Syston Town News » Ridgeway Ramblings

Ridgeway Ramblings for June by Mike Preston

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:01:09 +0000

Well what a week we had after the General election, things seem to have settled down for the moment. I was present at the Loughborough Leisure Centre count. It was the venue of the count for Charnwood and Loughborough constituencies. The ballot boxes were delivered and the counters were in place. The atmosphere was electric as the count started by the initial sorting and verifying of the papers which was followed by the actual count. But how did we do and what was the size of the task.
The Count and Results
Another success was the Election Count itself where the results for the Loughborough and Charnwood constituencies were announced at 1.55am and 2.05am respectively. It was great to be the first in Leicestershire to declare – only one authority in the entire East Midlands Region managed to beat us by a few minutes – pretty good I suppose, bearing in mind that we had to count two constituencies at the same time! However, more important than the speed of the count, was its accuracy – our counting machines really helped there. Above all this, the success of the election and the count was very much down to the Election staff who worked long hours.
Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest takes in parts of the districts of Charnwood, North West Leicestershire and Hinckley and Bosworth. It contains the oldest rocks in England, dating back more than 550 million years – some containing the oldest fossils ever found anywhere in the world. 85 species of breeding birds, nine species of amphibians and reptiles 21 species of spiders. Bradgate Park, the county’s busiest tourist attraction, plus Beacon Hill Country Park and the Great Central Railway. For further details, see www.leics.gov.uk/charnwood_forest
Eco-bollards land in Leicestershire
By taking simple, practical steps and embracing innovation, we can save money and reduce the council’s impact on the environment. The new ‘green’ bollards guide and warn drivers and are highly visible. If national regulations are changed later this year, as we expect, we can replace the remaining 3,000 bollards which would save a massive £100,000 a year and 526 tonnes in CO2 emissions. This latest project will add to the benefits generated by switching off a number of streetlights across Leicestershire, set to start in the next month. For more details, please visit the County Council website at www.leics.gov.uk/bollards .
You may remember that by switching off or dimming a number of streetlights across Leicestershire, the County Council is hoping to save £700,000 and cut carbon by 3,000 tonnes.
Leicestershire is cutting its carbon footprint and saving cash by switching to new eco-bollards. The ‘green’ units are reflective and do not use any electricity – a number are also fitted with solar panels. This is the first time the innovative bollards have been used in the county and are being brought in to replace the old-style, illuminated kind. So far, the County Council has put in 500 across Leicestershire and hopes to introduce another 3,000 later this year – this would save 526 tonnes in CO2 emissions, equivalent to the amount used by 58 homes. The initial move will cut costs by £32,000 and cut carbon emissions by 79 tonnes.People are backing the county council’s campaign to protect the Charnwood Forest by making it a regional park. For more details of the proposed boundaries see http://www.leics.gov.uk/figure2_unitary_boundaries.pdf. Leicestershire County Council is looking for funding to pursue the idea; after consultation showed local residents welcomed it. A partnership of organisations, led by the county council, has produced a vision for how the scheme could work and a map showing the suggested boundary. Having regional park status would enable the council and its partners to work together to attract investment, protect features that give the forest its unique character, such as dry stone walls and rocky outcrops, promote and improve public access to the area Encourage walking and cycling and use of public transport. The organisation of the General Election in the Loughborough and Charnwood constituencies went very well with a combined turnout of 70%. On a day where there were problems elsewhere in the country, polling went very smoothly locally with more than 105,000 people casting their votes. A surprising statistic was that out of the 15,500 postal votes issued by Charnwood Borough Council, 94% were returned, which clearly demonstrated the electorate’s desire to vote.

