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The latest news from Long Whatton and Diseworth.
The Parish Plan is for and about the people of the two villages. Everyone was encouraged to take part and say what was important for the future of themselves, their families and the community generally.
After a colossal amount of hard work by volunteers in the villages, the results were collated with the help of professionals from the Rural Community Council. The Plan was published in 2008 and it was clear that "Affordable Housing" was high on the Wish List.
The outcome has been a lot of activity and negotiations by the professionals who have sought local knowledge and support from the Parish Council at every stage. Assistance was given in distributing the 'Local Housing Needs Survey' to every household. There was a good response to this when it was made clear that the housing would be provided solely for any local people who needed some help to house themselves in the villages or wished to return, having been forced away by high costs. The survey identified a positive need for 9 dwellings in Long Whatton and 6 in Diseworth. Since then there has been more public consultation with events in each village. The outcome is that plans have now been submitted by the Housing Association for sites off Ashby Road, Long Whatton and at the end of Clements Gate, Diseworth.
It is hoped that this final piece in the jigsaw will enable work to begin on the houses as soon as possible in 2010. Anyone can view the plans (via the Parish Council or North West Leicestershire Council websites) and comment upon them to the Planning Authority. The Parish Council has done so. The results should be known by January. We're told that this timetable is important otherwise the funding would be lost and with it the prospect of any affordable housing.
Leicestershire Together have made a budget of £20,000 available for each Community Forum area. The budget needs to be spent by March 2011.
This is not a regular Grants application process. It is a new, participatory way of making decisions about funding, with residents and community groups making spending proposals and voting on them.
It starts with residents and community groups sharing their ideas.
What will happen during the workshops?
The workshops are about sharing and discussing your ideas and then prioritising them. The workshops are informal in character. They will take up to 3 hours, although we often finish earlier. A light finger buffet is provided before the start of the meeting. More »
During the workshops you will work with other delegates to: - share ideas in small, facilitated, table groups - prioritise project ideas (to a maximum of 3 projects per table) - pitch the top ideas from your table to the full group - score each project on its relevance and quality and vote for your favourite ideas The end result of the workshop will be a list of projects in the order of preference /priority you and other participants have given them.
How should I prepare for the workshops?
You don’t have to bring a project plan, business case, application form etc. It may help to give some thought in advance to how much money is involved, what the benefits would be and who should be involved in delivering the project. Don’t worry if you don’t know the precise answers to these questions – it’s your idea that counts.
What happens after the workshops?
After the workshops we will work, through a task group, with partners to see how the priority ideas can best be delivered. We’ll check the feasibility, costs & benefits, alternative ways of delivery, availability of other funding sources etc. During this stage we will work closely with the organisations / groups that would be involved in delivering the project. The findings of the task group will be presented at the next forum meeting for the forum to make its final recommendation on how the Forum’s budget should be allocated.
What can the funding be used for?
Funding can be used for new or existing projects, for ideas that involve you/your community group, or for ideas that will be for others to deliver. Projects need to have a demonstrable link to the priorities set out for your forum area. We are looking for projects & activities that will provide some lasting or longer term benefits for the area (or part of it) and that do not rely on further funding to continue once this funding has been used. The following organisations / bodies will be eligible to receive funding: • Voluntary & Community Sector organisations, constituted local groups and charities (including social enterprises, but excluding political groups) • Parish Councils, Local Authorities and other statutory agencies.
What if my project idea doesn’t make it?
We will capture all ideas put forward on the night and we will share these with key partners, who may be able to offer advice on other available sources of funding and support. You may also find that you’ll meet a few people at the workshop that can help you further with your idea, irrespective of the funding from the forum’s budget.
Use the Link above to book your space! « Less
Following consultation with directly affected stakeholders, the North West Leicestershire Local Strategic Partnership have now revised the Community Forum boundaries of North West Leicestershire.
The review comes from a number of requests received from parish councils and other members of the community.
