birstall post (370) may 2014

MAY 2014 No. 370

the Birstall postY O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S P A P E R

www.birstallpost.co.uk

Easter play day fun Get involved� Send your stories...� Send your pics...

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OUR PICTURES show childrenat a Birstall pre-school en-joying an Easter Fun day.

The Co-operative Play and Learnpre-school at theCo-op Sportsclub on BirstallRoad organisedthe event, whichfeatured an East-er egg hunt, facepainting, gamesand a visit by thebook bus.

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MAY 2014THE BIRSTALL POST2

Birstall pool, at Longslade College,closed in 2012 when a routine inspec-tion revealed that bringing it up to a safestandard would cost £250,000.

Birstall Borough Cllr Simon Sansomehas started the petition and intends toraise the matter at a Borough councilmeeting. He said: “Other local villag-es and towns like Syston and Mount-sorrel have great and successfulleisure centres. A leisure centre andswimming facilities are essential forhealth and wellbeing and I will beasking the Borough Council to lookat either re-opening Birstall pool oropening a leisure centre so that Bir-stall residents can benefit.”

Re-opening Birstall pool would bea decision for Longslade College,which is expected to become a mem-ber of the Lionheart Academy Trust laterthis year. The trust is led by Beauchamp

College, Oadby. Longslade has indicatedit would be prepared to look at a viableplan.

Building a new leisure centre is theresponsibility of Charnwood BoroughCouncil. Sources have told the Birstall

Post that if the proposed 1650 homes atnorth Birstall are given planning permis-

sion, the develop-ers may berequired to providea leisure centre.

Comments lefton the online peti-

tion at change.org. include:• Birstall has grown immensely over

the years but amenities haven’t grownwith it as with other nearby villageswhich aren’t as large as Birstall. Weneed more leisure facilities

• my daughter and I would often goswimming in the evening. I don’t driveeither, so it was also fantastic in the

MORE THAN 500 people have signed a petition calling for anew leisure centre in Birstall, or the re-opening of Birstallpool.

school holidays when she would goalmost every day with her friends. If itwas a hot day they would go to cooldown, if it was a miserable day theywould go for something to do. It hasbeen sadly missed.

• a new leisure centre would givekids and adults a much needed localfacility within walking distance of ourvillage as Birstall has nothing to offerour children on an indoor level

• I learnt to swim there and so didmy kids. It was a great little pool for thelocal community. I would love to see itrecommissioned, then I would not haveto travel to Leicester Leys leisure centre

One option that is being suggestedfor Birstall pool is fitting a wood burn-ing biomass boiler. These boilers reducecarbon emissions and are supported bythe government’s Renewable Heat Incen-tive (RHI) – this pays the owner of theboiler a subsidy for each unit of powergenerated, guaranteed for 20 years.

The typical capital costs for the in-stallation of a boiler for a school are£75,000. If operated 10 hours a day, 5days a week the RHI income would be£21,200 a year, less cost of the woodfuel pellets of £13,300, leaving a cashbenefit of £7,900[source:www.ashwellbiomass.com]

To sign the online petition go towww.tinyurl.com/pragsqo

Hundreds calling forleisure facilities

Pic: (top) outside Birstall pool are (front, l-r) Barry West from Ashwell Bio-mass, Cllr Iain Bentley & Cllr Simon Sansome with members of the publiccalling for the pool to be re-opened. Left: a game of water polo in Birstallpool shortly before it closed

Pic: Birstall pool in 1983. Poolimprovements were often funded bylocal residents

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MAY 2014THE BIRSTALL POST 3

A street dance show andthe production ‘Hi-jacked Fairytales’were performedat the WreakeValley Acad-emy inSyston.

JodyChestertonfrom FacesArts said:“Faces Arts isabout providingopportunities forlocal children to discov-er their performing talents. Thedevelopment in their ability and selfconfidence of the children has beenoutstanding. A huge well done to all thechildren who took part. It’s Faces Artstenth anniversary this year and I lookforward to the next 10 years!”

MORE THAN 70 Birstall children took part in two shows bythe locally based Faces Arts performing arts company.

For more information on Faces ArtsSaturday Theatre School, Street Dancesessions, After School Drama, Shake UpToddler session or any of the Summer

Schools during the summer holidays,please contact [email protected],07971423201 or visit the websitewww.facesarts.co.uk

ST JAMES CHURCH will bewelcoming Anne Hughesand the Singing for FunChoir again on Sunday May18 at 7.30pm for anotherevening of music.

A spokesman said: “Those whohave attended one before will knowthat there is something to suit alltastes in music, from classics old andnew, songs from the shows, churchmusic, folk and world music to spirit-uals and pop. And the chance foraudience participation.”

Admission is free. There will be aretiring collection in aid of the Samar-itans and Christians against Poverty,the national money management anddebt counselling charity. St Jamesruns CAP’s free money managementcourses on a regular basis. The nextone begins on Monday June 23 at7.30pm at 7.30pm. If you’d like toknow more about the CAP course,contact Gill on 2120236 or Lesley on2674995.

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It seems a long time since we opened ourfirst nursery on the corner of Park Rd andon checking back it is, in fact, 12 years!

The time has gone very quickly for us andour team of staff and a lot of the childrenwe first knew as babies are now teenagers.With this in mind we thought we wouldtake the opportunity to tell you aboutsome of the things that have happened inrecent times and how we are moving for-ward into 2014 and beyond.

Fun and learning

Group ManagerKate Bryan

Following a disappointing Ofsted inspection, which wecontinue to dispute, (please do read the report online), wewere very fortunate to appoint ournew group manager, Kate Bryan.Kate was previously employed as anOfsted inspector, Inspection TeamManager and Quality AssuranceManager at Prospects, (who inspecton behalf of Ofsted). Kate, for whomnothing but outstanding is accepta-ble, brings with her a significantrange of experience in judging prac-tice against required standards toensure that the children are beingchallenged in order to prepare themwell for school. Kate says, "I amdelighted to be working with thestaff teams at Woodlands & Gables nurseries. Both settingsare forward thinking and committed to providing the childrenand parents with the very best service. Ofsted are concentrat-ing heavily on how the quality of teaching affects children'slearning and we are all determined to move forward to pro-viding an outstanding experience for our children…and to

ensure that theyhave lots of funwhilst learning."

Andrea Elliott,nursery manager,joined us in Janu-ary. Andrea hasmany years' experi-ence in childcareand the vision, andenthusiasm, totake us into thefuture. Andrea isexcited to be apart of the teamand is also pre-paring herself forthe start of herdegree in Childhood Studies.

We would like to tell you about some of the exciting thingsthe children have been up to recently and what we haveplanned for the future. Our outdoor area is continuing to de-velop and now that spring and the better weather have arrived,children are spending more time outdoors. The children havebeen busy re-designing our extensive outdoor area and inter-active natural world environment. They have planted a tunnelusing growing willow and are currently constructing a 'mudkitchen', which allows them to experiment with all sorts ofutensils while getting as dirty as possible (Note to parents -they do wear aprons and wellies!) Children have also put to-gether a 'bug hotel' and are now waiting for the first 'guests' tosurprise them with their presence. The 'guest's' photos will betaken by the children so they can compare how they growover time and which 'guest' wins the biggest visitor award.(Bugs - please go to Trip Advisor for great reviews!)

In March our Inspectors Room children enjoyed a visit tothe Space Centre and all had their photo taken wearing aspace suit. They had been preparing for this for a while andhad made a fabulous display of a space scene, complete withplanets. The children were full of stories about their day butall agreed that the 'spaceman' who took their biscuits wastheir favourite.

Our building is undergoing the usual round of re-decora-tion and we are in the process of having new floors and car-pets put down in some areas. A change of room names hasalso provided children and staff with opportunities to re-deco-rate and children are busy making lots of displays to showwhat they have learnt and to cover the walls.

We are now turning our attention toour annual fete, which will be held onSunday June 29th between 11am and2pm. This year we are supportingVista, the society for improving lives ofpeople with sight loss. The fete willinclude a variety of stalls and a BBQ,so please come and join us and spendsome money supporting a good cause.

If you cannot make the fete thenplease feel free to visit us at any timeas we operate an open door policyand we would love to welcome youand your children into our fun fillednursery.

“We work hardto provide thekind of bespokeservice thatevery parentwants for theirchild”

1 Park Rd, Birstall, LE4 3AXTel: 0116 2675427

Email: [email protected]

MAY 2014THE BIRSTALL POST4 ADVERTISEMENT


BUGSY MALONE was thisyear’s production atStonehill High School

“We’ve got a great cast ofvery enthusiastic and talentedpupils taking part” said teacherHelen Tebbutt.

“It’s a large cast this year of48 and we’ve been able todouble up on some of theroles so that we have a differ-ent Bugsy, Blousey, Louella,Fat Sam and Dandy Dan oneach night. The pupils haveenjoyed being involved in thisand have worked very hard.”she added.

Drop in on Saturday May 10 be-tween 10am – 12 noon at the club onSchool Lane Playing fields in Birstall.All you need are a pair of flat shoes ortrainers as all the equipment is provid-ed.

A club spokesman said: “Everyone iswelcome, and club members will be onhand to offer assistance.