Ridgeway Ramblings April 2010 by Councillor Mike Preston

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:01:50 +0000

I try to find something new to talk about in my Ramblings each month. I have been relating a number of events I have been to over the last few months. But possibly the most important was on Saturday 10th April at Loughborough. The Borough Granted the Freedom of Entry of the Borough to the 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment and The Royal Logistics Corps (Volunteers).
Freedom of Entry to the Borough of Charnwood
The practice of granting the ‘Freedom of Entry’ upon military units has its roots deep in the history of local government; it is an interesting example of the power and influence of old boroughs in the past. During the Middle Ages, formed bodies of troops were not allowed to march through a borough without seeking the permission of the Council. As most boroughs were surrounded by a fortified wall, the city fathers were in a position to refuse access if, for some reason, they were suspicious of the Military Commander’s intentions. The Freedom of entry would normally be granted to locally based troops once mutual confidence and friendship had been established and when the citizens were satisfied that the troops would protect their interests. Permission to enter confers upon individual Regiments the right `to march through the town with due ceremonial, drums beating, bands playing and banners flying’, in recognition of the confidence, trust and friendship existing between citizens and soldiers. Such permission is usually granted by the presentation of a sealed and illuminated certificate, which is presented at a formal parade. Freedom of Entry to the Borough, as granted to a military unit is distinct and separate from the granting of the ‘Freedom of the Borough’ to an individual. The Freedom of the Borough is the highest award the Council can make to an individual or military organisation. Charnwood has only once given the Freedom of Entry and that was to the Royal Anglian Regiment in June 2007. 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment RLC is honoured to have been awarded the Freedom of all other areas where its sub-units are stationed. This includes Peterborough, Bedford and Ipswich. The final location where regimental personnel are based is the Borough of Charnwood.
The ceremony started at 10.30am with a special Council meeting in the Town Hall. The Mayor and civic party went to Queens Park, prior to the arrival of the regiment. The Mayor inspected the troops and then presented the Freedom of the Borough Scroll. The Regiment then marched around the town with drums beating, bands playing and banners flying. The final part of the ceremony was when the parade marched past the dignitaries on the dais.
Recycled humps, quieter bumps
Rubber speed bumps are being used to cut traffic speed in Syston. The innovative safety measures, made from recycled rubber tyres, are the first of their kind in Leicestershire and have been put in along Barkby Road. As well as being quicker and easier to install than the concrete type, they are much quieter, more environmentally friendly and more economical to produce. As part of a £65,000 project, the County Council has introduced four pairs of speed bumps and a speed table (a speed bump covering the width of the road with a flat section in the middle) and improve the visibility at two junctions along Barkby Road. This modern type of speed measure is made of recycled material which is far less energy-intensive to produce.

Ridgeway Ramblings, April, by Mike Preston.

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:02:19 +0000

I have been relating some of the events I have been involved in over the last few months; this month’s excitement was when we launched our new waste trucks, as a part of the new waste contract with SERCO.
Dust Bin Lorries
The brand new state-of-the art refuse collection vehicles have hit Charnwood’s streets. The seven new vehicles have been bought by Serco at a cost of £916,412 and are being introduced as part of the new Environmental Services contract with Charnwood Borough Council. The new vehicles have state of the art features, including GPS tracking devices. This means that at any given time the location of the vehicle is known, which helps to answer queries from the public about whether or not their collection has taken place.
They also feature auto-stop sensors at the rear of the truck, which automatically apply the brakes if something is detected in the beam when the vehicle is reversing. The vehicles have been designed to be eye-catching and feature the slogan ‘Landfill … Less’. We hope this will raise awareness that the contents of each vehicle will be sent to a landfill site and encourage people to recycle when they can. Each vehicle is also fitted with advertising display boards which will be used to promote waste minimisation messages, including information on recycling, composting and littering.
Pre-driver Courses If you are aged 16-17 and want to learn to drive?
Did you know that Leicestershire County Council run one-day pre-driver courses for 16-17 year olds, who have not yet started lessons. The courses aim to prepare the students for driving and ultimately, their driving test. They are held at Mallory Park race track and consist of a mixture of theory and practical driving, focusing on issues faced by young drivers. The content of the class-based work includes an introduction to the Highway Code, hazard perception and speed awareness. The Leicestershire Fire & Rescue service also take part in the session, covering aspects of safety from professional and personal reflection. This is usually a very emotive, yet effective part of the course. Practical sessions take place on the track and paddock area, where the students can get to grips with differing speeds, try out slalom sets and parking, all in a non-hazardous environment.
Contact Allan Smart: 0116 305 7874 or allan.smart@leics.gov.uk, Julie Barradale: 0116 305 6607 or julie.barradale@leics.gov.uk, for more details.
Alternatively, visit the T Junction website to download an application form: www.tjunction.org.uk
Library Services
Libraries across Leicestershire are continuing to see an increase in visitors as the UK finds itself recovering from a recession. Traditionally, people turn to public libraries for cheaper entertainment, information about finding employment, free access to computers and the internet, help with saving money and being ‘greener’ by borrowing free books rather than buying. Leicestershire libraries have seen vast improvements recently, as part of an £8 million refurbishment programme. Self-service machines are now being introduced at major libraries across the county and will allow people to borrow and return books, CDs, DVDs quickly and easily, contributing to a much more effective and improved customer service. A new mobile library has also been introduced. The mobile service enables residents in rural areas with no static library to access the service from their community. It’s free to join libraries around Leicestershire. The service offers free book loans, enables you to research free information, offers free use of computers, offers free use of the
Internet via Broadband, offers music and films available for hire from as little as £1 per week .
Details of library developments can be found on www.leics.co.uk/libraries
Details of events can be found at www.leics.co.uk/events
Wind Farms
As I have said in the past please don’t complain when something has been passed or installed after the event when you had the chance to do something about it before the event. Scottish Powers Renewables’ planning application (P/09/2464/2) is out for consultation by Charnwood Borough Council. If you would like to help stop the wind farm going ahead please email SPROUT at queniboroughwindfarm@yahoo.co.uk

