During August, the council is in recess with very few meetings or events being held. I enjoyed some time away near Manchester, looking after my grandson and enjoying some quiet time, and long dog walks. My batteries are recharged, ready for the autumn, where local government reorganisation will be my top priority.
I was delighted to speak to Connie Gough, daughter of our Vicar of St Mary's Anstey. Connie is studying Politics and English in York. As a champion of young people and young people in politics, I enjoyed our afternoon chat a few weeks ago. Connie’s article is published in St Mary’s magazine on page 11: https://online.flipbuilder.com/fztk/rpfb/
Anstey Community Library
On Sunday, 27th July, I was delighted to be invited to the Ten Year Anniversary of Anstey Community Library.
I was involved right at the beginning to take over the library from the council, along with our core group of supporters, with many of them still volunteering today. A special well done to Phil and Jenny who have held everyone together and made such a success of this community hub.
Local Government Reorganisation
Leicestershire Conservative Councillors called an Extraordinary meeting of the County Council on 30th July. This follows announcements by the Leicester City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, the day after our last council meeting, where Sir Peter said that the county council had ‘publicly acknowledged that the city boundary needed to be expanded’.
Councillors were not told this information by the Reform UK Leader of the County Council, as they should have been. We moved a motion at the council meeting, to put on record that we, as the Conservative Group, do not agree to a city expansion.
I am pleased to say our motion was passed with all the opposition councillors supporting the motion, apart from all the Reform UK councillors who voted against it and supported their amendment.
Thank you to all the residents who joined us in our protest outside County Hall ahead of the meeting.
You can watch the recording of the meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCFfxvF7SOM
Bradgate Park’s Old Oak Tree
The oldest oak tree in Bradgate Park, believed to be 825 years old, has been shortlisted for the ‘Woodland Trust Tree of the Year 2025’ competition. It's an English oak with an 8.57-meter girth and is situated near the ruins of Bradgate House.
The tree is significant because it was already an impressive veteran when Lady Jane Grey was born at the house in 1537, suggesting she may have seen and played near it. The tree has a gnarled trunk, split into two, with branches supported by props.
The public can vote for their favourite tree in the competition until September 19th, with the winner announced on September 26th. To cast your vote, please visit: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/tree-of-the-year/
Surface Dressing Roads
A ‘surface dressing’ programme at a cost of around £3 million to help protect Leicestershire’s roads is well underway.
With nearly 9,000 potholes fixed in 2024, the summer gives Leicestershire County Council’s highways teams a chance to continue their work protecting the road network.
As part of their annual summer maintenance programme, this preventative work is being carried out on nearly 770,000 sq m of road - the equivalent area of nearly 100 football pitches. It involves applying a layer of bitumen followed by stone chippings, which are then embedded into the bitumen with rollers, helping to seal the road and extend its lifespan.
Surface dressing helps minimise potholes, keeps roads waterproof, increases resilience to adverse weather, improves road safety, and reduces fuel consumption for motorists. The programme is carefully planned across various key routes and designed to keep disruption to a minimum.
The roads in our area have already received some work, and the nearest surface dressing in my area is in Quorn.
Beaumanor Hall
Beaumanor Hall is a great venue for weddings and events, and lots of us remember going there on school trips as children. The Hall is owned by Leicestershire County Council and it’s losing just over £480,000 a year, diverting taxpayer money from other services. The Council have launched a consultation to get ideas on what can be done, and they want your ideas.
There are several ways for people to get involved and share ideas:
Complete a survey: Share thoughts and ideas by filling out our online survey at: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/beaumanor-engagement
Join the conversation at an in-person event: People who cannot complete the survey or would prefer to share their ideas in person, can do so at Beaumanor Hall on Thursday, 25 September at 6PM. Businesses can attend the business forum on Tuesday, 16 September at 6PM. To book a place at either event, residents and businesses can email [email protected] or call 01509 890119 (option 3) Monday to Friday, 9AM to 3PM.
Local schools will be approached about their experience and suggestions for Beaumanor Hall in September.
You can sign up for updates about events at beaumanorhall.co.uk.
The survey will be open until Tuesday, 30 September.
Swift Project
More than 350 swift boxes have been installed in parts of Leicestershire where swifts have been recorded.
Leicestershire County Council’s two-year ‘Swift Action for Swifts’ project aimed to help reverse the decline in swift numbers, with residents getting involved and playing a crucial part in turning the tide.
150 swift callers were also fitted, which use sound to attract the bird to nest in the boxes.
Swift numbers have fallen by 53% between 1995 and 2016, and there was huge public interest in the programme, which saw double the number of enquiries to install a box than were available on the scheme.
Funded by a grant from Natural England, the project also saw volunteers spend over 1,000 hours conducting property assessments, installing boxes, and telling people more about swifts.
The county council is working with the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Trust (LROS) to help organisations in Leicestershire support swifts, including swift-friendly practices within building and installation works.
The local swift population is still being monitored, and people can submit any sightings of swifts by visiting the LROS website: https://lros.org.uk/sightings-records/latest-bird-news/ or NatureSpot https://www.naturespot.org/
Green Flag Award
Four of Leicestershire’s popular country parks are celebrating after they received the Green Flag award, recognising them as among the best in the country.
The prestigious accreditation, which is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces, has been awarded to Beacon Hill Country Park near Loughborough, Market Bosworth Country Park, Snibston Colliery Park in Coalville, and Watermead (North).
All four parks are managed by Leicestershire County Council and are among more than 2,250 parks and green spaces across the UK to earn the right to fly Green Flags in a recently announced winners’ list drawn up by the Keep Britain Tidy organisation.
I was delighted to hear that Beacon Hill Country Park had been awarded the Green Flag.
