BDC - Local Council News
In this issue...
- Council Tax update
- Election briefing
- Hygiene ratings
- How your Council could change
- Sign up to garden waste service
- Electric vehicles are named
- VE Day celebrations
- Support our charity trek
- Youth Conference
- Parks improvements
📢 Council Tax update from the Council Leader
Your new Council Tax bills will be arriving soon, so I wanted to update you on our current financial position and the reasons for the decision to raise Council Tax levels at last week's Full Council meeting.
I'm sure you will be aware of the current financial crises facing local government with some Councils forced to declare bankruptcy. While thankfully our situation is nowhere near as severe as some, we continue to face considerable financial challenges, both now and in the future.
Lower core funding from the Government, higher running costs, increased demand for services and potential reductions in some income streams all have to be considered when balancing the Council budget. For example this financial year 2025-26, our one-year grant from the Government is £200,000 less than 2024-25.
Along with the annual Government grant and business rates, Council Tax is vital in allowing us to provide services to you. It is responsible for funding almost half the cost of our services - some 43%.
As a result of this, last week we had little choice but to take the difficult decision to increase our portion of Council Tax by 2.99%, roughly 11p per week, or an extra £5.65 a year for a band D property. This brings our element of the total Band D average Council Tax bill for 2025-26 to £194.79 a year, around £16 a month or about £4 a week.
While we are responsible for collecting Council Tax for the District, as you can see from the chart above, we keep just 8p (approximately) from every £1 in Council Tax taken. This money ensures our services continue to benefit our communities.
A budget gap was identified for this year and we have supported the budget using £375,000 from reserves to maintain a balanced budget without affecting services. Our forecasts suggest increased budget gaps in the coming years and we accept we may have to make difficult decisions as we look to close these gaps.
However, our residents and businesses remain firmly at the heart of what we do. We will continue to focus not just on those services we have a duty to deliver but also those which add the greatest value. Our Blaby District Plan 2024-28, brings together our commitment to enhancing the District and ensuring it remains a great place to live, work and visit, while still balancing our books as a financially responsible Council.
Councillor Terry Richardson, Blaby District Council Leader
For more information on Council Tax and what each Band will be paying depending on the Parish you live in, use the link below:
📅 Candidate briefing ahead of County elections
It's the Leicestershire County Council elections on Thursday 1 May, and anyone wanting to stand as a candidate can find out how the process works during a special briefing session.
The event for prospective candidates and agents takes place at our offices on Desford Road, Narborough, on Wednesday 12 March from 6pm. It will cover the timetable, nomination process, the election campaign, handling postal votes and advice on do's and don'ts. Any questions will be answered and nomination packs will be available to collect.
For anyone who cannot attend, nomination packs will be available afterwards from our Electoral Services team. Any candidates wishing to stand for election must submit a valid nomination form by 4pm on Tuesday 1 April to the Deputy Returning Officer, Blaby District Council, Desford Road, Narborough, LE19 2EP. You should make an appointment to do this, where an informal check of your papers will be offered.
For more information use the link below:
Leicestershire County Council elections 2025
🍔 Latest hygiene ratings
Here are the latest food hygiene ratings in the District:
Rated 5 - Hygiene standards are very good
- Taste Of Thai, private address, Sapcote
- Zizzy Bakes, private address
- Sweet Love Pic N Mix, private address
- Gynsills Farm, The Gynsills, Leicester Road, Glenfield
- Willow House, private address
- Bees Knees, The Bees Knees, Meridian Way, Braunstone Town
- Taco Bell, motorway services and premises, M1 Northbound service area, Baines Lane
- Welcome Break forecourt south, petrol filling station, M1 Southbound service area, Baines Lane
- Pizza Hut Restaurants - Dine In, Unit H, Meridian Leisure Park, Braunstone Town
- Nando's, Unit 3, Meridian Leisure Park, Braunstone Town
- Cafe Stoney Stanton, 1 St Michaels Court, Huncote
- The Red Lion, Main Street, Huncote
- Eurest c/o Royal Mail staff canteen, Leicester East Delivery Office, Meridian East, Meridian Business Park
We complete many food inspections every year and the frequency of our visits depends on the potential risk to public health.
The time between inspections can be as short as six months for the highest risk businesses, to two years for lower risk businesses.
To find out more about hygiene ratings and to report any concerns about a business that prepares or sells food, please visit the Food Standards Agency website using the link below:
👉 Council reorganisation - have your say
The Government wants to reduce the number of Councils in areas like ours where services are divided between District and Borough authorities and County Councils. It wants to see the set up of Unitary Councils which deliver all public services as it believes this will make things simpler and more efficient. It has asked us and our fellow authorities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to come up with early proposals about what this reorganisation might look like.