Ridgeway Ramblings by Mike Preston

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:01:51 +0000

February 2010
The results of the cold weather are showing up the damage to the roads and the current financial situation is being addressed in a number of ways. I have given some details of some of the activities to address both these problems.
Pot Holes
Highway patrols are out and about fixing pot holes across Leicestershire after the big freeze. Now that temperatures are increasing and ice and snow has melted away, the number of pot holes on the roads is expected to rise. To make sure that the highway network is in top condition, the County Council is out inspecting the roads but is also encouraging the public to report any they spot. Pot holes form as water enters the tiny cracks in the road surface and freezes. As water expands when it freezes, this forces the tiny cracks to open up and break open a pot hole, this is compounded further by vehicles passing over it. The County Council spend on average £300,000 filling pot holes every year. Highway inspectors are busy inspecting the County’s roads but reports are always welcome via the web site www.leics.gov.uk or on 0116 305 0001, leaving details of the location.
Project To Reduce Energy Consumption From Street Lights
Leicestershire County Council currently own and maintain 66,000 street lights and 12,000 illuminated signs. The Council has an ambitious programme to reduce our carbon emissions by 30% by 2014. One of the ways we will be able to achieve these targets is to reduce the level of street lighting we provide across the County. In addition we are now using low energy bulbs when installing a new street light or undertaking lantern replacements on existing street lights. They provide a similar level of illumination while reducing energy consumption by about 30%. We are also removing illumination from signs wherever we are able, whilst still ensuring we comply with government regulations. We will be dimming some of the brightest lights on our main roads between 10.00pm and 7.00am, and switching off some lights completely in rural areas or in other locations where there are no houses fronting on to the roads. We will also be part-night lighting streets in residential areas, switching lights off between midnight and 5.30am, in consultation with local communities. The emergency services support these proposals in principle and will be consulted on all proposals. We estimate that these plans will reduce our current carbon dioxide emissions by up to 3000 tonnes per year, that’s 23% of our total street lighting emissions, equivalent to the carbon used to boil 277 million cups of tea!. Of course this project is all about saving Council tax-payers money too, and we calculate it will save up to £700,000 per annum.
Take Care
A carelessly dropped cigarette end has cost a Loughborough man more than £450 in fines and legal fees.
Charnwood Borough Council took action against 52-year-old George Clarke, of Manor Drive, after he was caught littering in the town’s Southfield Road last August. He was ordered to pay a £175 fine, £276.38 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge by Loughborough Magistrates on Tuesday 2nd February, after he failed to pay a fixed penalty notice issued by a street warden who witnessed the incident. Litter is a huge problem. If everyone put their litter in the bin it would save millions of pounds a year and make communities look and feel better.
Capita to deliver £3 million in savings to the Council
New technology and new processes will provide a seamless service to the customer.
Charnwood Borough Council announces that it has signed a 10 year partnership with Capita Local Government Services for the administration of the Council’s benefits and revenues service. The contract is worth £22.5 million and commenced on 1st February 2010. Capita was selected as Charnwood’s preferred partner in 2009. The contract is expected to deliver £3 million in savings to the Council by leveraging Capita’s existing expertise in efficient service delivery. Capita will provide a new ICT infrastructure and invest in new technology to improve processes at the Council, including smart solutions. This will enable front and back office to access the same customer information, providing a seamless overview of each citizen and will enable more effective service delivery. The partnership transferred 67 employees from the Council to Capita and they will remain in the Loughborough area to ensure continuity of service.
We are confident that this solution will improve service delivery to the residents of Charnwood and also help us meet the Council’s objectives. We said we would make Charnwood Borough Council more efficient and better for customers.
Mike Preston
Contact Details:
If you want to get into contact with me then please use one of the following methods:
Telephone: 01664 424647 Fax 01664 424647 (Please Telephone First)
e-Mail Mike@mepreston.com or Try www.telmike.com

