Groby Spotlight Magazine August 2020

IMPORTANT GROBY PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE - SEE CENTRE PAGES

Roxanne and her dancers brighten up Marina Park!

IF YOU WERE on Marina Park at 2pm on a sunny Sunday last month you may have seen an unusual sight ... a dozen ladies all wearing sparkly hip belts and dancing to Middle Eastern music.

The previous day was the first time during Covid that outdoor classes were allowed, so myself and some of my students decided to have a class followed by a social distancing picnic.

All went well, but I’m sure everyone will be happy to get back to class in August where they’ll be mirrors, toilets and no audience!

Roxanne Dinsdale

this issue HELP TO BUY - 3 • LOROS CALENDAR - 4 GO LEARN - 5 • GARDENING SOCIETY NEWS - 7 NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN - 8 • NATIONAL TRUST - 9 GROBY SURGERY NEWS - 10 • WILD FLOWERS - 11 COUNTY COUNCILLOR OZZY O’SHEA - 12 • PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - 14 & 15 • CAT NEWS - 16 COMPENSATION ADVICE - 17 • ALLOTMENTS - 18 GLENFIELD MILLENNIUM GREEN UPDATE - 19 • GROBY SCOUTS NEWS - 20 • LOUIS PASTEUR - 21 BOROUGH COUNCILLOR MARTIN CARTWRIGHT - 22 HEADS OUT OF THE SAND - 23 • SMALL ADS - 24 BOROUGH COUNCILLOR TED HOLLICK - 27

Sean sets up a new football coaching enterprise in Groby Hi, my name is Sean Wilton from Groby and I have just set up my own 1-2-1 football coaching business within the village and surrounding area.

Over recent years I have coached in numerous places for numerous teams gaining experience at many different levels.

During lockdown I had the idea of setting up my own business. It took a long time planning and thinking things through but I am now in a position to launch.

Alongside my business, I study at South Wales University learning about football coaching within communities. This covers areas of sports science, nutrition, P.E. teaching and football coaching itself.

I am studying for my degree with Derby Community Trust - this is also who I now work for, as I coach with their Girls Regional Talent Centre, where I have learnt a lot.

Many friends and family have supported me along the way, I really appreciate it and thank them - I could not have done this without you all!

I have been lucky enough to meet and coach alongside Danny Bray and Ryan Hamilton. Both these lads have been fantastic in supporting me on my new venture and I cannot thank them enough.

I am hoping to help other coaches and players progress with their needs.

I would love for people reading this to check out my social medias where I will be posting content as the weeks go by.

For more information you can get in touch with me through these platforms, or give me a call.

Instagram: @swperformancecoaching Facebook: SW Performance Coaching Tel: 07443 939559

Groby needs a Neighbourhood Plan to guide future housing development

Groby needs more houses like these newly completed affordable homes, but where should we build them?

Find out why a Neighbourhood Plan for Groby is essential - and how YOU can help - on pages 8, 14 & 15 inside

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON 19TH SEPTEMBER • ADVERT & ARTICLE DEADLINE IS 5TH SEPTEMBER

2

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby & Field Head Spotlight

Letter Speeding is more of a problem than lighting on Sacheverall Way NOT EVERYONE is impressed with the new street lighting on Sacheverell Way. This scheme has cost many thousands of pounds which would have been better spent on speed reduction methods on this dangerous road and would have made it much safer.

PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT

Telephone

01530-244069 Email us at: info@ grobyspotlight.co.uk Visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk 3,500 copies distributed 11 times a year (no issue in July) to homes and businesses in Groby, Field Head and The Brantings.

Compiled and published in the Parish of Groby & Field Head.

Printed in Ellistown by Norwood Press.

The Spotlight is a monthly compilation of articles, press releases, events, general items of interest and news items submitted to us by local residents, groups, associations, sports clubs and local authorities.

The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Spotlight Production Team. The inclusion of any group or organisation in this publication does not necessarily imply a recommendation of its aims, methods or policies.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight cannot be held responsible for the information disclosed by advertisements, all of which are accepted in good faith.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience caused as a result of error or omission.

Groby & Field Head Spotlight reserves the right to amend, shorten or refuse to publish articles and/ or advertisements submitted for publication.

All contents © Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

None of the articles contained in this magazine are to be reproduced in any way without first obtaining written consent from Groby & Field Head Spotlight.

NEXT ISSUE OUT ON: 19th September 2020 DEADLINE: 5th Sept 2020

The speed of motorist on this stretch is phenomenally high. Peter Batty mentioned a speed of 114mph being recorded in one traffic survey. We back on to this road and constantly see and hear many cars driving at well over 40mph and this has reached phenomenal levels during the Lockdown. It now appears to be a Race Track and we’re often, when driving at 40mph, overtaken by speeding cars.

There are now, with the new footpaths, 2 pedestrian crossing points on the fastest stretch of the road. A tragedy waiting to happen.

The occasional use, for a few hours, of speed monitoring vans is simply inadequate to deal with the problem.

There has already been one person killed on this road due to excess speed “and that was when the road was fully illuminated”. Do we need more before something is done about this very dangerous road?

Even when the old lights were removed the road was adequately illuminated, especially at junctions, for even night time joggers & cyclists (who should be wearing Hi-Vis gear and carry lights) but it appears the Vote Grabbing option has been chosen instead of dealing with the very real danger of excessive speeding.

So come on Ozzy, let’s see you do something about it.

Alan Axon Groby

County Councillor Ozzy O’shea replies: THE STREET lighting columns on Sacheverell Way were removed following structural testing works which identified that corrosion had significantly weakened their structural integrity.

Changes to the national guidance regarding how roads are illuminated were made and a decision was made by Leicestershire County Council not to replace this equipment.

I joined local people in their campaign to reverse this decision and identified additional funding culminating in the new lighting scheme being completed. I have always taken road safety as a priority as a retired police officer and the reintroduction of the Street Lights have added to that safety along Sacheverell way.

Sadly, many drivers in our own and neighbouring communities do not consider their actions and choose to drive at inappropriate speeds. I will continue to engage with the Police regarding future enforcement activities who have voiced their concerns about increased speeds in national forums.

I asked the police community road safety camera team to monitor speed along Sacheverell Way and for the past few years they have attended to monitor the speed as a community concern site.

It is important to stress that the 114 mph figure attributed to Mr Batty cannot be corroborated from recent surveys and this is far from normal behaviour. Having spoken to Mr Batty, this information was passed to him by the local police officers some 10 years ago. A speed survey completed in 2017 found unacceptably high average speeds although these had reduced significantly following increased enforcement activity on the route (2019 Survey).

Sacheverell Way is also an HGV route, and is an emergency diversion route when the A50 is closed. In light of community concerns, I have requested additional speed monitoring by the Council’s Highways Department which will be undertaken after the schools return in September.

Sacheverell Way is enjoyed by many local people as a leisure route for exercise and active travel. Having spoken with officers there is no obligation for these users to wear hi-vis clothing and no evidence of wider safety concerns in this location. Officers have also checked their recorded data which comes from the police. Since 2016 there has been one reportable injury report in 2019, the fatality mentioned occurred in 2008.

Finally, the County Council has made grant funding available for local communities. The funding is available to all Parish Councils and any members of our community can ask the Parish to consider measures which they think are required or should be considered. One of these measures could be for example Vehicle Activated Signs or additional mobile ones. I have already raised this with the Chairman of Groby Parish Council.

Yours sincerely Ozzy O’shea

Has lockdown damaged YOUR EYESIGHT?

ARE YOU suffering from ‘coronavision’? It is perfectly possible.

Lockdown led to many of us staring at our television or computer screens for long periods of time. And that could have strained our eyes, warns the College of Optometrists.

By this summer one in five adults in Britain had reported a deterioration in their eyesight.

Symptoms include blurred vision, difficulty in focussing, and red or painful eyes.

As one optometrist explained: “Working from home, video calls with friends and family, watching more TV, time spent looking at your phone – all that screen time adds up. The good news is that this is unlikely to cause any permanent harm to your vision.”

Nevertheless, the College urges people to get their eyes checked if they feel on-going discomfort.

They also advise that when you are looking at a screen, you rest your eyes every 20 minutes, blink regularly, use eye drops, position your screen below eye level and increase the size of the text.

I always thought orthopaedic shoes were overrated, but I stand corrected.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Help to Buy extended THE GOVERNMENT has confirmed an extension to the Help to Buy equity loan scheme in England to ensure buyers do not miss out due to delays after the pandemic.

The government has announced that the deadline for homes to be finished in order for buyers to benefit from the equity loan scheme had been extended by two months to 28 February 2021.

The scheme was originally due to come to a close for new buyers on 31 December 2020 but there were concerns buyers could “miss out” if they face a delay in construction due to the coronavirus. Buyers will still need to legally complete their purchase by 31 March 2021 to qualify for an equity loan.

David Hannah, Founder and Principal Consultant of Cornerstone Tax, discusses the implications of the extension of Help To Buy: “This extension is undoubtedly positive for first-time buyers looking to get onto the property ladder after the disruption caused by the COVID lockdown. Since its inception, 81% of first-time buyers have used the scheme, boosting housing supply by 74% since its introduction. These types of schemes are vital to helping to get the property market moving again after a slowdown.

“Other incentive schemes such as stamp duty changes or relief have historically done very little to get the market moving again and there is no reason why it would help this time around either. It has been and still is a poor tool for managing market behaviour.

“Other ways to help these people get on the property ladder could include government-backed purchase mortgage guarantees for borrowers. I believe this would be a great way to reinstall confidence in the lending market.

“If the term of these guarantees were for five years, for example, the inflation of the housing market during the medium term would wipe off any negative equity on those properties. This would give the market some security again, help buyers, and get the market moving again.”

RUGS - we are CLEANING SPECIALISTS traditional Persian or Chinese, Gabbeh or Kilim, we even love Wiltons and Shaggy ones!

Hard floor cleaning On site curtain cleaning Rugs, including oriental and antique All types of upholstery, especially leather

01530 244900 Q 07825 795558 www.sjscarpetcleaners.co.uk CHECK OUT QUALITY OF OUR SERVICE ON SJS GOOGLE REVIEWS FOR BOTH LEICESTER AND LOUGHBOROUGH

The dinner I was cooking for my family was going to be a surprise but the fire trucks ruined it.

3

4

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Letter

Groby’s Phantom Fly Tipper I READ with interest the letter: “Who Is Groby’s Phantom Fly Tipper” prominently displayed on the front page of the MidJuly edition. While I in no way support fly-tipping I must point out a few errors in the piece.

Firstly rubble (broken bricks, ceramics, concrete etc - commonly called “hardcore”) is not allowed in any of the bins (and especially not in garden waste!) In fact the same is true of soil. To try to dispose of it at one of the tips that are open at the moment would cost £3.00 per bucket or part thereof.

Secondly calling the phantom flytipper “lazy” is hardly appropriate: s/he is hardly lazy if “This has been happening over several days, not all in one go” as they have obviously been taking relatively small amounts out regularly and patiently.

Maybe “thrifty” might be a better description of them.

I would like to add a little tip - the pun is not entirely unintentional - for the “phantom fly-tipper” (and anyone else with unwanted hardcore): Wigg’s Farm just outside Battram accepts clean hardcore (ie just hardcore, no bags and no wood, rubber etc mixed in with it) free of charge. You’ve just got to get it there.

Victor Juszkiewicz, Groby

Time for a Smile

I saw a kid earlier with a hairy face and horrible beady eyes. Saying that, I suppose it’s normal for a goat.

LOROS reveals winning photos in its calendar competition

Space 2069

By David Whitehouse

LOROS Hospice has unveiled the spectacular winning images in its photography competition to create the LOROS 2021 Calendar.

An urban canal towpath and a very inquisitive cow join more traditional images of a snowy park at dusk, and a beautiful baby deer.

Gary MacMillanDale, retail manager at LOROS said, “These stunning images show all sides of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We hope there’s something for everyone to enjoy here, from lovely sunsets to poppy fields to waterfalls. It’s a reminder of how beautiful our counties are.”

The pictures will form the LOROS 2021 Calendar which will be sold in the charity’s shops to raise essential funds.

The twelve winning images were submitted by local amateur photographers who wanted to use their talents to support LOROS. Many of them had personal connections to LOROS and memories which inspired them.

Dave Capella, whose photo of swans and their cygnets will be June’s image, said, “A good work friend of mine was in LOROS a few years ago. It’s a fantastic cause and I’m proud to be part of this to help raise funds.”

Chris, who supplied May’s image said, “LOROS is a great, local charity. A couple of years ago a close friend of my mum’s died at LOROS. She used to babysit me when I was a kid and I have fond memories of her.”

Gary adds, “Hearing these stories made us realise that LOROS really is at the heart of our community, and people love having an opportunity to show their support. We’re so grateful for that.”

The calendars will be available to purchase from October.

NEARING half a century since the last Apollo mission, mankind has yet to return to the Moon, but that is about to change.

With NASA’s Artemis program scheduled for this decade, astronomer David Whitehouse takes a timely look at what the next 50 years of space exploration have in store.

The thirteenth man and the first woman to walk on the Moon will be the first to explore the lunar south pole – the prime site for a future Moon base thanks to its near-perpetual sunlight and the presence of nearby ice.