“The club play men’s, ladies andmixed friendly matches against other

clubs in Leicestershire, as well asleague matches and national, coun-ty, parks and internal club competi-tions. The club also has a goodsocial side with various events tak-ing place throughout the year.”

For further details about theopen morning or the club in gener-al, ladies can call Diane on 01162675457 and men can contact Andyon 0116 2677969.

IF YOU would like to have a go at playing bowls, turnup at Birstall Bowling club’s open morning.

THE GARDENS at BelgraveHall are reopening to thepublic for a new season ofevents.

The gardens are open regularly,free of charge, every Wednesday fromApril 2 until the end of September.They will also open on the first fullweekend of each month from 11am to4.30pm.

A spokesman for Leicester CityCouncil said: “Visitors can bring apicnic, take a stroll and discoversome of the unusual plants andshrubs that grow in the garden. Tradi-tional games, such as croquet, areprovided.

“A series of events is also planned,taking inspiration from the hall andgardens. Highlights include a one-daybotanical illustration course, a familymini-beasts nature day and a courseexploring the life of Charlotte Elliswho lived at the hall.”

For more information, contactBelgrave Hall on 0116 2298181. A fulllist of events taking place for the newseason is available atwww.leicester.gov.uk/museums byclicking on ‘Belgrave Hall’.

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New map of Charnwood forestGETTING OUT and exploringCharnwood Forest has be-come a whole lot easierwith a new detailed mapcovering the whole area ona single sheet.

The colourful 1:25,000 OrdnanceSurvey based map, designed by award-winning Northamptonshire-based mappublisher Global Mapping,shows additional footpaths,bridleways and permissivepaths. It also shows publicaccess land and includes infor-mation on places to visit.

It costs £4.99 and is availa-ble to buy locally and online.

Roy Denney, Chairman of theRamblers, Leicestershire & Rut-land Area, is responsible for thenew map. He said: “As so oftenseems to be the case whereveryou are, if you want to exploreCharnwood Forest you find your-self walking off the edge of theOS map. Parts of the Forest arealready well-loved by many Leicester-shire people, but we hope that this lo-cally centred map will encourage them

to exploresome of itslesser knowcorners andbring peoplein from fur-

ther afield, boosting the localeconomy.”

The map is currently available fromBradgate Park, with other outlets to

follow shortly, or online fromwww.mapstop.co.uk

Publication has been made possibleby funding from Leicestershire CountyCouncil, Charnwood Borough CouncilHinckley & Bosworth Borough Council,North West Leicestershire District Coun-cil and the Ramblers Association.Pic: Peter Williams, President of the Coun-ty Ramblers, with the new map

Annual crime figuresRESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES have fallen by 14% in Charnwoodover the last year.

In a statement reviewing policingInspector Paul Harrison, LPU Command-er for the Charnwood Local Policing Unitsaid: “The past 12 months have beenchallenging for us, due to the changes inthe policing model for the Response andSafer Neighbourhood teams.

“As with any change we have had toadapt and revise the way in which wework in order to ensure that our re-sources are used more efficiently than inthe past. This is to prepare us for thechallenges that we will have to face fromfurther cuts of £20million by 2016.

“Evidence based policing, using newand innovative approaches to intelli-gence and tasking, has helped to makeus more efficient.”

Overall crime fell for the second yearrunning, totalling 11% in two years.Theft from vehicles fell by 4%. Burglaryand vehicle crime account for a third ofall reported crime in Charnwood.

There has been a slight increase inreported incidents of antisocial behav-iour (ASB) this year. Over the last fiveyears there has been a reduction inreported ASB of 49%, from 3,177 inci-dents in 2008/9 to 1621 this year.

Inspector Harrison said: “I am verypleased to announce that our PCSO teamare some of the most visible in theForce and spend 70% of their timeworking in the heart of the community.This enables warranted officers to spendmore time using their powers to investi-gate crime, arrest and bring offenders tojustice. Officers on my Safer Neighbour-hood Teams are still able to spend 50%of their time out of the station patrollingthe beat.

“This year I would like to retain thisexcellent record and improve visibility inmy officers to 55% and retain 70%visibility for my PCSOs.”

THE POLICE are investigat-ing an assault and racistincident on a bus inMountsorrel and are ap-pealing for witnesses tocontact them.

The incident took place at about12noon on Friday March 14 on anArriva bus, possibly number 126 or127, which was travelling from Lough-borough towards Mountsorrel. A manon the bus began making racist com-ments towards an Asian family andwhen another passenger intervenedthe suspect assaulted him. The victimreceived minor injuries and didn’trequire hospital treatment.

A 62-year old man has been arrest-ed in connection with the incident andreleased on police bail pending fur-ther enquiries.

PC 1948 Chris Hayton is investigat-ing the incident. He said: “There werea number of people on the bus at thetime that we would like to speak to,in particular the Asian family whowere the subject of racial abuse. Ifyou were travelling on this bus andrecall the incident please get in touch.Any calls received will be treated inconfidence.”

To contact PC Hayton call 101 andfollow the instructions to leave a mes-sage for the officer and when prompt-ed key in the officer’s identificationnumber. Alternatively, contactCrimestoppers, which is free andanonymous, on 0800 555 111.

Racistincidenton bus

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Alex Hallam is 7 years old, and suf-fers with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy(DMD), a severe and progressive musclewasting disease that drastically shortenslife and sufferers can be confined to awheelchair by their late teens. The dis-ease effects 1 in every 3,500 babies borna year - and it is known to specificallytarget boys. DMD is caused by the pro-tein of dystrophin being absent - to youand me, the 'glue' that holds our mus-cles together to make them stronger,isn't present in Alex's muscles which iswhy he has the disease. I was overcomewith shock when I realised that if I hadDuchenne, I would actually be in wheel-chair with a paralysed body all at the ageof 15.

This is Duchenne. This has to stop.I first met Alex and his family in late

2012, not long after Alex's Wish hadbeen established. Seeing such a young,innocent little boy riddled with a lifethreatening disease filled me with so

much anger, I decided I wanted to helpthe Rothley youngster and his family toraise awareness and money into fundingworld class research to find treatmentsand hopefully even a cure for DMD. Sofar Alex's Wish and the Hallam familyhave raised £60,000+ and have doneevents from skydives to pamper evenings.Every penny that Alex's Wish raises goesdirectly into the hands of professionalsresearching the disease. The charity is anon-profit organisation.

Recently DMD has become the subjectof national attention as campaigners havebeen pressuring the Government andleading drug companies into letting suf-ferers with terminal illnesses have accessto treatments before they have been fullylicensed - which can take quite a time.

Alex's Wish has received no end ofsponsors, donations and media coveragesince 2012, and I'm exceptionally hum-bled and proud to say that I have hadthe pleasure of working with Alex andhis family to raise awareness of Duch-enne Muscular Dystrophy. The familytruly deserve some sort of honour fortheir hard work and determination, es-pecially Emma and Andy, Alex's parents,who have the toughest job of all - seeingtheir son fighting Duchenne. But that hasnever stopped them being pro-active andpositive about everything they do fortheir son. Alex's Wish may not be a char-ity you've heard much about, so I amasking all readers of the Birstall Post tospread the word about this amazingcharity and get involved with any activi-ties and even do some fundraising forthem - they deserve it all.

The charity is in for yet another ac-tion packed year and I can't wait to hearof all the good things that will happenbecause of this.

Lots of people look up to people whoare maybe popstars, celebrities, football-ers or actors. And for a very long time Idid too.

But that was before I met Alex Hal-lam.

Paige Bradshaw (age 15)Johnson Road

For a growing number of peopleacross the world, the horror of war is apart of daily life. Right now, fuelled bythe devastating violence in both Syriaand the Democratic Republic of theCongo, the numbers of people drivenfrom their homes by war is on the rise.It stands at 42 million people – an ap-palling statistic and a stain on the con-science of humanity. We can’t turn ourbacks. We must act now.

The good news is that you can makea real difference.

Together we can send people livingin fear this message: you are not alone.We’re with you, helping you to rebuildyour lives, and working for peace.

Together we can reach the 42 millionpeople caught up in conflict and helpthem live a life free from fear.

During Christian Aid week (11–17May) volunteers from churches in Bir-stall will be delivering envelopes tohomes in Birstall and Wanlip. Anythingyou give, however small, will provide thegift of hope to desperate people.

Thank you in advance.Churches Together in Birstall &

Wanlip

Please permit me to use your col-

YOUR SAY...

The Birstall Post welcomes your viewsand opinions on any subject. Letters,which must include your name andaddress, (though not necessarily forpublication) can be posted to: The Bir-stall Post, Longslade College, WanlipLane, Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GH, orhanded in at Birstall library or email:[email protected]

I need to correct an error in thecouncil notes section and think it needsaddressing. As the person from Kilby Avewho tried to organise a grit bin andtalked at a parish meeting about this Ihave to put it on record that, owing tothe unhelpfulness of the [County Coun-cil] Highways Dept, we gave up andbought our own grit, property by prop-erty. If any other roads want info on ourprovider I may be able to help.

