Latest News
Broadband speed is a hot topic at the moment. The
prime issue is that private service providers do not
consider there to be an economic case for improving
broadband provision in some areas with poor
connectivity. A key element of this is that it usually costs
providers considerably more to provide broadband
services in rural areas than it does in more urban areas
emda recently hosted a rural broadband summit
which brought together stakeholders from across the
region to explore the potential for improved broadband
connectivity in areas that are least likely to be reached
by mainstream market providers. Delegates were
invited to put forward their ideas to inform a rural
broadband manifesto for the region.
Broadband connectivity has been identified as a
key priority within the Leicester and Leicestershire
Strategy for Economic Growth, 2010-20. Prospect
Leicestershire, as a delivery partner with the new subregional
governance arrangements, is currently leading
interventions within the County. More »
How can you help?
The Broadband Line Information Monitoring Project
(BLIMP) is supported by a number of Regional
Development Agencies to gather information on local
broadband speeds. It aims to measure the broadband
speeds which are being achieved in the real world
and store these in a database from which the relative
levels of service being delivered across the country by
different suppliers can be monitored. This information
will be made publicly available. It will enable an up to
date, self maintaining atlas of Internet connectivity to be
created.
Visit http://www.blimpchecker.co.uk where you
can download a tool which will make periodic
measurements of your line speed and return this data
automatically to the BLIMP database.
You can uninstall the tool at any time, it doesn’t collect
any personal information and the tool should not
significantly impact the performance of either your
computer or the speed of your broadband connection. « Less
Supported Accommodation for Older People in Leicestershire
1. Consultation on the proposal of a stand-alone procurement of extra care and specialist dementia care for Catherine Dalley Elderly Person’s Home and Silverdale Hostel Site.
We invite your views.
Consultation period: 25 January 2010 to 19 April 2010.
Who can get involved: Open to anyone.
How can I get involved?
If you would like to contribute see the link above.
2. Consultation on the transfer of nine in-house Elderly Person’s Homes and associated day care services (where co-located) to the independent sector.
We invite your views. More »
Consultation period: 25 January 2010 to 19 April 2010.
Who can get involved: Open to anyone.
How can I get involved? If you would like to contribute see the link above. « Less
ONE year after its creation the NHS Constitution is currently being updated and NHS Leicester City is urging local people to have their say.
The national document outlines what patients, public and staff can expect from the NHS and what is expected from them. There are 25 rights and 14 pledges for patients and the public contained in the NHS Constitution.
The first anniversary of the document is this Thursday and we are asking what people think about Government proposals to introduce two new rights. More »
These rights include reducing waiting times and the introduction of health checks for patients aged 40-74.
NHS Leicester City is currently asking people in the city to comment on the proposed changes via a questionnaire online at www.leicestercity.nhs.uk. NHS Leicester City members will automatically receive a form in the post.
Philip Parkinson, chairman of NHS Leicester City, said: “The NHS Constitution is important and belongs to patients, staff and the public. We hope local people will take this opportunity to have their say on this national document and highlight what is important to them.”
All website and written responses must be returned to the Get Involved team by Monday January 25, 2010.
The Get Involved team work with residents in Leicester to understand what people want from their NHS. For more information please contact the team on 0116 295 4183. « Less
Record levels of Government borrowing mean that public spending will have to reduce.
Over the next four years it is likely that Leicestershire County Council will need to make savings of around £70 million – approximately 25% of its budget (excluding schools).
Over half the savings (c£40 million) will be found from making even more efficiency improvements - but that will not be enough; service reductions will have to be made. Over the coming years Leicestershire County Council will be faced with some very hard choices about services. More »
Leicestershire County Council would very much like your views on how to tackle this issue.
An on-line Budget Consultation Questionnaire asks which services should be reduced, which should be protected and whether you agree with the County Council’s proposals on council tax. The questionnaire would only take a few minutes to complete.
You can access the on-line questionnaire by clicking on the title of this article. « Less
Following consultation with directly affected stakeholders, the Hinckley & Bosworth Local Strategic Partnership have now revised the Community Forum boundaries of the MRG/Bosworth area. As a result the area covered by Bosworth forum now includes Desford residents, County, District and Parish representatives from this area are now invited to attend this Community Forum.
The review comes from a number of requests received from parish councils and other members of the community.
We don’t always know in which village residents on our mailing list live. If you live in Desford and would like to continue attending the forum covering your village, please contact us so we can amend our records.
During autumn 2008, 19 of the 27 community forums completed a consultation exercise under the topic of ‘Influencing the Big Budget’. This exercise involved using the voting handsets to gain people’s view on what they thought was most important and most worthy of investment.
The choices were based on Leicestershire’s Sustainable Community Strategy, the overarching strategy for all public sector organisations in the County.
