Agenda item

Coalville Memorial Stones Presentation

Councillor A V Smith referred to the dedication of two memorial stones on Sunday 22 June 2014 in Memorial Square, Coalville, commemorating the men and women who had lost their lives whilst serving in the armed forces since 1945.  She stated that inscribed on the stones at the time of the dedication were the names of four local men, some of whom had not been formally remembered locally since they passed away.  She added that it had taken months of hard work, dedication, sensitivity and generosity to make this unique project a reality.  The new memorial stones have made it possible for these Leicestershire men to be remembered in their local town, and have given the families and friends of these men a local memorial for their loved ones.

Councillor A V Smith stated that as Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion for the council, it gave her great pleasure to formally thank three members of the working group for their part in creating the new memorial stones in Coalville, and to present each of them with a commemorative photo album.  She also paid tribute to the contributions made by the late Pete Baker, who was also a member of the working group.

Councillor A V Smith presented commemorative photo albums to local historian Michael Kendrick, who provided invaluable knowledge of the history of the area, and enthusiasm for the project; Des Starbuck, a member of the original working group that worked on the memorial tower, who had been a driving force for the project with his knowledge and enthusiasm; and Jim Rowlinson, Chairman of the North West Leicestershire group of the Royal British Legion, who worked for months to form links with the families of those men whose names appear on the stones, and to steer the project.

The members of the working group commended the support of the Chief Executive in respect of this project, and the support given by the Council to the Royal British Legion throughout the year.

The Chairman added that the work of the Royal British Legion with the Council had enabled the Remembrance Service to take place over the weekend, which had been attended by over 4,000 people.  He commended the efforts of all those involved.

Heritage Presentation

Councillor R Blunt stated that he had had the pleasure of attending an English Heritage conference on 9 October called ‘revealing the appeal’ which was held in Coalville.  He added that the conference had opened a lot of eyes not only to the contribution of heritage in town centres, but also to Coalville and to the regeneration of town centres.  He explained that the conference had received an excellent presentation from the Council’s former Conservation Officer, Ramona Usher, on the history of Coalville, which really underlined the reason why a Conservation area had been designated in Coalville.  He added that Coalville had pride of place in North West Leicestershire and has a very rich heritage and history that as the current custodians of the place we must make sure we make the best of.

Councillor R Blunt felt that nothing could deliver that message more powerfully than the presentation Ramona gave to the forum, which was then presented to all Members.

Councillor J Legrys stated that as Ward Member, he welcomed the effort being made for the town centre and he hoped that the aspirations of residents could be fulfilled.  He commended the former Conservation Officer on the presentation and the work behind it and added that she would be sorely missed.

Supporting Leicestershire Families Presentation

Councillor T J Pendleton stated that as Portfolio Holder for the Council’s Stronger and Safer Communities team which included Supporting Families in North West Leicestershire, he had the great pleasure of attending the 1 year celebration event held at County Hall earlier this year.  He stated that he was so impressed by the work undertaken to date and the progress being made that I wanted all Members to hear for themselves what has been delivered and the positive impact it is having on people’s lives.  He invited Jane Moore, Head of Supporting Leicestershire Families and Safer Communities at the County Council, to give a presentation outlining the work being undertaken to help our families.  She gave an overview of service development and highlighted the outcomes of the 50 families within North West Leicestershire who had engaged with the service.  She highlighted a particular case study which had demonstrated significant improvements for the family.

Councillor R Blunt referred to a presentation he had received at Melton regarding the scheme, and the improvements made by a family similar to that described in the case study.  He commented that previously, the family felt that under the new scheme, everyone was working together to find a solution, rather than looking for a problem.  He added that everyone deserved a second chance, and this scheme offered that.  He hoped that the officers involved felt proud of the work they were doing which was so desperately important.

Councillor M Specht expressed congratulations to the entire team.  He commented that cost savings could be achieved considering the bigger picture.  He commended the scheme.

Councillor T Neilson thanked the Portfolio Holder and the officers for their hard work.  He added that he would have welcomed a report to enable a debate.  He commented that the child poverty rate in Measham was 20%, which was replicated in many areas around the country.  He added that to deal with this issue family by family would take an age because of the problems being faced by the country at present.  He stated that this was very valuable work which had been ongoing for some time.  He commented that some of the government cuts were not helping.

The Chairman reminded Members that this item was a presentation only and was not for political debate.

Councillor R Holland commented that what had been achieved was fabulous.  She referred to the case study and added that examples like this inspired people to get involved.  She stated that this work was fundamental in changing the country in the long term.  She added that she felt very passionately about this issue and urged officers to keep up the good work.

Councillor S Sheahan commended officers on their fantastic work.  He commented however that this was only part of the picture and more work needed to be done.  He stated that more affordable housing was needed, as was a benefits system that was fit for purpose and an education system that delivered for all.  He added that poverty, low wages and underemployment needed to be combated and help provided for people to get out of debt.  He stated that the child poverty figure was pertinent, and the underlying cause needed to be considered.  He concluded that the administration should admit there was a problem and work together to do something about it.

Councillor T Pendleton stated that he could not let such comments go unchallenged.  He commented that the Supporting Leicestershire Families movement and what it was achieving for the district was second to none.  He added that the scheme had brought about a sea change in how families were dealing with their problems.  He added that he did not necessarily agree with the child poverty level as the figure varied depending upon how it was defined.  He reminded Members that the district only had a 2% unemployment level, which was almost full employment.

Councillor L Spence commented that when the programme had originally been introduced, it was called the troubled families agenda.  He added that it was a testament to all involved that this had not been retained.  He referred to a very similar presentation Members had received at Leicestershire County Council which had included a spider diagram showing the excellent improvement made by families.  He commented that child poverty was an issue and would continue to be so.  He called for all parties to ensure that funding remained in place after the general election to enable the work to continue.