This week the District Council Officers announced they need to identify additional land for housing in North West Leicestershire. The amount of houses the Government have said we need is around 12000. 2000 of this could be built on land off Green Lane/Hall Lane, which is currently farmed.

Cllr Michael Wyatt expressed his concern over the possibility of an additional 2000 houses being built on land, which is clearly green wedge, which stops Whitwick and Greenhill becoming one huge built up area.

Cllr Michael Wyatt said at the meeting “I’m very concerned about the proposed site. The Council have always had a policy of maintaining the green wedge on the A50. I am also very concerned that by building on this land we will not only lose vital green wedge land but also it will cause Whitwick and Greenhill to lose their identity.”

 Cllr Wyatt and the Lib Dem Team have made it perfectly clear they will be opposing any plans, which will see the green wedge between Greenhill and Whitwick being destroyed by developers who clearly do not give a damn about the environment.

Please let us know what you think….

Tory County Council Bosses are considering building an incineration site in north West Leicestershire, rumours have it Ellistown could be a potential site

Local Liberal Democrats are completely opposed to any incineration site being considered until all the Districts and Borough Council’s within Leicestershire have exhausted all avenues to recycle. North West Leics District Council is still one of the poorest performing councils within Leicestershire.

Bill Newton Dunn, Lib Dem MEP for the North West Leicestershire and the East Midlands said, “Any plans for an incineration site in Ellistown or any other area needs to be vigorously opposed. The Tory controlled County Council must wake up and see that local people want better recycling facilities and the opportunity to recycle more, not incineration sites polluting our Towns and Villages. The Tory Bosses need to get the basics right, and exhaust the recycling potential before imposing a health hazard onto the people of North West Leicestershire”.

Recently a new law was set by the European Union, which gives weight to the principle that recycling should be given priority over incineration when dealing with waste, but the latter will be permitted so long as energy is recovered from the material that is burned.

Last week after the grass cutting contractors visited the area again, many local residents have continued to express their disgust at the poor grass cutting service.  Lots of green areas are now looking a total mess due to the vast amount of grass cuttings lying on the ground, which is trying to rot down. Not only is there the previous grass cutting but now its been made worse by last weeks cut, which as just added more to the piles of rotting grass cuttings.

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “I am urging local residents to continue expressing their disgust, and complain by ringing the County Council Customer service line on 0116 3050001. Its vital the Tory Bosses at the County Council understand that we want a decent service and not a second rate service, which is making our area look a complete mess”.

Over the next few days Aggregate Industries UK Ltd will be holding public exhibitions on their initial proposals for extending Bardon Hill Quarry.

Plans and drawings illustrating the proposals will be on display at the following locations.

9th July Greenhill Community Church Hall, Charnborough Rd Greenhill Coalville 2pm until 8pm.

11th July Copt Oak Village Hall, Whitwick Road 2pm until 8pm.

Representatives from Aggregate Industries will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback regarding the proposal.

A Leicestershire County Council Cabinet member responsible for the grass cutting in Leicestershire has today said in the Leicester Mercury: “I have apologised to people complaining to me about the situation and I will hold my hands up.

“We have not done as good a job this year, and our standards have not been up to what the residents of Leicestershire expect. “We are doing so many good things in highways, and to suffer this is embarrassing. It will not happen again.

Cllr Michael Wyatt one of the leading members who has been highlighting the grass cutting fiasco said, “It’s about time someone came out and apologised, instead of them giving us excuses about the weather, and not having the right maps. All people want is a decent standard of grass cutting and not a second rate service, which we have all recently experienced. The Tories need to realise that sometimes cutting cost does not mean we get a better service”.

Footpaths on the Greenhill Estate are finally getting resurfaced after years of campaigning by your Liberal Democrat Councillors, requesting that the Tory County Bosses tackle the growing number of unsafe footpaths in the local area . 

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “Im delighted to be able to report the footpaths on the Estate are finally being resurfaced. We have been waiting for years, some of the footpaths have been crumbling and becoming unsafe to walk on. At least now we are finally seeing things getting better”.

