As I sit here writing this report, it is the first of two days of very high temperatures. We are seeing temperatures of nearly 40 degrees in the UK. I hope you all managed to stay safe and keep hydrated.
I attended the Swithland Parish Meeting (held once a year) on Tuesday 21st June. This was the first time in two years that the meeting has been held due to the pandemic and it was lovely seeing local residents and listening to their concerns and issues.
On Wednesday 22nd I attended Leicestershire Music Hub Spring concert at De Montfort Hall. It was a fantastic event, showcasing the incredible young musicians we have from across the city and county. There were pieces played by the Intermediate and Big Bands, Flute and Clarinet Choirs, the Concert and Symphony Orchestras and the Schools Massed Choir (over 150 children) who sang a song from every decade of Her Majesty the Queen’s reign. If you have children or grandchildren who would like to join the music hub, head over to their website for more information: https://leicestershiremusichub.org/
On Monday 11th July I was in Loughborough as a volunteer to assist Charnwood Borough Council with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Relay Baton. It was a very warm day with many people enjoying the sunshine, having the opportunity to witness this great event. I was stationed in the market place and managed to grab a great photo of Dan Greaves, a Paralympic discus thrower, who was born in Anstey, proudly carrying the relay baton through the town.
One of my favourite events of the year is the Anstey WI annual garden party. There is nothing better than taking an afternoon off to eat sandwiches and cakes, all washed down with a glass of Pimm’s, in a beautiful garden. We all had a great time, so a big thank you to the ladies for inviting me.
Cost of Living Crisis
We are all suffering from the cost-of-living crisis, and this impacts our daily lives. I just wanted to share some details about the support that is available locally through Leicestershire County Council.
Public Health
- Warm Homes support - grants and funding to supply low-cost items to support people to stay warm in their homes
- Local Area Coordinators/Community Recovery Workers – direct support to individuals in communities
- First Contact Plus - support offers which includes a triage of circumstances
- Food and Food Poverty - work with food banks, food pantries, holiday activity and food programmes for young people and families, cooking training and sustainable food education.
Environment & Transport
- Love Food, Hate Waste - an initiative that supports residents to reduce their food waste
- The promotion of reuse or repair for furniture - includes upcycling training as well as caring and repairing clothes. This supports residents to think sustainably about their belongings to save money
- The electric bike voucher scheme – support for residents in purchasing an electric bike is a significant contribution (£300 voucher) towards the purchase.
Adults & Communities
- Carers support service - encompasses more generic support with advice on managing money/support to access grants and benefits available/links with other organisations
- The Multiply Project - launching in September/October 2022, working with adults in hard to reach/access groups to improve numeracy skills with tangible links to employers and job opportunities
- Adults with disabilities into supported employment - aims to work with local businesses and communities to provide meaningful paid employment opportunities for a complex group of people.
- Home care providers - delivering care in people's own homes to identify those people in need of additional support due to increasing fuel prices/food prices.
Children & Families (CFS)
- Foodbank referrals and community fridges - facilitated by CFS localities who work closely in partnership with local supermarkets and shops to make use of surplus waste
- CFS workers supporting casework families – support with cooking on a budget, budgeting, priority debts and refer/signpost families from the CFS front door triage team and in the localities, where they work closely with district councils and are involved in local initiatives
- Supporting Families Employment Advisor - who offers support, benefit advice and better off calculations to enable people to make informed decisions about their finances and how to better utilise them.
At a partnership level across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) a ‘social welfare cell’ has been established under the Local Resilience Forum. The Group is chaired by Leicester Cathedral and draws membership from across LLR. The welfare cell seeks to maximise impact by adding value and supporting the work of partner/constituent agencies. Key areas of focus within the Group’s Action Plan are understanding the impact of crisis through data and analysis and supporting key organisations and partners to:
- Build financial capabilities through financial literacy and education
- Increase access to appropriate financial services and affordable credit
- Increase access to money and debt advice.
A website is currently being developed to show the full support on offer. Information is being added all the time and this will be a useful webpage to look for help and support: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/cost-of-living
Council Finances
The cost-of-living crisis is also having a huge impact on the council. Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet has asked senior finance officers to look at reducing capital expenditure and identify further potential savings in addition to those set out in February in its four-year Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).