Ridgeway Ramblings from Mike Preston

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:07:49 +0000

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2010. I hope you all had a great Christmas and are having a good start to the New Year and are also coping with the weather conditions.
Kerbside Textile collections
A new kerbside textile recycling service is being launched in Charnwood on January 12. Charnwood Borough Council has teamed up with the mental health charity Mind to offer the new and improved service. Previously, residents were being asked to put wearable clothes, paired shoes and usable household linen into a plastic bag, and leave it out for collection on their recycling day. This system sometimes resulted in the materials getting wet, or even being taken to the recycling plant along with the plastics, glass, cans etc. A dedicated Mind recycling bag was delivered to all properties in Charnwood in December. When materials are collected from the kerbside of residential properties in the borough, they will be taken to the Mind warehouse in Blaby where the items will be sorted by a volunteer team and then distributed to the charity’s shops in the region. People are asked to put their bag out next to the green recycling box, rather than in it, and it will be taken away by the collection crews – who will also leave a replacement bag.
True Grit
The County Council has 17 gritters which spread roughly 150 tonnes of salt each night, covering 1,200 miles of highway. When ice is forecast, 45% of the road network is treated including most A roads, some B and C class roads, major commuter and bus routes and as far as is possible, at least one route through all villages. On the subject of gritters the County ran a competition to name our gritters. We are now pleased to announce the list of winning entries!
True Grit (Katie Hurst, aged 9)          Walter the Salter (Emily & James Langley, aged 8 and 5)
Gritty Gritty Bang Bang (George Walker, aged 10)           Mac the Gritter (Robert Skelton, aged 6)
Winter Wanderer (Ellis Partner, aged 6)                               Gritterbelle (Simon Longworth, aged 11)
Alexander the Grit (Eleanor and Summer Lapworth, aged 8 and 5 and Teddy Grainger, aged
Snowy Owl (2^nd Loughborough Brownies)                           Grumpy Old Grit (Thomas Shorthouse, aged 6)
Ice Warrior (Shivam Rao, aged 8)                                        Dan De-icer (Dan Middleton, aged 10)
Veruca Salt (William Neal, aged 5)                                       Gritney Sprayers (Clarke Griffiths, aged 4)
Well done to all.
County Council and Charnwood Budgets
Proposals to meet spending pressures, tackle a £66 million funding gap over four years and freeze Council Tax have been unveiled by Leicestershire County Council. The Council is proposing, following public consultation, to:• Freeze Council Tax in 2011/12-2013/14 – but this is dependent on top-up funding, if a Conservative Government is elected. The main aspects of the budget are Make £47 million of efficiency savings and increased income and save £19 million from its services, to meet an expected funding shortfall. In addition Invest £46 million to meet extra spending pressures, mainly in Adult Social Care and Waste. Please use the following link to view a full copy of the Draft Budget Report and let us have your comments.
By the time you receive this newsletter Charnwood will have published its proposed budget please look on www.Charnwood.gov.uk for more details and let us have your views.
Highest Point of Christmas
Yet another highlight of my time at Charnwood, after the Fair last month, was when I was asked to judge the annual Christmas tree competition at Southfields. This completion is open to the staff from all departments at Council. The theme for this year was films. The judging team assembled and we set out to tour the building to find the 14 entries. There were a number of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” I guess the popularity of this theme was that you can eat the tree trimmings after the judging. James Bond was another popular film with “Quantum of Solace” many plastic guns and gambling chips were in evidence. Appropriately the Waste Departments theme was “Wall-E”(About a robot which keeps a deserted earth tidy). The last entry turned out to be the winner where the film was “Bridget Jones Diary”. The tree was decorated with diaries and a number of items of ladies underwear. The prize presentation was at the lunchtime party the next day. A great time was had by all and it made a super start to Christmas.
Charnwood Borough Council is to build its first council houses in 19 years.
Following a successful funding bid Charnwood will benefit from a slice of £122.6m made available from the Government’s second round of funding for new council housing. The council submitted proposals to build nine homes on five sites across the borough – and each of these successfully received funding despite the programme being oversubscribed by £200m. The council, which received a total of £405,776 in grants for the housing, now has until March 2011 to complete the homes in Shepshed, Barrow upon Soar and Thurmaston.
Mike Preston
Contact Details:
If you want to get into contact with me then please use one of the following methods:
Telephone:      01664 424647 Fax      01664 424647 (Please Telephone First)
E-Mail Mike@mepreston.com or Try www.telmike.com