The County Council Highway contractors have once again failed to provide a good standard of service by not cutting  a large grassed area on Kenmore Crescent.

Many local residents are furious at the poor service the Tory Bosses at the County Council are providing. Well over 600 complaints have been recieved at the County Council Customer Service Centre.

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “This is another reason why more and more people are fed up with the Tories. All they seem to do is cut corners, which leads to poor service delivery and a lot of angry residents who are  continuing to pay ever increasing council tax.”

Michael Wyatt has contacted the County Highways Officers concerning the un-cut grass verges in the area. Hopefully it will be cut soon and will not be forgotten next time.

Cllr Michael Wyatt has again contacted the Leicestershire County Council to express his disgust at the grass cutting service supplied by the current contractor, which is supposed to cut all grass verges within the local area.

 Cllr Wyatt was told today that the grass ‘will be cut within 10 days.’

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “Thank you to everyone who took the time to express your feelings about the disgusting service we are getting from the Tory Bosses at County Hall. I only hope that the grass is cut within 10 working days, otherwise I, and I hope you will, all join me 0n the 17th June to once again make them realise that we are not prepared to put up with a sloppy second rate service.”

If you have not already express your disgust like many other local residents and would like too, then ring today on  0116 3050001 and make them realise that a second rate service is not acceptable. 

Your phone call can make a real difference.

Cllr Dominic McGill has today asked the council to have the water ditch at the back of Stamford Drive and Castle Rock Drive to be cleared of rubbish due the potential risk of flooding, and the fact the rubbish is being illegally dumped.

Cllr Dominic McGill said, “The ditch is used by a very small group of individual’s who dump their waste, which in turn creates problems for many residents on Stamford and Castle Rock Drive who could suffer from flooding if the water ditch is not clear to flow away. We have asked the council to clear the rubbish and keep a regular check on the ditch so we can prevent future dumping and any risk of water entering peoples gardens and even their homes.”

More and more local residents are complaining about the poor grass cutting service the area is getting, after the Tory bosses at the County Council handed over the cutting of our grass verges to a private contractor instead of the District Council Parks Division who have provided this service for many years.

The County Council has received many complaints after their contractors failed to provide a good service. In some cases many grass verges have been left uncut, which is making the area look untidy.

Cllr Dominic McGill Said, “Yet again the Tories are trying to cut corners and it’s backed fired. There was nothing wrong with the past District Council Parks Division doing the job other than cost. They should of realised that doing the job on the cheap will lead to a shoddy service”.

Your Liberal Democrat Councillors have already passed on many complaints directly to the Tory County Council. If anyone wishes to make a complaint you should contact the County Customer Service Centre on 0116 3050001. 

Your Local Lib Dem Councillors have today launched a Garden Competition for the Greenhill Estate. Cllr Julie Roberts said, “We are determined to help clean up our area.  Many local residents and tenants take great pride in their gardens and by having a gardening competition we are hoping we can encourage more people to do their bit to improve the area in which we all live”.

Cllr Dominic McGill said “We have decided to launch a Garden Competition so tenants and residents of the Greenhill Estate can show off their hard work and hopefully win a prize for their efforts. The council decided last year not to have one, so this year we have decided to have our own”.

 The Competition will be open to all residents and tenants of the Estate. Anyone interested in taking part can obtain a form by clicking here :  Competition form or send an e-mail to northwestleicslibdems.com  Entry forms will also be available in the Community Shop from Monday 5th May.

Judging will take place at the end of July.

Good news for tenants on Blackbrook Court, the council have agreed to supply some wood bark to help smarten up the flower beds on the Communal Garden after several residents contacted their local Lib Dem Councillors.

The Council has informed Councillor Michael Wyatt that they will be delivering the wood bark from the Parks Section for the Communal Garden by the end of next week.

Another Good News Story from your Lib Dem Team.

A number of local residents have contacted their local Lib Dem Cllrs after being told fridges and freezers are now subject to a removal charge of £15. Before, fridges and freezers were removed free of charge by the local council. Since the Tories have taken control they have decided to impose a £15 charge.

