Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Bulletin, summer and autumn 2024 (edition 95)

50 years of service!

Hundreds of families and residents from across the borough celebrated the council’s anniversary celebrations at a special festival.

The Family Festival took place in Hinckley’s Hollycroft Park and was held as part of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council’s 50th anniversary.  

The Local Government Act of 1972 came into force in April 1974, which saw the creation of the authority that is now celebrating its half-century.   

The event featured live music, food and fun for the whole family, and began with a welcome by the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Councillor Robin Webber-Jones, Council Leader Councillor Stuart Bray, and Fosse 107, who hosted.

There was also a mix of live performances and displays by local schools and groups, including Dorothy Goodman School, Grays Drama Academy and North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College.

Many residents were also able to enjoy the food on offer from various stalls, which included stalls run by local businesses, while others packed a picnic to enjoy.

Other activities included a circus skills workshop and crafts stall, which was run by the council’s Community Housing team.

A number of community groups and organisations also had stalls at the event, including Leicestershire Police, Hinckley & District Museum, Community Pet Food Bank, Friends of Hollycroft Park and Hinckley Fixers.

Council Leader, Councillor Stuart Bray, said: “It was fantastic to see so many families and residents enjoying the food stalls and live music at our one-off Family Festival. There were lots of happy faces and we are thankful to have been able to celebrate such an important milestone with our residents. 

"This year has been a special one for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, as we start celebrating the council’s 50th year of service. 

"Everyone at the council, both past and present, is incredibly proud to serve the borough, its residents and its businesses, and I’m honoured to be leading the council into its 50th year of providing vital support across Hinckley and Bosworth.

“In half a century a lot has changed, and a lot has been achieved, here’s to the next 50.”

Council Leader, Bill Cullen, said: “It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves and a great opportunity to reflect on the past 50 years. We still have many activities planned for the rest of the year – a young person’s conference, tree planting opportunities and an exhibition capturing the history of the borough plus many of our annual events will incorporate the anniversary. Thank you to everyone involved in this anniversary year across the council services.”

'Smart' moves to boost tourism in the borough

Plans to encourage more tourists to the borough and help the local economy to thrive have been unveiled by the Borough Council. 

Priorities in the council’s new Tourism Strategy include attracting more overnight visitors, helping tourism businesses to reach a wider audience via social media, and to support businesses in making the most of smart technology.

Both residents across the borough and visitors coming to the area can already enjoy a thriving tourism industry, with renowned attractions including the Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre, Twycross Zoo, the Triumph Visitor Centre, and the towns of Hinckley and Market Bosworth.

Council Chief Executive Bill Cullen said: “Tourism is an important part of Hinckley and Bosworth’s economy, with the local area forming a unique offering which is steeped in rich history and heritage. 

“In 2022, the borough attracted 4.15m tourist days, which created £226m in the local economy and supported 2,281 jobs in the area.”

Councillor Mark Bools, Executive Member for Tourism, said: “We are proud to have an extremely vibrant tourism sector in our borough. There is so much to do and see, and we want to help our tourism industry to thrive and grow even more in the coming years. 

“We truly believe that there’s something for everyone to see and do here – whether you want to visit the renowned primate centre at Twycross Zoo, see the birthplace of Tudor England, or visit one of the many areas of natural beauty.

“Looking forward there are several exciting new projects underway, all of which will be delivered in 2024. These include the exciting Bosworth 1485 sculpture trail, a Great Food Club trail called ‘Taste the Place’ and additional short breaks opportunities. 

“This new strategy will boost the borough’s visitor economy, enriching and expanding on the variety of business, leisure and hospitality opportunities we already have to offer. 

“I am also pleased to announce that the council has produced a series of podcasts and the first one focusses on the theme of travel and tourism – a very personal view of what I consider to be some of the highlights of the borough.

 “I hope people will have a listen or watch via the council’s YouTube channel or on Spotify.”

For more information or to read the strategy, visit Richard III County (richardiiicounty.com)

Council scoops award for planning excellence

The Borough Council’s Planning Service has been awarded ‘Planning Authority of the Year – East Midlands’ at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) East Midlands Awards for Planning Excellence. 

The RTPI named Hinckley & Bosworth as the winner out of 39 planning authorities in the East Midlands.

Each year the RTPI Awards celebrate planning excellence on a national scale to acknowledge the positive contribution that planning professionals make to the communities they serve.  

Borough Council Chief Executive Bill Cullen said: “I am extremely pleased that we have been recognised as a council that delivers a first-class planning service in the region.  

“The Planning Service went through a large overhaul in 2021 and early 2022, with significant members of the Development Management, Policy and Planning Enforcement Teams leaving the authority between summer 2021 and spring 2022. 