RIDGEWAY RAMBLINGS

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:01:21 +0000

It is frightening how quickly the time goes by. We are coming up to Christmas again. I have had a very busy year as my regular readers will know. Well so it carries on this last week I have just taken part in the opening of Loughborough Fair. This popular, annual Charnwood Borough Council-organised event in which approximately 100 individual show people attend each year, Amongst the pleasure rides presented this year will be the old favourites such as Waltzers, Twist, Dodgems, Galloping Horses together with the more spectacular rides such as the Freak Out, Top Scan, Wild Mouse, High Roller, Kiddies` Corner and the Extreme Ride, game and novelty stalls, and the usual popular refreshment stands. If you did not want to ride then it was great to sample the general fairground atmosphere and observe the various spectacles, which are visibly stunning, particularly at night, when they are all lit up. This was proved on the opening night when we were invited to have a go on some of the rides. Fairs have been held in Loughborough for centuries, the first official Charter being granted to the Lord of the Manor, Hugh le Despenser, in 1221 by King Henry III. The Fair was then held on St Peter`s Day and, assuming it has been held annually, will have been coming to the town for 789 years.

Big Switch Off

Energy has been saved in Charnwood after residents took part in this year’s Big Switch Off. People across the borough made an extra effort to unplug chargers that weren’t being used, turn off stand-by buttons on TVs and computers and switch off unnecessary lights during the campaign which took place from 12th to 18th October.

Figures show that between them, Charnwood Borough Council’s offices in Southfield Road, Loughborough and Loughborough Town Hall managed to reduce their energy consumption by approximately 10.5 per cent compared to the previous week, enough electricity to power the town’s leisure centre for more than seven days. Loughborough as a whole made a 30.8 megawatt saving, which equates to roughly 308,000 100 watt light bulbs being switched off for an hour. Power company Central Networks estimated that if the switch off was repeated all year round it would save consumers £2.6m. Leicestershire County Council cut its energy consumption at its Glenfield offices by nearly five per cent per cent. Over a year, it would be a saving of £18,283. Switching off electrical appliances paid dividends for households, schools, councils and companies. All we need to do is to continue the actions for the future.

Corporate Games

The bid for the 2011 Corporate Games was successfully made through a partnership between Loughborough University, Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council. The UK Corporate Games is Europe’s largest corporate multi-sports festival and brings business’ together to build employee confidence, loyalty and team spirit. The competition covers 23 different sports including volleyball, hockey, dragon boat racing and football. As Loughborough is renowned for its sporting excellence and its facilities, it seems fitting that the UK Corporate Games will be held here. We are looking forward to hosting what will be an exciting event and welcome the boost it will bring to the town.

Sports Awards

I was asked to open this event where talented sports stars young and old celebrated their achievements at the Charnwood Sports Awards 2009. It was the first of its kind organised by Charnwood’s Leisure Service team and saw a host of talent pick up awards across 13 categories at a glittering ceremony at Loughborough Town Hall. More than 100 nominations were received. The evening was hosted by BBC East Midlands Today Sports Organiser Mark Shardlow whose enthusiasm helped make the evening a truly memorable one.

As well as recognition for elite performers based at Loughborough University, awards were given to people from all areas of sport, from community heroes and coaches to those who have contributed to school sport at grass roots level. The evening was a tremendous success and it was inspiring to see the depth of sporting talent and volunteering achievement of local sports people, both disabled and non disabled and teams from across the borough.

A Campaign has been launched in a Bid to Reduce Burglary in South Charnwood.

It is getting near to Christmas so extra vigilance is required around the home so:-

Lock doors and windows · Don’t leave car keys or handbags near doors and windows · If you are going away, use a timer to switch lights on and off · Don’t open the door to unexpected callers, use a door chain and check them out first · If you have an alarm – use it · Look out for your neighbours and their property · Report ANY suspicious activity to the Police (day or night) on 01162 222 222 or 999.

