Bloom judges tour town

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY judges took a tour of Market Bosworth on Monday.

They were assessing the Bosworth in Bloom entry in the East Midlands regional round of the national Britain in Bloom contest in which the town has a long history of success.

Judges began their tour in the market place and were given a guided visit around the town.

After the main judging, entries in three separate categories were assessed: Rainbow Cottage was considered in the residential garden category, The Black Horse for pub or hotel gardens and Wheatsheaf Courtyard for business premises.

The visit ended with a reception for judges and Bosworth in Bloom volunteers and supporters at The Black Horse. A PUBLIC consultation has been launched to help Leicestershire County Council slash nearly £10 million from its road maintenance budget.

Residents are asked to have their say over how the highways authority should look after roads, pavements and verges in the future.

The council spent £26 million maintaining roads in 2015/15 either directly or through contractors. By 2020 it needs to reduce this to £16.5 million.

Motorists and organisations are asked to comment on how the council can change its approach to maintenance in order to make savings.

Councillor Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Before we produce a new strategy for how we look after our roads, pavements and verges, we want to find out what people value and whether they have any thoughts on how we can make changes.

“Our roads are among the best in the country and have been maintained to a high standard. Our road and footpath network provides connections to employment, health services, education, places of leisure and interest and supports industry.

“At the moment we don’t have any detailed proposals so the results of this consultation will help to shape our future approach.”

Some of the cost-saving options being considered include reducing how regularly roads are maintained, focusing on preventative measures and planned repairs and involving communities to help maintain the upkeep of roadside verges.

The three-month consultation runs until September 25. Visit www. l e i c e s t e r s hi re. g ov. uk/ highwaysconsultation www.TimeshareAdvice.co.uk