@joelocker96.bsky.social
Local Democracy Reporter at Notts TV.
Tomorrow, we'll be joining Nottinghamshire Live, which now holds the LDRS contract.
I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter of our journey, during which we'll strive to keep bringing you impactful journalism that matters to you.
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💙 Today was our last day at Notts TV 💙
Notts TV, and the wonderful humans behind it, are a credit to the world of journalism. It fostered an environment of growth, individuality & family that allowed the LDRS to flourish. It'll forever hold a place in my heart.
#LDReporter
Nottingham councillor AJ Matsiko has quit the Labour Party to sit as an independent – saying the group leadership had abandoned its ‘core principles’.
He becomes the third to quit Labour in the city since 2023.
nottstv.com/nottingham-c...
NEW: Government housing agency Homes England has agreed to purchase the former Broadmarsh shopping centre site.
Full story below 👇
#LDReporter
nottstv.com/government-h...
💰More than £18m was spent on temporary agency workers to fill gaps in Nottingham City Council's workforce last year.
🎓Opposition cllr Andrew Rule suggested better working with the 2 universities to fill gaps w/graduates.
Thoughts?
#LDReporter
nottstv.com/nottingham-c...
The Labour Party has sent in an improvement team to oversee Nottingham City Council's ruling Labour Group.
It comes amid continued unease over the appointment of commissioners and how the council's leadership was chosen.
nottstv.com/labour-party...
The Government has promised reform in the sector to tackle these issues.
Reform includes giving Ofsted extra powers to issue private providers, including unregistered homes, with civil fines to “deter unscrupulous behaviour”.
I've been told by the council the number of children placed in these settings has been reduced from 15 in July last year to under five as of recently.
26.02.2025 12:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0Children in care and care leavers campaigner Terry Galloway tells me: "These children are some of the most vulnerable in society. The only way this will change is if we get the right people in the room to problem solve the sufficiency issues councils like Nottingham experience."
26.02.2025 12:14 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0Unregistered children's homes are illegal, but councils are using them more than ever amid a shortage of placements.
I submitted an FOI to find out how much Nottm City Council spends on these homes: £15 million in 3 years.
nottstv.com/nottingham-c...
🏗NEW: New documents show the continued demolition of the former Broadmarsh Centre will cost almost £30m in total - and is expected to begin in July this year.
#LDReporter
Nottingham hospitals trust’s £1.6m fine will never bring back the babies who died after failings in maternity care – but means their voices have been "firmly heard", a family has said.
#LDReporter
'We will never forgive any of you'
Parents told a court today their lives feel empty and their families incomplete after babies died because of “serious and systemic” failures in maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals.
#LDReporter
Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis has stepped down from his role on Nottingham City Council's cabinet, as lead for adult social care & health.
He tells me 'the time was right to explore other opportunities outside the council'.
nottstv.com/nottingham-c...
It's open now. Not sure what's happening next following the trial
30.01.2025 16:01 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
NEW: A new taxi rank location is being trialled in Carrington Street from February.
You may recall taxi drivers saying they wanted to return to Carrington Street when EMR temporarily closed the footbridge.
Thoughts?
#LDReporter
Cash to demolish the remaining sections will be released in March.
28.01.2025 12:31 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Nottingham's council tax will rise by 4.99% from April.
I've worked out Band A properties will pay roughly £84 more than current £1,686.46, Band B will pay ~£98 more than current £1,967.54 & Band D will pay ~£126 more than last year's £2,529.69.
#LDReporter
A regulator has found "serious failings" in the quality & management of Nottingham's council homes.
I went out to speak to tenants in Clifton, who have been left to live in flats plagued with rot and mould.
They want action.
#LDReporter
Nottingham City Council is continuing to use unregistered children's homes due to a shortage of foster carers & residential vacancies.
I'm told the council has reduced children in them from 15 to below 5.
Cllr Georgia Power said: “It is a small number, but the impact on their life is huge."
Cheers for sharing, Ben.
13.01.2025 13:47 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Great article from @joelocker96.bsky.social bringing some light onto the devolution plans for Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe and the county council still seem very tight lipped on the proposals, perhaps keeping their powder dry for the county council elections
westbridgfordwire.com/devolution-b...
Council has again made an application for Exceptional Financial Support (permission to use asset sales to pay for day-to-day costs).
£25m for 25/26, and £10m in 26/27, with expectation council will set balanced budget by 27/28.
More to follow.
#LDReporter
🚨NEW: Vastly improved budget position for Nottingham City Council, according to new documents.
Budget gap for 25/26 down from £69m to £23.4m after savings applied. Cumulative gap down from £172m to £56.8m up to 28/29.
Cont...
Both councils said they’d already made changes following widespread controversy this week.
11.01.2025 10:14 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
NEW: Visitors to Wollaton Hall and its Natural History Museum are to be charged an entrance fee under new plans.
The grounds will remain free to enter.
#LDReporter
Last night's spectacle.
The Moon ft. Venus.
“The average man on the street doesn’t know about Games Workshop. But those who do, love it and spend a lot of money on it.”
How a #Nottingham company quietly stormed into FTSE 100.
✍️Twenty Broxtowe councillors quit Labour today in protest over the party's direction under Starmer.
They're now the 'Broxtowe Independents' - but the name has upset 5 other councillors who - days ago - launched their own 'Broxtowe Independent Group'.
Big ripples indeed.
#LDReporter
