Leicestershire Matters

Please tell us know your views on Leicestershire Matters and if there are subjects you would like to see included in a future issue.

Call: 0116 305 6162 or 0116 305 6957, e-mail: Leics-Matters@leics.gov.uk or write to: Leicestershire Matters, Room 211, Chief Executive’s Department, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RA.

Since 1997 Mr Garner has represented Narborough, and from last year the Narborough and Whetstone electoral division, as County Councillor. He has also been a Blaby District Councillor since 1991.

Mr Garner has been a member of the Littlethorpe Community Association for 25 years, and is a former chairman of the association.

Educated at South Wigston County High School, he completed a five-year apprenticeship in the painting, decorating and building industry.

Mr Garner said: “Representing the people of Leicestershire as the County Council Chairman is a great honour. The year ahead will be full of events and will provide me with the chance to meet so many different people.”  

Mike Jones, County Councillor for Loughborough East in the borough of Charnwood, has been elected Vice-Chairman for 2006-07.

Leicestershire’s first ‘No Cold Calling Zone’ has been set up in Glenfield – and more could be introduced around the County.

We have launched the new initiative in partnership with Leicestershire Police, Blaby District Council and Glenfield Parish Council.

Zones can be identified by signs on lamp posts and stickers on residents’ doors or windows bearing the slogan: ‘Doorstep sellers beware! You are not welcome here.’

The zones are not intended to stop regular, legitimate salesman, such as representatives from door-to-door catalogue companies, but to make it clear to unwanted traders that they are in a designated area where no cold calling purchases will be made.

Although the scheme is not backed by powers of arrest, residents can call the police if they spot an unwanted caller operating in the zone.

Last year, our Trading Standards team received around 100 complaints from residents about cold callers, who can range from people trying to sell home improvements to sales reps promoting contracts with energy companies.

Trading standards officers are concerned that in some cases, distraction burglars can pose as salesmen in order to gain entry to a property.

Under our new scheme, residents receive a sticker and information pack, with advice on consumer rights and security tips, such as asking for a caller’s identity card.

Ernie White, our Cabinet Lead Member for Community Services, said: “No Cold Calling Zones are a wonderful idea - giving residents piece of mind that they should not be disturbed by unwanted salesmen.

“We are keen to extend the scheme to other areas if community groups or residents are interested.”

For further details, or for a free ‘no cold calling’ sticker, contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

The service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will give people information, advice and action for community safety issues - including anti-social behaviour. This Home Office and Department for Communities and Local Government project involves local councils and the police working together to provide the service to local people. 101 is being introduced across the country as part of a rolling programme. It will be available to residents in the City of Leicester and Rutland later this year.

Should the Leicestershire partners’ proposal be approved, the number will go live in Leicestershire County areas in the second wave of the programme, during 2007.  More details will be given in a future issue of Leicestershire Matters.

As part of the Scrutiny Review, County Councillors will be visiting schools to sample menus and seek the views of teachers and pupils.

They will be looking into the nutritional value of school meals, the wider use of locally-produced foods and improvements to kitchen facilities.

The findings of the review will contribute to the Healthy Schools agenda.  This aims to provide improved, healthy menus and encourage exercise – to reduce the increasing levels of obesity.

Earlier this year new school menus for primary schools were launched, offering pupils greater choice and healthier options.  As a result the number of pupils choosing school meals has increased by 13 per cent.

By looking at all County Council schools, the review represents the next step to improving our school meals service further.

The review panel will examine the school meals provided by all of the County Council’s 288 schools, which, together, serve up 22,500 school meals each day.

Scrutiny Review Panels undertake regular reviews of services provided by the County Council.  Examples include day services for older people, improving visitor numbers in libraries and tackling anti-social behaviour.

If you have views on school meals or if you think a further County Council activity or service would benefit from a detailed review by councillors, call Mo Seedat on 0116 305 6037 or e-mail: mseedat@leics.gov.uk

It includes information on civil partnerships for same-sex couples, naming ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, commitment ceremonieswhich do not have legal formalities and the renewal of vows.

There is also information about our new ‘Nationality Checking Service’ for people who wish to apply to the Home Office for British Citizenship.

For a copy of the guide, call 0116 305 6565 or visit our website at www.leics.gov.uk/registration_services

Our pupils’ exam results are already good compared to the national average, but we believe our schools and pupils have the potential to be excellent.

In the next five years we want:

We are working with head teachers and pupils to develop a new way of schools working together to improve teaching.