For Coalville
As a result, the area covered by the Coalville Community Forum now includes the parishes of Ibstock, Heather, Ellistown & Battleflat and Ravenstone with Snibston, and County, District and Parish representatives from this area are now invited to attend the Coalville Community Forum. More »
For Valley
The parishes of Packington and Normanton le Heath are now part of the forum covering Ashby, Measham and Moira, and Ravenstone with Snibston is now part of the Coalville Community Forum.
For AMM
The parishes of Ellistown & Battleflat, Ibstock and Heather are now part of the Coalville Community Forum.
The area covered by the Ashby, Measham and Moira Community Forum now includes the parishes of Packington and Normanton le Heath and County, District and Parish representatives from this area are now invited to attend this Community Forum.
We don’t always know in which village residents on our mailing list live. If you live in one of the above parishes and would like to continue attending the forum covering your village, please contact us so we can amend our records. « Less
Leicestershire Waste Partnership are offering residents the chance to find out just how useful composters and
food waste digesters are.
Workshops are being held at the following locations to show what units are on offer. Experts will be on hand
to give advice about the different units available and which would suit you best.
Friday 8th May
7pm-9pm
Syston Community Centre,
School Street, Syston
• Tuesday 12th May
7pm-9pm
The Coplow Centre,
Uppingham Road, Billesdon More »
• Saturday 16th May
2pm-4pm
The Samworth Centre,
Burton Road, Melton Mowbray
• Saturday 23rd May
10am-12noon
Hinckley Leisure Centre,
Coventry Road, Hinckley
If you are interested in attending any workshop
please ring the Waste Policy Team on (0116) 3057288 or check the link above. « Less
On Sunday 19th July 2009, The Big Lunch is inviting you and all 61 million people across the UK to simultaneously sit down to eat lunch with your neighbours, in the middle of your street as a simple act of community.
A new initiative run by the Eden Project, The Big Lunch encourages communities to come together through growing food and flowers; creating street music, art and theatre; dressing the street and, of course, cooking and eating together.
The day after the Big Lunch, people will walk down their street and know someone in most windows. However, the legacy of The Big Lunch is much bigger than just the day after... The aim is to give people the tools to strengthen their communities through activities such as neighbourhood-watch; improving local amenities such as youth centres; taking care of the elderly or disabled; making imaginative improvements to the local environment; sharing resources from lawnmowers to cars; and supporting local charities both with money and volunteering time. More »
Organising a Big Lunch in your area is really easy. Available from April, The Big Lunch website and printed Ideas Booklet will take you through the process step by step, giving you the tools, templates and resources to make it as simple as possible. You’ll find inspirational ideas and top tips from our ambassadors on the website and you can find others planning a Big Lunch in your street or area by simply entering your post-code on our Big Lunch map.
To find out more: visit www.thebiglunch.com or call 020 7636 8152 « Less
Long Whatton & Diseworth Parish Council
Annual Parish Meeting: 7 May 2009
This has been a busy year, mainly due to efforts to implement recommendations from the Parish Plan. Two separate weeks of Speedwatch seem to have had some long term effects – in Diseworth coupled in early 2009 with the 20mph speed limit around the school. There are however plenty of speeding culprits still.
Airport parking – sometimes for as long as a month – continues to be a problem in both villages, particularly in Diseworth. A volunteer action group was established after a public meeting, and we hope they may come up with some realistic and effective ideas before too long. The Airport authorities are sympathetic – after all they lose revenue as a result – but there is little they can do. More »
Affordable housing was another Parish Plan recommendation, and as the year drew to an end, there was a good chance that sites had been found in both villages. A well attended meeting in Diseworth continued to support the scheme, while the Long Whatton meeting will have just taken place before this report is published.
