Latest news with #Charnwood
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Bid to turn former tip in Loughborough into public space dropped
A bid to turn a former rubbish tip in Loughborough into a new park or public open space has been dropped. Charnwood Borough Council says it planned to transform the former refuse site behind Loughborough recycling and household waste centre into a new public open space. However, no progress has been made on the plan in the last 20 years and the council says it has been left with "no route" to complete the project due to lack of cash. Officers have now asked the council's ruling cabinet group for permission to lease the site to a company nearby, which plans to install solar panels on the land to power its premises. A report compiled for the cabinet says the land is currently not occupied or maintained in any way and is not accessible to the adds there is a locked gate, but it is often "breached" and "used for anti-social behaviour purposes, such as motorcycle riding and illegal camping".The report says: "Local government now faces significant challenges, both in terms of funding and in terms of local government reorganisation, which may continue to prevent any meaningful redevelopment of the site."Officers had considered installing solar panels on the site themselves in 2022, but realised they would not be able to connect the panels to the National Grid for another 10 years. Instead the authority is now looking to lease the land to an unnamed company which plans to install its own solar panels to power its premises nearby. The council's cabinet is being asked to confirm the land is surplus to requirements and approve the lease at its meeting on 6 June.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New canopy replaces bandstand in Loughborough park
A large new multi-use canopy has been opened in a park in structure has been placed in Southfields Park and has replaced its existing, smaller Borough Council said the canopy would offer shelter to park visitors and be used to host outdoor design includes a central structure along with further covered canopies surrounding its perimeter. The canopy is one of 11 projects intended to improve the area as part of the Loughborough Town Deal initiative, which is backed by £16.9m of government cash. Council cabinet member Jennifer Tillotson said: "The new structure brings a huge improvement to the park and the surrounding area. "It will make the open space more accessible for visitors and will mean more varied events will be able to take place."Loughborough Town Deal chairman Martin Traynor said: "It is important that the Town Deal continues to invest in parks, open spaces and the town centre in Loughborough to attract more visitors, and footfall and this is another example of that."
BBC News
17-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New play areas open as part of £1m park revamp in Sileby
New play areas have been opened as part of a major revamp of Sileby Memorial Borough Council is currently carrying out a £1m project to improve the recreation ground, off Seagrave Road, which has seen two new play areas authority said the separate play areas were aimed at older and younger cabinet member Jennifer Tillotson said the scheme aimed to "rejuvenate" the park which opened in the 1920s. "We're thrilled with the new equipment we've been able to provide, and we hope it is enjoyed by our young people for many years to come," she said. Pupils from Redlands Community Primary School and Highgate Community Primary School were asked to help choose the types of equipment installed."The creation of high-quality play areas will offer lasting benefits for children and families, and it is particularly encouraging to see local pupils involved in shaping the facilities," Tillotson added. The wider revamp of the park has included the creation of a new multi-use games area and a community benches have been installed, footpaths refurbished, and work carried out to improve access at the park's entrance. The council said the overall cost of the park refurbishment was about £1 million, with £500,000 coming from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the remainder from contributions from developers who have built homes nearby.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
'We put the pressure on to join Men in Sheds'
It started out as a gathering to reduce loneliness and combat social isolation among elderly there are more than 1,000 Men in Sheds projects running across the country, where members get together, talk and learn new while many are aimed exclusively at men, one group in Loughborough, Leicestershire, has taken the decision to admit women and members' Brenda Needham said: "I kept asking my husband all the while 'why can't we join?'" The 74-year-old added: "Eventually they let us in, just one morning, eventually it became all the time, and now it's 50% women, and we absolutely love it."The group, which has been renamed Men and Women in Sheds - Charnwood, now has 80 paid-up allows them to learn new skills, such as repairing and refurbishing furniture and other household items, which would otherwise be sent to landfill. The group then sells the items, with £800 being made at a recent farmers and crafts market. Karen Arme, 64, believes joining the group has helped improve her mental health and said she was never interested in what were seen as traditional female skills. She said: "Not everybody likes sewing and baking."I think the men maybe were a little concerned at the beginning because maybe they came here to get away from their wives and were worried we were going to take over."But we haven't done that, we work well together." When the women were allowed into the workshop, members decided to keep a quiet room with a model railway display in it, just for men. Andrew McNnerney, 70, admitted there was initially some resistance to becoming a mixed group. He said: "There was apprehension, but in all honesty, it's turned out well."We [the men] escape now and again [to the quiet room] and have a chat and weigh things up."But he added: "It's a lovely atmosphere, and it's been good. "Tony Donovan, executive director of Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland, which runs the project, said: "Everyone has a story to tell about what life was like before they came [here], and in many cases it wasn't great. "It's a brilliant, brilliant project, and we are incredibly proud of it."