The first crewed mission to Mars will briefly orbit the red planet in 2039, preparing the way for a future landing mission. Surviving the round trip will be the greatest challenge any astronaut has yet faced.

In the 2050s, a lander will descend to the frozen surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa and attempt to drill down to its subsurface ocean in search of life.

Based on real-world information, up-to-date scientific findings and a healthy dose of realism, Space 2069 is a mind-expanding tour of humanity’s future in space over the next 50 years.

A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Enrolment now open for adult learning courses

5

Reach your learning goals this year with GoLearn

CLASSES IN YOGA, cookery, pottery, British sign language, confidence building and many more are now available from Leicestershire County Council’s adult learning service, Go Learn.

Hundreds of part-time day, evening and weekend courses are now open for enrolment as GoLearn continues it’s committed to helping learners to achieve their goals, despite the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.

A mixture of classroom-based and online courses are available for enrolment from today (Monday 3 August), with all learners receiving expert help and support, with tutors on hand to provide all the guidance and expertise needed.

Richard Blunt, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for heritage, leisure, and arts, said: “The courses we are offering can make a real difference to people’s lives. There are courses designed to help learners get back into the job market, improve their maths and English, support their children’s learning and improve their health and wellbeing.

We have taken all possible precautions to ensure that our classroom-based courses are safe for learners and all centres will adhere to Covid-secure procedures. There may be many changes because of the ongoing restrictions, but we won’t let them get in the way of people achieving their learning ambitions.

The courses on offer range from one-off two-hour sessions to 15-week or 30-week programmes, and with 20% off the cost if you sign up before 1 September – there’s nothing to lose!

Sign up today at: www.leicestershire. gov.uk/golearn For the first time this year, GoLearn is offering the new Essential Digital Skills Qualification, which is aimed at complete IT novices to help them in the digital world.

There are also free courses available for people who are seeking work and looking to gain basic skills, including planning first steps towards employment, increasing confidence, help with job search, CV writing and interview skills, as well as English and maths GCSE. Benefit recipients or on a low income can get up to a 70% discount on course fees or may be entitled to attend for free.

The Leicestershire Adult Learning Service can also be contacted on 0800 988 0308 (lines open Monday – Friday 8am-7pm) to find out more about the courses, fees or the option to pay in instalments.

Time for a Smile On dating app: ‘Princess, having had sufficient experience with princes, seeks frog.’

This morning I saw a neighbour talking to her cat.

It was obvious she thought her cat understood her.

I came into my house and told my dog.

We laughed a lot.

About a month before he died, my uncle had his back covered in lard. After that, he went down hill fast.

6

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

More Words of the Month HERE ARE a few more of the words being used increasingly in interviews , with dictionary definitions: COHORT - a group of people who share a characteristic, usually age: “This study followed up a cohort of 386 patients aged 65+ for six months after their discharge home.”

DISINGENUOUS - not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.

“This journalist was being somewhat disingenuous as well as cynical.”

ALGORITHM - a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problemsolving operations, especially by a computer.

“A basic algorithm for division.”

GASLIGHT - to manipulate (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.

“In the first episode, Karen Valentine is being gaslighted by her husband.”

Letter Why am I not allow to ride my bike around the Park?

“Why am I not allowed to ride my bike around the park?”

This was the question asked to me by my 5 year old son when visiting Stamford Memorial park last week.

The ‘powers at be’ have deemed it appropriate to plaster ‘No Cycling’ signs at each of the entrances of the park. This is the park where my son learned to ride his bike. My wife and I actually encourage him to do a lap of the park each day on his bike for exercise in this safe environment.

The paths lead to the cycling ramps at Marina Park. These ramps are an excellent facility that the village offers its children. How are they expected to reach them without riding their bikes? Are we seriously being asked to travel by road or push bikes on the way to the bike ramps? I suppose there is always the car!

Riding on the road is always my preferred option but if travelling on bikes with my children, I will use these paths. People building confidence on bikes need safe paths like these, away from the increased risks on the roads.

With the recent increase in cycling’s popularity during the past few months, Groby needs to be enhancing its cycle network, not restricting it. In Ozzy O’Shea’s July Spotlight article I was surprised to learn that the path on Sacheverell Way was not a shared cycle and footpath. This is the perfect place to introduce a cycle path, there is room for considerate cyclists, runners and walkers to use safely, away from the busy road.

There will always be the odd inconsiderate cyclist. But there are also inconsiderate runners and inconsiderate dog walkers, we can not discourage cycling because of this. Parks are a space for all of us to use together and there is plenty of space for all if we act responsibly. Can the signs please be replaced with ‘respect other park users’.

Local Cyclist

I do like to be beside the seaside!

FOR CENTURIES, many doctors have sent patients to the seaside to recuperate, believing that a bit of seaside air was good for them. Now the government agrees: a day by the coast does indeed have a therapeutic effect on you.

A recent study by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has found that people who spend time by the sea reported increased happiness and better general health. They were also more physically active during their visit, compared with visits to other types of environment.

Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, said spending time by the sea “has a welcome impact on our wellbeing.

This makes it all that more important that we take care of our environment.” In England, we make 271million recreational visits to the sea each year, and more than 22million of us live within five miles of the coast.

Just burned 2,000 calories. That’s the last time I leave brownies in the oven while I nap.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

GROBY GARDENING SOCIETY NEWS AS YOU will be aware, the Covid-19 pandemic continues with varying severity.

The city of Leicester has now been brought out of its extended lockdown, although there is no guarantee that it will not be put back into ‘special measures’ should the situation deteriorate. A local lockdown is possible anywhere, and Groby would not be exempt from such action.

The committee have decided that there will be no meetings held for the remainder of this year. The AGM is scheduled for January 2021, and I will keep you informed via the Spotlight of any changes.

Current social distancing guidelines would make any meeting of the Society quite problematic, even if we were allowed access to the church rooms. It would be almost impossible to operate a one-way system of entry and exit, and it’s likely that we would only be allowed around 12-15 people in the hall, far fewer than the 40-50 that we normally welcome. It would also be necessary to clean the room and equipment thoroughly both before and after any meeting, and we probably wouldn’t be able to provide refreshments.

The committee hope that you understand the reason behind cancelling the remaining meetings for the year, and hope that we can resume meetings safely next year.

There will be a review of membership charges next year, as some members have already paid in full for this year; a suitable adjustment will be made where appropriate.

Roberts have returned the deposits for the Society’s cancelled trip to Chester, and these have been refunded to members on demand. Some members paid the balance in full for the trip at the last meeting that was held, this money remains in the Society’s account.

The Society raises funds for charity throughout the year by means of a monthly raffle. The amount raised over the first three months of the year is in excess of £100; since there will be no further meetings, this amount will be split equally between Dementia UK and in supporting Groby library.

Because so many of the Society’s meetings have had to be cancelled, added to the fact the Spotlight itself was not printed for a couple of months, it became apparent that notifying members of what was happening was becoming difficult. The committee has tried to contact everyone who is currently on the membership list, to update contact details such as mobile number and/or email address, which should make it easier to inform everyone of short-notice changes to the programme of events.

This year’s weather continues to be baffling, with near-record high temperatures, unseasonably low temperatures, periods of little rain and some spectacular thunderstorms. There have been reports of 50-mile long clouds of flying ants over Kent, and rare birds of prey wafted over Peak District from the continent on unusual winds.

No doubt we would have enjoyed a spectacular trip to Bodnant, hopefully we’ll have a great trip next year, some entertaining speakers and a fabulous village show. And of course by next Memories of last year’s trip to year, Brexit will have been done!

In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine Hampton Court (top) and the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. in your garden. Stay safe. (If you have any queries about the society, please email Helen Box on helen_box@hotmail.com in the first instance.)

Keith Poole

7

Cliff Richard: The Great 80

By Mike Read

Cliff Richard has been a musical icon for six decades, and this book will be released to help celebrate his 80th birthday in October.

Millions of record sales after his debut in the 1950s Cliff still continues to delight his fans with new music and spectacular live performances. The book is written by ex DJ Mike Read and provides a comprehensive survey of Cliff s life starting with his early performances as a teenager with Cliff Richard and The Drifters.

Time for a Smile Not impressed by these so-called long-life light bulbs.

We kitted out Grandad’s whole house with them and he still died.

Building & Maintenance - Private & Commercial

GETTING READY FOR SUMMER Garden landscaping, garage conversion specialist or interior refit?

07734405374 contact@countycontractorsleics.co.uk www.countycontractorsleics.co.uk @CountyCon County Contractors, Groby, Leicester

Please go play with your brother. That’s basically the reason we had him.

DEVELOPERS MIGHT DECIDE HOW MANY HOUSES ARE BUILT IN YOUR VILLAGE

E

LSEWHERE in this Spotlight, Groby Parish Council explains what a Neighbourhood Plan is and asks residents to help form a Plan group. Previous attempts to interest residents enough to form a Neighbourhood Plan Group have failed.

This month the Government announced a consultation on proposals to change the planning rules. In the short term life may seem to go on as normal but, if residents don’t act now, in the longer term the Parish may change in ways that they don’t anticipate, don’t want, and have no control over.

What’s the current situation?

IN A DEMOCRACY it’s easy assume that the residents will decide where, for example, new houses are built and how many there are.

It’s true that they can influence decisions by commenting on planning applications made by builders wishing to develop land. But when applications are made there are deadlines and residents with already busy lives seldom get around to working on a communal response or commenting in sufficient numbers to influence decisions.

This means that the Borough Council decides.

Your local representatives at Borough level will be in a minority when a vote is taken on planning matters. If the decision is not delegated to officers the Planning Committee at Hinckley will have to take into account national planning regulations, its own strategic planning guidelines, and the limited feedback from the Parish Council and residents. But as already acknowledged the residents’ input to this process is relatively small.

If only it were that simple. National guidelines require planning authorities like the Borough Council to identify and maintain a list of suitable sites for housing development that will form a land bank for the next five years. They often fail to deliver this rolling five year supply of sites.

To make a football analogy this may be when the developer gets control of the ball. Without a five year supply the planning authority loses control of the planning process and may be compelled to grant planning permission even if they don’t want to. It’s an own goal - the decision is effectively taken by developers and not the residents or their Council.

How do we get heard in this process?

RESIDENTS are not empowered to make the decision but there is a way in which they can increase their influence and have their views taken into account before the Borough determines an application.

The residents have to do something which, because of their busy lives, they have sometimes found difficult - working together on a project.

But recent months - and the pandemic - have shown that they can do it. By working together on a Neighbourhood Plan, residents can increase their influence in the planning process.

In an article in the July issue of the Markfield Herald the local Borough Councillor, Matthew Lay, told readers that having a competent

Neighbourhood Plan is now becoming crucial.

In a stark warning he said: “It is as if the only solution to the problems we face comes in the form of yet more development regardless of consequence. Recent utterances suggest that what few protections exist for communities will all but disappear, if further changes are imposed

by Government in the form of yet another overhaul of planning legislation. Heaven knows it’s easy enough today for developers to get their way, such that further assistance is largely unnecessary.”

A Neighbourhood Plan gives the community some control and protection over the development permitted in a parish and replaces the 5 year land supply requirement - which makes it very hard to turn down housing applications - with a 3 year housing land supply instead, as long as the Plan, or a periodic review of the plan, is no more than 2 years old. The Borough Council has more than a 3 year land supply and aims to achieve the 5 year target once again. But in the meantime, it has asked the Government to relax the rule to take account of the Pandemic slow down.

The number of houses required in the Borough is divided between the parishes on a pro rata basis, the more houses you have the bigger your allocation. Cllr Lay explained it this way: “For Markfield this is 4.2% of the total housing need because within HBBC we have 4.2% of the existing dwellings” This amounts to 241 new dwellings, but developers have much larger numbers in mind and one builder had already expressed an intention to bring forward an application for 450 new homes on the land they own, almost double the target. Markfield’s Neighbourhood Plan is still a work in progress and has yet to go to public consultation and a referendum. Nevertheless, the developer is listening to the concerns expressed by the Plan Group and is now considering an application for 241 houses not the 450 originally proposed.

In his message to the electors of Markfield he urges support for the Plan, adding: “To put it bluntly, you can either have 800 plus homes or you can attempt to manage it with a well worked plan for 241 that will be competent and defendable. Without this work I am certain that the 450 homes proposal of Jelsons alongside the rest, would likely end up going through, either at the Borough Council or through an appeal to the Secretary of State.”

He says the Government has given a clear green light to developers, that the Borough Council does not have a 5 years land supply and is unlikely to have one anytime soon. “Therefore, the only hope we have as a community, is to

back the Neighbourhood Plan solution which I believe is sound and competent. It has been drafted by local residents in consultation with the community. It will again soon have to be consulted on and in May of next year be subject to a referendum.”

He accepts that nothing in the process is certain or guaranteed but at least Markfield has a fighting chance of shaping the community’s destiny in a positive way instead of being bulldozed by developers.

Markfield has problems ahead but is better placed than Groby. To have the same fighting chance as its neighbour, Groby residents need to get involved with their own Neighbourhood Plan, but time is running out.

Government aims to speed up the development of land THE FULL IMPACT of the proposed changes to the planning system announced this month aren’t yet clear, but they do bring these issues into focus.