Planning of course continues to take most of the Parish Council’s time, with three proposals dragging on throughout the year without apparent resolution. The major proposal for two golf courses and a large hotel between the B5324 Ashby Road and Shepshed – mostly within the Parish – has now dragged on for almost 18 months without resolution; the Teakettle Hall site at Town End in Diseworth has a new hotel bid which has gone to appeal following strong objections by the Parish Council, largely on the grounds of inappropriate design; and the field on Grimesgate opposite Diseworth School has approval for two houses but it remains something of an eyesore on this approach to the village.
The extended stay of an attractive gipsy caravan at the end of The Green in Diseworth, at first viewed sympathetically, became a matter of concern, especially to some neighbours, and steps were taken by the appropriate County Council officers to gain their eviction. They moved on in April, before proceedings could start.
The Parish Council has given support to the new Heritage Centre in Diseworth in the shape of a grant towards a computer on the ground floor particularly for disabled access. In future plans will be stored there, along with Parish Council archive material. Looking back over the minutes from 30 years ago, it is a little depressing to see issues from the 70s and 80s that still appear unresolved today. You would not be surprised at two such items recurring – dog fouling and parking on pavements.
The condition of footpaths is also a recurring theme, and though the mowing of verges now seems better and more regular, the state of some jitties is often a cause for complaint. Shrubs and hedges overhanging footpaths are also a frequent cause of concern.
The new traffic lights at Hathern turn, not looked forward to by many, have turned out to be a boon for local traffic, and the new speed limits, particularly on the Ashby Road, also seem to have a positive effect. Attempts to get more positive responses from the new management at Donington Park, in the light of next year’s anticipated return of Formula One, have not been successful. Their promised control of race traffic may or may not have a positive effect on the surrounding villages, but with an increased capacity of over 120,000, we await the consequences with some concern.
The local bus service between the Airport and Loughborough now continues to Leicester, but has been reduced to an hourly service during the day, with alternate buses going via Kegworth. This is a disappointment, but we still benefit from a far better service than most villages, and if you’re as old as me, it’s free.
Kev Brown resigned from the Council during the year due largely to family and work commitments, and has been replaced by Simon Adcock, who not only helps to reduce the average age of the Council by a considerable amount, but also was born and brought up in the village.
Finally, my thanks to all Parish Councillors for their hard work and support during the year, and particularly to Doug Maas, our Parish Clerk, who ensures that our business is conducted smoothly and fairly.
Martin Hening
Chair, Long Whatton & Diseworth Parish Council
April 2009 « Less
Attention all Youth Leaders!!
Environmental Action For A Better Leicestershire (ENABLE), the County wide environmental partnership, is launching a new scheme to loan renewable energy resource kits. This resource will add to the eco-school objectives to deliver sustainable education through schools in Leicestershire.
The resource includes a miniature wind turbine, PV cell and solar water heater for use as a teaching resource. We will be also providing a set of lesson plans that helps teachers to link applications of these kits to the National Curriculum. More »
The kits will be available to all the schools in Leicestershire for the term starting 20th April 2009.
Why?
We are witnessing climate change and the Government is encouraging us to pass the message to our next generation – School Children.
What you can use it for?
You will be provided briefing notes with lesson plans integrating to Science, Geography, ICT, CARE, PSE, etc. showing their links to the National Curriculum.
How much does it cost?
You can borrow these kits for free, there will be a small delivery charge or you could collect and return them yourself. You can also spread the delivery charge by borrowing other items from the Resource Box Scheme.
How long can we keep the loans for?
Schools can borrow up to 25 items from the Resource box including these kits for a whole school term. Non-school borrowers can borrow at any time for a fixed agreed time.
ORDER NOW!! There are only 20 sets available on first come first serve basis. To reserve your renewable energy kit, contact Resource Box Officer on 01455 552834 or sherrier@leics.gov.uk
For further information, please contact Hetal Patel on 0116 3057068 or enable@leics.gov.uk « Less
The new Leicestershire Looks, a directory of Independent Fashion Retailers is now available.
This directory has been compiled to make it easier for the customer to see the wide and diverse range of jewellers, independent fashion retailers, shoes and accessories that are available in Leicestershire’s Market Towns and Rural Centres.
