Information on Loughborough

Help boost community projects in Blaby

Posted on 25/09/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Chief Executive's

25 September 2009

Help boost community projects in Blaby

Residents in the south of Blaby District can pick up the latest news and help choose how £20,000 will boost their local area at an interactive meeting.

At a Dragons' Den-style workshop held earlier in the summer, people pitched ideas for community projects which would benefit from a share of the money.

This partnership funding is available for activities helping young people, vulnerable adults or the local economy and residents were invited to come forward with exciting suggestions and choose their favourite.

Next week's Blaby South Community Forum meeting is an opportunity to hear more about the top three - these involve local transport, a youth bus and Croft Village Hall - and to take part in a final vote.

At the meeting, open to everyone living in and around Aston Flamville, Elmesthorpe, Stoney Stanton, Sapcote, Sharnford, Croft, Huncote, Wigston Parva and Thurlaston, people can find out about the transport to Hinckley Hospital, gritting and local footpaths as well as speak to representatives from councils, the NHS and police.

People can also learn more about plans to produce green energy by developing a 'bio-digester' at Sutton Lodge Farm, in between Broughton Astley and Sapcote.

Mike Lee, Chair of Blaby South Community Forum, said: "The forum provides the opportunity for residents to make their views known on really important issues as well as budget allocation, like Blaby’s consultation on community contributions by developers and major development items like the bio-digester at Stoney Bridge. Residents' views matter!"

Blaby South Community Forum is being held at 7pm on Wednesday, 30th September at Huncote Primary School, Denman Lane.

For more information, please contact Bill Malley on 0116 305 5562 or visit www.leicestershireforums.org .

At three special pilot workshops held in different parts of Blaby District in June, people worked together to discuss ideas, voted for their favourite and produced a shortlist of projects which could benefit from the money - the idea is now being rolled out across Leicestershire.

Following this, all the suggestions have been looked at in detail and at this meeting, people will have the chance to take part in a final vote.

The same process is happening at the other community forums in the district - Blaby Central Community Forum is being held on 6th October at Whetstone United Reformed Church

Community forums offer people a great opportunity to find out what is happening on their doorstep, give views, get answers to queries and influence local decision-making.

Since they started in January last year, over 2,500 people throughout the County have taken part and picked up the latest on services for older people, anti-social behaviour, eco-town proposals, grants, development plans, lorry routes, tackling crime, transport, housing, jobs, loan sharks, roads, community hospitals plus much more.

Notes:

A community forum is a meeting place for residents, local businesses, voluntary and community groups, councillors and service providers.

There are 27 forums across Leicestershire which bring together elected representatives across all tiers of local government - County, District and Borough and Parish, together with a range of other community representatives.

Community forums involve Leicestershire County Council, District and Borough Councils, NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland, Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire Together partners

Although they do not have formal decision-making powers, forums are important bodies of influence - there is a 'duty to respond' to actions recommended.