Under the proposals going out to consultation every area will have a local plan in place – currently only 50% of local areas has a plan to build more homes. When writing local plans Planning Authorities will be required to designate areas for growth, renewal, or protection. Under these 3 categories: • LAND SUITABLE FOR GROWTH will be approved for development at the same time that plans are prepared, meaning new homes, schools, shops and business space can be built “quickly and efficiently, as long as local design standards are met”.

• RENEWAL AREAS will enable much quicker development where it is “well-designed in a way which reflects community preferences”.

• DEVELOPMENT ON GREEN BELT LAND will continue to be restricted as it is now with policy remaining a decision for local authorities as they prepare their plans.

Developers are legitimate businesses that acknowledge their responsibilities to their customers, the communities in which they work, and of course their shareholders who expect the maximum return on their assets.

But if communities don’t make it clear what they consider acceptable, and what is unacceptable, then sadly they must accept the consequences.

Norman Griffiths

See pages 14 & 15 for details of how to get involved

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

9

National Trust Leicester Association IN JUNE the National Trust began opening some of its estates and gardens to the public. Personally I have visited four properties, the last of which was Gunby Hall, seven miles inland from Skegness.

Gunby Hall was built in 1700 for Sir William Massingberd on the site of a previous manor house. The Massingberds were a long established Lincolnshire family and there is evidence of previous habitation in the area with discoveries of an Iron Age site and medieval villages.

The original Hall was seven bays wide and three storeys high, designed in the style of Christopher Wren and similar to houses in a London square. A two storey, five bay extension was built in two stages between 1873 and 1898.

An attractive range of stables and coach houses were built in 1735.

The Hall was lived in by fourteen generations of the Massingberd family and it became a family tradition that when the house was inherited by a daughter, her husband would change his name to Massingberd.

The whole estate was presented to the National Trust in 1944

after Field Marshal Sir Anthony Massingberd discovered that the Air Ministry wanted to extend the neighbouring airfield right up to the Hall. The gift included the Hall, most of its contents and a 1,423 acre estate. Sir Archibald died in 1947 and his widow continued to live at the Hall as a tenant.

Following her death in 1963 the Hall was again tenanted until 2012 when the Trust decided to open the property to the public.

As the property was occupied by one family for over 250 years the contents included furniture, paintings and other items dating back to 1700. One item is an original signed copy of a poem,

Gunby Hall, Near Skegness dated 1849, by Alfred Tennyson who was a regular visitor to the Hall as his parents lived nearby. Despite its “remoteness” Gunby has an impressive list of regular visitors. Sir Joshua Reynolds visited regularly and a number of his portraits hang in the house. Other regular visitors included Bonnie Prince Charlie, Dr Johnson, Charles Darwin, the Wedgwoods, Sir Joseph Banks, Rudyard Kipling, Edward Lear, Virginia Wolfe and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The property also has a beautiful seven acre garden which includes a wonderful collection of old-fashion roses.

• THE NATIONAL Trust Leicester Association has currently suspended all of its activities.

Please check the Association web site at – www.leicesternt.btck. co.uk for updates, including details regarding Stoneywell Cottage. The Association also runs an extensive second hand book stall with good quality paper backs at 50p and hardbacks at £1.00. All books are now available for sale, in safe conditions, in Groby. Please call 0116 2229133 to arrange to view the books.

Alan Tyler, Publicity Officer NT Leicester Association

Are your double glazed windows STEAMED UP FAST FREE LOCAL DELIVERY ZANUSSI

BOSCH

Washing Machine 1400rpm Spin Speed 8kg Load Capacity A+++ Rated 2yr Guarantee

Washing Machine 1400rpm Spin Speed 7kg Load Capacity A+++ Rated Express Wash

15 Programmes

14 Programmes

Blomberg

SAMSUNG

Washing Machine 1400rpm Spin Speed 7Kg Load Capacity 28 Min Fast Full Load 16 Programmes A+++AB Rated

Washing Machine 1400rpm Spin Speed 8kg Load Capacity A+++ Rated 5yr Guarantee

LWF174310W

WW80J5556MW

White

BOSCH

BLOMBERG

Built-In Dishwasher 12 Place Settings 4 Programmes Time Delay Noise Level 50db A+ Rated

Fridge Freezer Frost Free A+ Rated 145/68 Ltrs White H152 W54.5 D57cm

SMV40C40GB

We are pleased to announce that we are now agents for A.W.E Kitchens and Bedrooms Who specialise in Bespoke made to measure kitchen & bedroom furniture Please call in for further details

MISTY?

WAJ28008GB

ZWF81443W

Fitted Kitchens

or

KGM4513

FREE DELIVERY with Personal Service

“Ask About our Same Day/Next Day Installation and Removal Service”

ANSTEY

There’s no need to replace the whole window we will replace the glass unit for you.

Repairs to ALL PVCu and Aluminium Windows & Doors

Just call our small, friendly firm - whether it’s one window or a full house - with approximate sizes, and we’ll give you a price OVER THE PHONE or a free call out if you prefer.

Window Services Repair & Replacement Specialists: Est. 1982 167a Dominion Road, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8JB

Telephone/Fax:

0116 287 5395

Cleaning mirrors is a job I could really see myself doing.

10

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby Surgery Patients Group News A new way to get in touch with the Surgery FOR GENERATIONS the normal route to healthcare was to sit opposite your GP and discuss your problems.

But this year, because of Covid 19, this changed and at the moment if you need to see a doctor at the surgery you are offered a telephone consultation. Following your consultation, if a doctor needs to see you face to face, they will assess you for Covid before offering an appointment at the surgery at a time when there will be no other patients.

Some patients are uncomfortable about discussing their ailments on the telephone. Others may be used to visiting reception to ask non-clinical questions, another casuality of the pandemic. The way we do things has changed and no-one can predict when things might return to what we think of as ‘normal’.

In many aspects of life the pandemic has accelerated changes which were already taking place. For some shopping online is now an everyday experience. Government agencies have been busy enabling all sorts of services to be accessed online, from taxing your car, to claiming benefits, to repeat prescriptions. Communicating with your doctor online, however, has been more problematical, as generally speaking email is not considered a safe method of sending financial or confidential information.

A new option available to patients A NEW FACILITY, available through the surgery website (https://www. thegrobysurgery.nhs.uk) fills this gap. It’s called Engage Consult and extends access to services online from a PC, tablet or smartphone. It can be used to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and have an online consultation. (The information that follows is a general description of the service and doesn’t take account of any limitations that may be imposed by individual practices.)

You can use it to ask for help about a non-emergency medical problem or for general advice from your doctor or other members of your Practice team. This can be done without having to visit or telephone the surgery.

The online consultation service can be used from any mobile phone, tablet or computer. It shouldn’t be used or medical emergencies where urgent help is needed, for example chest pain, collapse or severe bleeding. These need a 999 call. It provides a secure service that gives you the opportunity to request help for a non-emergency medical problem or other practice matter at any time, even when the practice is closed. You’ll usually receive a response the same day but sometimes it might not be until the next working day.

Examples of what you can do • Request a consultation with a clinician • Provide information about your condition • Request information about your records • View information about your medical condition You can ask anything that doesn’t require an immediate emergency response. It could be an administrative or other query, such as “have you sent the letter for my referral yet.” or it might be a request for help with a non-emergency medical problem.

You will be asked to enter the symptoms e.g. sore throat, and then answer some relevant medical questions. The answers will provide very useful information to help your doctor or nurse decide how to help you . If you are unable to find a match for the problem, you can send a simple message about your issue and you’ll be contacted as though you’d completed a questionnaire. Giving the GP or practice nurse the opportunity to review and think about your problem, and list of symptoms before discussing it with you. will enable them to be better prepared and can lead to a more efficient outcome.

Although most questionnaires are completed within 5 to 10 minutes, some may take a little longer. Answer all the questions to the best of your ability as the information will be very useful to the doctor or practice nurse who’ll be treating you. Don’t expect a reply by email as email addresses outside of the NHS are not necessarily secure.

A team member will respond to your message THE REASSURING news is that the system doesn’t use artificial intelligence or computer algorithms to generate replies! The consultation you send is always reviewed and assessed by an appropriately qualified member of the team. If you send a medical consultation this will always be assessed by an appropriately qualified clinician. Your doctor may reply via the Engage Consult facility, or alternatively you may receive a telephone response, be asked to attend the surgery or be offered a video consultation.

If you initially don’t want a consultation you can get lots of self help and

guidance from Engage Consult. There are links to established and reliable sources of medical information which you may decide to use either to help with an existing medical problem or to deal with a new medical problem.

If you do decide to self-manage a problem you can do so, safe in the knowledge that should you wish to ask for help or advice you’ll be able to get a response.

Within the practice the data collected will be subject to the usual privacy and security rules. Practice staff will identify patients and their carers when they review the information sent to the practice, comparing this against that held in the patient record, along with other useful information. They may contact the patient or carer to verify the patient’s identity.

If you have a computer, smartphone, or tablet, this is another option when you want to contact your doctor or the practice. Sometimes it isn’t convenient to telephone or attend the surgery and you may welcome a system that allows you to send a message, perhaps when you get home from work, or maybe during your lunch break. The choice is yours.

Planning for the challenges ahead THE CURRENT difficulties have exacerbated the problems of providing health services in a small, old property with limited parking.

You can rest assured that the Groby Surgery Team are well aware of the challenges that lie ahead as summer changes to autumn and then winter.

Social distancing and the annual flu clinic as we have known it in the past are simply incompatible and this year a new approach is being discussed.

As daytime temperatures drop and the risk of rain increases even routine appointments with doctors or the nurse could present difficulties for patients waiting outside for admission and new arrangements are being considered.

Norman Griffiths for Groby Surgery Patients Group

Have you made a Will?

“A will is the only way to make sure your savings and possessions go to the people and causes that you care about.

It is so important - please don’t put it off” We can help with advice on: Wills & Estate Planning, Trusts, Lasting Power of Attorney, Probate & Funeral Planning Call now for peace of mind - Our fees are VERY reasonable Full Member of the Society of Will Writers True Blue Wills Ltd Your local Will Writers and Estate Planners

0800 6122 818 enquiries@truebluewills.com www.truebluewills.com

Doing the moonwalk is the only way to look cool while wiping dog poo off your shoe.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Letter

11

SNIPPETS

Why don’t we plant wild flowers on the verges?

I GUESS others will have seen this picture of a stretch of road in Rotherham. They stopped cutting the grass on roadsides this year and instead planted wildflowers.

Fantastic for wildlife and £25k saved in grass cutting Picture what Sacheverell Way and maybe other roadside verges might look like if we adopted the same approach in Groby.

Peter Green, Groby

Fleckney leading the way in wildflower revolution TWELVE PARISHES in Leicestershire have signed up for wild flower verges.

Fleckney Parish Council is working with Leicestershire County Council to improve the biodiversity of their roadsides by creating a wildflower verge.

The county council’s verge initiative aims to improve biodiversity and encourage wildlife, by leaving wildflowers to flourish on roadside verges across Leicestershire. The initiative forms part of the council’s wider work to tackle climate change and commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Fleckney Parish councillor, Tina McDonagh, said: “We are keen to work with residents to shape how our village looks. These wildflowers will be a great habitat for species such as insects and hedgehogs.

“Wildflower seeds were sown in March, and some have germinated this year. We will cut the grass in August and prepare the site over winter for the verge to be in full bloom next year.”

Fleckney in Harborough is one of 12 parish councils across Leicestershire to sign up to the county council scheme and who are working hard planting and cultivating verges for their new wildflower verges to bloom next year.

Residents interested in joining the wild flower verge scheme can contact the team on: ETDSpecialProjects@ leics.gov.uk As well the wild flower initiative the county council have changed the management of rural verges between towns and villages. This year marked the largest reduction in the areas of rural verges the county council have cut, all to allow wildflowers to thrive and encourage pollinators.

Bring back hedgerows WE NEED our hedgerows back – urgently. They are part of ‘nature’s toolbox’ to help us reduce our carbon emissions.

That was the recent message from the CPRE countryside charity which points out that there were twice as many hedges in England before the Second World War. Since then thousands of kilometres of hedges have been ripped up to make way for new housing and motorways, and to merge and enlarge fields.

The 2007 UK Countryside Survey found that there were 600,000 kilometres of managed and unmanaged hedgerows in the UK, with the vast majority of them in England.

This was a significant decline on the same survey from 1984, when there were about 680,000 kilometres of hedges across Great Britain. That is a reduction of 80,000 kilometres, or 50,000 miles. To put that another way, we have ripped out about 57,000 times the entire length of Britain (874 miles).

No wonder, then, that the CPRE’s report, Greener, better, faster: countryside solutions to the climate emergency and for a green recovery, calls for millions of pounds to be spent on new hedges. It says: “By planting more trees and hedgerow, restoring peatlands and moving toward a more sustainable way of farming, we can use nature’s toolbox to capture greenhouse gases from the air, while revitalising our natural environment.”