“The service went through significant challenges, with these exacerbated by an increase in the number of planning applications submitted, the impact of Covid-19 and necessary move to hybrid working, and a large turnover of staff.  

“However, since late 2022 under the leadership of our Director of Communities & Development Services, a new team has formed and thrived. The Director has led the implementation of a service-wide action plan and in 2023 was the fourth most improved council nationally in 2023 in terms of performance in processing applications.”

Executive Member for Planning, Councillor Bill Crooks, said: “To be recognised and acknowledged by your peers is a great achievement and I congratulate everyone involved within the planning service and the support given by the leadership of the council for the work that has been undertaken over the past few years.

“We have always been transparent about the difficulties we were confronted with, but this award acknowledges the huge strides the team have made and responds positively to the unwarranted recent criticism levelled at the council’s planning service.” 

All the East Midlands Awards local winning entries will be put forward for the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence national awards.  

The national finalists will be announced in mid-October, while the winners will be honoured at a celebration ceremony in London on 26 November.

Plaque honour for land 'gift'

A Hinckley woman who gifted Argents Mead to the council so that residents across the borough could enjoy the open space has been honoured with a commemorative memorial plaque in her name.

Margery Payne, whose father William Hurst Payne was a well-known hosiery manufacturer in the town, bequeathed the land between St Mary’s Church and the castle mound when she died in 1946.

Not having any children of her own, Margery, who lived at The Limes on Derby Road, was known to be incredibly generous and community-focused. She was also a driving force behind getting Hinckley’s war memorial created and donated land to allow access to it.

In her will, she said: “I devise to the Urban District Council of Hinckley, free of all duties, the close of land lying near to St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley and known as Argents Mead, which has been leased by me to the said council upon trust to maintain the same forever as an open space or recreation ground for the use of inhabitants of the town of Hinckley and neighbourhood.”

The plaque to commemorate Margery’s contribution to Hinckley, both past and present, has been laid in Argents Mead. It cost £850 and was installed by local funeral directors and memorial masons, G Seller.

A second plaque was installed close to Margery’s gravestone in Hinckley’s Ashby Road Cemetery thanks to members of local history and good causes community group, Hinckley District Past and Present. 

The council also funded renovation works on her grave, which was undertaken by G Seller and the grounds maintenance team improved the grave space.

Plans to commemorate Margery’s contribution to the area were suggested to the Borough Council by Paul Gardner BEM, from Hinckley District Past & Present.

Paul wanted both residents and future generations to be made aware of how Argents Mead – now a Green Flag award-winning park - became a green space in the heart of the town thanks to Margery’s wonderful gift.

Paul Gardner BEM said: “I am delighted how positively the council responded to my original suggestion. Argents Mead has become a wonderful asset to the town hosting various events from Music in the Mead, Hinckley Feast to the Classic car show etc. It's all thanks to Margery. 

“Following funding by the council to have the grave site in the cemetery refurbished, Hinckley District Past & Present (HDPP) has paid for an identical plaque to be placed by the grave. Now generations present and future will always know the origins of the Argents Mead today and Margery's resting place.”

Paul Grundy, Senior Planning Officer (for conservation) at the Borough Council added: “Many of our residents enjoy the Green Flag award-winning Argents Mead on a regular basis. 

“We hope that this plaque will mean that future generations will be able to enjoy Argents Mead and be thankful for all that Margery did for Hinckley and the town centre in making such a generous gift.”

Rural conference celebrates work of parish councils

The council’s annual Rural Conference was recently held, attracting delegates from across the borough.

Delegates representing the rural parishes of the borough, along with key partners including Leicestershire Police, the Rural Community Council, voluntary and community sector and business representatives attended.

The year’s event focused on learning and celebrating the work of our parish councils, as well as networking opportunities and bringing delegates up to date on key priorities.

Delegates also had the opportunity to attend dedicated workshops with Leicestershire Police, Voluntary Action Aid Leicester, The National Forest Company and the Borough Council’s Communications Team. 

They also heard about the work of Student Footprint, a group of students from Market Bosworth School who are working hard to make their school and community more environmentally friendly with simple but effective solutions. This includes producing their own water bottles to encourage more sustainable alternatives.

Councillor Martin Cartwright, Executive Member for Rural Affairs, said: “I would like to thank all our parish councillors and clerks along with our partners for all the work they do for the borough’s communities particularly over the past year.

 “This conference provided everyone the opportunity to network and be updated on a range of topics covering climate change and biodiversity, tourism, the rural strategy and different community projects plus many other subject areas of interest to rural communities.”  