Linda Pile17 Kilby Ave, Birstall

Why is it that the premises officers atStonehill School seem indifferent anduncaring about the noise which comesfrom private events held in the building?This lack of consideration to the localneighbourhood is surely contrary toStonehill's own Mission Statement's aimsof developing "self-esteem and promoterespect for other people and the envi-ronment" and fostering "a thriving rela-tionship between School, parents andlocal community"?

The main season of lettings is ap-proaching. The noise level generated bysome events - often at weekends andlate into the night- is at a totally unac-ceptable level for those living in closeproximity to the school. On occasionssuch noise is emitted even though doorsand windows at the school are closed.The mind boggles at the decibels withinthe school! This sort of thing doesnothing to enhance the school's reputa-tion in the locality and is something ofwhich Ofsted should be made aware.For residents who suffer from this un-necessary intrusion the number to ringis 01509 634627, the Charnwood'sCouncil Environmental Protection sec-tion.

Name & address supplied

Who spends what must be at least£13,000 building an access track noone wanted (and only a handful of peo-ple will use) across a park when thereis already a perfectly good access track?

Who ignored their Community En-gagement Strategy?

Who in the process removed parkbenches, chopped down a tree in fullblossom and then claimed they haven'tgot the money for grit bins or bus shel-ters?

What would happen to anyone elsewho vandalised benches and a tree?

Answers on a postcard please toBirstall Parish Council.

Name & address supplied

A very big thank you to the kindpeople who helped me when I faintedand fell in Sibson Road especially Jadeand Brandon

Barbara Steward

umns to request that the person whodeposited a large red plastic ball with afunny face on it in our front garden toremove it. I regret that we can find nouse for it. I have no doubt that someoneelse may be in need of it.

Dr D A C McNeil721 Loughborough Road, Birstall

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‘Jesus ChristSuperstar’Wed – Sun June 25-29Curve Theatre, LeicesterThe seminal ‘rock-opera’ and de-picts the story of the last sevendays in the life of Jesus of Naza-reth through the eyes of JudasIscariotContaining a varied score of hitsongs such as ‘I Don’t Know Howto Love Him, ‘Heaven on TheirMinds’ and the title song ‘Super-star’, the show is a rousing exam-ple of musical theatre at its best.Tickets £13.50 to £18.50 plustransaction fee*£2.50 discount for under 16s,over 60s, and registered unem-ployed*transaction fee is £3 for all cardpayments made online, by tele-phone and in person at our ticketdesks. Excludes Curve members,groups 10+ and customers print-ing tickets at home

Birstall & District ArtSocietyTuesday May 13 at 7pmYou are invited to join us at thePalmer Tompkinson Centre atLongslade College to watch re-nowned professional artist JeremyFord giving a watercolour demon-stration entitled ‘Landscapes’.Come along and see if you will beinspired to try your hand at thiswonderful and fulfilling hobby.Refreshments available at the in-terval Demonstration to end at9pmMembers: £1, Guests £3. Freeraffle. Ample parking and wheel-chair access

The 86th BluebellServiceSunday May 11 at 3pmService to take place at the GreatPit, Swithland WoodsPreacher Rev Louise Corke, TeamVicar Newtown LinfordMusic accompaniment WellbeckCollege BandCollection for local charity TBAAll welcome

Open ChurchFor tea, cakes and sale of second-hand books at St Leonard’s ChurchSwithlandSaturday & Sunday May 10 & 112-4.30pmDonations in aid of church funfundsAll welcome

St James Gospel ChoirDo you want to join a choir wherethere are no auditions, sing Chris-tian and popular songs and makefriendships?

Then come along to our next prac-ticeFriday May 16 at 7.30pmSt James Church, Birstall

Belgrave CemeteryOn A563 near Red Hill Island

Open DaySunday July 6from 10am to 3pmFollow a self-conducted trailof World War I casualtiesCemetery record informationBring & buy stallRefreshmentsAll are welcome

Safe SpaceCounsellingWe have been operating our coun-selling service, called Safe SpaceCounselling fromSyston Methodist church and fromBirstall Methodist church for oneyearThere are four counsellors, alltrained in the person-centred tra-dition and each session lasts forabout 50 mins and a fee of £10 isaskedIn this last year we have seen anumber of people with a variety ofdifficulties and of all ages. Allclients have been satisfied withthe service and many have gainedconfidence in their lives whichhave improved as a resultWe see any individual who needssomeone to talk to and who be-lieves that talking things throughwith someone who is neutral inthe situation and unknown tothem will be of helpAnyone is welcome to contact usand the telephone number is07938 779477, email address:[email protected]

et,website:www.safespacecounselling.org.uk

Britain Does Vintage

Vintage FashionMarketCity Rooms, LeicesterMay 18, 10.30am – 4.30pmLive music, afternoon tea, beautyparlour, vintage traderswww.britaindoesvintage.co.uk

Coffee Morning &Plant SaleRothley Centre, Mountsorrel LaneSat May 10, 10.30am to 12noon£1 entrancePlants for sale include: begonias,salvias, impatiens, petunias, cin-erarias, antirrhinum, trailing lo-belia, nicotiana and gazania,verbena, spirea bridal wreath &Weigela rubyMany other items available

Nosh & NostalgiaTuesday May 20 at 7pmRothley Centre, Mountsorrel LaneRothley & Thurcaston British Le-gion invite you to come and jointhem in their annual get togetherand celebrationSupper cooked on the premisesSongs from the shows and VeraLynn classics£12.50 per person from NormanPratt 0116 2375254Early booking advisable

Film Presentationsfrom Thurcaston & Cropston ParishCouncil‘Sunshine on Leith’Friday May 9 (100 mins)This romantic comedy is an up-

beat happy musical with manysongs by the Proclaimers. Twofriends return to Scotland from atour of duty in Afghanistan. Theyagain enjoy their girl friends’company while Davy and Liz’s par-ents celebrate their 25th weddinganniversary. However, thereemerges a dark secret from thepast.‘12 Years a Slave’Friday June 13 (134 mins)June’s drama won this year’s Os-car for Best Film. It is based on anincredible true story of one man’sfight for survival and freedom inpre civil War United States ofAmerica. When a freed black manis sold back into slavery, he facescruelty but also unexpected kind-nesses. The director, Steve Mc-Queen, has created a masterpiece.‘Saving Mr Banks’ Friday Septem-ber 12Have a good summer!Thurcaston and Cropston ParishCouncil will be showing thesefilms at Thurcaston Memorial Hall.Starting at 7.30pm, tickets cost£4.50 and concessions are £4.The price includes refreshmentsand a lucky prize draw. Advancetickets can be purchased via theparish office - 0116 236 7626 orat the door.

Birstall Gala 2014Saturday June 28 & Sunday June29This year’s Gala will be held overthe weekend June 28 & 29 andonce again, by popular demand,se will be accepting bookings forstalls for both the Saturday andSunday, in fact bookings are al-ready being takenIn previous years we have hadover 70 private and charity stalls,and so if you or your organisation

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would like to have a stall, standor some space to promote yourbusiness or charity, please contactthe parish council offices for theappropriate forms and any furtherinformation you may require byphoning 2676191or email: [email protected] you can download the formsfrom our website:www.birstall.leicestershireparishcouncils.orgNot sure whether you want a stallor not? Take a look at last year’sGala photographs to help youmake your decision, a brilliantweekend was enjoyed by all andthe feedback was superb frommembers of the public and stall-holders for both days

Birstall& DistrictSociety Local HistoryThe next meeting of the Society isto be held on Thursday May 8 at7.30pm in the Birstall VillageHall, Birstall Road, BirstallThe talk will be ‘You Are All LivingHistory’ given by Felicity AustinAll visitors are very welcomeParking is available on the BirstallPlaying Fields via the School Laneentrance

Events at BirstallLibrary in MayWomen in the Great WarThe 3rd in our series of lunchtimetalks to celebrate the centenary ofWorld War I this one deals withthe role of women, those who vol-unteered abroad but also those onthe Home FrontThursday May 8 from 12.30-1.30pm£3 (£2.50 for library members)Pre booking is advisableRoald Dahl EventStories and crafts for 5-10 yearolds based on the stories of RoaldDahlTuesday May 27 from 2.15-3.45pm£1.50 per childPre booking advisableWorld War I RoadshowLeicestershire Libraries havejoined forces with Charnwood Mu-seum and Loughborough CarillonWar Museum to conduct a numberof free RoadshowsMembers of the public are invitedto bring along any memorabilia

relating to the First World Warsuch as objects, documents, pho-tographs which will be discussedand identified. Valuations cannotbe given.Owners may be given the opportu-nity to have their items displayedat eitherLoughborough Library or Charn-wood MuseumBirstall Library on Thursday May15 from 2-4pmAfternoon Tea ReadingGroupA new venture at Birstall Libraryon the 3rd Monday of the monthfrom 2.15-3.15pmIf you are interested in books andreading come along and have achatCraft GroupMeets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdayof the month from 10.30-11.30am. A friendly, informalgroup for crafting and chatting £2per session

Tea DanceBallroom, sequence, Latin and jiveFriday May 16, 3.30-5.30pmBirstall Village HallBirstall Road, Leicester LE4 4DH£3 inc refreshmentsCome along to a great afternoonof music and dancing and excel-lent companyAll welcomeFor more details contact Joan on07718519480or email: [email protected]

Bipolar CoffeeMorningA coffee morning is being held toraise funds for Bipolar UK, thenational charity supporting indi-viduals and families affected by

bipolar, sometimes known asmanic depressionSaturday June 21From 10am to middayMethodist Church Hall, WanlipLane, Birstall LE4 4JSTea & coffee will be served along-side a number of stalls which willinclude cakes, plants, nearly newgoods and a tombola

Life Education Centres Leicester-shire

2nd Ladies FashionShowThursday May 22 at 7pmFashion show clothing comes froma selection of popular high streetfashion outlets, with an opportu-nity to purchase items. All cashand card payments acceptedCome and find something new forsummerTickets £5 each to includetea/coffeeBirstall Village Hall, Birstall Road,Birstall, Leicester LE4 4DHLife Education is a charity workingin schools with children and youngpeople assisting them in theirdevelopment in self confidenceand knowledge in making healthychoices. We are trying to raise£20,000 to celebrate 20 years.