• New Guttering • Wood Staining • Repointing • Ridge Tiles • Chimney Stacks • Roof Valley • Dry Verge • Flat Roofing • Dry Ridge • Lead Flashing • Moss Removal • Slate/Tile Roofing • UPVC Fascia, Soffits & Gutters FREE QUOTATION AND FREE EMERGENCY CALL OUT Proprietor: Elias Bell

1 Maynard Close, Bagworth, LE67 1BU

Mobile: 07494820600 - Telephone: 01530 231 631 Email: eandlmaintenanceltd@outlook.com I told my girlfriend to text me when she got home... she must be homeless.

12

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

County Councillor’s Report from Ozzy O’shea Email ozzy.o’shea@leics.gov.uk or ozzyoshea@hotmail.com

Covid 19 Latest Changes in Restrictions Proposed From 1st August In respect of changes to reopenings which had been planned from 1st August, the Prime Minister said: “On Saturday 1 August, you’ll remember, we had hoped to reopen in England a number of higher risk settings that had remained closed. Today, I am afraid we are postponing these changes for at least a fortnight.

“That means that, until 15 August at the earliest: “Casinos, bowling alleys, and skating rinks are remaining closed contact services must remain closed. Indoor performances will not resume.

“Pilots of larger crowds in sports venues and conference centres will not take place.

“Wedding receptions of up to 30 people will not be permitted, but ceremonies can continue to take place, in line with COVID-Secure guidelines.

“I know that the steps we are taking will be a heavy blow to many people – to everyone whose wedding plans have been disrupted, or who now cannot celebrate Eid in the way they would wish, I am really, really sorry about that. But we simply cannot take the risk.”

Leicestershire County Council will of course study the data carefully and move forward with their intentions to open up as soon as they possibly can.

The Government is also extending the requirement to wear a face covering to other indoor settings where you are likely to come into contact with people you do not normally meet, such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship. They have now recommend face coverings are worn in these settings, and this will become enforceable in law from 8 August.

Face Coverings THE GOVERNMENT has announced that mandatory face coverings will be extended to further indoor settings from 8 August.

Government guidance has now been updated with the full list of these settings and includes: • Public transport • Indoor transport hubs i.e. airports, bus and train stations • Shops and supermarkets • Indoor shopping centres

•

Banks, building societies and post offices From 8 August the additional places requiring use of face coverings include: • Funerals directors • Professional, legal or financial services premises • Cinemas • Theatres • Bingo halls • Concert halls • Museums, galleries and other indoor tourist/heritage sites • Nail, beauty, hair salons and barbers • Massage centres • Public areas in hotels and hostels • Places of worship • Libraries • Community centres • Social clubs • Tattoo and piercing parlours • Indoor entertainment venues • Storage and distribution facilities • Veterinary services • Auction houses Face coverings are also needed in NHS settings including hospitals and primary or community care settings such as GP surgeries.

Leicestershire Business Recovery Fund LEICESTERSHIRE County Council has launched a brand-new fund to help businesses get back on their feet.

The £750,000 Leicestershire Business Recovery Fund is aimed at small businesses within the county to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Applications can be made for grants between £2,000 and £10,000 (excluding VAT).

The scheme will provide 50% grant support with the applicant providing the other 50% as match funding. The funding scheme is managed by the Economic Growth Team at Leicestershire County Council and funded through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Business Rate Pooling Funding.

All small businesses from every sector are encouraged to apply including independent retail businesses and those from the tourism, retail, agriculture, and creative sector. Businesses who apply will initially talk through their business plans with an advisor who will be able to assist with their application. Businesses should apply as soon as possible as funding

will be allocated at a first come first served basis. Businesses can use the money to ensure their survival by, for instance, developing online selling and diversify into new product areas.

For more information including guidance notes and how to apply, please refer to the Oakleaves website: http://www.oakleaves.org.uk/ leicestershire-business-recoveryfund.html

Permissive Footpath between Sacheverell Way Groby to the Ivanhoe Trail running between Ratby and Glenfield.

More council services back in business

They have now repaired the path that was severely damaged and washed away by the heavy rain last month. They are also in the process of cutting the weeds and nettles back either side. Unfortunately this will most probably happen again when we have another heavy storm. The developer did not want the cost of putting in a long lasting footpath surface.

SIX MORE recycling and household waste sites in Leicestershire will start to re-open.

Bottesford, near Melton Mowbray, was the first of those, on Thursday (30 July), with time slots now available to book online.

Glenfield and Birstall libraries are also offering a ‘click and collect’ service after the lockdown boundary was reduced, ahead of most town centre libraries which re-opened on Monday, 3rd August for browsing, borrowing and returning items only, also through booking a time slot.

Although most of Leicestershire is now in line with national restrictions, residents are urged to keep on observing social distancing, get a test if they have symptoms, wear a face covering where required and wash their hands regularly.

Devolution and Recovery RESIDENTS may or may not be aware, The Governments is drawing up a draft Devolution and Recovery White Paper it is expected in the coming months.

This is expected to include: • Focus on economic growth and the Governments levelling up agenda.

• It will feature the creation of more Combined Authorities like those in the West Midlands and Manchester.

• Devolution Deals Devolution is the process whereby powers and funding are passed from Westminster to local Mayors. This could provide an opportunity for the region to increase investment in infrastructure and economic growth.

• An indication that the Government could be open to Unitary authorities.

I HAVE been in discussions with the management company who are responsible for maintaining the footpath.

Roadside Drains I REGULARLY receive call regarding blocked drains.

The County Council is responsible for keeping all roadside drains (also known as gullies), clean and fully operational and a programme of cyclical gulley cleansing runs operates throughout the year.

You can contact us to report a blocked drain or gulley. We’ll need to know: • a description of the problem, eg blocked drain, whether the area is flooded and whether there is any odour • the location of the problem • if the area is flooded, a description of the flood, e.g. area, depth, whether properties or gardens are at risk • any problems, hazards or congestion it is causing • what is causing the blockage Don’t worry if you can’t provide all of this information, we will inspect the drain after we receive the report Please visit the County Council’s website or type in the following link: https://www.leicestershire. gov.uk/roads-and-travel/roadmaintenance/roadside-drains If there is no immediate risk of flooding to nearby properties, we will check our programme and if the area is due to be cleansed within 90 calendar days, we will not raise a specific request to the operational Highways team.

If the blockage is causing an immediate risk, or the timescale is significantly outside 90 calendar days, the Highways team will carry out an investigation, and if necessary do an intermediate cleansing to clear the problem.

Spoiler alert! The milk has been in the fridge for three weeks.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

13

NHS better health campaign:

Tel: 0116 239 4336 Mobile: 07808 585825

Slimming World here to help you

Be aware of these two scams

PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND (PHE) & the NHS along with the government have issued a raft of measures to help get the nation fit and healthy, protect the NHS and protect themselves from COVID-19.

DON’T BE taken in by a ‘Microsoft’ scam and a ‘British Gas’ scam currently circulating The ‘Microsoft’ one looks like this: MSN Service <sjvanzan@ outlook.com> Thu 16/07/2020 20:04 Dear Outlook User, We are upgrading our E-MAIL database at the moment so you are required to Upgrade your account as soon as possible in order to get the New Mail Features because you are using the old version of Outlook which will be Disabled in 24HRS. CLICK HERE TO UPGRADE TO THE NEW VERSION NOW The ‘British Gas’ scam asks you to click to check your account and looks like this: May-June energy statement Your Invoice is still overdue: GBR-I25079 Hello xxxx.xxxxx@hotmail. co.uk We sent you a gas bill for £3.71, and we still haven’t received payment. If you’ve paid it in the last five days, please ignore this email.

To see if your payment has cleared you can Check your account.

A message from the Police and Action Fraud HAVE YOU bought anything online recently?

Almost 34% of all retail sales during May 2020 were carried out online, and new research suggests that only 16% of UK consumers intend to return to their old shopping habits post-lockdown.

Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, received over 16,000 reports relating to online shopping and auction fraud during the lockdown, with losses totalling over £16m. Members of the public have reported buying mobile phones (19%), vehicles (22%), electronics (10%) such as games consoles, AirPods and MacBooks , and footwear (4%) on sites such as eBay (18%), Facebook (18%), Gumtree (10%) and Depop (6%), only to have the items never arrive.

Top tips for shopping online securely • Choosing where to shop: If you’re making a purchase from a company or seller you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first. For example, by checking to

see if others have used the site and what their experience was.

• Email accounts: Use a strong, separate password for your email account. Criminals can use your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping.

• Scam messages: Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. Not all links are bad, but if you’re unsure don’t use the link, go separately to the website.

And remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

• Payment method: If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one as other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

What to do if you’ve fallen victim to online shopping fraud We all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incredibly convincing.

If you think you’ve visited, or made a purchase on, a bogus website, you should first, take a note of the website’s address, then close down your internet browser. You should then report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank to seek advice.

Whether you’ve been a victim of fraud will depend on how much information you’ve provided to the website, so keep an eye on your bank transactions, if you can. Contact your bank immediately about anything that you don’t recognise, even small amounts.

For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit www. actionfraud.police.uk/cybercrime

Obesity is one of the biggest health crises the country faces. Almost twothirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity – and 1 in 3 children leave primary school overweight or obese, with obesityrelated illnesses costing the NHS £6 billion a year.

The urgency of tackling the obesity time bomb has been brought to the fore by evidence of the link to an increased risk from COVID-19.

Living with excess weight puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19, with risk growing substantially as body mass index (BMI) increases. Nearly 8% of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units have been morbidly obese, compared with 2.9% of the general population.

This is where Slimming World comes in. We are working with PHE to help you lose weight for good and keep you motivated during these tricky times.

With Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan, you can lose weight without ever going hungry. The great news to share is that the Slimming World group within Markfield is re-opening from the 17th of August.

Tom Farrow, the Slimming World Consultant in Markfield, said “Being able to get back into groups again is really going to help my members. Rest assured; every possible step has been taken to ensure the safety of everyone who comes through the doors to get their journey kick started again following lockdown”.

“The plan is great; my members really enjoy the freedom that the plan gives them. In the first week of joining the plan I have had members lose upwards of 10lbs. The smile on their face is just brilliant when they see just how well they’ve done” He added.

To find out more about the Slimming World plan and how you can come along to our groups, call/text Tom on 07939 565340 or book in to join us in group at www.picktime.com/swmarkfield (booking in is essential to secure your spot in group as numbers are limited for safety reasons).

Thank you FINALLY I want to thank you all for your continued support and remind you that should you need my help or advice, I always pride myself on making myself available to residents.

Remember I am only a phone call or email away.

Ozzy O’shea

Always Working for you

I gave up my seat to a blind person in the bus. That is how I lost my job as a bus driver.

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL

CONTACT DETAILS

Parish Council Office Village Hall Leicester Road Groby Leicestershire, LE6 0DQ Tel: 0116 287 6985 Email: parishclerk@groby.com Website: www.groby.com

Parish Council Office, Village Hall, Leicester Road, Groby, Leics. LE6 0DQ

GROBY PARISH COUNCIL is made up of 16 unpaid members.

They are supported by a Full-Time Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Head Groundsman, Assistant Groundsman plus two other Part-Time Grounds gatekeepers.

A Word from the Chairman of the Groby Parish Council Neighbourhood Planning committee – Cllr Carol Lincoln

How Will Groby Grow?

It’s Time For The People To Speak!

OPENING TIMES

Following the Government Coronavirus directives from 23rd March 2020 the Parish Office is currently closed but you can contact the office on: Tel: 0116 2876 985 or email: ParishClerk@groby.com during normal office hours to discuss any issue or to make an appointment.

PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS

Parish Council meetings are normally held on the first Monday of each month at 7.00 pm.

However with the current restrictions any meetings are being held online using ZOOM. These are advertised on the Groby Parish Council website www.groby.com PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Planning Committee meetings are held every two weeks, usually on a Wednesday evening at 7.30 pm.

WILL THERE still be green fields around Groby in 2036?

In Groby we are much more vulnerable to having housing developments imposed on us than some other villages in the borough. Why? Because they have increased their influence in the planning process by writing what is known as a Neighbourhood Plan. We haven’t done this yet, but it is something we need to get started.

In this month’s occasional newsletter from your Parish Council, we are asking for your help in drawing up a Plan. We all know that Groby is full of houses but short of the amenities that we need such as school places and dentists, and some of our services such as bus routes may be under threat.

The Government is pushing for ‘build, build, build’ to address the national housing shortage and so we have a very small window to be able to influence where any building should take place in our locality.

•

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

Forthcoming Meetings held over ZOOM: • August 2020 27th August 2020 EGM • September 2020 7th September 2020 (provisional date) Full Council meeting All meetings are Open to the Public.

•

•

WHAT IS A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN?

It is a legal document which a planning authority must consult and take notice of before granting any planning permission. A Neighbourhood Plan gives the local community a chance to improve where we live by influencing the planning of the area. The community develops the policies, which are set down in the plan itself.

It can identify and help protect local green spaces, influence where new homes, shops, offices and other development should be built and have a say in what any new buildings should look like.

It can also include a wide range of issues, social, economic and environmental issues such as housing, employment, transport and heritage.

WHO CAN PREPARE A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN? •

The Local Planning Authority cannot prepare a Neighbourhood Plan, neither can the Parish Council on its own.

It needs to be community-led and so the Parish Council are keen to ask you, the local residents and businesses, to come forward and help decide what our plan will look like and what it will contain.