National and global events since then have triggered a decline in the overall financial situation affecting all councils including Leicestershire.
With inflation already at 9% and expected to pass 11% by October – the costs of providing day-to-day council services, as well as crucial long-term major infrastructure projects to accommodate a growing county population, have surged.
For example, each 50p increase in the National Living Wage means an extra £10 million for the council to find for their wage bill.
The cost of providing statutory social care for vulnerable and older adults and children will be the main service costs driven up sharply by inflation which will see the cost of care increase.
Leicestershire, which is one of the worst funded county councils in the UK, is continuing to lobby MPs and press the Government for a fairer way of funding local authorities and has warned it cannot afford to wait for the much needed reforms.
Previously the council calculated there would be an £8 million gap between what it needs to spend and its income next year but now says inflation, and other pressures, have widened that gap to around £20 million, an increase of £12m.
By 2025/26 the forecasted budget gap is predicted to increase from £40 million to £70 million unless further action is taken.
Further information is available here: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/news/extremely-tough-financial-decisions-ahead-for-county-council-as-spiralling-inflation-bites
Latimer Primary School
Leicestershire County Council (LCC) receives many concerns in regard to parking, congestion, air pollution and child safety in the vicinity of schools. To tackle these concerns, they are looking to trial a ‘School Streets’ scheme on Latimer Street, Anstey.
The School Streets initiative looks to provide a solution to these issues through a congestion free zone during school drop off and pick up times. This initiative prioritises pedestrians such as parents and children by providing a safe space for people to walk and cycle in the vicinity of the school through a closure of the street at certain times of the school day, term time only.
Access for residents of the street will be maintained as they will be issued with a school streets access permit before the initiative is brought into force.
LCC will be holding two engagement sessions during the summer period. County Council representatives will be in attendance to talk through the initiative and answer any questions the community may have. The events have been confirmed as follows:
Venue:
Anstey Library, Paper Mill Close, Anstey, Leicester LE7 7AU
Dates:
- Saturday, 13th August - 10am-1pm
- Monday, 15th August - 1pm-4pm
It is expected that the initiative will start on the first day of the new school year, 30th August 2022 for a period of 4 weeks. During these 4 weeks, a dedicated feedback page will be available where residents, parents and the wider community will be able to provide comments on the workings of the initiative and whether they would like to consider this a permanent feature to this street. Please email: [email protected] to submit a response.
The proposal advises that access to Latimer Street will be closed to vehicles during the trial period from 8:00am - 9:15am and again at 2:15pm - 3:45pm.
More information on the scheme is available on the website: https://www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk/leicestershire-school-streets/
Roberts 125 Bus Service
I have received information on a formal registration confirming that Midland Classic will begin operation of the 125 service between Castle Donington - Leicester from the 1st of August. The 125 was previously operated by Roberts.
Midland Classic have now submitted these changes to the Traffic Commissioners which will take effect from the 1st of August 2022.
Just so you are aware the Midland Classic buses are red and yellow.
The timetable, route and the price of the tickets will remain the same.
Census
New census data shows that Leicestershire is growing, with new population figures available by sex and age group. The overall population of Leicestershire has risen from 650,489 in the 2011 national census to 712,300 in the 2021 census (rounded to the nearest 100).
This is broken down by sex, with 351,700 males (49.4% of the population) and 360,600 females (50.6% of the population) living in the county.
The number of households in the county has risen by 11% from 267,434 in the 2011 census to 296,400 in the 2021 census (rounded to the nearest 100).
This census data allows Leicestershire County Council to make financial and planning decisions for the future regarding the provision of local services. This can help with predicting future changes in demand for services that the county council provides such as school places, adult social care availability, public health provision, transport infrastructure and housing needs.
Further details can be found here: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/news/census-reveals-growing-county
Annual Report
Every year I produce an annual report to highlight some of the work that I have completed over the year. I have printed the link and QR code if you would like to have a read.
https://www.bradgateconservatives.org.uk/news/deborahs-annual-county-councillor-report