Birstall WatermeadTennis ClubOpen DaySunday June 2210am to 1pmCo-op Sports & Social Club, Bir-stall RoadAdults, Junior, Families welcomeHalf-price membership on the dayMeet the coach, members, havefun

200 Club Winners forApril1st Mrs June Crebbin2nd Mrs Monica Lucas3rd Mrs Rita Cowham4th Mrs Joan Folland

Birstall MethodistWomen’s Monday Night Group

Coffee MorningSaturday June 7from 10am to 12noon at the cof-fee shopPlants, cakes, tombola, books etcAll proceeds to: Girls Brigade,Boys Brigade, Age Concern Bir-stall, Youth Café

Birstall Flower ClubMay 28Birstall Village Hallat 7.15pmDemonstrator: Jean Fordham‘Memories of Village Life’Visitors welcomeEnquiries to Sylvia 2674206 orMary 2672247

All Together ServiceSunday June 1 at 10amSt James Church, BirstallYou are warmly invited to ourshort monthly family-friendlyserviceThe theme for this month is ‘Giftsand Fruits’

The Parish of Birstall and Wanlip

Coach Outing to YorkSaturday June 21Leaving Birstall at 9amDeparting from Birstall and WanlipCoach Outing to YorkSaturday June 21Leaving Birstall at 9amDeparting from York at 6.30pm

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Cost £18Optional Cathedral TourFor further information contact2675086

Concertwith ‘Singing for Fun’directed by Anne Hugheson Sunday May 18at St James Church, BirstallSomething for everyoneFree admissionDonations in aid of The Samari-tans and Christians Against Pover-ty

Highcliffe PTA presents

Bingo NightWednesday May 7 at 7.30pmElmfield HallHighcliffe Primary School, ElmfieldAve, Birstall£1 per strip or £5 for six stripsBYOBReserve your space athighcliffebingo.eventbrite.co.uk

Highcliffe Primary School

Summer FairSaturday June 21, 1-4pmBake Off, Tombola, Inflatables,Entertainment, Guest Appearanc-es, Craft Fayre, Car Boot SaleIf you would like a stall at thecraft fayre, or a car boot pitch,please [email protected]

Tai ChiClasses with Laraine TuckerStarts April 29First two classes freeBirstall Methodist Church RoomsWanlip Lane, LE4 4JSTuesdays 1.30-3.30pm£7 per classTerm time only. One term payablein advanceFor further information call 07779434 742Email:[email protected] pearlstaichi.co.uk

Highcliffe AmateurTheatrical Societypresents

‘The Queen and I’The hilarious comedy bySue TownsendThursday, Friday, Saturday, June12,13 & 14at 7.15pmHighcliffe School, Greengate Lane,BirstallTickets £6 (£5 Concs)Box Office 0116 2209594 or 01162128757Email:[email protected]’t delay, book today!

Mountsorrel Methodist Churchpresents the 5th in the 13th seriesofSunday Night @ Eight

Organ RecitalsSunday May 18 at 8pmby Domonic O’Connor-RobinsonKent Organist

Admission freeDonations for church’s develop-ment fundBuffet from 7.30pm

CLASH 2012Free Exercise Sessionsfor individuals with arthritis andany other musculoskeletal (MSK)conditions.Tuesdays 1-2pm General FitnessSessionsand Wednesdays 1-2pm ChairBased Exercise SessionsSports Hall, Peepul Centre, Or-chardson Avenue, Leicester LE46DPCall Karen for further informationon 07954584402CLASH 2012 a UK Online centre,providesBasic computer trainingat its After School e-learning ses-sions held at Longslade Communi-ty College in the PalmerTomkinson Centre, Thursdays dur-ing term time only 3.30-4.30pm.For further information pleasecontact Conrad 07919844629 orMark 07801718908At the CLASH 2012 monthly meet-ing on Wednesday May 14 from7-9pm at the Palmer TomkinsonCentre – Dr Graham Basten, DMUAssociate head of the school ofAllied Health sciences

Birstall MethodistThursday Group

Coffee Morningat Birstall MethodistCoffee Shop, Wanlip LaneFrom 10am to 12noonOn Saturday May 6Cakes, books & puzzles,tombola etc

AS PART of a big member-ship drive in 2014, BirstallWatermead Tennis Club is tohold another open day, thethird this year.

The event will be held on Sunday,June 22 from 10am until 1pm and is anopportunity for those who were unableto attend the previous two open days tosee what the club has to offer.

For those interested in joining on theday, the club is offering 50 per cent offmembership fees - as long as they havenot been a member in the past threeyears.

Based at the Co-op Sports and SocialClub on Birstall Road, the club has threeall-weather floodlit courts, and wel-comes youngsters, adults, and families.

A spokesman said: “At the open day,bring a racket or borrow one from theclub and really get in the swing of theaction. You will be able to meet clubcoach Laura Morley and chat to mem-bers.

“It will be a perfect time of the yearto join, with Wimbledon fortnight start-ing the following day to get everyone inthe mood.”

To find out more about the club, visitthe new website:

http://birstallwatermeadtennis.co.ukTeams are now busy with summer

leagues having just begun at the end ofApril. There are no fewer than sevenjunior teams, two ladies, four men's, onemixed and two veterans' teams enteredthis summer.

A FIVE year contract, worth£5million per year, hasbeen signed to give counciltenants new kitchens, bath-rooms and heating systems.

Wates Living Space will be deliver-ing the improvement programme forCharnwood Borough Council startingin April 2014.

Every year, over the next five years,Wates Living Space will install over500 new kitchens, and 400 new bath-rooms. In addition, over 70 heatingsystems will be upgraded in 2014 andinsulation products will be installed.

Councillor Jane Hunt, the Council’sCabinet Member for Housing andRegulatory Services, said: “We’repleased to officially start the contractwith Wates Living Space to make theseimprovements for our tenants.

“Wates won the contract after atough, eleven-month long selectionprocess and after careful considera-tion from our tenant representatives.We’re confident they will provide anexcellent service.

“We were impressed by their levelof customer service, commitment toquality and provision of job opportuni-ties and training for local people”

Anyone with any questions aboutthe improvement can call 01509634666

Tennisclubopen day

Councilhomeplans

APPLICATION FOR VARIATION OFPREMISES LICENCENOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENThat Birstall Parish Council has appliedfor a licence to use the premisesknown as School Lane Playing Field,Birstall for the purpose of RegulatedEntertainment (Live Music, RecordedMusic and Performances of Dance) forthe Birstall Gala 2014:28th June & 29th June 2014Dated: 1 May 2014Any objections or representations inrespect of the application should bemade in writing to the Deputy Partner-ship & Customer Services, CharnwoodBorough Council, Council Offices,Southfield Road, Loughborough, LE112TX. Representations/objections mustbe received by: 29 May 2014The applicant will be supplied withcopies of any objections. A record ofthe application can be inspected atthe Council Offices at the aforemen-tioned address during normal officehours. It is an offence to knowingly orrecklessly make a false statement inor in connection with an application.Any person found guilty of such anoffence shall be liable on summaryconviction to a maximum find in thesum of £5,000.00.

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BIRSTALL AND Wanlip WI met at 7 pmon April 7 as 24 ladies held theirmonthly meeting in the communityrooms at Highcliffe School.

As usual we sang Jerusalem and dis-cussed past, present and future business.Some of us reported back on the AnnualCouncil Meeting where speaker Bill Tidywas apparently bestowing kisses on every-one and the Bradgate Group meeting host-ed by Leicester Ladies WI (a young CityWI). The latter was a wonderful eveningwith the secretary of the Richard III societyas speaker and ending with a ‘Leicester-shire supper’.

This year is the WI centenary and abaton is being passed from County toCounty. Leicestershire will exchange withNorthamptonshire on October 11 at FoxtonLocks when each WI will form a chain ofbunting down the locks. We were all givenan individual piece of bunting to decoratefor our chain. We hope to display thisbunting at our Methodist Church Coffeemorning on June 14.

We will play Groby WI on May 19 in thefirst round of our annual Skittle Tourna-ment.

Our speaker was Wendy Martin whotalked to us of Life In a Masai Village andChristine Siddons won the competition cupfor the second month in a row with ‘Out ofAfrica’.