NEWSLETTER: AUGUST 2020 Tel: 0116 287 6985 • Email: parishclerk@groby.com • Website: www.groby.com

WHY SHOULD YOU HELP WITH A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN? BECAUSE:

PARISH COUNCILLORS Brian RIGBY (Chairman) brianrigbygpc@icloud.com Rick GUNN (Vice Chairman)rick. gunn@icloud.com 0116 232 2680 Geoff BAKER ggbaker1@hotmail.com Sylvia BECK 0116 287 6716 Jim COLEY jim.coley@btinternet.com 07860 523567

•

You want to improve where we live by influencing the planning of the area;

•

You care about our local services, our green spaces, about the way Groby develops in the future;

Elizabeth EMMERSON e.emmerson1@sky.com 0116 231 2111

•

You want to avoid the deterioration in the quality of life that results from over-development;

James EVERSON-CRANE crane.james20@gmail.com

•

You are prepared to spare some time to help shape the way in which our village develops and draw up the Neighbourhood Plan.

Groby hasn’t started its Neighbourhood Plan yet and so we are therefore severely disadvantaged compared to many other Parishes in Hinckley & Bosworth who have either completed their Neighbourhood Plan or are a significant way along the process. We need to get on with this so we can also have a say in how our village develops, what is protected and what else we need to encourage here to enable Groby to flourish.

There is not enough land available within the Leicester City boundary to meet their house building allocation from Government and so they wish to ‘share’ this responsibility by building in the surrounding villages. Not only that, but the Local Borough Council hasn’t identified enough development land to meet the Government’s requirement to maintain a five year “land bank” for the next 5 years and so is looking for landowners to bring forward further development sites across the borough.

HOW DO WE START? WHAT CAN YOU DO?

We are asking for all interested people, committed to doing something, to shaping how this village grows, to start the process.

It needs a definite commitment from you. Other villages who have been through this process seem to have no regrets and feel that it is well worth it in the long run. Whilst a Neighbourhood Plan cannot stop further development ever taking place, it is a legal document and so planners are duty-bound to take the plan into consideration, and it will become part of the overall development plan for the area. If the plan designates an area as green space, then it isn’t so easy to build on it or if the plan decides more businesses are needed, planning must take account of this.

WHAT TO DO NOW? Anyone interested in helping draw up Groby’s Neighbourhood Plan should contact the Parish Office, by email or letter with your contact details.

Let’s get together to shape how we want Groby to look during the next ten, fifteen, twenty years, as a place for your children and grandchildren to want to live in. Let’s get started!

Email: parishclerk@groby.com or write to: Groby Parish Council, Council Offices, Village Hall, Groby, Leics. LE6 0DQ.

Please clearly mark your envelope ‘Neighbourhood Plan’ or for email, please put “Neighbourhood Plan” in the subject line of your email. Thank you.

Ted HOLLICK ted.hollick@outlook.com 0116 287 5955 Natasha JONES natjones222@outlook.com Sandra JONES Carol LINCOLN carol@cornerway.co.uk 07910 980810 Helen LINDSAY henrysal6@virginmedia.com 0116 231 4487 Eileen MARVIN 0116 287 6799 Colin MULLINS colinmullins@outlook.com 0116 287 0407 Gary RICHARDSON 07856 302721 PLUS ONE VACANT BOROUGH COUNCILLORS Martin Cartwright boroughcouncil@appliancehome.co.uk 0116 287 4500/ 07850 707050 Ted Hollick ted.hollick@outlook.com 0116 287 5955 COUNTY COUNCILLOR Ozzy O’shea ozzy.oshea@leics.gov.uk 0116 239 4336 / 07808 585825 MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Mr Edward Argar 0116 260 8609

We hope you will find the newsletter and our website interesting, informative, useful and easy to access. Whether you are a resident, newcomer or visitor to the parish, don’t hesitate to contact us.

16

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Cat news from Lindy I REMEMBER some years ago taking our beautiful old cat Davy to the vet with an infected bite on his front paw.

The vet was very taken with Davy and as she gave him an antibiotic injection she said “This is a brave cat’s injury – he was defending himself, not running away.” The vet who treated our young cat Sammy in July for an infected bite on his bottom tactfully refrained from passing comment.

At the beginning of August, Sammy brought his new friend Gerald to visit.

He had kindly show him to a chair and tucked him under the cushions.

When we saw Sammy showing more Sammy the Cat than usual interested in the chair we investigated and found a very indignant and vocal rat. What followed was a closely contested match between David and Sammy, both intent on catching Gerald.

David won the first round, but promptly dropped the rat when the little ingrate bit him. He then disappeared under the fridge – Gerald, not David, who retired to lick his wounds. The rest of the evening was punctuated by squeaks and scuffles and we went to bed fully expecting to find Gerald’s mangled remains in the morning. Instead we were woken at four in the morning by Sammy chasing his playmate around our bedroom.

There was no sign of cat or rat in the morning but when I went downstairs and looked out of the kitchen window I saw Sammy trotting down the steps towards the cat flap– with Gerald in his mouth. So sweet of Sammy to take his little friend on a tour of the garden before breakfast. I called David, who decided to change his strategy and try to catch Sammy instead of Gerald. It worked. David caught Sammy, Sammy dropped Gerald, Gerald scuttled off into the undergrowth. A good time was had by all – Gerald is welcome to call anytime.

Lindy Hardcastle

Mental health and Covid-19 IT IS IMPORTANT to be as kind and patient as possible with other people this autumn.

Covid-19 has turned many millions of lives upside-down, and the resulting distress, anxiety, fear, grief and economic meltdown means that now widespread mental illness is inevitable. So says the new president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Dr Adrian James warns of ‘multiple layers’ to the fallout from the pandemic, both for people with pre-existing mental health conditions and also for those who have never suffered before. NHS front-line staff will need support, while those who have had a serious case of Covid-19 may suffer anything from post-traumatic stress disorder to a full-blown psychosis.

Dr James says: “There will be very significant mental illness consequences of Covid, and we need to be ready.”

Meanwhile, up to one in five Britons may have contemplated selfharming during lockdown, according to some separate research by University College London.

How to Disappear

By Gillian McAllister You can run, you can hide, but can you disappear for good?

Lauren’s daughter Zara witnessed a terrible crime.

But speaking up comes with a price, and when Zara’s identity is revealed online, it puts a target on her back.

The only choice is to disappear.

To keep Zara safe, Lauren will give up everything and everyone she loves, even her husband.

There will be no goodbyes. Their pasts will be rewritten. New names, new home, new lives.

The rules are strict for a reason.

They are being hunted. One mistake - a text, an Instagram like could bring their old lives crashing into the new.

They can never assume someone isn’t watching, waiting.

As Lauren will learn, disappearing is easy. Staying hidden is harder . . .

0116 234 0548 We can take care of every detail, advise and help you on each and every step of the way.

• Qualified Funeral Directors • Floral Tributes arranged • Hearse, Limousines and alternatives available • Monumental Service • Car parking available

• Online tribute and donation profile • Catering suite • Chapels of rest • Funeral plans available • 24 hour service

Funeral arrangements can be made in the comfort of your own home if preferred.

Talbott House, Leicester Road, Anstey, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 7AT Email: talbotthouse@ansteyfunerals.com Website: www.ansteyfunerals.com

Just remember, it’s better to pay full price than to admit you’re a senior citizen.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

One year left for violent crime victims to claim compensation under ‘Same Roof’ rule VICTIMS of violent crime who were previously denied compensation under the ‘same roof’ rule have less than one year to make fresh applications for financial redress, an expert personal injury solicitor from law firm Nelsons has warned.

The controversial rule blocked victims who were living together with their attacker as members of the same family at the time of the assault from claiming compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. It was changed in 1979 to enable future victims to access compensations, but not retrospectively, meaning victims from before that time were still refused awards.

After the Court of Appeal found the rule unlawfully discriminated against applicants, the government scrapped it on 13 June 2019 – and anyone previously denied compensation under the rule, or anyone who was previously ineligible to apply under the scheme because of it, may now make a fresh application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

It is estimated that as many as 7,500 victims could apply for financial redress totalling up to £126m, according to a government impact assessment.

Dianne Collins, senior associate and expert personal injury solicitor at Nelsons, who specialises in applications to the CICA, said: “The same roof rule was deeply unfair and has caused significant injustice.

Over the years, thousands of victims have had their applications for compensation refused – simply because they lived with their attacker at the time.

“It massively disadvantaged child abuse victims who had no choice but to live under the same roof as their abuser and it has prevented the survivors from claiming compensation for decades.”

There is a two-year time limit on the applications – meaning victims have until 13 June 2021 to make a new or fresh application to the CICA. A dedicated team has been set up to provide extra support with the claims process, including a named contact to ensure applicants do not have to repeat their traumatic experiences to multiple people.

Dianne added: “If you were the victim of a crime at the hands of someone you lived with between 1964 and 1979, you may now be eligible to make an application to the CICA due to the rule being scrapped. You must already have reported the assault to the police.

“While no amount of compensation can make up for the immense suffering caused by such appalling crimes, the abolition of the longstanding rule, which has caused significant injustice over the years, will bring much-needed relief to those who had previously been locked out of the system.”

For more support from Nelsons’ expert personal injury team, please visit www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/serious-injuries/criminal-injury-compensation or call 0800 024 1976.

“If you were the victim of a crime at the hands of someone you lived with between 1964 and 1979, you may now be eligible to make an application to the CICA.” Dianne Collins

Women sometimes make fools of men, but most guys are the do-it-yourself type.

17

18

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby ALLOTMENTS NEWS Grow your own is growing!

Other Plot visitors we don’t want

IT IS National Allotments Week from 10th August to 16th August 2020 and across the land it seems that one of the consequences of Covid-19 is that people have become much keener to make sure they have a ready supply of fresh fruit and vegetables by growing their own.

ALTHOUGH I have insect micromesh covering my brassica plants (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts) I will still be checking the underside of the leaves, the nook between the stem and leaf and any new florets for caterpillars.

It is also a great way of exercising and keeping fit.

The upshot of this is that waiting lists for allotment plots have rocketed, in one or two areas by up to 500%.

Groby Allotment Society has also seen our waiting list for plots increase substantially over the last few months. Our allotment rental year begins in the Spring and this time usually sees a changeover of some plot tenancies. This year was no exception and we had, at one stage, five vacant plots across both our sites.

However, these have been quickly taken up by new tenants and we now have a waiting list of thirteen people!

Luckily, the lockdown exempted allotmenteers from staying at home totally and so we were allowed to tend our plots and get some fresh air and exercise, which we all did (apart from those of us who had to remain shielded). My goodness has all that time paid off as we have such welltended plots yielding lots of lovely fruit and vegetables! Our kind tenants also volunteered to help out those of us who had to shield, keeping the plots weed-free and ready to come back to. All those volunteers deserve a huge thanks for your generosity. Sincere thanks from all of us!

I will also be looking for holes in the leaves (sign of caterpillars) or clusters of eggs (soon-to-be caterpillars!). If you are growing your own and don’t want any extra caterpillar protein when you cook your broccoli, kale, cabbage etc. just soak your vegetables in lukewarm water with a splash of white vinegar in it and any caterpillars will float to the surface for you to scoop out and do what you will with them.

Plot Visitors HAVING much more time to spend on the allotments recently, I for one have noticed more of the wildlife that inhabits our plots.

Just Enough or too much to Drink This seems rather strange to write about at the moment when we are having our fair share of rain but you can overwater your vegetable plants, encouraging the foliage to grow instead of the root, and too much water can also wash away all the soil nutrients, so reducing the flavour, especially of tomatoes.

Newly planted vegetable plants can also suffer from ‘damping off ’. This is a soil-borne fungal disease which is worsened if the soil is cool and wet and affects new seedlings and very young plants. The first sign is that the base of the stem turns yellow or brown and starts to thin. This will then affect the leaves which will wither and then the plant wilts and dies. You can prevent this by making sure there is enough spacing between the plants to keep air circulating and not to overwater, allowing the soil to dry out before watering again, and making sure you don’t overwater plants in cool damp weather.

The wet weather has come at just the right time for my courgettes this year though, rain just as the flowers and fruits begin to form. It has meant that I have a bumper harvest and I am running out of ideas for recipes – someone mentioned courgette jam but I am putting that off for now!

Carol Lincoln

There are some that we don’t notice until they have helped themselves to our carefully tended fruit or vegetables, such as the foxes who had a bit of an obsession with sweetcorn last year and ate up everyone’s cobs just as they were ripe! This year I am putting a fence around my sweetcorn in an effort to persuade them to try something else! I have had a few nibbled courgettes, but as there is such a good courgette harvest this year, I am not too bothered. I have noticed lots of bees buzzing around my companion and pollinator plants that I grow to help my harvest. I also caught sight of some shield bugs and a lovely cinnabar moth. We even had a mole make an appearance as it decided to dig its feed tunnels under a couple of plots recently.

Working from home?

Interactive noise generator Calm Office lets you bring the familiar sounds of work into your home https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/openOfficeNoiseGenerator.php

WHILE SOME people have difficulty working in a noisy environment, others feel the opposite.

Once you have acquired the ability to concentrate in ambient noise, you may find it surprisingly difficult to work from a quiet home. Here is an interactive sound generator that will allow Teleworkers to create their ideal work ambience!

