Welcome to our July meeting of Council.
The key report on the agenda tonight for consideration is the draft Regulation 18 Local Plan. I’m aware there has been good cross-party engagement in the development of the Plan and I look forward to the Council launching the consultation on this important plan following the outcomes of our debate tonight.
You will note we also have a report on political balance and representation on committees as a result of Cllr Charlotte Green joining the Liberal Democrat Group. I would like to formally take this opportunity of welcoming Charlotte and look forward to the positive contribution she can make going forward.
Some other brief updates to share with you tonight are as follows:
50 Year Anniversary Celebrations
I am thrilled to have seen so many residents join us for our 50th Anniversary festival celebration in Hollycroft Park at the end of May. The festival included some great bands, had good food on offer and attracted an incredible range of community groups, who do such amazing work across the borough.
This event was followed by our annual Proms in the Park event in early June, which saw thousands of local residents flood to Hollycroft Park. The crowds were treated to fantastic performances from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Wind orchestra, an ensemble comprising more than 50 talented young musicians. The orchestra was also joined by singer Samantha Oxborough, a graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and who notably sang the National Anthem at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Summer events
Feast
Hinckley
I am pleased to say our much-loved annual Feast Hinckley will
return on 3-4 August to Argents Mead. The festival usually attracts
people from across the Midlands and a whole host of incredible food
stalls. There will be a range of cuisine on offer and you can
expect live music and family friendly activities. The event will
take place from 10am to 5pm, so I invite you all to come along and
join in the fun.
Snap
Dragon
Hot on the heels of Feast Hinckley is this year’s Snap Dragon
Family Festival that takes place from Monday 5 August to Wednesday
7 August from 11am to 3pm each day.
The Festival is perfect for anyone struggling to keep little ones entertained this summer, with three fun filled days of activities for all the family. You can expect ‘have a go’ workshops, shows in the bandstand and much more. Each day will have its own theme, with Monday being ‘Flower Power’, celebrating 50 years of HBBC. Tuesday’s event is called ‘Go for Gold’ and will be themed around the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while the festival will finish with ‘National Play Day’ to celebrate a child’s right to play.
I would like to express my thanks for all the staff at HBBC who not only help organise and support the great events programme we have but also those unsung heroes from Streetscene and Green Space services who ensure our venues are pristine, both for the events and after.
Community Pet Support Scheme Award
I would like to congratulate Leicester Animal Aid’s Community Pet Support Scheme, which operates in the borough for winning a national award.
The scheme provides free practical pet care in the community to those who have long-term physical and/or mental health conditions. The team brings kindness, joy and companionship into the lives of both pets and owners, making a life changing difference to those they support. I am delighted to say the team at Hinckley were crowned Team of the Year at the Petplan and Association of Dogs and Cat Homes Charity Awards in May.
Planning Team of the Year success
Keeping to the theme of awards, I am over the moon and proud to send my congratulations to the Council’s Planning Team, who have just won the ‘Planning Authority Team of the Year – East Midlands’ at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RPTI) East Midlands Awards for Planning Excellence. This is a fantastic achievement and real credit to the leadership of the service.
As many of your will know, the Planning Team experienced challenging times in 2021 and 2022 where a number of planners left the authority and at the same time, the number of applications soared. Since then, under the stewardship of the Director of Community and Development Services and Head of Planning, a new team has formed and thrived. Last year, the Council was the fourth most improved Council nationally in terms of performance in processing applications, which is a remarkable turnaround.
Message of Condolence
On a sad note, I wanted to share news that Muthar M’ahmoud Al-Salloum, founder and Managing Director of MAS Architecture and long-standing tenant at the Atkins Building passed away on15 May at the age of 52.
Muthar Al-Salloum built MAS Architecture from humble beginnings in his home studio in Hinckley in 2007. Since then, MAS has gone onto deliver complex high-profile buildings working out of his studio at the Atkins Building in Hinckley and in London. Receiving notable achievements in the field of architecture and sustainable design, winning many awards including RIBA RICS and Constructing Excellence Awards.
Muthar is survived by his wife and two sons, Soloman and Remi to whom we send our condolences and fond wishes.
50th Anniversary Community Grant Scheme
I would like to remind all community and voluntary groups across the borough to apply for their share of a fund to commemorate the Borough Council’s milestone 50th anniversary.
Grants of up to £500 are available to help toward the cost of organising 50th anniversary related activities and events. This could include:
· Community events held between 1 July & 1 December 2024
· Commemorative benches or trees
· HBBC anniversary orchards or wildflower gardens
The deadline for or applications is 1 November 2024. The fund will close when all funds available have been allocated which may be before the closing date.
For more information on eligibility visit the councils dedicated website at www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/50years funding
Community Swap Shops
I am pleased to report that school uniform swap shops have opened in local co-ops and community venues across Hinckley and Bosworth this summer to help families prepare for the new school term.
The council is encouraging families to
donate good quality school uniforms no longer required, as part of
a new summer scheme to support residents in saving money on school
uniform costs as well as cutting down on clothes being sent to
landfill.
The Uniform Swap Shop will run within local Coop stores and community venues across the borough from Tuesday, 9 July to Tuesday, 27 August.
We all know how quickly children grow and how many local schools insist on the pupils wearing logoed clothing, further adding to the increasing cost for our households, so we hope this scheme will help local families and benefit the environment by recycling rather than sending items to landfill.
We are grateful to the Coop, Ratby Library, the George Ward Centre and the many other locations who are helping us with the ‘Shop’.
Funding boosts for voluntary groups and organisations
Voluntary and community groups working with residents across the borough are being encouraged to apply for their share of two new grants. The two grants offer between £500 and £3000 and sums of up to £500 to help support community and voluntary projects across Hinckley & Bosworth.
The Making a Difference Fund offers grants of £500 to £3000 to kickstart new voluntary and community sector projects or to boost the impact of existing groups working in the borough.
Although a wide range of community projects are eligible, applications that help to tackle rural isolation, encourage youth engagement activities or that support climate change are particularly encouraged.
The second grant being launched for voluntary and community groups is the Community Volunteer Fund which offers grants of up to £500 to support grassroots volunteering and community activity across the borough. Although a wide range of community projects are eligible, projects that help reduce the impact of climate change or that support the impact of the increased cost of living on residents are particularly encouraged.
Minutes:
In his position statement, the leader referred to 50th anniversary celebrations and community grants schemes, summer events, Leicester Animal Aid’s pet support scheme, the Planning service having won Planning Authority Team of the Year for the East Midlands, community swap shops, new grants for voluntary groups, and the recent sad passing of Muthar M’ahmoud Al-Salloum, Managing Director of MAS Architecture and long-standing tenant at the Atkins Building.