We meet again on May 12 when we willhold a Resolutions meeting and DeborahSpencer will talk to us about StiltonCheese. The competition will be a ‘StiltonCheese Recipe’.

From Birstall & Wanlip WI

Inspector says planfor more houses

Charnwood Borough Council hasbeen preparing its Local Plan for severalyears – it sets out how much develop-ment is needed in the borough between2006-2028.

At a two day hearing in March, Plan-ning Inspector Kevin Ward ruled that:“…the Core Strategy has not been posi-tively prepared, it is not justified oreffective and it is not consistent withnational policy in respect of overallhousing provision. It is therefore notsound…”

The Inspector did rule that Charn-wood had met its duty to co-operatewith neighbouring authorities while pre-paring its Core Strategy.

The evidence that Charnwood’s plan-ners used to produce the number of17,380 new homes was questioned byInspector Kevin Ward. He suggested thatevidence may be out of date and indicat-ed that a 2011 report projected 19,470homes were needed.

Figures produced at the hearing bydevelopers Gladman and Jelson suggest-ed that a housing figure of between22,000 and 22,770 up to 2031 wouldbe necessary.

Cllr Peter Osborne is Rothley’s County

Councillor and also a Borough Council-lor where he chairs the Plans Commit-tee. He said: “From the Inspector’sreport it seems Charnwood will have tofind more sites or increase the housingnumbers in identified areas. What peo-ple want to know [is] where is the extrahousing going to be and can they byinvolved.

“Melton Borough Council has shownthe way forward having withdrawn theirinitial plan. They have involved thewhole community in future decisionsand it will be a real community strategywhen presented.

“What concerns me is a potential freefor all, pepperpotting of applications,with little local control. It seems that thisis what the government wants – centrali-sation. It is the direct consequence ofwhat our MPs voted for. And yes, as aresident, I feel let down.”

The Inspector has suggested that theexamination of the Core Strategy besuspended for nine months to allowCharnwood to work with all the districtsin the county and Leicester City to pre-pare a Strategic Housing Market Assess-ment – more up to date evidence offuture housing need across Leicester-

shire.Borough Councillor David Gaskell

(Birstall Watermead) said: “I am disap-pointed with the Inspector’s report butnot totally surprised. We were firmly ofthe opinion our housing figures wereright and we will be asking the Inspec-tor for clarification. We want to do whatis best for Charnwood – we will getthere but it will be a hell of a lot ofwork in a very short time.”

Rothley’s Borough Councillor DianeWise said: “Yes, the housing figures willgo up – we are all living longer, thenumber of single households is increas-ing and there is immigration. I can un-derstand people will be disappointed butI don’t blame our planning officers -central government are giving them aremit and they are doing their best tofulfil it. It has also been extremely diffi-cult to get any sort of agreement orconsensus about where new homesshould be built.”

A PLAN to build 17,380 new homes in Charnwood has beenrejected by a government Planning Inspector because hethinks that figure may be too low.

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“I like playing outside with lots of things, Ilike to see my friends and I really like circletime and talking”

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Held on Bank Holiday Monday May5, this year the decision has been madeto donate the funds raised to BirstallParish Council’s Youth Café. It was start-ed six years ago when a need for ameeting place for the young people ofBirstall was identified.

Charlotte Foy from the White Horsesaid: “The support that the people ofBirstall have shown over the past fiveyears - raising over £16,000 - helps tounderline a granite-like community spiritthat the day of the Duck Race embodieswonderfully. There simply would not bea Duck Race without the support oflocal people. It’s an entertaining day forthe family but it is the generosity of theBirstall people that shines through and

has helped raise funds for over 10 localcharities to date.”

She added: “As well as the renownedDuck Race, there will be the usual fami-ly mix of stalls. For the sweet-toothedamongst us, there will be a cake and asweet stall. There'll be a book stall forall of your holiday reading, a card stallfor those cards you forgot to buy overthe Bank Holiday weekend, and a coupleof Pop up shops by local business’s. Butit doesn't end there, the self-sufficientnature of the day will be furthered bythe presence of a stall from the BirstallYouth Café themselves. They will berunning a craft stall featuring items thatthe young people of Birstall have made,to further increase funds raised on theday.”

Other attractions on the day includeface painters, a visit from Peppa Pig, abouncy castle, a tombola, hook-a-duck,penalty shoot-out, donkey derby andstocks to ensure that all ages and tastesare catered for. For those that prefer anoval-shaped ball to a round one, therewill be a visit from Leicester Tigers’mobile stall.

Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre’sPaddle Plus will be running bell boatrides on the canal - providing a first-hand opportunity to experience the wild-life that the area offers.

There will also be an additional stallto raise funds for a young girl calledEffie Hadman, who has Batten Disease -a rare neurodegenerative disorder thatbegins in childhood. There will be mem-bers from the group in attendance onthe day - aiming to raise the profile ofthe disease and promoting a CoffeeMorning being held at the White Horseon Saturday May 10.

Ducks are available now from theYouth Café and The White Horse. Thereare cash prizes to be won to the value of£100, £50, and £25 as well as manyother prizes donated by local businesses.

“Ducks can also be bought on theday, so come on down on May 5 andjoin in the fun!” said Charlotte.

For more information, speak to amember of the White Horse team direct-ly by either visiting the pub, calling 01162671038, or going online towww.thewhitehorsebirstall.co.uk

BIRSTALL’S SIXTH annual White Horse duck race promisesthe traditional mix of aquatic drama, stalls as far as theeye can see and food and drink served throughout the day.

A BIRSTALL pre-school held an Easter bonnet parade andhad more than 50 entries.

A spokesman for Acorn Under 5’ssaid: “The weather was good whichenabled the children to show their hatsin the glorious sunshine.” After singing aselection of Easter songs to families andfriends, Mr McFarland, the receptionteacher from Highcliffe Primary, judgedthe entries. All the children won a choc-olate bar and three children received

Easter eggs.In first place was Ava Jackson, sec-

ond place was Benjamin Kay and thirdplace went to Antonio Fernandez.

Everybody enjoyed refreshments after-wards and the proceeds of the event aregoing towards buying new tables in theclassroom for the children.Pic: prizewinners Antonio, Benjamin andAva

BIRSTALL BAND 8MilesHigh willbe performing at this year’sGlastonbudget Festival.

Now in its tenth year the festivaltakes place at Turnpost Farm in Wymes-wold from May 23-25.

www.glastonbudget.org

Acorn’s Easter fun

Band play festival

Quacking good timeat duck race

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BIRSTALL PARISH Councilheld its annual meeting onApril 7.

Chairman Ann Marshall introducedthe new look annual report for the yearending March 2014, a 14 page docu-ment that sets out the duties and re-sponsibilities of the Parish Council, theachievements over the year, projects forthe year ahead and reports from theEstates team manager and the senioryouth worker.

The report also includes a list ofcouncillors and information on the Par-ish Council finances. It is available fromthe Council offices, Birstall library or onthe Parish Council website.

Cllr Ann Marshall said: “We are readyto listen to what people have to say, wewant people to tell us the good things aswell as the bad. I can honestly say thatall the parish councillors are here tocontribute to and improve the village.”

She identified the annual gala andChristmas lights switch on as the councilrun events that bring the village together.

She said: “As a parish council, thereare not many things we have to do, buta lot of things we can do.” One schemethe council is progressing is a plan toprovide up to four defibrillators acrossthe village each costing £2000. Anotherproject for the year ahead is planningthe new community hall at Hallam Fields– architects are currently drawing upplans.

Cllr Ann Marshall reported that afrequent complaint from the public wasdog waste on the playing field, and dogsoff the lead. She said that the council islooking at employing someone to en-force the byelaws.

She said: “We are here to do ourbest for Birstall and to do that we needthe support of the community.”

A member of the public commentedthat Birstall is a nice place to live andthe School Lane playing field is the jeweln the crown. He said a visiting Belgianfriend had been impressed and hadwalked round the village taking photosto take back home.

A full meeting of Birstall Parish Coun-cil was held on April 14.

Roy Rollings was co-opted to fill avacancy on the council.

PC Dave Jaeckels reported there hadbeen a break-in at Longslade Collegeand two lead thefts from the roof of StJames Church.

Cllr Simon Sansome attended themeting with seven residents who allwanted grit bins. Chairman Ann Marshallsaid that Parish Councils can providegrit bins but that they have no obligationor duty to do so. In the past they havebeen provided by the County Council.Installation of bins requires a site in-spection and a risk assessment – theymust not obstruct the pavement.

Cllr Ann Marshall said that there area lot of things the Council can do in thevillage but we have to decide what ourpriorities are. One priority at the mo-ment is to provide defibrillators in thevillage. She said that there had not beenany icy roads this winter and that motor-ists need to be sensible about wherethey park and where appropriate, con-sider parking at the bottom of the roadif their house is on a road with a slope.This happened in the Roman Road area

of Birstall she said.A member of the public then got up

and said: “This getting us nowhere, I’moff” and left, accompanied by Cllr San-some and six members of the public.