David Parsons, Leader of the County Council, said: “We have outlined a new vision for education. There is huge potential in Leicestershire and excellence is well within our grasp.”

Call 0116 305 5657 for more details.

This battle was the dramatic final chapter in the War of the Roses between King Richard III and Henry Tudor.

Our annual re-enactment event will take place at Bosworth Battlefield, Sutton Cheney, near Market Bosworth on Saturday, 19^th August and Sunday, 20^th August.

Come and see the soldiers, craftsmen and civilians in a living history display. Watch falconry displays and knights jousting for a maiden’s favour – then witness, as the tranquillity of country living is shattered and hell is unleashed, as battle commences.

For ticket costs and opening times, call 01455 290429, or visit: www.leics.gov.uk/events_guide

Until the end of October, action was taken against 34 lorry drivers following reports by members of the public.

This is helping to enforce our lorry control strategy, which keeps A and B roads available for all traffic, but has restricted most other roads in rural areas. There are still some instances where minor roads may be used by heavy lorries. The 7.5 tonne weight restriction does not apply if lorries are making a delivery into an affected area.

To report problems, e-mail: weight.restricted@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk or call: 0116 222 2222.

To see a map of the lorry route network visit the Lorry Route pages.

The scheme includes a 1,000 space car park site with a high quality bus service to Leicester city centre.

It is to be funded jointly with Leicester City Council and is also named in the Leicester City LTP.

A planning application is currently being prepared and will be submitted in the autumn.If you are interested in, or affected by the proposals you will be able to comment at this time.

If planning approval is given, construction would begin by 2009, and the service would carry its first passengers in 2010.

For more details call: 0116 305 7307.

Community Action Packs are available to groups and individuals interested in protecting or enhancing their surroundings.

There are tips on organising meetings, fundraising and heritage projects as well as information on environmental issues including saving energy and reducing waste.

The pack has been produced by ENABLE (Environmental Action for a Better Leicestershire) which includes the County Council, local authorities and organisations across Leicestershire and members of the public.

For a pack or to join ENABLE call: 0116 305 7332, e-mail: enable@leics.gov.uk or visit: www.leics.gov.uk/enable

We provide volunteers with information, literature and support to help them keep an eye on local sites including wildflower meadows, ancient woodlands and field ponds. This gives us an insight into the local environment.

Volunteers get monthly newsletters and training sessions, to provide skills needed to help safeguard our local heritage.

The network covers more than half of Leicestershire and Rutland, but we need more volunteers!

For details, visit: www.leics.gov.uk/celebrating_wildlife alternatively, call the Community Heritage Initiative on 0116 267 1377 or e-mail: chi@leics.gov.uk

A NEW plan to improve services for children and young people up to 19 has been produced.

The plan sets out clearly the priorities for improving services from 2006-09 and the actions we will take to make those improvements.

It is an ambitious plan which involves many authorities and agencies across the County working in partnership.

Setting out a vision for the future, it is based on extensive consultation with children and young people, parents and local agencies.

In Leicestershire, we start from a very strong position. The quality of our services for children and young people has been praised by independent inspectors and we have received the maximum four star rating from the Government’s Audit Commission.

However, the plan focuses on strengthening services even more. There is a strong emphasis on further improving the quality of education and the achievements of youngsters in our schools, the standard of health services they receive, and focusing on the needs of vulnerable people.

It builds on an existing strategy to help, at an early stage, children, young people and parents whose problems are likely to become more serious without help.

To view the Children and Young People’s Plan visit our website at www.leics.gov.uk/ecm For further information call Susannah Jordan on 0116 305 8197 or e-mail: ecm@leics.gov.uk

DO you think your village or road has a problem with speeding traffic? If you do, a new scheme could really help.

We are inviting neighbourhoods to get involved with our new campaign to encourage drivers to slow down in areas which do not qualify for a speed camera, but where motorists still speed.

Community Speed Watch will provide local volunteers with training to use hand-held speed guns. They will also get stickers, posters and vehicle-activated roadside signs. We want to get road users to think more about driving at appropriate speeds.

Leicestershire Police are supporting the scheme and if people do not reduce their speed, enforcement could follow.

Many local communities have already said they want to take part, so we are running a pilot scheme in eight areas. When this is complete, a full programme will be rolled out.

Community Speed Watch has run in other parts of the country and has helped community groups to reduce speeds and improve the local quality of life.

If you feel your community could benefit from the scheme please call 0116 305 7227/7233 or e-mail: roadsafety@leics.gov.uk