Issue - meetings

(i)     That the Council’s Annual Report for 2024-2025, be received

(ii)    That the 2024-2025 Annual Report be referred to  Full Council’s meeting of 24^thSeptember 2025.

The Leader introduced the Council’s Annual Report stating that this was the third one that had been brought during this term and was again showing a good picture of the Council’s delivering of front line services whilst keeping finances under control and Council Tax low.

This year had seen full scale plans for the regeneration of the town.  In the next couple of years, the former Midway, Astley Place and the remainder of the Ryecroft site would be developed.

Local Government Reorganisation had come to the fore in the last year which would abolish existing councils to create larger ones.  This Annual Report was being looked at in the prism of the proposed reorganisation  and told a good story of how Newcastle delivered services for its residents, both on its own and with partners.

The Annual Report would be taken to the next meeting of Full Council later in the month for debate.

The Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Environment stated that street cleanliness had continued to be monitored around the Borough and had identified ‘grotspot areas’.   A highways grass cutting contract had also successfully been delivered on behalf of County Highways.

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning stated that the Borough was seeing real change with the town centre redevelopment

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Heritage and Culture congratulated officers of the Council and members of the Business Improvement District (BID) who had been involved with Britain in Bloom.  Newcastle had secured a double winner at national level in the Heart of England in Bloom Awards.  The Brampton Museum continued to perform outstandingly and had secured a bronze award in the small visitor attraction of the year and in accessibility and inclusive tourism.  The Active life programme at J2 continued to promote health and wellbeing of residents.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Town Centres and Growth state that a balanced budget had been agreed for 2025-26 with feasible and sustainable savings which had been identified by the Efficiency Board process.  This had enabled a continued investment of £250,000 in the Council’s priorities by the Civic Growth Fund.

The Leader stated that the Council could be proud of its activities this year, including the situation with Walleys Quarry.  This year the Council had also made decisions that had awarded £1.5m to  funding opportunity schemes throughout the Borough for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.   The Council was working closely with the police to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in the town centre , with Civic Pride being a key part of that.

The Council had also invested in a new bus route linking the university communities and business parks, funded by the Town Deal monies.

Resolved:    (i)       That the Council’s Annual Report for 2024-2025 be

received

(ii)             That the 2024-2025 Annual Report be referred to  Full Council’s meeting of 24^thSeptember 2025.

Watch the debate here