Cllr Ashton commented that the dis-cussion had not ended satisfactorily –there was no clarity for the members ofthe public what their options are regard-ing grit bins. Cllr Howe said the councilneeds to discuss each year what ourpriorities are, we should consider allsuggestions. We have given the impres-sion we have rejected out of hand thesuggestion to provide grit bins, he said.Cllr Ann Marshall said that since thecounty had decided it would no longerinstall grit bins it had not formally de-volved the service and clarity was need-ed on who now had the responsibilityfor providing it.

Cllr Iain Bentley reported on a sitemeeting on Meadow Lane with localauthority officers. The County Council isfirmly against culverting the ditch. It saysit will pay half of any fence, but erosionof the ditch means the fence posts couldnot be secured for any length of time.

A resident has raised the problem ofdogs fouling and dogs off the lead onthe School Lane playing field. Cllr EdMarshall reported that he had stoppedand spoken to many dog owners on thepark reminding them of the byelaws. Itwas reported that the Council intendedto employ a dog warden to enforce thebyelaws.

It was reported that a new section ofsteel fence around the School Lane play-ing field will be erected on June 9, in-stallation will take seven days.

Cllr Ann Marshall said she was disap-pointed that only seven residents hadattended the annual meeting, that thecouncil would try the same informalapproach next year and hope morepeople will come.

It was reported that volunteers wereneeded to help as marshals at the gala.

Cllr Rollings reported that the travel-ler family currently occupying the Green-gate Lane site would be evicted bybailiffs in the next two weeks.

The village noticeboards have beeninspected by the Estates team and fourhave been condemned and removed.They will be refurbished and re-in-stalled.

The entrance fee for this year’s galawill be £1, the same as last year. TheCouncil has received funding of £3000for this year’s gala from the Edith Mur-phy Foundation. This year’s Christmaslights switch on will be Friday December5.

since 1977, is counting the days untilthey move into their new home. “Ourcustomers have supported us loyallyover the years in a building that is nowtired and outdated, so I can’t wait to beable to serve them in this fantastic newenvironment” she said. “There’s a realbuzz of excitement around the place.We’re going to have the best equipmentand top of the range counters in one ofthe best food halls in the country – andwe’re looking forward to welcomingcustomers, old and new, to our newhome from May 23.”

The new food hall is the first phaseof a £9.2million scheme that will trans-form Leicester’s historic market.

Subject to planning permission, workon phase two could be under way inJune, with the old indoor market demol-ished by early 2015 The new square thatwill replace the indoor market, and anextension to the rear of the Corn Ex-change, are due to be completed in thesummer of 2015.

Parish Council notes

Less than 12 months after contractorsstarted on site, all external works havebeen completed – with the zinc roof,matching fascias and the building’s 86glazed panels all in place.

“What we’re creating here is a fantas-tic new food hall which will be a tre-mendous draw for local residents andvisitors to the market” said the City May-or Peter Soulsby. The building itselflooks stunning and I would like to per-sonally thank the designers and thecontractors – including many local busi-nesses – who have done such a greatjob. It’s been a very difficult site to workin and I know that the team has had toovercome some huge problems to get towhere we are today.”

The eight stalls, selling meat, fish anddelicatessen produce, have been de-signed to meet the traders’ individualspecifications, featuring bespoke foodcounters that will help keep the freshproduce in optimum condition.

Alison Ireland of Sherwin’s CheeseStall, which has been on the market

LEICESTER’S NEW food hall – a glass and timber building next tothe Corn Exchange at Leicester Market – will open to the publicon Friday May 23.

New food hall opens

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THIEVES ESCAPED witha large amount of cashwhen they attacked theATM machine at a Bir-stall bank.

The incident took place justafter 4am on Tuesday April 15 atBarclays Bank in Sibson Road. Aglass window was smashed and theATM was forced open. A largequantity of cash was stolen from themachine.

Two men were seen leaving thepremises in a Vauxhall Vectra whichwas later found abandoned in Rec-tory Road, Wanlip.

The thieves appeared to haveused gas to attack the ATM. A com-bustible gas is combined with oxy-gen and injected into the ATM. It isignited from a safe distance in or-der to break into the ATM’s vaultand only takes a few minutes. Thethieves left the gas equipment at thescene.

Detective Constable 4174 ClareMoore is investigating the incident.She said: “If you heard or wit-nessed anything suspicious thatmorning on Sibson Road pleasecontact us.

“The car was found abandoneda few hours later and has sincebeen recovered for forensic analy-sis. If you saw someone leaving thevehicle in Rectory Road, Wanlipsometime during the early hours ofthe morning then please get intouch.”

Anyone with any information inrelation to this appeal is asked tocontact the relevant officer on 101,follow the instructions to leave amessage and when prompted key inthe officer’s identification number.Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers,which is free and anonymous, on0800 555 111.

WORK TO construct two new,permanent gypsy and travellersites on the edge of Birstall isdue to begin this summer.

The city council is set to release funding of£390,000 from its capital programme towardsthe development of the sites at Redhill Wayand Greengate Lane.

The rest of the investment will come fromthe government’s ousing and communitiesAgency (HCA)Housing and Communities Agen-cy (HCA) which is providing £1.44million.Both sites are expected to be ready for occu-pation by the end of March 2015.

Rental income from the 16 pitches on thesites will cover their running costs. The run-ning costs are expected to be £60,000 a year,and rental income £65,000. the surplus willcover rent arrears and unlet pitches. Therewill be six pitches at the Greengate Lane siteand 10 on Redhill Way. The sites will be man-aged by the city council.

Leicester’s City Mayor Peter Soulsby said:“The development of these new facilities willhelp us to address the ongoing and costlyproblem of unauthorised camps in the city.The release of funding is the final stage inwhat has been a very thorough process and Iam pleased we have reached a point wherework can soon begin.”

Lindsey Richards, Head of Midlands Southfor the HCA covering Leicester and Leicester-shire said: “This funding will help the citycouncil to satisfy its legal duty to try to meetthe accommodation needs of Gypsies andtravellers in the city. We are looking forwardto the completion of both sites next year.”

The Homes and Communities Agency is alsofunding the council’s refurbishment of itsexisting gypsy and traveller site at MeynellsGorse. Work to its 21 pitches will start later in

A PETITION calling for a new pri-mary school to be built at HallamFields has been submitted toLeicestershire County Council.

The petition has more than 250 sig-natures and was started by Birstall Bor-ough Councillor Simon Sansome.

Developers Jelson are required toprovide a contribution towards the newschool and the County Council are nego-tiating with them on how they will pro-vide additional school places. Theoriginal Section 106 agreement statedthat Jelson would provide £2million fora primary school and recreation centre.

the year and will be completedby March 2015.

The two new sites were to have beenmanaged by Framework Housing Associ-ation, but under the Mobile Homes Act ahousing association would not have thesame allocation rights as the council.

The City Mayor has written to theSecretary of State on two occasions toask him to amend the legislation but noamendments have been made. Frame-work will therefore act as the develop-ment agent for the council but will nothave management responsibilities.

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Now the warmer weather has finallyarrived people will leave their doors andwindows open so just be aware thiscould be an opportunity for intruders toenter your house.

Gardeners will also be busy so re-member not to leave your gardeningequipment out over night, also if you aredoing flower tabs use cheaper ones.

Some of the younger generation canbe very irresponsible regarding theirpush bikes and scooters, so parents takeyour children’s bikes and scooters to the

Watch Shop on the 3rd Saturday of everymonth where they can be post codedand this will be kept on police record.

To raise extra income towards thecost of summer hanging baskets and theChristmas lights would people take theiraluminium cans and glass bottles to therecycling bins behind the Co-op store.This recycling raised £1471 last year.

From Birstall & Wanlip Neighbour-hood Watch 2676397

quickly surrounded and apprehended.When interviewed later he admitted 2 ofthe break-in’s as well as a drugs offenceand was subsequently charged and givena custodial sentence, which was an ex-cellent result all round. Our thanks goout to the person who called in thatnight as without their help this personmay well have got away.

Recorded drugs offences have in-creased from none in February to 3 inMarch. This was partly due to the inci-dent mentioned above as the personarrested had a small quantity of drugs inhis possession however it is also due tothe fact that our pro-active team basedat Syston have completed a number ofdrugs warrants in Birstall lately duringwhich some small amounts of cannabishave been found. Please be advised thatwe do take drug use very seriously andif you are concerned about people usingdrugs in your area please report it via101, so that we can follow this up and ifnecessary obtain and execute warrantsunder the misuse of drugs act.

Our priority looking at speeding onWanlip Lane and Birstall Road has un-fortunately been quite slow getting offthe ground, mainly due to issues sur-rounding staffing and equipment, howev-er we are hoping to resolve these issuessoon so that we can start doing somework on this priority in the near future.

Lastly, we have a new CommunitySupport Officer who has joined the Bir-stall Beat team. PCSO 6048 Adam Loy-dall will be dividing his time betweenthe Birstall and Anstey beats and willhopefully soon become a familiar facearound the villages.

And as always, remember to reportany suspicious activity or behaviour toeither the Police on 101 or to your localNeighbourhood watch Co-ordinator.