Together with Rutland County Council and the six other local Councils across Leicestershire, our goal is to achieve reorganisation for our area which ensures any new format remains connected to people and place, is accessible and accountable, with effective yet straightforward structures. Our view is there is a very clear case for establishing three balanced Unitary Councils across the area.
Our initial preference is for the creation of:
- North and Rutland (North West Leicestershire, Charnwood, Melton and Rutland County Council)
- South (Blaby, Hinckley and Bosworth, Oadby and Wigston, Harborough)
- Leicester City Council
Please use the link below to find out more and have your say on our early proposals. Your views are important to us and will be taken on board. There is also a short feedback form for anyone who is interested in giving their thoughts about devolution at this early stage.
A more comprehensive package of public engagement will follow this summer to help us develop final proposals that must be submitted by 28 November 2025. Government will also carry out a consultation on any final proposal, so there will be ample opportunity for people to get involved.
Local government reorganisation
🍃 Garden waste subscriptions - sign up now
Time is running out to sign up to our garden waste service and receive all collections for 2025-26. To ensure the new brown garden waste sticker arrives in time you need to subscribe by Sunday 16 March.
Current garden waste subscriptions end on 31 March 2025. People who signed up for the 2024-25 service will have seen collections resume with last year's pink sticker. However, once this year's collections start, only bins with the new valid brown sticker will be emptied.
You can go online, follow the simple instructions and pay by credit or debit card, saving the £2.50 charge if you sign up by phone.
If you subscribe after Sunday 16 March there is no reduction in subscription cost and you won't be guaranteed to receive all collections.
Two sizes of garden bins are available:
- 140-litre garden bin at £31.50 per year (each bin)
- 240-litre garden bin at £46 per year (each bin).
Once your payment has been received we will send you the new brown sticker. Please ensure this new brown sticker is clearly displayed on your garden waste bin to ensure collections from 1 April. For more information and to subscribe use the link below:
🚚 Our new EV vehicles have names!
Winners of the contest to name our new electric sweeper and bin lorry picked up goodie bags and got to see their suggestions emblazoned on the vehicles during a visit to our Whetstone depot.
Five-year-old Esme Walton-Wright and Tabitha Tame, aged eight, met depot staff, had a ride in the vehicles and received their gifts from Councillor Les Phillimore and Councillor Cheryl Cashmore, who had chosen the successful entries. Read more using the link below:
Electric vehicle naming winners
VE Day 80th anniversary
It's the 80th anniversary of VE Day in May and there will be celebrations taking place up and down the country. If you want to join in the festivities locally and are thinking of holding a street party, you will need to contact Leicestershire County Council to organise a road closure.
They deal with all road closures for such events and for this particular celebration the County Council is waiving all fees. If you would like to apply for a free road closure to allow your celebrations to go ahead, you'll need to apply by the deadline of Friday 21 March. For more information use the link below:
Three Peaks trek to raise cash for emergency medics
A group of intrepid Council employees (four pictured above) are tackling the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for The Air Ambulance Service. The service is the chosen charity of this year's Blaby District Council Chairman, Councillor Nick Chapman.
The team of eight officers from the Physical Activity and Health Team, otherwise known as Active Blaby, will take on Pen-y-Gant, Whernside and Ingleborough on Saturday 5 April - completing 24 miles and ascending more than 5,200ft, all in the space of 12 hours.
Every penny raised will help The Air Ambulance Service provide vital, emergency medical care to those in need across Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as support the national paediatric and neonatal transfer service, The Children's Air Ambulance, covering the whole of the UK.
You can find out more and donate to this fabulous fundraising effort by going to the dedicated JustGiving page using the link below:
The Air Ambulance Service fundraiser
💬 Youth Conference success
Last week, we welcomed 100 students from four local schools to our annual Blaby District Youth Conference, organised and run by our Youth Council. The day involved interactive workshops on first aid, knife crime and internet safety, with an afternoon Meet the Councillor session where the students were able to voice the issues that mattered to them. These discussions will shape our Youth Council's work for the next year. The group voted on their top three priorities for action which were:
- Discrimination
- Vaping
- Climate Change
You can also find more information on the Youth Council by using the link below:
Blaby District Council Youth Council
🦆 Parks improvements
Thanks to money from the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund we've been able to upgrade pathways at popular green spaces across the District as well as give nature a helping hand at Countesthorpe Country Park.
Find out more using the link below:
Posted: Fri, 7 Mar 2025