Leicestershire & Rutland
Association of Local Councils
2014 Newsletter No. 5
LeicestershireCounty Council News (funded by LCC Project Funding)
LeicestershireCounty Council Parish Council Conference – 7th July 2014
The annual LCC Parish Council Conference is provisionally booked for Monday 7th July 2014; 16.30-20.00.
LRALC has been heavily involved in developing the proposed content of this event, and the focus this year will very much be on practical advice, information, and support.
Please circulate widely and put the date in your diary; watch this space for full details.
Leicestershire County Council SHIRE Community Solutions Grant Fund
Leicestershire County Council has a strong track record of empowering and supporting its communities to develop their own solutions to address local community needs.
We are now in an environment where there is less money and increasing demand for services. It is therefore essential that the Council works with its partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to:
- help reduce demand for services
- manage the demand on our budgets more effectively
- protect the most vulnerable individuals and communities
The Council is committed to supporting voluntary and community sector organisations to work alongside us to design and develop innovative solutions, to enable the delivery of key services for our communities.
To support these ambitions, Leicestershire County Council has committed £260,000 (in 2014-15) for the SHIRE Community Solutions Grant Fund.
The grant fund will support and enable voluntary and community sector organisations (including social enterprises and Town/Parish Councils) to:
- develop sustainable initiatives to provide preventative and early intervention services that help reduce demand for high-cost services;
- develop alternative services to make up for public service reductions; and
- take over services that the County Council is no longer able to provide
The key focus of the fund will be to prioritise projects which address vulnerability, disadvantage and access to essential services.
Organisations interested in applying for a grant will need to discuss their project proposal with the Grant Officers before completing an Expression of Interest form and submitting this to the Council. If the Expression of Interest is approved, the organisation will be asked to complete a full application form.
The maximum amount which can be applied for is £10,000 and grants will only be available to projects which benefit residents of LeicestershireCounty.
Further information regarding the SHIRE Community Solutions Grant Fund is available at;
Email: ; Tel: (0116) 305 7269 or (0116) 305 7020
Have your say on libraries
You can have your say on the County Council’s proposals for communities to run up to 36 libraries in Leicestershire.
Consultation is taking place until July 7th and full details are on the special webpage at including dates and venues of public meetings in May and June.
The council is proposing changes because:
- From 2015, the council plans to save £800,000 per year from its current £5.6 million libraries budget
- People are increasingly using E-books and the internet instead of borrowing books from libraries
- Libraries are increasingly being used as community hubs, hosting a series of activities
The council is proposing to:
- Continue to operate the 16 most-used libraries but reduce their opening hours
- Support communities to run the other 36 local libraries. If community groups do not come forward, some libraries may close. Any closures would be covered by a weekly mobile library service.
The proposed community partnership library service would enable community groups and organisations to manage their local library in partnership with the county council. The library is staffed and managed by volunteers with support, such as book stock, training and IT maintenance provided by the county council.
If you are interested in finding out more including how to get involved in running or helping at a community partnership library please register for a place on one of the following workshops:
- Monday 19 May: County Hall, Glenfield
- Monday 16 June: ShepshedHigh School
All workshops start at 6.15pm and finish at 8.30pm. Doors open from 6.00pm.
You can register by emailing or call 0116 305 7034.
Should you have any further enquires or comments about community libraries please visit email or phone 0116 305 7034.
Leicestershire Local Economic Partnership (LLEP) Strategic Economic Plan
The LLEP submitted its bid for over £240 million economic growth money, from the Government's £2 billion Local Growth Fund on 31st March 2014.
Each of the 39 Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs) in England were asked to submit a Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) outlining their local economic growth strategy and priorities. The SEP will form the basis of negotiating a growth deal with Government for a share of the Local Growth Fund.
Leicester & Leicestershire has bid for over £80 million in 2015/16 and £240m over the total five year period from 2015 to 2020.
The Leicester and Leicestershire SEP aims to create 45,000 new jobs, lever £2.5 billion of private investment and increase Gross Value Added by £4 billion by investing in infrastructure, business support and employment and skills initiatives.
The Government will now review each SEP and decide how much of the Single Local Growth Fund will be allocated to each LEP. A response is expected by the summer.
The full SEP and an executive summary of the document can be viewed at Please contact or 0116 454 2917 for further info.
May is National Walking Month!
Discover where walking can take you this May with a series of walks and events that are planned across the county.
The County Council is supporting the Living Streets initiative which aims to encourage people to get fit and enjoy the great outdoors in the lead up to the summer months.
Together with local partners, the council has been working to collate an extensive programme of walks to suit all abilities across Leicestershire, throughout the month. You can find out more about these walks at:
The National Forest Walking Festival also falls during May. As well as 71 organised walks, the festival will mark the opening of the National Forest Way which connects the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to Beacon HillCountryPark in Leicestershire via 75 miles of footpaths.
National Walking Month links:
- National Walking Month
- National Forest Walking Festival Programme
- National Forest Way
If you have anything planned for National Walking Month or if you would like any further information, please let us know by contacting Jonathan O'Farrell, Sustainable Travel Co-ordinator or on 0116 3057190. You can also tweet walking pictures to @LeicsCountyHall and share them on Facebook.com/ChooseHowYouMove.
Free Adult Cycling Courses are taking place across Leicestershire
The courses are taking place around the county and aim to help anybody over the age of 16 feel more confident on two wheels and make more journeys by bike.
The courses, which take place for two hours a week for five weeks, are ideal for people who have never been on a bike before, riders who want to improve their confidence and people who haven’t cycled for years.
Cycling is a great way to stay in shape, save money on the costs of running a car and an ideal way to explore the county.
For a full list of the adult cycling courses visit or to book your free place call us on 0116 305 3179 or e-mail
LCC Adult Prevention Services and Services for carers - Consultation posters
Please see below links to two posters detailing workshops as part of the consultations around Adult Prevention Services and Services for carers.
For further information about the Adult Prevention Service Consultation please see the following:
For further information about the Carers Services Consultation please see the following:
Jake Atkinson
Chief Officer
May 2014