Platinum Jubilee Weekend
I started my Platinum Jubilee weekend with a walk up Beacon Hill on Thursday 2nd June to join the Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, as he lit the Beacon to start the chain reaction of beacon lighting throughout the county. There were many families also joining us on a dusk evening and we enjoyed looking out over the county to see where the other beacons were being lit.
On the Friday I was invited to the Millfield Close, Anstey, street party to judge the cake and hat competition. There was a great turn out and I was warmly welcomed with a glass of bubbly. All the residents made a big effort to decorate their homes, bake their beautiful cakes and make some very imaginative hats, including many of the younger residents. The judging was very difficult, but I picked two winners in the end! BBC Radio Leicester also came to visit, and the main organiser, Jenny and I went live on air to share the event and atmosphere.
The street also raised a huge £758 for Loros, an amazing amount from one street party, so a very big well done from me.
I then went on to join my fellow borough councillor, Paul Baines, at his street party in Ruskin Fields. There were lots of residents out and tables full of food and drink. We had a lovely afternoon and I promised I would mention Jeff, so here is his mention!
On the Saturday and Sunday, I spent much of my time watching all the celebrations on the TV, including Trooping the Colour, the Thanksgiving service, the Platinum party and the Royal Pageant. The whole four days were an amazing experience to be part of this historic event and I hope you all found some time to raise a glass to Her Majesty the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee.
Following the Jubilee weekend, I had to take some time away from the day job following eye surgery on both of my eyes. I have had to take it easy for a couple of weeks whilst I recovered.
My first venture out was to attend the ‘Celebration of Life’ service for the late Simon Cole, retired Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, held at the Tigers Stadium in Leicester on Friday 10th June. It was a fitting tribute to a great man who made our lives and streets safer during his 12 years as Chief Constable. It was an honour to pay my own personal respects to Simon and his family.
I visited the Anstey Local History Society Photographic Exhibition, held at the Church Rooms on the weekend of 11th/12th June. I was delighted to award the group for their exhibition, a £300 grant from my Charnwood Borough Council’s Member Grant Scheme. The photos were all about Anstey at the beginning of the Queen’s reign, 1950 – 1960. It was a wonderful exhibition and I hope many residents also attended and enjoyed the event.
On Tuesday 14th June, I was at County Hall all day for meetings, but took some time out to pay my respects at the ‘Stand Easy’ memorial for the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War. It was a very moving tribute to all the 255 British personnel who lost their lives during this 74-day war.
I also returned to the ‘Stand Easy’ memorial at County Hall for a ceremony to mark Armed Forces Day on Monday 20th June. This day was a chance to show my support for all the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, from currently serving troops, service families, to veterans and cadets.
Bus Stop
After the unfortunate two-year delay due to the pandemic, the bus stop relocation from Leicester Road to Stadon Road, Anstey, will go ahead this summer.
In order to proceed with this work Leicestershire County Council will require a temporary prohibition of waiting and loading of vehicles on Stadon Road.
This order is expected not to exceed 10 days from Sunday 21st August 2022 in order to complete this work.
I hope that the re-siting of the bus stop will improve traffic movement around The Nook and reduce some of the traffic congestion experienced in the area.
The funding for this project was received from the developers of the sites on Cropston Road, Anstey after a long-winded exchange with the developers to provide some money to carry out the relocation.
Further details can be found here: https://www.bradgateconservatives.org.uk/news/bus-stop-works-stadon-road-week-commencing-21st-august-2022
Chairman
Councillor Dr Kevin Feltham has become the new chairman of Leicestershire County Council – the 47th person to hold the post.
Dr Feltham was first elected to the county council in 2001 to represent the East Gartree Division, which became the Gartree Division in 2005. The long-serving former cabinet member is now in his sixth term as a county councillor.
Kevin has chosen Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland Headway and The Well, Kibworth as the charities he will be supporting during his year in office.
Headway is a brain injury association, while The Well is a Christian-based charity, open to everyone. It operates a café, charity shop, foodbank and community centre which offers practical support to anyone who needs it within Kibworth and the surrounding villages.
Roadside Wildflower Verges
The County Council initiative, which transforms roadside verges within towns and villages into wildflower areas is continuing to gather pace.
The initiative is a partnership with local wildlife charity NatureSpot, which aims to improve biodiversity and encourage wildlife, by leaving wildflowers to flourish on urban roadside verges across Leicestershire.
More than 50 parishes have now signed up to the scheme, which involves volunteers and parishes giving their time to restore the verges, including the sowing of native wildflower seeds and learning about the local wildlife within these important habitats.
Under the scheme, verges are generally not mown between April and August, which allows time for the wildflowers and grasses to reach maturity and provide local species with food and habitat. The county now has its highest number of designated wildflower verges, over 60 in total, which is more than the size of two standard football pitches.
Last year, NatureSpot recorded over 330 species across 26 different wildlife groups including wildflowers, grasses and insects, resulting in over 1900 wildlife records.
There are plans for more community engagement this year, including verge ‘open days’, with experts inviting communities to learn how to identify and survey typical examples of species. A number of workshops are also planned.
The verges in the environment project are also helping pollinating insects and are in the process of being added to a national ‘B-Lines’ project led by national conservation trust Buglife.
Expressions of interest for the 2023 scheme will be open from July to September this year. Parish councils interested in joining the scheme can contact the council’s environment team at: [email protected].
More information on NatureSpot can be found on their website: https://www.naturespot.org.uk/
The annual programme of grass cutting has started across Leicestershire. Residents can check when their grass will be cut on the website: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/road-maintenance/grass-cutting
The routine maintenance is primarily focused on roads with a speed limit of 30mph or less and sometimes the work is undertaken on the county council's behalf by the district or parish council.
Public Footpaths
Walkers and ramblers are being invited to use an interactive map to explore Leicestershire’s 1,800 miles of public footpaths.
The interactive map ( https://www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk/walks/ ) allows people to see rights of way footpaths across the county as well as highlighting over 150 specific walks.
The map also allows users to filter by routes distance and elements of interest, such as historic locations or family-friendly walks that pass play areas.
The walks can also be seen by their difficulty so people of all abilities can know which ones they can attempt.
Leicestershire County Council is encouraging people to use their public footpaths over the coming months while stressing the benefits which include improved health and getting around without adding to carbon dioxide emissions.
Research has shown most county residents go walking, cycling, or riding at least once a month and many residents have said they see access to the countryside as important for their wellbeing.
Leicestershire’s public footpaths make up 40% of the highways in the county and are also used regularly in both town and rural locations for practical travel and leisure.