From PC 1759 Dave Jaeckels &Pcso 6611 Mark Butler

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The club is always looking for newmembers, both ladies and men. It or-ganises a ‘Chummy’ night on Mondays at6pm when you can learn more aboutthe game and have a go. You will need

flat soled shoes.The club is situated on Birstall Road,

Birstall and organises social events aswell as bowls games and competitions.Pic: Bowls club members wearing Easter bon-nets at their coffee morning

NHW news& crime report

Crime Figures Birstall & Wanlip,March 2014

Assault 4, burglary 3, burglary non-dwelling 4, damage to motor vehicle 5,drugs 3, fraud 2, public order 1, theft 4,theft from motor vehicle 3, theft fromstore 2

REPORTED CRIME has fallenthis month with a total of 31crimes reported in Birstall andWanlip during March comparedto 34 in February.

The number of break-in’s to houses(Burglary dwelling) has again remainedfairly constant at 3 offences however wedid see a slight increase in the numberof non-dwelling burglaries with a total of4 offences being reported during March.Having said this, 3 of these actually oc-curred on the same night at the sametime and as a result of the quick think-ing of a local resident who called thePolice after seeing a male on top of theSibson Road shops. This male was

A NEW Asda store will openon Abbey Lane, Leicester onJune 9.

The store, on Exploration Drivenear the National Space Centre, isexpected to provide 260 new jobs.

Asda have provided funding fornew business work spaces on AbbeyLane and a new footbridge across theRiver Soar, next to the Space Centre.

ST MARGARET’S Co-operative Ladies Bowls Club held a cof-fee morning and an Easter bonnet competition, which waswon by Joan Breward.

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Christian Aid weekThe annual Christian Aid week is one

of the most important events in earlyMay. These days we all receive throughthe letter box, requests for money fromvarious charities, some of which we’venever heard of. Christian Aid does notapproach people in this impersonal wayand instead a team of volunteers, mostlyfrom the local churches, will visit localhomes with envelopes for donations.

All of this money goes direct to peo-ple in need in the poorest countries ofthe world, to help them to establish waysof supporting themselves. The people ofBirstall and Wanlip have always beengenerous in their response and it ishoped this will continue, even as weemerge from a recession. On SaturdayMay 3, there will also be a Christian Aidcoffee morning and sale of plants andcakes etc (with raffle and tombola,) atthe Methodist Coffee shop from 10am.

The parish churches expect a busyweekend May 10-11 when the partner-ship of churches, to which Birstall andWanlip belong, have an extended visitform the Bishop of Leicester. The futurefor village churches in the area will beparticularly under discussion, and waysin which parishes can help each other.

There will also be social events withopportunity to meet the Bishop and onSunday May 11, there will be afternoontea at St. James at 4pm followed byEvensong with the Bishop at 6pm. Allwill be welcome at the events. If youwish to know more, a leaflet is availableat the church or take a look at ourwebsite www.birstall.org

Christian Aid WeekIn the week of May 10 to 17, mem-

bers of the four churches in Birstall &Wanlip which make up ‘Churches To-gether in Birstall’ will be taking part in‘House to House Collections” for theworlds poorest people. It is still a scan-dal that 870 million people are in des-perate need of food!

If you get a red envelope through thedoor, then do please contribute & handit back to the volunteer who will call.

Alas there are not enough volunteersto collect in every road in Birstall &Wanlip. So if you don’t get an envelope,do contribute through the many othermeans that are available. If you can offerto help with collecting, please contactMary on 267 5154Displays – Not Stalls

By way of clarification, in April’sBirstall Post it was suggested therewould be stalls at the Methodist Churchon the day of the Birstall Yard Sale (July5). There will in fact be only one stall –and it will be selling garden plants.Apologies for the confusion.

There will however be ‘displays’ inthe church where all groups using thepremises are invited to ‘show-off’ whatthey do. These displays will not beselling anything.

Discussion TopicIn April we discussed the meaning of

the Cross on Good Friday and thismonth we consider the Resurrection ofJesus Christ from the dead on EasterSunday and His Ascension back intoheaven, which is celebrated this year onMay 29. Again, there are many viewsheld by people about these events, whichare so important in Christianity. Somepeople question, for example, whetherthere actually was a Resurrection, whileothers suggest it was spiritual ratherthan physical. There may also be someconfusion between the two events. Ourdiscussion topic is: “Resurrection andAscension: what is the evidence for andthe significance of these events?” Thisdiscussion is open to individuals of anydenomination or religion (or none) andis free of charge. It is expected thatparticipants will show respect for others’views. If you would like to attend thismonth’s discussion, then please contactthe number given below to register yourinterest and state your preference forday(s) and time(morning/afternoon/evening) and wewill get back to you with an agreed date,time and venue.Sunday Services

These services will be in the Commu-nity Room at Highcliffe Primary School(LE4 3DL) and begin at 10.45am andwe will be pleased to welcome you toany of them. Looking ahead, please notethat we are not able to use the schoolon June 1, so please ring for the venuefor that day.

Further information : please ring0116 2214883.

From Anne Taylor, Birstall IndependentBaptist church

A MONEY managementcourse at a Birstall churchwas so popular it is beingrepeated.

The CAP Money course is devised bythe charity Christians Against Povertywhich trains churches to help peoplelearn how to set a household budgetand stick to it.

It challenges people to live withoutrelying on credit cards, tackle existingfinancial problems and save for a stablefuture.

A spokesman said: “It has beenfound to be useful for all ages fromnewly retired people, to soon-to-be stu-dents, families saving for a forthcomingwedding and people with loans anddebts who want to get straight.”

One of the recent course attendeessaid: “I wasn’t too sure if I would everbe able to take back control of my fi-nances. Taking part in the course every-one was very friendly, helpful,knowledgeable and most of all non-judgemental! I feel that it has had apositive effect on my whole life not justfinancially. I want to make every pennycount. I feel very excited about the fu-ture. Thank you so much!”

CAP Money coaches, Gill, Lesley andElaine said: “We’re glad to say we’ll werepeating the CAP Money course – whichis free to attend – starting on Mondayevening June 23 and for the followingtwo Monday evenings. We would urgeyou to get in touch if you want to bringsome order to your finances.”

To find out more about the CAP Mon-ey course or to book your place visitwww.capmoney.org. or tel: 267 4995 or267 3030.

News from the churches

P/14/0739/2: 16 Hallam Avenue – pro-posed two storey extension to dwelling-house including demolition & rebuilding ofgarageP/14/0735/2: 33 Johnson Road – singlestorey rear extensionP/14/0626/2: 239 Birstall Road – erectionof single and two storey extensions to rear,porch and detached garage and boundarywall and gate to front of dwellingP/14/0638/2: Highcliffe Primary School,Greengate Lane – erection of wood pelletstorage siloP/14/0637/2: 44 Fieldgate Crescent –erection of a single storey extension toside of dwellingP/14/0629/2: 79 Woodgate Drive – erec-tion of a single storey side and rear exten-sion and conversion of garage with monopitchedP/14/0616/2: 470 Loughborough Road –the erection of a single story rear extensionextending beyond the rear wall of the orig-inal house by 3.6m, with a maximum heightof 3.6m and height to the eaves of 2.4m

Planning

Moneymanagementcourse

Finally, a new venture at Wanlip de-serves special mention: Old Nick’s Coffeeshop is open at Wanlip Church roomson Tuesday morning, May 20 from10am. Why not give it a try?

From Beryl McHugh, Parish churches

Refreshments will be available all dayin the Coffee Shop.

The day of the Yard Sale seemed anideal opportunity for the church to joinin this community event in this way.Church AGM

The Annual General Meeting of Bir-stall Methodist Church takes place onSunday June 11 at 4pm. All membersand friends are welcome. It will be anopportunity to hear reports from stew-ards, our minister and our treasurer.Also the latest on the re-ordering of theworship area and entrance.

From Tony Moore, Birstall Methodistchurch

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WELL THE season has justbegun and the first homegame is being eagerlyawaited.

Birstall 1st XI take on Ratby Town2nd team on Saturday 3rd May. BVCChas not played Ratby Town in a leaguematch as far as my records show, butwe will relish the new challenges.

New 1st XI team captain Jon Gaydonhas already made his mark on theteam bringing in two new players,all-rounder Gavin Mayhew who re-joinsthe club from a few years away. He hastrained hard to make a strong earlystart to the season. Opening bowlerKyle Thomas looks to strengthen the1st team attack. He has joined fromUniversity and has already shown hewill be an asset to the team. Jon hasalso acquired two new sponsors for theclub in Aroma Spice, the local Indianrestaurant who wants to be a part ofsome social events throughout the year.William Hercock Ltd, the local DIYstore is also supporting the club andwe look to continue to use their facili-ties to further improve the aesthetics ofthe clubhouse.

A lot of work has been done overthe past month to the clubhouse in-cluding painting the outside. The clubhas used their traditional club coloursof bottle green with a black trim. Theoutdoor nets are now ready to use andclub looks to run a weekly nets sessionevery Wednesday evening.

Birstall still welcome any new play-ers who would like to join the club.Any interested players can contact JonGaydon 07717533690 (senior team) orJoe Carnan 07827332601 (under17’s).Early season dates to keep in mind

Wednesday evenings (6 – 7.30 pm)– Training Birstall park, BVCC outdoornets.