For further details about the rural work programme and strategy, contact Cultural Services: Cultural Services contact form

Five council vehicles go electric

The council’s journey to decarbonise its fleet has taken another step forward with five diesel vehicles swapped for five electric vehicles.

Two street cleansing crews are now driving electric caged tippers, two housing repairs teams have made the switch to two electric transits, and a housing repairs surveyor now has a small electric van.

Councillor Martin Cartwright, Executive Member for Climate Change, said: “These five electric vehicles are an important step for the council in achieving our net zero climate change goals. 

“The majority of our fleet now runs on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) which has lowered our emissions by 90% but these electric vehicles lower our emissions even further.”

Warm welcome for local communities

Around 30 people came together to discuss the successes, challenges and solutions for barriers faced by those individuals and teams who host ‘Warm Welcome’ across the borough.

The Warm Welcome locations have been a great success with over 9,000 visits to 51 venues across the borough (from October 2023 to March 2024).

Executive Member for Community Safety and Housing, Councillor Michael Mullaney, said: “These continue to be challenging times for many individuals and families within our community. 

“The establishment of the Warm Welcome locations provides not only practical support but also a much-needed sense of belonging and connection. 

“We understand the importance of supporting those individuals, community groups or organisations who are creating spaces where residents can find the assistance they need, access vital resources, and engage in activities that promote wellbeing. 

 “The Warm Welcome initiative is our commitment to supporting and uplifting those who may be facing difficulties, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that no one feels alone or unsupported during these difficult times.

 “A Warm Welcome is so much more than just physical warmth, so the initiative is continuing over the warmer months of the year as Community Welcome.”

To find out more about community warm welcome locations or how to set up a new location visit community welcome. Funded by the UKSPF.

Lots going on this summer

The new ‘what’s on this summer’ brochure is now live and available to download.

It features activities and events for children, young people and their families across Hinckley and Bosworth. Many of the events are free or minimal cost. In addition, there is lots of general information, advice and helpful resources for the summer and beyond.

One major attraction is the annual Snap Dragon Children and Families Festival at Argents Mead which runs from 5 to 7 August, with the hugely popular Pip & Posy returning on National Play Day on Wednesday 7 August - one for the diary!

To download, please visit what's on this summer

Eight-week consultation to begin on local plans

We will soon be holding an eight-week consultation, starting on 31 July and running until 27 September, on the Regulation 18 Local Plan.

This plan will guide future development in Hinckley and Bosworth up to 2041. It sets out a preferred strategy for housing and economic growth and includes policies covering a range of issues such as conserving and enhancing the natural and historic environment, sustainable transport and development, good design and responding to the challenges of climate change. 

The policies will be used to guide development and respond to economic, environmental and social issues within the borough, and we very much encourage all residents to have their say on issues that are important to them. 

There will be a series of in-person consultation events, which will take place in locations throughout the borough in August and September, as well as an opportunity to comment via the council’s website

Keep an eye on our website for updates and consultation dates: Local Plan review, or sign up for planning news updates from the planning team.

A welcome space to support residents

The Borough Council’s Community Houses operated as ‘Centres for Warmth’ during the cooler months to provide warm, safe, and welcoming spaces for residents who are struggling with the cost of living, thanks to funding from Cadent. 

The centres, based in Earl Shilton, Barwell, Wykin and Burbage, will extend the offer of services available as well as providing opportunities to take some of the expanded services available out into communities across the borough. 

At each centre, Welfare Support Officers will work directly with residents who are struggling to pay bills by sharing ways to maximise income. Benefits advice is also provided, while residents can learn about how to gain access to grants. 

The funding from Cadent will continue to provide support with money management, energy advice, ‘cooking on a budget’ classes, carbon monoxide awareness sessions with access to free alarms, home energy efficiency advice and free gas safety checks. 

At a recent visit to the centres, representatives from Cadent and Borough Council staff got involved with the cooking on a budget session, learning to cook family favourites recipes using a slow cooker. 

The lessons are part of a series of slow cooker sessions at the George Ward Centre, Barwell. Funded through Cadent, a community development worker will provide six slow cooker sessions at the Family and Toddler group on a fortnightly basis. These sessions will show young families how they can make delicious, healthy food in simple and budget-friendly ways. Free hot drinks and refreshments will also be provided. 

Executive Member for Housing and Community Safety, Councillor Michael Mullaney, said: “We know that these initiatives are a lifeline to residents in need, offering invaluable support and advice from our trained and knowledgeable welfare support officers. 

“Thanks to the generosity of Cadent, we can extend the services we can offer, and we hope that it will help to benefit many more residents in need."

Last updated: 09/07/2024 14:51