I hate when I’m running on the treadmill for half an hour and look down to see it’s been 4 minutes.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

£20 million in NEW GRANTS to boost recovery of small businesses •

•

•

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government announces £20 million new funding to help businesses across England get back on track.

Small and medium sized businesses in England can access grants between £1,000 - £5,000 for new equipment and technology and specialist advice Minister confirms new support while visiting businesses and local leaders across Cornwall

THOUSANDS of smaller businesses in England are set to benefit from £20 million of new government funding to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government announced at the end of July.

Small and medium sized businesses will have access to grants of between £1,000 - £5,000 to help them access new technology and other equipment as well as professional, legal, financial or other advice to help them get back on track.

It comes on top of an unprecedented package of Government support to help businesses to recover, including the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country, as well as £1.6 billion invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job.

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke MP said: “We have always said that we would stand behind our businesses and communities as we rebuild following the coronavirus pandemic. This new funding does exactly that.

“Businesses will be able to use these new grants to pay for the expertise, equipment and technology they need to adapt, recover and rebuild.

“Small and medium sized businesses are the beating heart of communities; they provide employment and contribute significantly to local economies and we are determined to give them the support they need to continue to thrive.”

The announcement builds on a £10 million package announced by the Minister earlier this month to help to kickstart the tourism industry and support the visitor economy.

The support will be fully funded by the government from the England European Regional Development Fund and distributed through Growth Hubs, embedded in local areas across England.

Visit https://bizgateway.org.uk for more information.

19

Glenfield Millennium Green News DURING SUCH a strange and difficult time for us all the Millennium Green did stay open with restrictions on the use of all play and fitness equipment.

On the whole we are glad that we made this decision. For many people, of all ages, it has been a lifeline with somewhere to walk safely or to sit and have a chat, distantly, with a friend or relative.

There were a few problems along the way. One weekend the water box was damaged causing a considerable loss of water (and subsequent high bill!). Thanks to a couple of neighbours who put this right for us. Much appreciated by the gardeners who needed to water the garden during a long dry spell. Litter became a problem and it was decided to close the litter bins. This also led to vandalism as they were broken into. One bin has now been removed. This has not led to an increase in litter as regular users of the Green have stepped up and collected it. We are very grateful to them and a local resident collects litter from the streets in the Brantings area as well as the Green.

‘Emailed’ plant sale raised £600 We haven’t been able to use the Green for Community events so there was no Plant Sale in its usual form. However as plants were already growing we carried on and sold them directly to customers using e-mail or phone. It was not the best way to do it but it did raise nearly £600 for our funds. Again we need to thank those concerned who bought or sold plants on our behalf.

The money is essential to keep the Green in good order as it costs £156 to have it mown monthly during the growing season.

We couldn’t have our Garden Party this year or a planned Coffee morning and have missed contact with our friends and supporters. We have at last managed to draw the 100 Club for the first 5 months of the year. Perhaps some form of normality is returning.

The gardening group has not been able to meet as they usually do once a month to tidy the garden area and do other essential work. We know that some of the group have continued to work on their own in different parts of the garden. Thanks to them for their hard work. One major project has not happened. In the autumn last year the willow tunnel was cut down with the intention of having a community project to weave another one with the new growth. Social distancing put an end to that at present but there’s always next year ... Keep safe.

Christine Tordoff,

Secretary Glenfield Millennium Green.

I’m currently boycotting any company that sells items I can’t afford.

20

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Groby Scout Group News WHEN FACE TO FACE Scouting was cancelled without warning back in March, it’s fair to say we were not Prepared. The Cubs were lucky enough to go on a trip to the London Natural History Museum before lockdown, but since April the Group has joined the virtual world of Zoom and Facebook live.

HAVE YOU ever heard a certain song or tune that immediately takes you back to your youth? It can be a very poignant moment.

We may not have been able to enjoy planned weekends Climbing in Derbyshire, Group ‘Space’ camp, a water activities weekend at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre or Summer Camp in the Black Country, but we have still been active.

Our youngest members joined Scouts from around the UK to ‘Hike to the Moon’, walking a combined 240,000 miles and raising a £250,000 for BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief.

Thanks to our Group Leaders, as well as initiatives from Regional and National Scouting, we’ve enjoyed camping out in back gardens, building dens, learning to drum, juggle and cook and try small pioneering projects. UK Scouting ran an all-night event for our older section including challenges of building a famous landmark from recycling; reproducing famous artwork from household items; making a beanie animal and a 6am Zumba class!

While the HQ has been vacant, Weekly meetings have moved we have taken the opportunity to online and youngsters have enjoyed undertake some much-needed ‘Escape from Hogwarts’ and maintenance tasks, including ‘Espionage’ Online Escape Rooms, repainting the main hall, repairing at-home and socially distanced guttering and replacing a section of scavenger hunts, cooking pancakes rear wall. using candles and bean tins, plus evenings trialling different ways Unfortunately, we continue to be to purify water and making small plagued by anti-social behaviour stoves, as well as a ‘What 3 words’ and I’m sorry to report the new world tour and a Google Maps doors have been damaged beyond London Monopoly game. After an repair within a month of installation. online Introduction to Photography The money we need to spend session, our youngsters have rectifying the damage means we spent the summer experimenting cannot buy new equipment to with their cameras and taking a enhance local scouting and are wide range of photos for their unable to undertake some of the Photography badge. other much needed work to make

Julie’s Pet Care

Music and MEMORY

When researchers at the University of Westminster examined the choices of 80 different guests on the BBC radio show Desert Island Discs, they found that most guests had chosen music which dated back to when they had been between 10 to 30 years old. This time span was identified as a ‘self-defining period’ in their lives.

The research concluded: “The music we know and love between the ages of 10 to 30 will play a significant role throughout our lives, connecting us as individuals to other people, places and times that become central to our identity.”

What songs trigger the big memories for you?

the HQ suitable for use by the wider community.

Our volunteers are working towards a return to Face to Face Scout as soon as circumstances allow but in the meantime we continue to do everything possible to provide ongoing opportunities for our 120 young members to explore, develop and have fun.

One final note, our Group Scout Leader will be stepping down this month so on behalf of the Group we thank John for all his hard work over the past 5 years and wish him all the best for the future.

Time for a Smile My boss sat me down in his office and said he was going to have to let me go.

It took police and hostage negotiators, but we got there in the end.

I’ve been carb-loading for the last 30 years in case I ever need to go on a 5,000 mile run.

Becky Chick

From £5

Pet Minding

SERVICES

Tel: 07934 686692 Email: Email:Julie.petcareservice@gmail.com juliedu.petcare@gmail.com

Dog Walking CRB Checked

Another World’s Oldest Man has died. This is beginning to look suspicious.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

What to eat when you drive HERE IS a way of staying awake at the wheel on those long motorway drives: avoid heavy foods such as hamburgers, chips and cakes.

They only encourage drowsiness, which accounts for 23 per cent of fatal car crashes, according to France’s motorway companies.

Instead, choose a meal high in water content, with some bitterness and acidity to round it off. For example, how about: some radishes, a lentil dish, and then kiwi fruit and dark chocolate, washed down with water? This sort of meal has a low glycaemic index, which means there is no sugar rush followed by a drop in your alertness.

The idea is based on research done by the French insurers’ federation Assurance Prevention.

Late

Being the office supervisor, I had to have a word with a new employee who never arrived at work on time. I explained that her tardiness was unacceptable and that other employees had noticed that she was walking in late every day.

After listening to my complaints, she agreed that this was a problem and even offered a solution. “Is there another door I could use?”

Pasteurisation has saved many millions of lives…

Louis Pasteur – ‘father’ of microbiology A TINY INVISIBLE thing that brings disease and death …. where have we heard that before?!

But Louis Pasteur, who died 125 years ago next month, on 28th September 1895, was not interested in a virus from China, but in tiny living organisms that brought disease and death in other ways.

Pasteur made some outstanding breakthroughs.

He discovered the principles of vaccination, and then created the first vaccines for anthrax and rabies. His medical discoveries provided support for the germ theory of disease and nullified the theory of spontaneous generation.

But Louis Pasteur is best known for his invention of the technique of treating milk and wine to stop bacterial contamination, a process that was named after him: pasteurisation. In doing so, he saved the French beer, wine and silk industries.

All in all, this gifted French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist well deserves his title as the ‘father of microbiology,’ and to be seen as one of the three main founders of bacteriology.

THANK YOU TO THE SPOTLIGHT ADVERTISERS!

Your support has made publication of this issue possible.

Got my girlfriend a “get better soon” card. She’s not sick, I just think she could get better.

21

22

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS Councillor Martin Cartwright reports

Coronavirus : COVID-19 AS THE country, including Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council residents, slowly return to normal following the pandemic the Borough Council have produced a COVID recovery plan.

For more information please visit the web site at www.hinckleybosworth.gov.uk

Outdoor Waste Bins YOU MAY have noticed that for sometime some of the bins around Groby have for been removed.

The reason for this was during the pandemic our bin crews were fully stretched struggling to cope with the collections from people’s homes.

The Borough Council removed some of the bins from across the Borough including Groby to help ease the situation. As things return to normal the removed bins will be replaced. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

As I said in my last article a great deal of thanks goes to the bin crews for their hard work and effort throughout the pandemic in order to keep our bins emptied.

Hello Homes Section 106 Hello Homes attempted to deprive Groby of £265,511.00 of infrastructure payments on their development at Leicester Road, Groby.

Hello Homes’ reasoning for the application to pay nothing whatsoever in the previously agreed S106 agreement, was that now the site tenure had changed, their choice I must point out, from 40% affordable housing provision to 100% affordable housing they could no longer pay any of the S106 money desperately required to support the community, Groby, which would be impacted by their development.

You may recall previously in my articles previously in the Spotlight that I called this into the planning committee as ward member because Hello Homes were going from hero, agreeing the contributions requested of them in

the section 106 agreement, a legally binding agreement, to zero in that now the properties were built and agreements in place for residents to move into all the thirty homes, they have now decided that they couldn’t afford to pay anything, whatsoever. £265,511.00 down to Nil, nothing, Zero, £00.00.

This is only one part of the story as their application to go from all to none was independently assessed on behalf of the Borough Council.

The independent experts, Lambert Smith Hampton, appraised the Hello Homes Viability Assessment and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t acceptable for Hello Homes to go from all to none and that they could afford to pay something equivalent to £210,082.00 of the S106 agreement that was already in place. This very seriously calls into question the viability assessment submitted by Hello Homes in this application in the first place.

Lambert Smith Hampton formed the view that the S106 agreement should be reduced by £55,429.00 - still a significant amount of loss to Groby - although the independent report did not say how that £55,429.00 reduction should be levied.

So I read the independent report from Lambert Smith Hampton that for clarity was not enclosed in the Committee report to the planning committee members on the night.

Their figures, used to complete the assessment in this case were at least 18 months out of date.

Significant uplifts in value have taken place during this time and the comparisons of nearby sites were of sites in Anstey and bordering Beaumont Leys.

I have absolutely nothing against either of these settlements but you simply will not be able to convince me, I doubt you either, reading this, will draw the conclusion that house prices and rental prices are comparable in Groby to that of Anstey and or neighbouring Beaumont Leys.

As said, they also failed to identify where the axe should fall if the reduction was to be agreed by

the Borough Council’s planning committee, should it be health provision, education, libraries, highways public transport, play and open space? Etc. Our Borough Council planning officers agreed that the £55,429.00 reduction in this case was acceptable and on that basis recommended approval to members.

Furthermore the officers’ view in the committee report was that the total amount of £55,429.00 should be forfeited in the play and open space provision in its entirety.

I disagree, the report stated Marina Park for which incidentally is not the nearest play and open space to the Hello Homes site. That said Marina Park would qualify for the money and desperately needs the full amount allocating to it as the flooding issue needs sorting out at significant cost.

The BMX track needs constant maintenance and money spent on it too. The footpaths are in desperate need of repair, the list goes on all of which requires financing.

As I reported to the planning committee the reduction if it were to be agreed should be levied equally across all parts of the S106 agreement and not isolated to the play and open space provision as per the Borough Council’s officer opinion.

Pressure was applied by officers that this was an either or scenario to get the 100% affordable housing or the extra money for the S106.

This is ridiculous along with the comment to members by officers that you can’t get 18 affordable homes built for £55,000.00?

In my view it was never ever an ‘either or’ scenario this late in the stage of the development.

The developer, Hello Homes has 30 homes built with agreements signed all ready to be moved into; indeed the first residents may have taken occupation by the time you read this article, certainly shortly thereafter.

Should Hello Homes go to court I will do my level best to see Hello Homes fail in their attempt not to

Cllr Martin Cartwright Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council – Groby Ward. Executive member for: Licensing, Environmental, Climate Change, Rural Issues & Klondyke Community Hub

Call: 0116 287 4500 Mobile: 07850 707050 E-Mail: hbbc@appliancehome.co.uk Write : Maverick House,10 Pine Tree Avenue, Groby, LE6 0EQ FaceBook: Cllr Martin Cartwright • Twitter: @CllrCartwright • Instagram: cllr.martincartwright

honour an agreement that they themselves signed up to in the first place an agreement that was impacted by them making changes to the tenure whilst being fully aware of the legal agreement that they signed up to.

