Mr Mayor, fellow Councillors, Officers, members of the public and the media.
Tonight we will consider two items of great significance for the future economic and social well-being for Hinckley and the surrounding area: the Development Agreement with the developer of the Bus Station site to enable the first practical action to be taken on that site; and a decision on the future location of our leisure centre, with an exciting option being presented for our consideration. I will leave discussion on that for the relevant time on tonight’s agenda, but urge Members to recognise that we have a rare opportunity to unite to make decisions which will secure great benefits for our main town.
Adopting the recommendations before us will ensure that we give leadership, hope and certainty to our communities in a time when finances are increasingly tight. Whilst there remains uncertainty about announcements from the government in late December, with the Local Government Settlement being announced later than ever before (probably on 19 December) and the still to be determined details of Council Tax Discount and Retention of Business Rates, because of the way this Council manages its financial affairs, we are able to drive forward positive change in the confident expectation of success, built on a further round of efficiencies secured for 2013/14. We should all be proud of that!
We should be proud also of our continuing efforts to maintain ‘Fairtrade’ status and the way in which we are engaging young people in the work of the Council: an important investment for the future.
We continue to lobby the government to review and change its stance on many planning issues, most recently on Permitted Development Rights, on which matter I wrote to the Secretary of State at the end of October and on which a formal consultation has now been issued.
As part of the District Councils’ Network, we have finally achieved a measure of success in the now imminent increase in the level of Planning Fees set by the Government. They should be increased, after a gap of dour years, at the end of this month.
We have very recently secured the final agreement on the Regional Growth Fund investment to enable long-awaited improvements to the A5, work on which will commence in 2013. on this issue, and that of Planning Fees, we have achieved success through patience and determination, always remembering the reasons for which we do this work: our residents and businesses
Alongside all of that, we remain constructive and often leading local partners in work relating to Supporting People in Leicestershire (formerly the Troubled Families initiative), Project Endeavour and Health and Well-being. In addition, we have continued a limited ‘free parking’ initiative in Hinckley town centre, which yet again will be enhanced by our subsidising free parking in long stay car parks for the pre-Christmas period, thus giving encouragement to people to shop in the town, providing further support and hope for shops and other local businesses. This has been welcomed by the Town Centre Partnership at its meeting last night.
Perhaps the most visible evidence of our partnership credentials is the Hinckley Hub, now nearing completion and into which the main Council operations will move at the end of January 2013. Adult Social Care and Children’s Services from the County Council will move into the building in the months following January and we now have formal confirmation of the agreement from Job Centre Plus to join us around September/October 2013. Negotiations with the Probation Service are also at an advanced stage and the signs are very promising that the Hub will be fully occupied by the end of 2013. The fact that so many public services will be working together from the same building is a fantastic prize to have secured, as it will significantly improve the public services offer to the people in our Borough. Yet another achievement of which we should all be very proud!
Mr Mayor, there remain a number of financial issues on which Government have yet to make announcements and on which there arises a degree of uncertainty. Whatever the content of those announcements, which will have made them by the next time we meet, the people of Hinckley and Bosworth can be assured that this Council will continue to work and fight on their behalf, locally and nationally.
Minutes:
In his position statement, the Leader of the Council referred to the items on the agenda for the meeting, lobbying the Government on planning issues, the new Control Centre at MIRA, Supporting People in Leicestershire and the Hinckley Hub. He also mentioned the number of financial issues on which the Government had yet to make announcements.