The consultation was also conducted with the Citizens Panel and Leicestershire Together Forum. In total approximately 850 people have been directly engaged in this exercise. More »
The key finding from the consultation is that making Leicestershire a safe and attractive place to live and work was seen as the most important area for investment. To make that happen tackling anti-social behaviour and disorder should be prioritised.
The results of the consultation have informed the budget process of the County Council and its partners and ensure resources are focused on the delivery of the priorities for Leicestershire.
A copy of the full report on the ‘Influencing the Big budget’ consultation can be donwloaded by clicking on the link below: « Less
The Enable Project, run by Leicestershire County Council was introduced to members of the Markfield, Ratby and Groby Forum on 12th March 2009. Information about climate change initiatives, what local community can do to reduce energy bills and information on how to engage in local activities. There were examples of energy efficiency devices people can use to reduce their impact on their environment and bills. To find out more see link below
Attention all Youth Leaders!!
Environmental Action For A Better Leicestershire (ENABLE), the County wide environmental partnership, is launching a new scheme to loan renewable energy resource kits. This resource will add to the eco-school objectives to deliver sustainable education through schools in Leicestershire.
The resource includes a miniature wind turbine, PV cell and solar water heater for use as a teaching resource. We will be also providing a set of lesson plans that helps teachers to link applications of these kits to the National Curriculum. More »
The kits will be available to all the schools in Leicestershire for the term starting 20th April 2009.
Why?
We are witnessing climate change and the Government is encouraging us to pass the message to our next generation – School Children.
What you can use it for?
You will be provided briefing notes with lesson plans integrating to Science, Geography, ICT, CARE, PSE, etc. showing their links to the National Curriculum.
How much does it cost?
You can borrow these kits for free, there will be a small delivery charge or you could collect and return them yourself. You can also spread the delivery charge by borrowing other items from the Resource Box Scheme.
How long can we keep the loans for?
Schools can borrow up to 25 items from the Resource box including these kits for a whole school term. Non-school borrowers can borrow at any time for a fixed agreed time.
ORDER NOW!! There are only 20 sets available on first come first serve basis. To reserve your renewable energy kit, contact Resource Box Officer on 01455 552834 or sherrier@leics.gov.uk
For further information, please contact Hetal Patel on 0116 3057068 or enable@leics.gov.uk « Less
The new Leicestershire Looks, a directory of Independent Fashion Retailers is now available.
This directory has been compiled to make it easier for the customer to see the wide and diverse range of jewellers, independent fashion retailers, shoes and accessories that are available in Leicestershire’s Market Towns and Rural Centres.
By purchasing locally not only do you get a unique item
but it helps to support the local economy and reduces carbon emissions through less use of the car! To complete your new look why not have a new hairstyle and beauty treatment at one of Leicestershire’s many salons. More »
The directory is arranged by town and then by category, enabling you to find what you are looking for easily.
To complete your day in one of the towns, each offers a unique selection of eating places,
from cafés through to restaurants. Should you welcome a change from shopping, then most towns offer quality museums - especially Snibston in Coalville, which has a new and exciting
Fashion Gallery where you will find pleasant or unpleasant memories!
Copies of these will be distributed to all the shops included in the directory as well as the following,
Car Dealers
Doctors
Dentists
Hotels and other accommodation
Café’s
Tourist Attractions
District Councils
Libraries
If you have any comments or you are interested in a future directory then please contact Nicola Lees on 0116 305 7986 or email betterplaces@leics.gov.uk « Less
Sadiq Khan MP last night (3rd March 2009) awarded Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire Police Hinckley Local Policing Unit (LPU) Beacon status for their outstanding work in Managing the Night-time Economy. The Borough Council and the police walked away with a share of £3m government funding to expand their work and help other councils achieve the same success.
The Beacon awards recognise local government’s excellence and innovation in improving quality of life for their residents and communities. More »
The Borough Council worked in partnership with Leicestershire Constabulary LPU, the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) to secure the award for managing the night-time economy in Hinckley. The partners demonstrated their work in making the town centre a safe, clean, welcoming and thriving place ‘after dark’.
Sadiq Khan, Communities Minister comments, "My congratulations go out to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire Police Hinckley LPU and other partners. The Beacons are about showcasing the very best in service delivery, and in this, their final year, we really have seen some exceptional examples of managing the night-time economy. Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire police Hinckley LPU are among are the top performers in their field, setting the standard for innovation, service excellence and improvement. With the added emphasis on economic recovery in this year’s Beacons, the winners are ideally placed to share their knowledge and skills to improve the sector as a whole.
Marianne Hood, chair of the Beacons Panel continues, “Being awarded Beacon status means that Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire Police Hinckley LPU and their partners will receive recognition, from national government and other authorities, for their expertise in managing the night-time economy. I will be closely following the work that the Beacon authorities carry out, and wish them the very best of luck, in their new role sharing knowledge and supporting improvement.”
