Mr Mayor, fellow Councillors, officers, members of the public and media
We have a weighty agenda before us tonight, and not just in terms of the amount of paper. All the topics we will be discussing have important impacts on citizens who live and work in our Borough - in both the short - and in the case of planning and finance - the longer term. All these issues deserve our full and serious attention.
Since the Extraordinary meeting earlier this month, matters have progressed positively with the Leisure Centre and the contract is due to be signed formally tomorrow, with preliminary work on site commencing next week and main contract works starting by the end of October 2014. We are very close now to making a physical start on this major project, which will be a flagship for our Borough.
Work on the Bus Station continues at pace and we should be seeing construction of steel work for key buildings in October as well. I know of few, if any, other District Councils of our size who are undertaking two such significant development projects at this time. The hard work from officers and members of the administration over a long period is about to bear fruit, despite opposition and scare-mongering from the other side of this Chamber.
I need to point out also, as our Budget Strategy for 2015/16 is on tonight's agenda, the significant additional pressures we will face (as will other Districts) because of the decisions made and anticipated by Leicestershire County Council for the next few years. These relate particularly to Recycling, where the impact on Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council alone is likely to exceed £1m going into 2017/18.
Can I update Members also on recent and future deliberations of the Executive. Earlier this evening, we met to consider the Earl Shilton and Barwell Area Action Plan, which has been endorsed by an Independent Inspector, and the Statement of Community Involvement, and have endorsed both, prior to consideration at this meeting, as required by the Constitution.
On 6 August, we gave our full endorsement to the Annual Report on our Services and
Support to Rural Areas (2013/14) and agreed the enhancement schemes in the Environmental Improvement Programme for 2014/15.
Tomorrow evening, 24 September, we will be giving consideration to the Strategic Housing Market Assessment, a requirement that all authorities in Leicestershire and the City are obliged to do. I also hope to bring about a sustainable resolution to the long-standing issues at Mallory Park Race Circuit, where positive work has been undertaken by the Operator, RML, who started in March this year.
Finally, Mr Mayor, in commending this Statement to the Council, can I congratulate Leicester City on their historic win last Sunday. There are comments/jokes I could make about the team they played, but both to spare the blushes of the Chief Executive and to concentrate on a tremendous performance by 'the Foxes', I will refrain from doing so!
Councillor Stuart Bray
Leader of the Council
23 September 2014
Minutes:
The Leader started his speech by sending his best wishes to Councillor Ward who had damaged his knee.
During his position statement, the Leader referred to progress on the Leisure Centre contract, work on the Bus Station site, difficult budget decisions needed for the future, the Earl Shilton and Barwell Area Action Plan consultation and forthcoming Executive consideration of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and Mallory Park noise control.