Finally thank you for your support over the past year and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and A Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Mike Preston

Contact Details:

If you want to get into contact with me then please use one of the following methods:

Telephone: 01664 424647 Fax 01664 424647 (Please Telephone First)

E-Mail Mike@mepreston.com or Try www.telmike.com

Ridgeway Ramblings – November – Mike Preston

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:01:02 +0000

You will remember last month I was honoured to be able to open the new South Charnwood Leisure Centre. The opening and following days were a success. The new facility has to be seen to be believed and will provide vital opportunities for residents in the south of the borough to improve their health and wellbeing. Around 500 people took the opportunity to view the new facilities and participate in free swimming lessons and fitness classes. The good news is more than 200 people signed up to use the Leisure Centre in its first week of opening. Enthusiastic residents have been keen to become members of the facility or use it on a casual pay and use basis. Not only is membership doing well but swimming sessions are being well attended and the new fitness classes are generating good interest.
TV Star
Being a Councillor has its ups and downs. Shortly after the opening of the Leisure Centre the Council had an approach from the BBC to take part in the Politics Show which is shown on Sunday lunchtime. I could not appear in the studio discussion but agreed to be filmed at South Charnwood to be subsequently was shown on the Politics Show on Sunday 11th October. The topic being discussed was how much Councils spend on consultants, Charnwood in particular. (the Leisure centre cost £3.1 m to complete, we spent around £250,00 on consultants. This is about 8% of the price which is quite normal on a project of this size. They were used to design the building plant and ancillary equipment). As is normal on these occasions, the filming was carried out at a number of locations inside and outside of the centre. The filming took about 45 minutes and was subsequently condensed into a final sequence lasting about 60 seconds. The main benefit gained was that South Charnwood was seen in all it splendor. You will agree a good advert for this great new facility.
If you have not visited yet then please go and have a look around, you will be pleasantly surprised.
More Rubbish
People who are caught dropping litter are liable to receive a fixed penalty notice of £80, reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days. Since September 2006 a total of 226 fixed penalty notices have been issued in the borough for littering offences. Those who fail to pay the fines could end up in front of magistrates. There have been 10 prosecutions so far for people that failed to pay their fines after littering offences. No-one likes to see litter being dropped in our streets or in our countryside so please take it home with you or put it in a bin.
Ratcliffe on the Wreake Village Hall
The recently refurbished Village hall was officially opened by the Mayor of Charnwood Cllr Roy Brown from Sileby and the Chairman of the County Council Cllr Roger Wilson from Birstall. The hall was originally built in 1926 and was a gift from Sir Lindsey Everard who was the owner of Ratcliffe Hall in the village. The hall has been renovated and extended to provide a larger hall which can be converted to provide a small meeting area. The level of thermal insulation has been increased and it now has up to date facilities including an area for a small stage. The kitchen has been virtually rebuilt with an apex roof and all new equipment. The hall project has been supported by Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire County Council, Ratcliffe Parish Council, Ratcliffe Church, the East Midlands Airport, ‘Awards for all’ which is part of the national lottery and many other fundraising events and individual donations from villagers.
The hall will seat around 80 people at tables or 100 theatre style. The hall forms an ideal venue for small parties or other events which need a smaller hall. If you are interested in hiring the hall then please contact the booking secretary Vicki Whitelaw on 01664 424676.

Rideway Ramblings – Mike Preston

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:01:43 +0000

It has been an exciting month with the highlight being the opening of the new South Charnwood Leisure Centre. You may remember that I was talking about the topping out ceremony last month. On Saturday 19th September it was my turn to cut the ribbon to celebrate the re-opening. It was a beautiful day I arrived at 10 o’clock to open the new facility, the press arrived and soon after we had our pictures taken and the ribbon was cut. I then went for a walk around the centre and was able to see the result of nine months’ worth of building work. Guided tours had been arranged so customers can take a first look at the centre’s new state-of-the-art facilities. Work which has been carried out includes the creation of a new Dance Studio and Fitness Studio as well as the provision of new dry side changing rooms and extra parking spaces. The pool, changing rooms and reception have also been refurbished and all heating, electrical and filtration plants replaced. The pool has also benefited from a brand new roof.

The new facilities at South Charnwood Leisure Centre are the culmination of many months of hard work and dedication from officers and the building contractor, GF Tomlinson. It has to be seen to be believed and will provide vital opportunities for residents in the south of the borough to improve their health and wellbeing.

Customers can either take up a gym or swimming membership, or just pay as they go. For further details visit the council’s website www.charnwood.gov.uk, call 0116 264 0057 or simply turn up at the centre.

The Big Switch Off
Whether you are motivated for environmental or financial reasons, switching off standby on your domestic appliances makes sense. If each householder in the county switched off standby every year we could save on average £13,186,541! This is equal to 21,315 tonnes of carbon. In Charnwood we could save an average of £37 per household per year (we have 60,472 households and could save £2,237,464 per year). The Big Switch Off is a campaign encouraging households, businesses, schools and community organisations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to switch off all unnecessary electrical appliances and lighting. The campaign is taking place over the period of a week between the 12th and 18th October 2009 to help people save money, energy and the environment.