By purchasing locally not only do you get a unique item
but it helps to support the local economy and reduces carbon emissions through less use of the car! To complete your new look why not have a new hairstyle and beauty treatment at one of Leicestershire’s many salons. More »
The directory is arranged by town and then by category, enabling you to find what you are looking for easily.
To complete your day in one of the towns, each offers a unique selection of eating places,
from cafés through to restaurants. Should you welcome a change from shopping, then most towns offer quality museums - especially Snibston in Coalville, which has a new and exciting
Fashion Gallery where you will find pleasant or unpleasant memories!
Copies of these will be distributed to all the shops included in the directory as well as the following,
Car Dealers
Doctors
Dentists
Hotels and other accommodation
Café’s
Tourist Attractions
District Councils
Libraries
If you have any comments or you are interested in a future directory then please contact Nicola Lees on 0116 305 7986 or email betterplaces@leics.gov.uk « Less
More and more people are making use of their Community Forum to try and improve local services and raise issues of local concern.
- Residents in Birstall were unhappy that the swimming pool in Longslade Community College was no longer going to be open to the public outside school hours. Discussion at the local Area Forum meeting resulted in the College working directly with local users to find ways the pool can remain open.
- Following the Government’s shortlisting of ‘Pennbury’ as a potential Eco-town, the ‘Have your Say’ meetings in Kibworth and Tugby were the first opportunity for residents in the surrounding area to find out how the District and County Council were planning to respond to this challenge.
- At the Blaby South Community Forum residents and Parish Councillors from Sapcote, Sharnford, Stoney Stanton and surrounding villages expressed their concerns about the volume and speed of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through their villages. In response officers promised to look into a range of measures to reduce the impact of traffic and improve road safety in the short term, while explaining how they were looking to provide longer-term solutions. More »
Community Forums give you the opportunity to discuss local issues with your local Parish, District and County Councillors and representatives from the Police and the Health Service. There are 27 Community Forums across they county. To find out more about forum meetings in your local area, please visit www.leicestershireforums.org
Contact: Derk van der Wardt, 0116 3057581 « Less
A crowded meeting in Long Whatton unanimously opposed plans for a major hotel and golf course development proposed at Woodlands Farm, in Long Whatton and Shepshed.
The picture shows David Taylor MP listening to reactions to the proposals. Also looking at the plans are the two District Councillors for Long Whatton and Diseworth, Trevor Pendleton and Nick Rushton.
The proposal is for a 400 bedroom hotel beside the M1, and two 18 hole golf courses and a golf academy. Additional buildings would be built for greenkeepers and hotel staff. More »
The meeting was organised by Long Whatton & Diseworth Parish Council, but also drew considerable numbers from Shepshed, as well as Belton and Oaks-in-Charnwood. Speakers included a senior Planning Officer from North West Leicestershire District Council, and Nick Rushton, County and District Councillor. Other contributions came from David Taylor MP, Leslie Pendleton, County Councillor, and Trevor Pendleton, District Councillor. Martin Hening, Chair of Long Whatton & Diseworth Parish Council, led a lively debate in which feelings ran high about the decision making process as well as the scale of the proposal. The Local Plans of both North West Leicestershire and Charnwood, the two planning authorities involved, would be breached by both the size and location of the hotel, while strong feelings were also voiced about the loss of good quality agricultural land, about the amount of traffic that would be generated – possibly 3000 vehicle movements a day - and the effect of that traffic on nearby settlements, Shepshed in particular.
From the range of issues that emerged, participants were asked to identify their major concerns. Equal first were the loss of farmland, and traffic issues. Close behind was opposition to the scale of the golf course development, and whether there was a need for yet more courses in the area. Comparisons were made with the Belfry Hotel in the West Midlands, which has offered few benefits to the area in which it is located.
