By NOTICEBOARD · 12 April 2025 The Oadby and Wigston community families and Armed Forces veterans are invited to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day Oadby and Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) is holding a beacon lighting event at Brocks Hill Country Park, Oadby to honour the occasion along with communities up and down the country on Thursday The event will start in the park’s outdoor amphitheatre at 8pm with music from Wigston Band and Wigston Community Choir before the beacon is lit at 9.15pm. Space in the amphitheatre will be available on a first come first served basis and it is recommended to bring a blanket or chair to sit on Jenno’s Coffee House will also be staying open late to support the event. On May 8 1945 VE Day was celebrated by millions rejoicing in the news that the Second World War in Europe was finally over. May 8 outside the Brocks Hill Council Offices generously donated to the council by Broad Oak Properties available in small grants for local community groups schools and charities to host their own celebrations to mark either VE Day or VJ (Victory over Japan) Day which takes place on August 15. said: “VE Day was one of the most significant events in our history and it’s important that we give our residents the opportunity to commemorate it. “I really encourage the Oadby and Wigston community to come together with those across the country celebrating the peace which VE Day brought while also honouring the sacrifice of the millions who fought to achieve it. “We’re also pleased to have been able to offer grants to our communities to allow them to celebrate in ways which are personal to them "It’s been great to see the range of events which will be taking place across the borough from educational events for young people to street parties bringing neighbours together.” LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response A road closure was in place this morning (Monday whilst emergency services dealt with the fire Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said today (Monday, February 17) that they received a call at 10.02am regarding a blaze at the LOROS shop in The Parade, Oadby Three crews were sent to tackle the incident Eastern and Wigston stations attending the scene Fire crews used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire while four breathing apparatus were employed Emergency services closed off a portion of The Parade while they dealt with the incident The fire was believed to have started at the rear of the store READ MORE: Police officers 'raging' as force considers ban on radios and TVs to save money Two pumps remained at the location while crews continued to deal with the incident A fire service spokesman said: "Two pumps remain at the scene An investigation will be launched into the cause of the blaze We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first Our live coverage of this incident now comes to an end The fire at the LOROS shop in Oadby has now been extinguished with crews currently carrying out damping down and ventilation procedures Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed An investigation into the cause of the fire at the LOROS shop in Oadby will be launched A spokesperson for the fire service said: "Three crews attended with two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire and four breathing apparatus employed and an investigation will be launched into the cause of the blaze." The Parade has been closed to traffic while emergency services tackle the fire Two hose reel jets have been used to fight the fire Crews are working to control the situation Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service tells LeicestershireLive We have a WhatsApp Community that provides the latest breaking news and top stories from across the county We now also have a WhatsApp Channel to give you the chance to get our stories “We received a call at 10:02 this morning regarding a fire at the LOROS Shop on The Parade Oadby,” a spokesperson for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service tells LeicestershireLive and Wigston stations are currently at the scene of the fire which is believed to have started at the rear of a store The Parade in Oadby has been closed off while emergency services deal with the incident The name of this pub recalls Sir Nathan Wright Lord Keeper of the Great Seal (1700–1705) and later lord of the manor of Oadby Kings and queens have used a seal to authenticate their orders for centuries The Great Seal dates from the reign of Edward the Confessor and the custody of the seal was entrusted to the care of the chancellor of the time The text reads: The name of this Wetherspoon freehouse recalls Sir Nathan Wright who succeeded to his estates at Oadby in 1716 This building stands on the site of Sandhurst Infants School the school continued in use until it was pulled down in the early 1980’s The text reads: Framework knitting reached Oadby in the 18th century and for long time provided the community’s main source of work Like many ‘cottage workers’ in the East Midlands local people used a stocking frame invented in the 16th century by William Lee mother and children worked on frames rented from Leicester or Oadby bag-hosier who delivered raw material at the beginning of the week and collected finished socks and stockings at the end One of the most prominent bag-hosiers of the 19th century was Edwards Matthews Other famous men in the trade were Samuel Burnham and Samuel Matthews who sold beer as well as dabbling in sock manufacturing No doubt some of the workers received wages in kind the factory system was also well established eight hosiery manufacturers employed some 150 framework