Whether at home, work, school or in your local community you can join in the campaign and switch off. For further information see www.leics.gov.uk/bigswitchoff, contact Hetal Patel on 0116 3057068 or Hetal.Patel@leics.gov.uk or Rachel Sweetland on 0116 3057332 or Rachel.Sweetland@leics.gov.uk

Do You Know How Much Energy You Are Using
A good question is ‘do we know how much energy we are using in our house and how can you find out?’ The Environmental Action Team from Leicestershire County Council has joined forces with all libraries to find a way to help householders conserve energy. Simply call, email or visit your local library today to see how you can take advantage of a free loan of a wireless energy monitor for a whole week. By using this device, energy bills can be considerably reduced by taking simple steps to improve energy efficiency in the home of up to £340 per year. Pick one up today to see how much you could save and reduce your carbon footprint!

What Is An Energy Monitor?
It is a bit of kit that measures how much electricity each of your domestic appliances uses. See the reading soar when you switch on the second bar of the electric fire or turn on the turbo power switch on the shower. What is the purpose of an energy monitor loan scheme? It is to enable people to manage their domestic electricity supply more efficiently therefore saving on energy consumption and reducing costs. (I have tried one and it is surprising how much energy you use without any of your main appliances being used) How big are they? Fully packaged they are contained in a box approximately 10 inches square. The actual monitors are about the size of CD case. Are they easy to install? An installation instruction sheet with conditions of use comes with each monitor. There is no hire charge and borrowers can renew them if they wish. There will be an overdue charge of 75p a day for any late returns.

Steam Trains
A ride on a steam train and then a ramble back across the fields was offered in a special ‘walk with a difference’. The event, which took place on Saturday 26th September, was made possible thanks to a new partnership between Charnwood Borough Council and the Great Central Railway. The day began at Rothley’s Great Central Railway Station where participants took the train to Loughborough. Following a four mile walk across the fields to Quorn, they then enjoyed refreshments at the Ellis Tea Room. Afterwards walkers could either choose to rest their tired legs by catching the train back to Rothley Station, where more refreshments were on offer, or mustering together their energy and walking the rest of the way. The train ticket cost only £5. Keep a watch in the local newspaper for repeat offers.

Ridgeway Ramblings from Mike Preston

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:01:33 +0000

September 2009
Welcome to my ramblings for September, I have had a busy 3 months in my new job at Charnwood but generally things are going well. We have introduced a new waste contract, I hope you have had a good experience of the new contractors so far. As I usually say at this time of year many people will be looking towards doing a course at the local college. Why not try something new? What about Painting be it watercolour or your house? I am sure there are courses in both areas.

South Charnwood Leisure Centre
I was present at the topping out ceremony of the new Charnwood Leisure Centre, which will be reported in the main paper. I would however like to say one or two things about the project so far. Internal work is now underway and the £3.1m project is still running to cost and is expected to open ahead of schedule in early September. A new gym and dance studio featuring the very latest equipment as well as new changing rooms and additional car parking spaces are being constructed as part of the scheme.
If you are interested in signing up for swimming or the gymnasium then you can do so at the temporary office which is now open on the school playing fields in front of South Charnwood Leisure Centre. There are some great deals on offer and further details can be obtained by calling into the office between 12 noon and 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. Alternatively, call (0116) 264 0057 and speak to Kevin Stanley or Helen Bird. Further details about the work taking place at South Charnwood Swimming Pool, and other leisure facilities in the Borough, are available by logging on to www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/leisure .

Social Housing Energy Saving Program
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has this week announced that Charnwood Neighborhood Housing and Charnwood Borough Council have been successful in their bid for £1,062,500 to insulate 1,250 homes over 2 years. Charnwood is one of only three social landlords in the East Midlands to receive this funding to help insulate social homes, reducing fuel bills for tenants and cutting carbon emissions. The Social Housing Energy Saving Programme (SHESP), first announced in April’s 2009 Budget, will provide cavity wall insulation for thousands of homes. The initiative forms part of the government’s Housing Stimulus Package. The funding, payable over two years, is expected to insulate up to 110,000 difficult-to-fill homes. It is anticipated that works will start this summer.The funding made available will achieve a number of aims:

an increase in the number of homes that have cavity insulation
an overall improvement in the SAP (energy) ratings
a reduction in carbon emissions.

