Chess Club and Games Meet-Up launches this month in Glenfield

A NEW Chess Club & Games MeetUp will be starting on Monday 27th March at 3.30pm and it‘s FREE!

A chance to meet other games fans in a social, friendly local venue (The Nag‘s Head, Station Road, Glenfield) to play Chess, as well as Dominoes, and Card Games. Everyone is welcome, you don‘t have to be an expert, just come along and have fun. Drinks and snacks can be bought at the Bar. For any details either call Carlym (evenings) on: 0116 287 8886 or email: carlymquantrill@hotmail.co.uk or call Donna on: 0116 287 2794.

Or just turn up at our first meet-up on Monday 27th March Monday at 3.30pm. See you there, (please bring along a Chess Set, Dominoes, or Cards if you have them), and don‘t forget it‘s FREE! We will then meet regularly every Monday.

(If you are between 14 & 17 years old and would like to join the Chess & Games Club, please contact Carlym or Donna, you are welcome, but obviously you can‘t drink alcohol.)

REQUEST TO READERS: If you have a chess set, dominoes, or packs of playing Cards lying around that you don‘t use, we would be most grateful for any donations. If you could drop them off at The Nag‘s Head, Station Road, Glenfield, we would really appreciate your generosity.

South Charnwood High School

‘encouraging

South Charnwood High School

Cover Supervisor

Permanent, 34.5 hours per week, over 5 days, term time (39 weeks)

Hours of work: 8.15am to 3.45pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.15am to 3.15pm Friday

Required as soon as possible, an enthusiastic and committed person to deliver planned lessons as a Cover Supervisor in this 11-16 Secondary school with outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes (Ofsted 2019). The school lies in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside, with easy access to the M1.

Grade: 7 – Actual salary £18,093 - £19,533 per annum (depending on experience)

Please see the school website at www.southcharnwood. leics.sch.uk for an information pack and application form.

Alternatively, telephone 01530 242351 or email: hcarnan@southcharnwood.org

As this job is designated a ‘regulated activity’, an enhanced DBS check with Barred List check is essential.

Closing date for applications:

12 noon, Friday 17th March 2023.

Interviews: To be confirmed

‘South Charnwood High School - Committed to Safeguarding Children and Young People.’

I have a claim to fame. I used to be the world’s youngest person.

IHOPE MOST residents recognise that I keep my monthly editorials non-party political in order to focus on the local issues that people contact me about and that I have been working on.

This month I wanted to cover four topics: the County Council Budget, Local Plans, Bus Subsidy Review and the Household Support Fund.

County Council Budget

EACH YEAR the County Council is required to set a balanced budget, of approximately £500m, to ensure it can continue to deliver local services such as for ‘children and families’, ‘adults and communities’ and ‘highways’.

At the February meeting, the Council agreed to a 4.99% increase in Council Tax (includes the 2% Adult Social Care precept) to enable it to continue to deliver as many of these services to as high a standard as possible. The MTFS is designed to increase support to the vulnerable by £57m over the next 5 years with corresponding levels of efficiency savings required. With inflation running at c.10%, and a maximum increase of 4.99% clearly tough decisions have been considered. I take every budget process seriously; it is always a balancing act between the increasing financial demands of special educational needs and elderly care with more discretionary areas such as subsidised bus routes and environmental grants. I would like to thank everyone who responded to the budget consultation; your input gave a steer on local priorities. However, I know that most pragmatic people recognise that you can only spend a pound once and having to prioritise where that money is spent is a difficult yet necessary job of elected representatives.

Local Plans

UNDOUBTEDLY one of the most emotive issues locally is development and as such I will keep the politics out of this article.

Since my appointment to LCC’s cabinet in 2021 I have been calling for all Boroughs and Districts across Leicestershire to get their Local Plans in place. This is important for a number of reasons not least because it affords rural communities additional protections against speculative planning applications. It also enables upfront planning of infrastructure such as for schools and highways beforehand. The current timetable at HBBC is to finally complete its Local Plan in 2024 (although this realistically looks to be 2025) and as such I have grave concerns about the number of developers swooping into rural areas. I would add that I have also hammered this point to colleagues on Charnwood Borough Council due to its proximity to Markfield. The recent Ashby Road application in Markfield is an example of this. The County Council continues to engage with all Boroughs and Districts across the County to support them in getting these plans finalised. I very much hope that the lower tier planning authorities will work collaboratively, irrespective of party affiliation, to do so. My contributions on this issue can be found in County Council Cabinet Meeting minutes: politics.leics.gov.uk

Bus Subsidies

NINETY PER CENT of bus services across Leicestershire are commercial; i.e. they are fully funded and operated by private companies.

However, 26 routes do currently receive some form of subsidy from LCC. Indeed some of these routes have a subsidy of in excess of £20 per passenger to run. Since my election as your County Councillor in 2017, I have met regularly with residents to discuss the importance of the ‘125’ service that passes through Stanton under Bardon and Markfield village. I recognise the lifeline that it provides to so many in order to help them go shopping, get to medical appointments and generally socialise with their friends and neighbours - points that I will be making to the Highways Department as the current review gets underway. However, in order to ensure we keep this service I need your support; as the saying goes ‘use it or lose it’. The more people that use the service on a regular basis the greater chance we have of demonstrating its continued need!

Household Support Fund

I WELCOME the news that the Government has extended a further £7m for Leicestershire through the Household Support Fund. This fund is specifically to support those in the most need as a result of the current cost of living crisis. It will provide Free School Meals (schools and early year providers), Food vouchers, Fuel vouchers, Pension credit support, Pension warm home support packs and Third Party Organisation support to those in need.

Further information on this package can be found: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/adult-social-care-and-health/assessmentand-eligibility-for-care-and-support/household-support-fund or by emailing householdsupportfund@leics.gov.uk

I continue to work with residents on a range of local issues and if I can be of assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes, Peter

(County Councillor for Markfield, Desford & Thornton) E: peter.bedford@leics.gov.uk or T: 01455 824733 www.facebook.com/peterbedfordmdt www.twitter.com/PeterBedfordMDT

Sign up by Wednesday, March 15 if you’re interested