Village Centre Enhancements

The Parish Council is pleased to announce that the first stage of enhancements to the central area of the Village has now been completed.

The Leicestershire County Council has undertaken works to the surface and street lighting within Borough Street. The paths have been re-surfaced and replacement granite and sandstones kerbs have been laid. The environmental enhancements have improved the accessibility for wheelchair and pushchair users complying with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. New Heritage lighting columns have been erected, to which the Parish Council has contributed. Bulk buying savings obtained by the Leicestershire County Council have been passed onto the Parish Council, thus, freeing money to continue with enhancements being programmed for the Market Place. The Parish Council felt quite strongly that the Conservation Area of the Village should have these Heritage style lighting columns and not just the standard columns. These have now all been painted in a dark green as befits the Conservation Area of the Village.

During the summer months the Parish Council arranged for a display of summer flowering hanging baskets – which have brightened up the environment even more. The Parish Council would like to express its sincere gratitude to the various businesses who have contributed towards these displays for this season, namely the Co-op Store on Borough Street, the Midlands Co-op on Trent Lane, the HSBC Bank and the Borough Street Doctors Surgery. The Parish Council is now looking to extend the scheme for the winter months in order to make it an annual display for the Village.

Through their maintenance budget, the Leicestershire County Council is now proposing to extend the pavement improvements to the Market Place and Market Street and has very kindly offered to assist the Parish Council in designing improvements to an area in the Market Place. The Parish Council has agreed to enhance this area by the proposed extension to the path area in the Market Place and the placing of a much needed stopping point – a seat – for the parishioners to use on their way up Market Street to the shops in Borough Street. It is intended to place additional street furniture, a directional finger post for the village attractions in this area, a new litter bin and three bollards for safety and make it a feature point for the Village. Also, existing cast iron bins which are dotted around the village will be enhanced and re-painted in line with the enhancements to the central area.

Further to these enhancements the Parish Council has now agreed a new display for Christmas lighting with wall and lighting column-mounted artificial type festive trees with across-street displays at the entrance of the Borough Street shopping area. The theme has again been carried through by using traditional designs and displays.

The aim of all the enhancement work is to introduce a theme, a feeling of ownership and belonging – a feeling of PRIDE IN OUR VILLAGE.