Five major plans for county ‘will be hard without greater funding’
FRESH CALLS FOR CASH FOR LEVELLING UP STRATEGY
MAJOR plans to tackle hate crime, child abuse and gangs and bring cutting-edge technology to Leicestershire have been unveiled.
Leicestershire County Council has set out its five biggest areas for change over the next four years.
But an opposition councillor has said there is not enough cash to achieve the goals as Leicestershire continues to be the “worst-funded county in the country”.
The plan is still in its draft stages, with a public consultation under way inviting people to “help shape the Leicestershire of tomorrow”.
The key changes proposed are:
A CLEAN GREEN FUTURE
According to the council’s community survey, 67 per cent of residents think the council should be doing more to protect the environment.
The council wants people to act now in the face of climate change and aims to ensure the environment is protected.
It plans to work with communities, schools and businesses to raise awareness and teach them about what they can do to help.
It will also support families in making their homes more energy efficient, encourage them to recycle more and use greener forms of transport.
GREAT COMMUNITIES
The council hopes “to ensure Leicestershire has thriving, inclusive communities”.
It will organise events to celebrate diversity and cultural heritage, will promote religious understanding and will work to tackle hate crime.
It will also create more volunteering opportunities and continue to support parish and town councils in their role as community leaders.
Plans will be drawn up to ensure communities are prepared for future emergencies after the impact of the pandemic.
IMPROVING OPPORTUNITIES
Leicestershire is in the bottom 25 per cent of counties for the percentage of children achieving the expected level of development at age two to two-and-a-half.
The council will be looking to improve support for the first 1,001 days of care, from pregnancy, and will help families access child care and early years education.
It wants to improve special needs education in all schools and help children catch up with learning missed due to the pandemic.
STRONG ECONOMY, TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
This will focus on bringing cuttingedge science, technologies and engineering to the county.
The council will encourage innovation through businesses and startups. It will also encourage students to stay in the city after graduation by creating more job opportunities.
A growing population means there is greater need to maintain roads, create more affordable and accessible housing and improve transport links.
KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AND WELL
This look health support, including Covid-19 protections in care homes and increasing health services in schools.
The council aims to improve access to mental health services and will support people in healthy eating and staying active to tackle obesity. It will also focus on lowering crime and anti-social behaviour in the county and combating child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and gangs.
Councillor Pam Posnett, cabinet member for communities, said: “This is a an important document guiding how we deliver services for residents.
“It builds on what residents, businesses and others told us two years ago when more than 4,300 had their say on our priorities. “Not only do we want to build a green, safe, resilient and prosperous Leicestershire, this is also about us being innovative, embracing digital technology and delivering value for money.” However, Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition,
Michael Mullaney, said while he supports the council’s aims, he believes it will be almost impossible to deliver them without greater government funding.
He said: “Achieving a good quality of life and good-quality services for all is difficult when we continue to be the worst-funded county by this Tory government.
“Until the government starts to treat us fairly here in Leicestershire and takes us off the bottom of the league for funding it will be difficult for any of these goals to be achieved.
“While I agree with most of the objectives in the strategic plan they will only happen when this Tory government puts its money where its mouth is and delivers fair funding to our county.”
Mr Mullaney, left, said: “The government talks a lot about levelling up. Well, Leicestershire needs levelling up with funding more than any other area, yet we continue to wait to see any evidence of this government caring enough about Leicestershire to deliver the funding we need to realise the goals in the strategic plan.”
Public comments will contribute to the final version of the plan. This is expected to be put to a vote in May.