knitters and 89 seamstresses Two of the most important were George Hodges and Arthur Russell Donisthorpe founder of a famous worsted spinning firm in Leicester The text reads: As you enjoy a relaxing drink and wholesome food spare a thought for the countless children who spent some of the ‘happiest days of their life’ here Part of this site was once home to Sandhurst Street Infants School Plans for a new school were first aired in 1907 by members of the newly-styled United Methodist Church of Oadby around 200 children were being taught in the Sunday School by twenty or more teachers in crowded and unhygienic conditions Members agreed to put in an offer for a site in Stoughton Lane despite their plea that ‘no unfriendliness was implied to non-conformists’ and were deeply suspicious of the reasons given for refusal The latter was secured on Christmas Eve 1908 and contributions ranged from £100 from John Charles Ward to four sums of £12.10s from less affluent supporters and was closed and then demolished in the early 1980’s An illustration and text about The Great Seal The text reads: Kings and Queens have used a seal to authenticate their orders for centuries The Great Seal itself dates from the reign of Edward the Confessor its use continued and the custody of the seal was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor The Seal is broken at the start of a new reign and a fresh one made the practice developed of employing a Privy Seal and later a signet the Great Seal was in the hands of the Chancellor or the Lord Keeper But from the accession of George III (in 1760) the office of Lord Keeper disappeared is in the custody of the Secretary of State One-time local Lord of the Manor and Lord keeper of the Great Seal (during the reigns of William III and Queen Anne) Sir Nathan Wright is commemorated in the name of this J.D During his long legal career Sir Nathan was recorder of Leicester (1680-84 and 1688) and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and Privy Councillor (1700/5) Watts says OBP will complement its existing offerings and enhance its product range and customer base.The OBP brand will remain intact continuing to operate independently from its site OBP has supplies building products to various sectors and domestic refurbishment and maintenance The company began as Oadby Building Plastics and expanded significantly after moving to a purpose-built 25,000ft2 warehouse and office space in January 2014 having progressed from a yard person at Asphaltic to his current role His eleven-year tenure at OBP has been marked by his extensive knowledge and dedication to the company. Watts Roofing Supplies is an independent roofing merchant in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire The company grew from a single branch in Baldock covering the local area to a three-branch roofing merchant with hundreds of suppliers and many happy long-term customers Headlines Features People Video Past issues Supplements Features List Showcase Recruitment Events Awards About us Contact us Advertise with us Terms & conditions Privacy policy Home Sport Article Histon halted their eight-game winless run in all competitions with a 3-1 home victory at the expense of G.N.G Oadby Town yesterday afternoon It has been a tough period for Chris Nunn’s side who have seen their hopes of reaching the United Counties League Premier Division South play-offs evaporate they returned to winning ways against their relegation-threatened visitors at Bridge Road to move up to 10th in the table Captain Max York got the ball rolling for Histon inside the opening five minutes of the contest when he powered in a header Taylor Franklin’s solo effort doubled the home side’s advantage in the 32nd minute but the deficit was duly halved six minutes later courtesy of Suleiman Nassor who scored with Oadby’s first effort on target the outcome was eventually made safe in the 73rd minute when Joe Sutton converted from the penalty spot after Pharrell Anderson had been upended inside the box Histon will seek to put back-to-back victories on the board next Saturday away at second-placed Aylestone Park WATTS ROOFING SUPPLIES has acquired Oadby Building Products Limited (OBP) marking a milestone in the company’s growth and expansion efforts Watts says OBP will complement its existing offerings and help to enhance its product range continuing to operate independently from its site Founded in 2008 by Mehul Somani, OBP supplies building products to various sectors social housing and domestic refurbishment and maintenance the company expanded after moving to a purpose-built 25,000 square foot warehouse and office located on Kenilworth Drive in the Oadby industrial estate OBP offers express service at its trade counter and a multi-vehicle free delivery service With a wealth of industry knowledge and a commitment to finding cost-effective solutions for projects of all sizes OBP stands as a one-stop shop for building products having progressed from a yard person at Asphaltic to his current role His 11-year tenure at OBP has been marked by his extensive knowledge and dedication to the company Founded in 2010, Watts Roofing Supplies is an independent roofing merchant in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire The company grew from a single branch in Baldock covering the local area to a three-branch roofing merchant with hundreds of suppliers and many long-term customers >> Read more about Watts Roofing Supplies Issue 117 - March 2025 Sign up now to get news by email from Roofing Today RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Bright Membrane for Cool Roofs Traditional Roofing spring 2025 By NOTICEBOARD · 4 February 2025 Find out about the wide range of health and