Other issues which aroused concern included the effect on wildlife, especially in nearby Piper Wood, which lies within the site, and which would have service roads running on both sides from the Ashby Road in Long Whatton; and the effect of such a major development on land drainage and air quality.
Questions were also raised about the pattern of employment that would emerge, and whether it really would generate many jobs for local people.
The meeting agreed to seek further ways to express opposition to the plan, and representatives of Parish and Town Councils, along with the District and County Councillors present, agreed to keep everyone informed and to present a united front. David Taylor MP asked to be kept informed of further developments.
From: Martin Hening, Chair, Long Whatton & Diseworth Parish Council
Phone: 01332 853647
Email: martin.hening@zen.co.uk « Less
“We are driving young families away from our villages – there is no affordable accommodation for them” - Quote from Parish Plan
Following the Parish plan, the Parish Council is becoming increasingly concerned that the community is being adversely affected by people having to move elsewhere to find a suitable home. Young and old alike may be forced to move away from their family and friends because rents and house prices have soared in rural areas making it impossible for them to stay; much as they might like to. This may result in schools and other amenities having to close, worsening the situation. As was also highlighted in the Parish Plan, developers tend to build large family houses which may be unsuitable for those starting out in life or older residents looking for bungalows.
To address this problem planners are able to approve small developments on the edge of villages for affordable housing only, resulting in housing for those who cannot afford to access the open market from their own means. The properties fit well with their surroundings and remain for the use of people with a strong connection to the Parish. In planning jargon this is known as an “Exception” site.
These properties, usually a mixture of property types and sizes, may be rented or part purchased. The latter option gives younger villagers access to the housing ladder which may otherwise be closed to them. However, these properties cannot be completely owned and then sold off. When sold they are recycled for the use of villagers, in perpetuity.
There is a good example of this in action at Swannington, where a small development has been established on the edge of the village. The properties, finished in 2007, were built to a very high standard by a firm of local builders and the scheme has been welcomed by the community. Some of the homes are rented and the others are for shared ownership. These are managed by a local housing association.
To start a scheme in your community the first thing to organise is a survey to assess local housing needs in the village. This has been agreed by your Parish Council and takes the form of a questionnaire delivered to each household in the village and is conducted in partnership between the District Council, Parish Council and the Rural Housing Enabler. The costs of printing and postage are covered by the Enabler.
The results are then analysed by the Enabler and presented to the Parish Council in a form that is acceptable to local planning authorities. If a need for homes is shown then the search starts for a site.
If this is successful, and the usual planning permissions are granted, then it is subsequently developed by a housing association. They manage the properties on behalf of the village - liaising with the parish council to ensure that all important local connection of applicants. More »
For further information contact the Parish Council or Richard Windley, the Rural Housing Enabler:-
Tel: 01530 276546
richard.windley@midlandsrh.org.uk
And please look out for more information on its way with Long Whatton News and Diseworth Dialogue. Thank you. « Less
The District Council have given us a useful bit of information and we thought we'd pass it on. From 1st April you can simply phone them and they'll collect your unwanted wardrobes, beds, fridge/freezers, armchairs and the like. It costs £15 for up to 3 items and above that or in some special cases there are other charges. Phone 01530 454572 for all queries and requests. There's all kinds of information about recycling and disposing of difficult items, etc. at www.nwleics.gov.uk
On 21st February the unstinting effort by the Parish Plan Team, the people of the two villages and the assistance of the many officers of the Rural Community Council, the County and District Councils and the enthusiasm and support of the Parish Council, was rewarded at the Grand Launch of the completed Parish Plan itself at the Community Centre in Long Whatton.
The purpose and objectives - clearly demonstrated as the wishes of the people of Diseworth and Long Whatton for the future of their villages - were explained. The challenge of achieving them, both through local effort and with the positive action now needed from other authorities, begins here in earnest.
Full information about how the Parish Plan came into being is available at leicestershirevillages.com. A Summary of the Plan was delivered to every household with the village newsletters. It can be seen via the link on our Home Page.
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