Band F - 79p
- Band G - 91p
- Band H - £1.10
How we spend our Budget
At Bassetlaw District Council, 80% of our budget is funded through grants and other income such as fees and charges and Business Rates. That means only 20% of our budget is paid for through your Council Tax.
| Budget 2024/25 | £m | % |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting our communities | 6.0 | 28.8% |
| Running the Council | 4.1 | 19.6% |
| Leisure and cultural services | 4.0 | 19.1% |
| Waste and recycling | 3.0 | 14.3% |
| Property and estate management | 2.2 | 10.5% |
| Business and skills | 1.6 | 7.8% |
| Total | 20.9 | 100.0% |
Have Your Say
Have your say by completing our Budget Conversation Survey.
Last Updated on Tuesday, December 17, 2024