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council with Leicestershire Police Hinckley Local Policing Unit, the Local Strategic Partnership and the Community Safety Partnership and the other Beacon councils for this theme will now work together, with the support of the Improvement and Development Agency, using a range of learning activities to help improve standards in all authorities in this area.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Leader, Councillor David Bill said: “ What is important is not just that the Borough Council and partner agencies have received yet another award, encouraging though that is, but that we have shown once again what can be achieved by everyone working together towards a common aim."
Inspector Martyn Ball, Commander of the Hinckley local policing unit, said: “Working closely with our partners at the council has helped us achieve this prestigious award and I am extremely proud of the success we have attained in recent years.
“By focusing on key problems and locations that impact on crime and disorder we have dramatically reduced crime in the town and across the Borough. We have launched a number of successful campaigns with the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and our wider partners, such as Street Pastors and Pub Watch, which has had a significant impact on community cohesion and reassurance. Making Hinckley and Bosworth a safer place to live, work and visit has been at the heart of our efforts and our Beacon Status recognises that.”
South area Commander, Chief Superintendent Garry Forsyth added: “This is a tremendous accolade to the hard work of the local policing unit and the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Beacon Status has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to invest further in our commitment to managing the night-time economy in the area.”
The Beacon Scheme is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), and the programme is managed at the Improvement and Development Agency for local government. This year, the independent Beacon panel received 125 applications (involving 159 authorities), and using an extensive judging process, they whittled this number down to a shortlist of 62. « Less
The Leicestershire Local Involvement Network being officially launched on Friday 27th March 2009, 12-1pm followed by refreshments, at the BRITE Centre, Braunstone Avenue, Braunstone, LE3 1LE.
This national initiative is a way of giving people the power to improve health and social care services in every local authority area. Through LINk, local people can join together to influence how services are run.
The Leicestershire LINk will work closely with the health and social care services that the people of Leicestershire use, including services across county boundaries. We will also work in partnership with LINKs in neighbouring counties. There are separate LINks for the city of Leicester and the surrounding counties. More »
To find out more and see how you can get involved book your place for the launch by contacting the LINk team on 0116 234 1577 or email: info@leicestershirelink.org.uk
For Leicestershire LINk telephone: 0116 234 1577, or info@leicestershirelink.org.uk « Less
All local people are invited to share their stories and legends of Bosworth.
Climate Friendly Communities
The Rural Community Council (Leicestershire & Rutland) in conjunction with ENABLE (Environmental Action for a Better Leicestershire)are arranging two events to help community groups to find out ways that they might work together in their communities to help to fight rising fuel costs and consider a number of climate change issues.
Parish Councils, Village Hall Committees, Parish Plan Groups and other community representatives are invited to attend one of the two seminars. More »
· October 22nd at KIbworth Old Grammar School Hall, School Road Kibworth Leic LE8 0EW at 6.00pm
or
· October 30th at Thornton Community Centre, 175 Main Street, Thornton, Leicestershire
LE67 1AH at 6.00pm
Please find a draft programme below.
Please note that it is anticipated that these events will be very popular and places will be limited so it is advisable to book early.
To book a place, or for further details please contact:
Diana Cook
Project Manager
Climate Friendly Communities
Rural Community Council (Leicestershire& Rutland)
133 Loughborough Road
Leicester
LE4 5LQ
0116 2689706
dcook@ruralc.org.uk « Less
A recent report that was submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Local Strategic Partnership
More and more people are making use of their Community Forum to try and improve local services and raise issues of local concern.
- Residents in Birstall were unhappy that the swimming pool in Longslade Community College was no longer going to be open to the public outside school hours. Discussion at the local Area Forum meeting resulted in the College working directly with local users to find ways the pool can remain open.
- Following the Government’s shortlisting of ‘Pennbury’ as a potential Eco-town, the ‘Have your Say’ meetings in Kibworth and Tugby were the first opportunity for residents in the surrounding area to find out how the District and County Council were planning to respond to this challenge.
- At the Blaby South Community Forum residents and Parish Councillors from Sapcote, Sharnford, Stoney Stanton and surrounding villages expressed their concerns about the volume and speed of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through their villages. In response officers promised to look into a range of measures to reduce the impact of traffic and improve road safety in the short term, while explaining how they were looking to provide longer-term solutions. More »
Community Forums give you the opportunity to discuss local issues with your local Parish, District and County Councillors and representatives from the Police and the Health Service. There are 27 Community Forums across they county. To find out more about forum meetings in your local area, please visit www.leicestershireforums.org
Contact: Derk van der Wardt, 0116 3057581 « Less