Some of my colleagues just didn’t get it on the planning committee night. Persuaded by officers that it was an ‘either or’ situation that Groby would either get a greater number of affordable homes albeit with a reduction of infrastructure money or less affordable homes and the £55,429.00 instead.

The motion to overturn the officers’ recommendation and simply keep to the original agreement signed up to by Hello Homes in the first place was moved by myself and seconded by Cllr Hollick. I only just won the vote on the night by the skin of my teeth.

Hello Homes do not have any right of appeal to this decision - all they can do is to refuse to pay the section 106 money ending up in a legal battle in court with the district Council and planning authority. It is my view that this will delay at least some of the homes being occupied whilst the legal arguments take place.

I have set out why I believe they will not choose to take this option.

I stuck my neck out well and truly on this issue in order to see that agreements were kept and pledges honoured so that Groby received just what it deserved and nothing more.

The effect of me doing this is far reaching; instead of the authority being seen by developers in the Borough wide as a ”soft touch” who may give in when a reduction of S106 money is applied for, the reputation will have changed to the Borough Council who will take us on and we may not succeed!

I conclude that Hello Homes changed the business model having purchased the site and were fully aware of the money they agreed to pay in the first place in a legal agreement and undertaking.

Neighbourhood Planning GROBY is sadly lacking a Neighbourhood Plan.

When many parishes in Hinckley & Bosworth are either a significant way through their Neighbourhood plan process or have adopted plans.

Please see the articles from Groby Parish Council and Norman Griffiths on this subject in this edition of the Spotlight.

I always knock on the fridge before I open it. Just in case there’s a salad dressing.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

Tel: 0116 287 4500 Mob: 07850 707050

Groby - The Best Place for Wellbeing in the Borough GROBY has been named the best village in Hinckley & Bosworth for wellbeing.

A new index looking at indicators such as jobs, health, public spaces, schools, public transport and culture aims to show where areas are thriving and where communities can come together to make improvements.

The Co-op’s Community Wellbeing index offers everyone the chance to understand what makes their community different to 28,000 others across the UK. By entering your postcode, the index will reveal your community’s overall wellbeing score and indicate its performance across nine specific areas.

Groby had the highest overall average score for community wellbeing in Hinckley & Bosworth, at 63.8 out of 100.

On the downside Groby did not score well in areas such as it had long working hours, air quality, traffic and noise pollution.

I am here to help you AS YOUR Borough Councillor I am here and available to help you.

If you live in Groby and are experiencing any difficulties please contact me and I will do all I can to help you Thank you and take care,

Martin To keep residents updated I am posting as much relevant information as I can on my social media channels. Face book, Twitter & Instagram.

Should you have any comments or problems you would like me to mention in my article please get in touch.

Please remember if I can ever be of help to you or your family please do not hesitate to contact me. My contact details are listed in the coloured panel on the left.

23

HootS – Heads out of the Sand – Groby

The Midnight Library

By Matt Haig WHEN NORA SEED finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right.

Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?

And I Quote ...

“The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.”

Charles Lamb, 1775-1834, British essayist

“The world is a looking glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.”

William Makepeace Thackeray, 1811-1863, British writer

Thinking beyond the LOCKDOWN AT THE END of June 2019, Janet and I travelled to London to join the mass lobby of parliament ‘The Time is Now’: we met with our MP Edward Argar to share our concerns about the current climate emergency and to ask the government to take action.

The year that has passed since then is not what we would have predicted, and it is not what any of us would have wished for. As life evolves into a very different normal, we all know that - as well as continuing to deal with the health emergency - there are many repercussions of the Covid pandemic that we still have to face. Many people have, or will, lose jobs and our economy will struggle.

I hope that in all this we can take time to pause and think about the future that we hope for. What do we want our future to look like? The lock down came suddenly and – amazingly - not only here in the UK but all over the world, humanity responded to a health crisis by adapting lifestyles drastically. It is important to recognise that our experience of the lockdown has not been the same: for some it meant an increase in their work and a more stressful workplace; for some it meant a period of loneliness and isolation; for some it meant being confined in a dangerous situation. Many of us in Groby were able to retreat into our houses in relative comfort, make the most of family time, get to know and assist neighbours and make the most of the beautiful countryside around us. But everyone has had to adapt their lives drastically, and this should give us hope. Not only here in the UK but all over the world we have made necessary changes – we have shown that humanity can respond to an emergency by drastically changing our behaviour.

Change is what is needed as we face the climate emergency. And many of the changes that we made in response to the Covid crisis are ones that we need to make in the face of the climate emergency: we have worked together as a community; we have travelled less by car and plane and more by foot and bike; we have shopped locally (our local shops did a fantastic job!); we have learnt to use technology that enables us to have virtual meetings; we have shopped less for things we don’t really need; we have found joy in reading books, baking, gardening and going for a walk; many of us have done a lot less washing!

So as we continue on this journey can I encourage you to take a bit of time to reflect on your lockdown experiences? Think of the things you have learnt and the changes you have made that will lead to the future you hope for, not only for yourself but for humanity.

We need to respond to the climate emergency now and put pressure on those in positions of power to make decisions and investments that have the survival of our planet at their heart. HootS (Heads out of the Sand) – Groby, aims to educate, act and lobby on these issues at a local level. We want to explore what we can do in our village: to make a difference; reduce our carbon footprint; build a resilient community. Along with other groups in the village our meetings have been put on hold during this time, but please look out in future editions of the Spotlight to hear how we will be making changes so we can carry on working together for the sake of our planet.

Ruth Mwenya

Want to reach THOUSANDS of potential customers in Groby, Field Head & The Brantings?

Advertise in the Spotlight!

Visit www.grobyspotlight.co.uk for details.

I’ve never once been able to explain my car trouble to a mechanic without resorting to sound effects.

24

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Spotlight Small Ads Cllr Stuart Bray hits out over inappropriate development

• Set of LEFT HANDED GOLF CLUBS, plus GOLF BAG. Price: £30.00.

Tel: 0771 2438515 (Markfield)

• Adidas black & gold MAN’S BAG, minor mark on front - £5 • Shark Rider FANCY DRESS COSTUME, worn once, small repair where stitching came undone, but not noticeable. Cost £30 new - £15.

• Mini Cooper R56 LED front FOG LIGHTS. Unopened and comes with all wiring and connectors needed - £100.

• 5 x power 8 AWG WIRING KIT, up to 800 watts, unopened - £5.

• Nerf Centurion DARTS - £2.

• Pioneer Full Range CAR SPEAKERS, 200 watts RMS, 400 watts ACH, 25HZ20KHZ, sensitivity 95DB. Unused and never installed. Comes with all equipment needed to install as standard - £25 • Female AB-TEK BELT in good working order, fully anti-bac cleaned plus carry bag - £8.

Can deliver locally if unable to collect.

Tel: 07801 529250 (Groby) • Set of universal CAR MATS. Price: £5.00.

Tel: 07941 049939 (Markfield) • Early Learning Centre TURTLE SAND PIT with lid, sand (bagged), plus toys.

Price: £20.00 Tel: 07894 870105 (Groby) • 8’ x 4’ single axle GALVANISED TRAILER with separate 5’ ramp and includes hitchlock bolt with 2 keys and waterproof cover. Good condition. Price: £350 o.n.o.

Tel: 01530 244893 (Groby).

• Power tech VIBRATION MACHINE. Very good condition. Comes with instruction book. Price: £90.00.

Tel: 07788 533066 (Groby) • Red leather 2 SEATER SETTEE / SOFA BED. Excellent condition. Only used on half a dozen occasions.Currently resides in the conservatory.

Price: £100.00 o.n.o.

Tel 0116 287 4328 (Groby) • TV CABINET & COFFEE TABLE for sale separately or as a job-lot. Both matching solid wood, handmade Indian style carpentry. Good condition but might benefit from polishing. £100 for both or individual price on enquiry.

Tel: 07591 800444 (Groby).

• FOLDING COMMODE - 5 litre bucket with lid. Lightweight but strong. Never used. Price: £20.00. Must collect.

Tel: 01530 242064 (Markfield) • LOUIS VUITTON SHAWL - Ruby Red - originally costing over £400 - size 142.5 x 142.5 cm/56.10 x 56.10 inches combination of wool and silk - in pristine condition complete with Louis Vuitton box. Price: £75.00.

• BOSE WAVE MUSIC SYSTEM Model AWRCC6. White AM/FM Radio and CD Player. This is a very compact stereo system in pristine condition complete with remote control. Price: £50.00.

Tel: 01530 242318 (Markfield) • Hoover Smart Express VACUUM CLEANER with TOOLS. Good working condition. Price: £25.00 Tel: 01530 249780 (Markfield)

• ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITAR Takamine EG 124C Series. Excellent condition. With case. Price: £150.00.

• PICNIC SET - Vintage 1950’s/60’s Sirram 4 Person Picnic Set in Wicker Hamper.Excellent condition. Price: £45.00.

• Vintage 1960’s WICKER ARMCHAIR. Excellent condition.Price: £45.00 Tel: 0116 287 0378 (Glenfield) • ROOF TILES - 350 second hand clay roof tiles - size 7” x 11”. Approx. 100 square feet. Price: £50.00 Tel: 01530 249989 (Markfield)

• Set of LEFT HANDED GOLF CLUBS, plus GOLF BAG. Price: £30.00 Tel: 07712 438515 (Markfield) • Set of UNIVERSAL CAR MATS. Price: £5.00.

Tel: 07941 049939 (Markfield) • LE TOY VAN CHEROKEE TIPI - as new, in box. Price: £5.00. Plus TWO FIGURES - 50p each.

• Melissa & Doug’s CATCH & COUNT FISHING GAME. Unopened. Price: £10.00.

• LITTLE CARPENTER’S TOOL BOX - as new, unopened. Price: £10.00.

• LE TOY VAN FIRE ENGINE SET unplyaed with. Price: £10.00.

All of the above are suitable for children of 3 years plus, and still boxed.

Tel: 07757 753271 (Groby) • GARDEN TOOLS - 5 items. Price: £15.00 • Two RADIATORS (300mm and 1200mm) Price: £10.00 each.

• FISHING KIT - bag, rods, reels, etc.

Price: £75.00 • COMBO SENSAS BOX NEW - pole bar, side tray, plus foot/plate. Price: £300.00.

Tel: 01530 245754 (Markfield) • Lightweight foldable WHEELCHAIR, plus WALKING FRAME and 3 assorted WALKING STICKS. Price: £50.00 the lot.

• Two WICKER ARMCHAIRS with CUSHIONS. Suitable for conservatories.

Price: £75.00 o.n.o.

Tel: 01530 249171 (Field Head) • HIGH SLEEPER BED - Very sturdy wooden high sleeper bed. Provides great extra play/storage space beneath for children over 6. This bed can be lowered and used without the extensions too.

Frame size approx - 207.5cm lg x 101.5cm wide. For use with mattress 200cm lg x 101.5 cm wide. Full original instructions provided.Price: Offers around £110.00 Tel: 0116 2228501 or mobile: 07821 303259 (Glenfield)

IF YOU HAVE any household items which you’d like to advertise FREE in the Spotlight, please SEND DETAILS by post or email - sorry, we can’t take them over the phone.

~ From Borough Councillor Martin Cartwright ~

LEADER OF Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Stuart Bray, has written to local MPs Dr Luke Evans and Edward Argar seeking the Government’s support to help protect the Borough from unwarranted and speculative development.

The letter states: I am writing on behalf of the communities in Hinckley and Bosworth to seek your support from Government to help protect the Borough from unwarranted and speculative development. Two key measures can be taken, firstly by relaxing the requirements to demonstrate a five year housing supply and secondly to exclude the requirements to meet the three year ‘housing delivery’ test in 2020/21.

The COVID crisis has led to housing developments not progressing on many sites and to delays in developers submitting planning applications as housing companies have furloughed staff.

Why is this so important and what do these requirements mean?

The Five Year Housing Requirement - is a requirement set by Government in the National Planning Policy Framework. It highlights that councils are required to have enough sites ready for development to meet housing needs for the next five years. This means that there have to be enough permissions granted and land allocated, based on targets set by Government, to deliver these housing numbers. For this council we are expected to deliver over 450 homes every year for the next five years.

If you can’t demonstrate this, Government policy requires that on new applications for housing, regardless of location, should be approved unless there are clear exceptional circumstances.

The ‘Housing Delivery’ test is a further requirement introduced by Government which measures how many homes have been built in the last three years against targets set by Government.

The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in a significant slowdown on construction sites and a number of national housebuilders have forecasted 50% lower build out rates as a result of the crisis. However if you are unable to demonstrate the three year delivery test this also is likely to mean planning permissions get granted on unwanted locations.

Councils all over the country are experiencing speculative housing applications by land promoters and developers seeking to exploit this situation, which is causing untold misery and upset for many communities. Even when many of those consents are granted we are not seeing delivery. This creates a vicious circle and undermines the council’s ability to achieve a five year land supply and meet the three year delivery test.

So what do we need Government to do?

• Remove the five year housing supply requirement of at least another year to allow for the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic to be addressed by the housing industry.