Community Composting
Community composting is an innovative way of enabling residents to collectively compost their household green waste, including grass cuttings, flowers and prunings. Leicestershire Waste Partnership is seeking to support two or three small scale Community Composting projects across the county (excluding Leicester City) and is inviting any group that is interested to request an expression of interest form.
For further information about community composting and to request an expression of interest form, please contact Sally Kilbourne on 0116 305 5749 or email sally kilbourne@leics.gov.uk . The deadline for receiving completed forms is 4pm on Wednesday 16th September.
A shortlist of projects will then be selected from the forms received with successful projects being given the chance to apply for funding of between 50 -70 per cent to cover their initial set up and running costs over the first 12 months. The Community Composting scheme is open to any established community group within Leicestershire, including allotment societies, Parish Councils, charities or environmental groups.

Contact Details:
If you want to get into contact with me then please use one of the following methods:
Telephone: 01664 424647 Fax 01664 424647 (Please Telephone First)
E-Mail Mike@mepreston.com or Try www.telmike.com

Ridgeway Ramblings: Mike Preston

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:38:29 +0000

Time does fly when you are enjoying yourself; this has certainly been true of the last few weeks. I am now settled into my new jobs at Charnwood and the County Council. As I reported last month Charnwood is starting the new waste contract on the 1st August, I have already explained some of the changes but the following detail more changes.

New Waste Vehicles
The existing fleet of Waste and Cleaning Vehicles will be changed over the course of the next three years. Most of the non-specialist vehicles will change around the start of the contract. I will not bore you with the details but we will have 17 large waste collection vehicles, two Caged Vehicles, two footpath sweepers, two large street sweepers and a number of vans and transit type vehicles. The main dustcarts will have a new livery so keep your eye out for them; I assure you that you will not miss them.

Community Champions
I mentioned in last month’s Ramblings that we were committed to improving the quality of the street cleaning, this will be achieved by some new equipment and a team of inspectors who will be out and about around the Borough finding areas which need treatment. Charnwood and SERCO want to get local people more involved in the improvement of the local environment. Community Champions are local volunteers who, whilst out and about are happy to take digital photos of environmental defects such as litter, graffiti, fly posting and fly tipping. The object is to develop better community engagement, open up improved channels of communications with residents and demonstrate the quality services provided by the council, as well as to continually improve the level of response to grot spots throughout the Borough. The champions will be equipped with state of the art communication equipment so they can directly lodge their information on the company’s database thus allowing cleanup operations to be planned. The champions will of course be trained and suitable equipment supplied. If you are interested then please watch the press in September for advertisements or keep an eye on the Ramblings for more details

Traffic Calming Barkby Road
The County Council has been requested to provide traffic calming measures on Barkby Road to address public concerns regarding the number and speed of vehicles using the route. As part of the housing development underway at the eastern end of Barkby Road, funds have been secured for these measures. Barkby Road has differing characteristics within its length. Towards the town centre, on-street parking levels are higher and there are a large number of vehicle movements. East of College Road (towards the development), on-street parking levels are lower and there are fewer driveways and vehicle movements. The measures are primarily aimed at deterring through traffic from using the route and reducing speeds. The proposed scheme will provide: physical features (speed table/cushions) where on-street parking levels are lower, alterations to side road junctions to improve visibility for pedestrians and vehicles.
We would now like to know your views on the proposals so keep your eyes on the local papers or my Ramblings again.

Green Flags
Two of Charnwood Borough Council’s most popular open spaces will be flying the flag after being nationally recognised as shining examples of outstanding green spaces. Queen’s Park in Loughborough and The Outwoods has been accredited with the Green Flag Award, which is the national standard for parks and green spaces. Keep Britain Tidy officially made the announcement on Wednesday, 22nd July. Officers from Charnwood Borough Council and a representative from Friends of Queen’s Park and the Outwoods Management Committee attended a special presentation ceremony in Bournemouth on Thursday, 23rd July to receive the flags. It is the second time that Queen’s Park has been awarded the Green Flag and comes on the back of a number of improvements to the popular attraction situated in the heart of Loughborough town centre. It is the third year the Outwoods has been awarded Green Flag status, which is the park and open spaces equivalent of the Blue Flag that is handed to clean beaches across the country. To ensure it continued to meet the high standards set by the Green Flag judges, the Outwoods Management Committee has purchased two Trampers, an all-terrain mobility scooter, which gives better access to the 45-acre site of Special Scientific Interest to people with disabilities.