To receive the Leader of the Council's Position Statement.
Welcome to the annual budget Council meeting which forms the main business of tonight. This is one of the most important meetings of the year where we set the budget to ensure we can continue to deliver services and support to our residents and communities.
Food waste roll out
I would like to thank the teams in Streetscene Services, supported by Customer Services and Communications, who have been working over the past year to ensure we deliver on the government’s programme of food waste collection. I would like to make it clear that the government is mandating councils to provide this service, and despite uncertainty over the funding promised by the government, our teams have worked tirelessly to plan and prepare, and we see this come together this week with the start of the food waste caddy deliveries. This will take place over the next six weeks to ensure we are ready for the service to commence with collections starting from 2 March, as part of a phased roll out of the service. Collection dates will be included on our website.
Sports awards
Perhaps we don’t have athletes competing in the winter Olympics, but what we do have is some serious sporting talent in our borough. These fantastic individuals and teams were celebrated at the recent annual Sports Awards event, arranged by our Cultural Services team. The awards, which recognise the impact that sport and keeping active can make to the lives of residents across the borough, were presented by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Bools, and special guests were Jayant Mistry and Vicky Macqueen. Jayant became the first British player to win the wheelchair men’s doubles title at Wimbledon in 2005 and is now a coach and Vicky is an ex-England international rugby player, former head coach of Hinckley RFC and now commercial director at the club.
Article 4 Direction consultation
This week consultation has begun on the introduction of an Article 4 Direction which would give the council greater planning control over where houses in multiple occupation are located in Hinckley. I have asked for this work to be undertaken in response to concerns from residents, councillors and local communities about the growing concentration of HMOs in parts of Hinckley town centre and surrounding streets.
National planning rules require Article 4 Directions to be evidence-led and focused on specific areas, which is why the proposal applies to a defined part of the town rather than being borough-wide. It is recognised that HMOs play an important part in meeting housing need across the borough, but in certain areas where there has been an increase in numbers, there needs to be a way to look properly at each application, consider the local impacts and work towards a more balanced and sustainable spread of HMOs across Hinckley. An Article 4 Direction is about having a say and assessing proposals properly, not stopping development.
Local government reorganisation (LGR) consultation
The government has launched its seven-week consultation into the LGR options for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. This will inform its decision on a preferred model of unitary local government across Leicestershire and Rutland. You will know my feelings regarding reorganisation and the fact that the current system isn’t broken, but in the absence of a choice our North City South proposal still presents the best option to preserve the best of what we do at Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and to remain closer to our communities. We know we are well connected to our communities and businesses and work incredibly well with our partners at local level. This was reflected very positively in our national LGA peer review report published in 2025. We want to maintain as much of this connection as possible in the new unitary arrangement. We have already begun to engage with our local partners and stakeholders, including residents and businesses, to encourage them to engage in the consultation. I urge you all to encourage residents and businesses in your wards to respond to the consultation. We will be preparing our own formal response for submission prior to the March deadline.
Banking Hub for Hinckley
You would have picked up the news that sadly Hinckley will lose a further bank from its high street with Lloyds announcing it is to close. However, we have been informed that a new banking hub will be delivered by Cash Access UK – a not-for-profit company funded by the major high street banks. This will provide:
· A counter service for essential cash transactions such as deposits, withdrawals and paying utility bills that is available for all major banks every weekday
· A community banker service where customers can speak face to face with their own bank about more complex matters on the day their bank is in the hub.
We are advised that the hub will be open before the local branch is closed, meaning there will be no break in service for residents and businesses.
I have asked officers to contact officials at Cash Access UK to ensure we secure the best possible outcome for the residents and businesses of the borough.
Hinckley day case centre
I have included an emergency motion on the agenda tonight regarding the decision expected today from the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and Northamptonshire Integrated Care Boards who will be deciding to cancel the proposed new day case centre in Hinckley. As there will be a lot of strong feelings in the chamber on this tonight, I propose we debate the concerns and proposed action at that point on the agenda.
Safeguarding and investing in the future of Burbage Common
A landmark agreement will secure the maintenance and enhancement of Burbage Common and Woods for the next 30 years. The Borough Council has agreed to establish parts of the popular nature site as a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat bank.
The move will improve biodiversity in the area and generate income to help towards the costs of providing sustainable habitat improvements at Burbage Common and Woods as well as other countryside sites for at least 30 years.
Ada Lovelace statue
Hopefully members have seen the new bronze statue of Ada Lovelace outside North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College in Hinckley. Led and funded by a group of volunteers, officers in Cultural Services, Planning and Legal provided support and guidance to ensure the successful installation of this new piece of art which enhances our borough’s reputation as a cultural destination.
Land for crematorium
Members will be aware that the Borough Council is offering for sale land off the A47 Leicester Road exclusively for development as a crematorium.
The Council remains fully committed to delivering a crematorium for the area however, due to rising construction costs and difficulties with the contractor market, the business case was reviewed.
With full, cross-party support, the Council has agreed to the sale of the site to an experienced third-party crematorium developer, with a strict condition that the land can only be used for this purpose.
All political parties on the Council agree that progressing the crematorium in this way is the best option to meet the growing needs of the Hinckley and Bosworth community.
Events for 2026
I’m delighted to announce a full programme of free community events taking place throughout 2026, offering residents and visitors a vibrant mix of cultural celebrations, family entertainment, food festivities and commemorative occasions. Our joint events guide for 2026, produced in partnership with Hinckley Bid, has been launched and you will find this on our website. I have included a link below to our events page.
This year’s programme will include much-loved favourites such as St George’s Day celebrations, Feast Hinckley, the two-day food festival, the three-day family festival at Snap Dragon, Proms in the Park, Spooktacular, Armed Forces Day, the Remembrance Service, and more.
I would like to express my thanks to my colleague Cllr Mark Bools, Executive member for Leisure, and the Cultural Services team who are incredibly proud to offer such a rich and varied calendar of events for 2026, especially as every single one is free to attend.
These occasions are not just about entertainment, they strengthen community spirit, support local businesses, and celebrate the best of our borough. We therefore look forward to welcoming residents and visitors to another fantastic year of activity.
Key dates for the diary:
Saturday 28 February: Britannia’s Got Talent
Saturday 28 March: Concordia in The Crescent
28 to 12 April: Easter Bunny Hunt in Hinckley town centre
Saturday 25 April: 10am St Georges Day celebration (please note that the Scouts will start their parade from the Mead this year)
Saturday 6 June: Proms in the Park
Saturday 9 May: launch of Music in the Mead with an ‘Airbourne’ special (other dates include 16 May, 13, 20 June, 4, 25 July and 15, 22 August)
Monday 8 June: Mallory Mile
Saturday 27 June: Armed Forces Day
Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August: Feast Hinckley 2026
Monday 3, Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 August: Snap Dragon children and families festival
Saturday 12 September: Medieval festival, Hinckley Heritage Day
Sunday 13 September: Burbage Common open day
Saturday 31 October: Spooktacular Saturday
Sunday 8 November: Remembrance parade and service
Friday 20 November: Christmas lights switch on
Wednesday 2 December: Christmas lights trail
Friday 11 December: Carols around the tree
Sunday 13 December: Festive Feast.
The Council will continue to share updates, detailed schedules and additional announcements as event dates approach. Visit the Borough Council’s events page www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/events or follow our official social media channels.