Cllr Dominic McGill said, “Nothing surprises us any more. The Tories will charge for anything. They don’t care about giving the people a decent service. What we are concerned about is the people who can not afford the £15, or don’t have any transport to get rid of their old fridge or freezer. By charging for the disposal of fridges and freezers we are now going to see an increase in fly-tipping of these items, which have environmental harmful gases in them”. 

If you do have transport fridges and freezers can be disposed of free of charge by taking them to the County Council Household Waste Recycling Sites at Ashby Road, Coalville or Lount.

If you have any bulky items you would like to dispose of  then contact the Council who offer a chargeable collection service. Please note that collection can take up to two weeks. If you are receiving any benefits then you will be entitled to a free collection service.

To arrange for a collection of bulky household items you will need to contact the Customer Services team to confirm the items you would like to have collected and where you will be leaving them.

1. Call the Customer Services team on 01530 454572 to arrange for collection.
   The easiest and quickest way to make your payment is over the phone by debit or credit card.

     2.  Please click the list below for examples of what they can and cannot accept on the bulky household waste service

http://www.nwleics.gov.uk/waste_services/documents/List_of_Acceptable_Items_01.04.08.pdf

Cllr Michael Wyatt is your local representative on the Bardon Quarry Liaison Committee. The Committee is a forum at which the quarrying and associated activities at Bardon can be discussed so that concerns expressed by local residents can be drawn to the attention of the quarry operators.

 If you have any concerns about the workings of the quarry, be it dust, noise or anything else which might be within the remit of the quarry workings, then contact Councillor Michael Wyatt on Mikewyatt1@hotmail.co.uk or you can contact him on 07773341531.

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “I continue to make sure local residents complaints are passed directly to the directors of the Quarry. At our last meeting complaints from local residents were discussed, and addressed by the management. We only meet twice a year but this allows us to make sure any problems residents bring to our attention are dealt with immediately. We also have an opportunity at the meetings to discuss any future plans the operators may have for the site. If anyone experiences any problems concerning the quarry then please contact me and I will do my best to try and help”.

The Council has agreed to supply bluebells for the woodland area on Sharpley Avenue Playing Fields.  Your local Lib Dems asked if they could be planted to give the woodland a splash of colour in the spring.

Local residents will be invited to come along and help plant the bluebells in the Wooded area in the Autumn later this year. Your local councillors will keep you informed and let you know the date when it as been arranged.

PC Sarah Gerrard and the Council’s Environmental Department Officers have organised a community litter pick at Sharpley Park on Saturday 19th April, 10.00 am.

Local residents are welcome to join in, and help to clear up some of the litter around the perimiter of the park.

If you would like to come along and help please just turn up on the 19th at the Playing Field on Sharpley Avenue. Equipment and gloves will be available.

Your local Lib Dem Councillors have contacted residents on Kenmore Crescent on turning the grassed area off Kenmore Crescent into a communal garden. This will alllow not only for the council to clean up the area but also allow local residents to help us come up with a design, which is pleasant and improves the environment in which we all live.

 Cllr Dominic McGill said, “Our election pledge to the local people was that we intend to clean up our area. The Lib Dem teams actions to date is paying dividend. We have made great strides within the ward and we intend to continue to work with not only the council, but other agencies and local residents who want to make the area a better place to live”.

The Liberal Democrat Councillors for Greenhill have today been told their plans for a Communal Forest for the Greenhill Estate is now set to become a reality on paper with meetings taking place with Bardon Quarry, who is donating some land, the Council and the National Forest who will be helping to design the Communal Forest. 

Cllr Julie Roberts said “We have been pushing hard for a piece of waste land off Bradgate Drive to become a natural communal forest, which everyone can enjoy. We promised the people we would improve their environment and improve it we will.  We are hopeful that we will be able to start the work on the new forest by the start of the autumn of 2008. Bardon Quarry have been a fantastic supporter of our proposal, so I along with my colleagues, Michael and Dominic would like to thank them for their support.”