• Exclude the requirement for the Housing Delivery Test for 2020/21 due to the impact of the pandemic this year.

• Allow councils to rely on our current Local Plan Allocations and Neighbourhood Development Plans to direct where development should happen.

When my administration came to power last May this council did not have a five year land supply. We consider we are well placed to help support local economic recovery but we want to have local control over where housing development happens, to safeguard our communities from unwarranted speculative development.

I therefore urge you to raise these issues and suggestions to your Government, which I am sure will be well received by the communities of Hinckley & Bosworth.

I look forward to your support and response on this matter.

Yours sincerely

Stuart Bray, Leader of the Council

Maximum EIGHT items please.

Our postal address is: Spotlight Small Ads, PO Box 8, Markfield, Leics. LE67 9ZT or you can email details to: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk PLEASE ENSURE that you put ‘SMALL ADS’ in the subject line, and INCLUDE YOUR FULL POSTAL ADDRESS (not for publication, just to know where you are).

I told my suitcases that due to the pandemic, there will be no holiday this year. Now I’m dealing with emotional baggage.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

News from St Philip and St James Churches (Ratby & Groby) Dear Friends During these very strange and difficult times our churches are endeavouring to do all we can for those of you who would like the opportunity for worship.

Always Day One

by Alex Kantrowitz AT AMAZON, ‘Day One’ is code for working inventively and urgently, as if it were the first day of your startup.

Day Two is, in Bezos’s own words, ‘stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by excruciating, painful decline, followed by death.’

Amazon and its fellow tech giants are under fire for their size and power, but there’s more to their story than anti-competitive practices and tax avoidance. These companies have kept ahead of the competition by embracing a new leadership model, one built for an age where companies can spin up new products and services at record speed.

On the inside, these tech giants operate nothing like the corporate giants of the past - the likes of Exxon and GM - which built core advantages and did everything they could to defend them.

For these new goliaths, it’s always day one.

We are striving to make our churches as welcoming as possible to absolutely everyone. There are obviously challenges and constraints so that we can do all we can to ensure the safety of everyone who wishes to worship and so we have been trying new ways to worship.

For people who would like to worship in church • We have opened our churches in both Ratby (8am) and Groby (6pm) for worship.

• Groby (Saturday 10am-12pm) and Ratby (Saturday 2-4pm) will also be open for private prayer.

Please be aware numbers in church will be limited by 2m distancing requirements in both churches - exact numbers will depend on whether there are households who can sit together, but singly we can manage about 22 in each church.

Full details can be found on our ‘A Church Near You’ web pages (search for Ratby or Groby).

• Services online Every Sunday at 10am via Facebook we have a live service Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9pm Compline (Night Prayer) Every Thursday at 10am Morning prayer All available via the GrobyRatby Rector Facebook page and Sunday services posted to the benefice Facebook page @StPandStJ and YouTube (Search for Ed Bampton) • Telephone Church Alongside this, for those who are unable to access our services online, we are also doing ‘Telephone Church’ on Sunday at 11.15am (the calls are at normal call rates and are included in any bundled minutes on your landline or mobile). Basically it is a form of conference call which means that all “attending” have the opportunity to talk to each other as well as listen to a very short service led by one of our ministry team.

Using your phone (Landline or mobile) DIAL 0333 0164757 You will then be asked to dial 10336316# and then to dial your guest pin 1920# and then join in and enjoy the service and the friendship.

All are welcome.

25

Planning Apps LISTED below are some recent planning applications local to our area: Single storey rear extension at 31 Anstey Lane, Groby, Leicester LE6 0DA Creation of 2 Juliet balconies to first floor, use of existing flat roof as balcony and installation of 0.9m and 1.8m high screens - at 11 The Paddock, Markfield, Leics.

LE67 9RR. Approval of reserved matters (appearance, landscaping, layout & scale) of application number 19/00680/OUT for the erection of 168 dwellings - at Springfield Riding School, Groby Road, Ratby, Leicester LE6 0BS. Roof extension, single storey side and rear extensions and front porch - at 17 Marston Drive, Groby, Leicester LE6 0DY. Rear extension and alterations to front fenestration - at 215 Leicester Road, Field Head, Near Markfield, Leics. LE67 9RF.

Dogs can mean better-behaved children IS YOUR child naughty? Consider getting a dog.

A recent study has found that children who grow up with a dog are far more likely to be willing to share and help others.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth have found that young children who live with a dog and who frequently interact with family members who interact with the pet dog are far less likely to be naughty or uncooperative.

Small children who are taken for a dog walk with their parents and siblings at least once a week even show a 30 per cent drop in being naughty and disruptive, and a 40 per cent drop in falling-out with friends.

Please support our advertisers if you can.

Thanks!

“Dogs help children learn about responsibility and unconditional loyalty. But they can also help with language development and verbal skills, while promoting trust and empathy.” Say the researchers. Their study was published in the journal Paediatric Research.

Lord Nelson was about 5ft 6”. His statue is 17ft 4”. That’s Horatio of about 3:1.

26

Groby & Field Head Spotlight • MID-AUGUST 2020 • Tel: 01530 244069 • Email: info@grobyspotlight.co.uk

Why Can’t We All Just Get Along: Shout Less. Listen More

by Iain Dale Why Can’t We All Just Get Along is part-memoir, partpolemic about the state of public discourse in Britain and the world today.

In an increasingly divided society, Iain examines why we’ve all become so disrespectful and intolerant. Using experiences from his career in politics and the media, he says it doesn’t have to be this way, and suggests how we can all emerge from tribalism and division and become more respectful to each other and those who govern us.

It is a book that is optimistic about the fundamental decencies embedded in human nature and uses deeply personal anecdotes to explain why we can look forward in a positive way to a better life both in personal and material terms.

Enjoy reading the Spotlight?

If so, please pass it on to a friend or relative when you’ve finished with it. It’s great to share!

ELECTRICIAN A one-stop professional & reliable service ♦Fixed Wiring Testing ♦Landlord Certification ♦Expert Fault Finding ♦Fuse Board Upgrades ♦Extra Sockets & Lights ♦Electric Heating

♦Complete Rewiring (with minimal disruption)

♦Cottage Specialists ♦Electrics Showers (Inc. Plumbing) ♦Security (Alarms, CCTV, Lights) ♦Free No Obligation Quotes

Control Electrics (Leics.) Ltd

Call: 0116 268 2910 Cropston Road, Anstey, Leicester LE7 7BR

Both of the churches in Groby are closed for the foreseeable, with our usual services & activities suspended.

But, we are still there for your spiritual needs during this time of great challenge. The brick/stone church has been replaced by a church of people communicating and supporting via telephone, e-mail and social media. Please check out what we are doing – we are actually reaching more people via our Facebook pages than we could fit in our churches, but we would love to reach even more.

If you need any spiritual support or prayers please text/message your name and home telephone number to Rector – Rev Ed Bampton 01162396520 one of our elders on 07807036944 or 07368405207– you will get a call back.

Rev Noel Colley 07757 302271 www.facebook.com/grobyurc/ www.facebook.com/StPandStJ www.achurchnearyou.com/church/5501 Online live streamed regular services as follows: Every Tuesday at 9pm Compline Every Thursday at 10am Morning Prayer Every Sunday at 10am Morning Worship

Online live streamed services 10am Sundays – follow us on Facebook for more information and daily posts to support & encourage you.

Christian Booklets/Gospels/Magazines and DVDs - have been put outside the church on Chapel Hill for anyone who is interested and would find them helpful.

My Mum has been smelling something burning since 1983.

For publication dates and details of advertising rates, visit the website at www.grobyspotlight.co.uk

A big ‘Thank You’ to the local Community - from Leicester Animal Aid, Huncote LEICESTER Animal Aid (LAA), Huncote, would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all the wonderful people in our surrounding communities who have been supporting us throughout the Covid crisis.

It has been, and still is, a challenging time for all of us and we are touched by the messages of support that we have received.

As at the time of writing (21st July), LAA Huncote is still able to both take in, and to re-home, cats and dogs. For more details on our new procedures, please go to: https://www.leicesteranimalaid.org. uk/news/news/post/256-update-rescue-and-rehoming Telephone: 01455 888 257 Email: info@leicesteranimalaid.org.uk Attached are photos of two of our current residents, Buttons and Percy. If you are interested in adopting any of the animals on our website, or on our Facebook page, please visit our website: www.leicesteranimalaid.org.uk and complete an Interested Parties Form or, alternatively, telephone our Centre on 01455 888 257.

Many members of our local community have contacted us to ask if they can help with dog walking. Unfortunately, due to social distancing, we are unable to accept these kind offers at this time. However, the support of our local community has made a real difference (and will continue to do so) in the following ways: • Coming forward to become Members of Leicester Animal Aid • Using our Amazon ‘Wish-List’ when you shop online • Individual donations of money and pet food • Corporate donations of food • Participation in our Pawsome Online Pet Show • Face-mask making (by children and adults) and selling hand-made craft items to raise funds • Using our charity shop onsite in Huncote (open from 10am until 2pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 11am until 2pm on Thursdays) We would like to say a special thank you to the local children who have been raising funds for our animals. There have been some really inspiring efforts, from socially-distanced yard sales to mask making, and even using money earned through good behaviour and helping with chores to buy treats for our animals. For any young people who enjoy helping and learning about animals, we do have a special Club that meets four times a year called the Huncote Hound Club. If you know any children under 14 who love animals and would like to support LAA by becoming a member of the ‘Huncote Hound Club’, please read about it at: https://www. leicesteranimalaid.org.uk/huncote-hound-club/huncote-hound-club We look forward to welcoming them when circumstances permit.

Adopting a Pet If you are considering adopting a pet, and you could offer a home for life to a cat or dog from Leicester Animal Aid, please do get in touch by phone or email. We’ll talk you through the process.

Visitors We are not yet able to accommodate visitors who wish to walk around our Centre and view the dogs and cats. Our kennels and cattery can only be accessed by our staff, but please do keep looking at our Website and Facebook page for regular updates).

Helen Wilber and Jane Walters Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association, Elmwood Farm, Forest Road,Huncote, Leicestershire LE9 3LE Note! Motorway users please exit the M69 at Junction 3, or the M1 at Junction 21, and then follow the signs for Narborough and Huncote (Pavilion).

27

HINCKLEY & BOSWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

Councillor Ted Hollick reports Low income households offered extra help A SCHEME providing additional council tax help during the Covid-19 pandemic is benefitting working age households who are living on a low income.

The initiative, supported by £531,000 of government funding, provides a reduction of up to £150 off the council tax bill for low income households who currently receive working age Council Tax Support.

The reduction is being applied automatically to the council tax bills of people who are eligible and revised bills showing how much is left to pay are starting to be sent out this week. The reduction will also be applied to the bills of any new working age council tax support recipients.

Many people have been affected financially by issues such as redundancy, furlough or reduced hours in the last few months. These sorts of changes make it difficult to pay the normal monthly bills. Although the government has put in place measures to help, for instance payment holidays, it can build up debt arrears.

Council Leader Cllr Stuart Bray said: “Unfortunately, a growing number of people are experiencing financial difficulties as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is why we have committed to providing as much support as possible to the people that most need our help. The government funding has enabled us to provide Council Tax reductions for those who already claim Council Tax Support and we would urge anyone on a low income to check to see if they are eligible to claim additional support”.

Anyone who would like advice about managing with less money, or help in dealing with arrears or other debts, is urged to please get some advice now do not wait. Visit www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/benefits and use the benefit calculator or by call the Benefits Team for advice on Tel. 01455 238141.

A recipe for disaster?

WHILST NORMALLY I would avoid being political, I have to say I am utterly appalled at the latest proposal from the Conservative government attempting to ride roughshod over the current planning regulations, which would give builders and developers greater freedom.

Councillors like myself were elected to serve the community and represent and protect its interests against inappropriate and unwanted development by using our local knowledge to allow acceptable growth which would not have an adverse impact on the village. This is why we the residents of Groby need to support the re-introduction of a Groby Neighbourhood Development Plan.

The plan when ratified would give you the villagers a greater say in protecting the village its identity and heritage assets, open spaces etc. as well as saying where any development could go if needed.

(Further details can be found on page 16).

The LGA (Local Government Association) has stated that there are currently thousands of homes that have been granted Planning Permission which the developers have still not built.

With the current housing need being so dire should those developers be prevented from submitting further schemes until these are built and completed?

I would suggest any new application that is granted permission must start to build within 2 years or lose that permission.

I hope everyone is keeping well KEEP SAFE

Ted

Councillor Ted Hollick Call: 0116 287 5955 Mobile: 07962 373983 E-mail: ted.hollick@outlook.com Write: 7 Shaw Wood Close, Groby, LE6 0FY

I like to hold hands at the movies... which always seems to startle strangers.

LET CHARNWOOD LIVING FIND THE PERFECT MATCH FOR YOUR HOUSE SELL YOUR PROPERTY WITH

CHARNWOOD LIVING

HIGH STREET SERVICE AT INTERNET PRICES NO SALE NO FEE

LANDLORDS

WE HAVE FROZEN OUR FEES Charnwood Living Ltd - Terms & Conditions Apply

0116 243 0880

www.charnwoodliving.co.uk

17 The Nook | Anstey | Leicester | LE7 7AZ