Sat May 3: First home game in Bir-stall. (1st XI vs Ratby Town 2nd XI)

Sat May 10: 2nd XI vs ShepshedMessengers 2nd XI

Sat May 17: 1st XI vs MountsorrelCastle

Sat May 24: 1st XI vs CroftThurs May 29: Birstall Vipers vs

Shepshed (6.30pm start)Sat May 31: 2nd XI vs Croft 2nd XIAll welcome to support the club and

enjoy a cold beverage from the bar!From Joshua Saye, Birstall Village

Cricket Club

A COMPLAINT about a Birstall Borough Councillor has beenrejected.

CricketCorner

Birstall Parish Council Clerk SueCoulson complained to Charnwood’sMonitoring Officer that Cllr Simon San-some had breached the members codeof conduct.

The complaint was that commentsposted by Cllr Sansome on the SpottedBirstall Facebook page were untruthful,selective, challenging, disrespectful tothe Parish Council and councillors,judgemental and selfrewarding/gratifying.

The complaint also alleged that CllrSansome’s comments indicated his rolewas to monitor, challenge and ridiculethe Parish Council in the public eye. Hiscomments related to issues he hadraised at a meeting of Birstall ParishCouncil when he had requested theCouncil install grit bins and considerrecording council meetings.

The Code of Conduct requires thatholders or public office must be truthfuland treat others with respect.

Charnwood’s Monitoring Officer Adri-an Ward considered the complaint andrejected it. He ruled that the issuesraised by Cllr Sansome in his Facebookposting were legitimate and that thewording used by him was not disrespect-ful in any way. He said that the regula-tions Cllr Sansome referred to in respectof recording meetings were not applica-ble to Parish Councils and that Cllr San-some had offered to issue a correction.

The Monitoring Officer’s report alsoincluded the view of an independentperson, who advised that social network-ing sites are not the appropriate placefor reporting council business.

Cllr Sansome said: “I went to my first

Birstall Parish Council meeting as thenewly elected Borough Councillor andinstead of being welcomed I found aformal complaint was made about me. Ifelt insulted and disappointed. I wouldlike to work with Birstall Parish Councilto get things done for the community.”

Birstall Parish Council Chairman AnnMarshall said: “We accept the decisionof the Monitoring Officer and regret thatCllr Sansome has not yet issued a cor-rection as he said he would do. We willcontinue to try and work with him in thefuture.”

THE WANLIP wind turbinebegan turning in mid Febru-ary but didn’t start generat-ing electricity until February26, says Severn Trent.

A spokesman said: “Until now [Feb26] the wind turbines blades have beenmoving slowly without generating power.That’s because installing wind turbinesisn’t quite the same as plugging in lightsat home.

“Since the structure has been erectedextensive testing has taken place. Engi-neers have also worked through thewettest winter on record.”

The wind turbine at Wanlip wasnamed Windy by class one of Rothleyprimary school and the class will bevisiting the turbine this spring.

The turbine is one of four located atthe company’s sewage treatment works,with two in Derby and one inNewthorpe, near Nottingham. It is ex-pected to generate 5000 megawatt hoursof electricity for the water treatmentworks.

Renewable energy specialist at SevernTrent, Jon Beeson, said: “The team con-structing the turbines have pulled out allthe stops to get them generating poweras quickly as possible. With Windy’sblades turning and producing power forthe first time we’re making history herein Leicestershire – as the tallest struc-ture in the county now generates clean,renewable energy.

“We’re a responsible company andwe already generate almost a quarter of

A CERAMIC celebration willtake place in Loughborough asthe town welcomes the fifthannual Ceramic Market.

From 11.30am on Sunday May 18for one day only, Loughborough willwelcome 44 stalls selling all thingsceramic, from pots to plates andsculptures.

This year there are new stall hold-ers, as well as some seasoned pros,and I know there will be an excitingrange of hand-crafted designs” said aspokesman.

Ceramics in Charnwood will alsohave a charity stall for Cancer Re-search and Ataxia UK, selling plantpots

A BIRSTALL woman is backinga campaign that aims to helphorses suffering from neglect.

Pam King joined a group of protestorsthat travelled to London on April 16 tohold a peaceful protest at the Houses ofParliament.

The Help the Horses campaign is de-manding that DEFRA stop relying on theRSPCA to tackle the horse welfare crisisand come up with an enforcement processthat works.

The campaign was started after neglect-ed horses were found in a field close toFosse Park, Leicester.

Pam said: “It is not just happening inLeicester, it is happening to horses all overthe country, so much so that charities saythey cannot cope with all the horse neglectcases they are receiving. We want the own-ers to be shamed into caring for theseanimals and being prosecuted if they donot provide them with their basic needs –food, fresh water and a safe environment.”

More details: Google: ‘help the horsesof Fosse Park’

Turbinestarts togeneratepower

Continued on back page

Complaint aboutcouncillor rejected

Ceramicmarket

Horsewelfarecampaign

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us generating a thirdof our energy fromrenewable sourcesby 2015. We’vethought carefullyabout the resourcesthat we have as acompany. Before weinstalled any of thewind turbines, wecarried out windtests at 5,000 differ-

ent sites – fromthat number, lessthan ten provedto be suitable toinstall large windturbines.

“As well asreducing ourcarbon footprint,by generatingmore renewableenergy we help toprotect our cus-tomers from

future energy price rises. The renewableenergy we produce today means that ourpower bill is reduced and this helps usto make sure that our customers contin-ue to have the lowest combined house-hold water and sewerage bills inEngland and Wales.”

He added: “We hope that the localcommunities welcome the wind turbinesas their neighbours. We understand thatsome people find them beautiful andsome people don’t. We’ve done all wecan to help residents understand thereasons why they’ve been constructedand the benefits they’ll bring.”

Severn Trent Water has donated morethan £100,000 to benefit local commu-nity organisations and schools in thefour areas that the turbines have beenconstructed. As part of this the RothleyCentre is having solar panels installed tohelp reduce its power bills, and im-provements have been made to the vil-lage hall in Wanlip.


our energy from renewable sources,including crop digestion, water andsewage gas power. The wind turbinesnow add to this and will hopefully see

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LOST: granddaughter’s pink Princesswatch in Birstall village on TuesdayApril 15. Please contact 01162677372

Photo taken from Watermead Court(flats next to the Co-op, Wanlip Lane)

TAKE PART in a charity cycleride through the Charnwoodcountryside to help raisemoney for a local charity.

The Charnwood Forest Cycle Ride isback for its fourth year on June 22, spon-sored by the Woodies pub and Bradleys.

Spokeswoman for the charity Alex’sWish Emma Hallam said: “Please comeand join in, you’ll get your healthy dose offresh air, enjoy spectacular views aroundthe stunning Charnwood Forest whilst cy-cling for an incredibly worthwhile cause.It’s a fabulous opportunity to get back intocycling again after the winter months, sowhether or not you are a keen cyclist,there’s never been a better time to dust offyour bike in time for the summer months.

“The route is all on open roads and iswell signposted with marshal points atevery junction. The circular route startsand finishes in Rothley village and hasbeen carefully chosen to ensure maximumsafety and enjoyment. At the end, you’ll betreated to complimentary yummy homemade cakes and refreshments – a perfectthought to get you through the ride.”

The route is a sponsored ride in aid ofAlex’s Wish, a registered charity set-up toraise vital funds for an incurable childhoodmuscle wasting disease called DuchenneMuscular Dystrophy. Alex is an 8 year oldboy from Rothley who was diagnosed withthe condition in 2010. Alex’s Wish areinvesting in innovative medical break-throughs to help all children lead a longer

more fulfilled lifewith the aim offinding a cure.

The eventorganiserswould alsowelcomevolunteers tomarshal and

help out withrefreshments on

the day. If you areunable to ride but would like tohelp, please get in touch.

To register a discounted early-birdentry fee is £20 which includes an eventpack with your sponsorship form and toptips, a complementary t-shirt to wear onthe day, refreshments on the day, cakes atthe end of the ride. A late-entry fee of £25will apply if you register on the day.

The easier and quickest way to registeror to download the registration form is tovisit the event website atwww.charnwoodforestcycleride.co.uk. Youcan also pick up a registration form atyour local post office or [email protected] requesting one beposted out to you.

THE BIRSTALL POSTYOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Longslade College, Wanlip Lane,Birstall, Leicester LE4 4GHEditor: Mr Jerry Jackson

Editorial/Advertising (Tel & Fax)

0116 2674213Correspondence, news etc

can be handed in at:Birstall Library or to our office in the

Youth Centre,Longslade College, Birstall

[email protected]

Small ads are 25p for the first 16 words. 17-32words: 50p. Enclosing payment, post your ad to us orhand it in (inside an envelope) at Birstall library.

Trade/business rates for small ads are 25pa word. You are liable for the trade/businessrate if you are offering a service for which youare asking for payment, or if you are advertis-ing new goods for sale. All text will be printedbold. Box outline £1 extra. Max 50 words.Phone numbers count as one word.

Small Ads

John Rigley sent us this photo of theturbine and invites readers to guesswhere it was taken from (answer atthe end of this article)

Charitycycleride

Turbine continued from page 19

The June issue ofTHE BIRSTALL POST

will be published on May 31.The copy deadline is May 16.

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