care career and job opportunities by meeting people from a wide range of NHS social care and other healthcare organisations A free careers and jobs event is being held at The Kube at Leicester Racecourse in Oadby around 2,000 people attended and many successful applications were made you can learn more about opportunities for patient-caring roles in hospitals or in the community alongside non-patient-facing support roles You can also find out about volunteering opportunities Friendly and knowledgeable staff from a wide range of professions will be available to answer your questions and give you an insight into what their jobs involve Organisations that you can meet at the event include: The free health and care careers and jobs event will be held at The Kube To register your interest, visit bit.ly/HealthcareCareers25 Location: Oadby and Wigston Neil O’Brien has been re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Harborough It was a close contest as the Conservative beat Labour candidate Hajira Piranie by just 2,378 votes – having previously held a majority of over 17,000 Neil O’Brien (centre) celebrates with Conservative supporters Social Democratic Party – Robin Lambert: 203 Candidates gather as the results are announced For the first time in 19 years the Kettering constituency has a Labour MP Rosie Wrighting beat Conservative Phillip Hollobone Conservative – Philip Hollobone 14,189 Conservative Alberto Costa has been re-elected as MP for South Leicestershire – beating the Labour candidate by over 5,500 Liberal Democrat – Paul Hartshorn 7,621 Candidates check spoilt papers at the Harborough HFM News grants and donations to enable us to continue to provide the service Your donation would be greatly appreciated ALL CONTENT © COPYRIGHT HARBOROUGH FM 2007 – 2024 A property tribunal has ruled that deductions from tenant deposits are not ‘payments’ and cannot be illegal under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 In a move that will be a relief to many landlords and letting agents the tribunal said taking money from deposits to cover damage cleaning or redecoration does not come under the legislation Also, the the tribunal said that the tenant disputing the deductions from their deposit would have to seek a resolution through the MyDeposits service or go to a county court Deposits actually come under the Housing Act 2004 The case involved deductions of £677 from a deposit of £1,295 by Dr Shamser Chohan and Mrs K Shohan of Leicester firm NAS Properties claimed during the hearing that deductions for cleaning (£80) redecoration (£185) and ‘other’ costs (£172) Judge Jackson said: “I do not consider that the withholding of part of a tenancy deposit can be considered to be a ‘payment’ by the [tenant] “I suggest that ‘payment’ requires some action on behalf of the [tenant ]which accords with the ordinary meaning of the word “payment” “I therefore determine that as there was no prohibited payment as defined by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 that I do not have jurisdiction to order the recovery of the withheld part of the deposit.” If she reckons £80 isn’t commercial rates to clean that house I want her coeaners’ number 😂 that’s ridiculously cheap You must be logged in to post a comment The 3 big issues where as far as I can tell the government has failed are (1) Ground rents (2) Cladding (3) Failure to regulate management companies... Leasehold IS broken and exploited by Large Freeholders who actually contribute nothing to UK finances Apologies if i am missing something here but i thought the Renters reform Bill intended to abolish creating fixed term tenancies and turn all existing.. We have a history of long term tenants and those I have spoken with feel the fact there is no fixed term tenancy far outweighs any advantage of being.. Just click below and dive in – 52 pages of interviews The success of your website depends largely on good SEO Here's four ways to improve your relationship with Google READ MORE Tappter and Kerfuffle teamed up to host a round table event with a panel of some of the leading lights and tech experts in the property industry Adam Walker highlights the opportunities open to an independent agent in a rapidly consolidating market As the financial squeeze on tenants gets ever tighter Richard Reed discusses rent guarantee policies with a panel of specialist insurers Ask any letting agent what is their biggest headache and the chances are they will say “inventories” Richard Reed talks to people who can take the pain away READ MORE Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please ask your account manager for the password to gain access You will also need to be logged in to the site to access the Advertising Artwork Upload Centre, so please log in to the site first. If you haven’t registered on the site, you can do so by clicking here Describe the current market for sales and lettings: eg what type of properties are favoured at the moment How external factors are affecting your area – eg interest rates Express your own views on what’s driving the housing market and how it could be inproved in your area and anything else of relevance or interest You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/ Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_5" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_6" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_7" ).setAttribute( "value" Keep up to date with the latest industry news Deadline for entry 31st August Don't have an account? By NOTICEBOARD · 23 May 2024 Councillor Clare Kozlowski has been appointed as Mayor of Oadby and Wigston for the 2024 to 25 municipal year Deputy mayor for the 2023 to 24 year and borough councillor for the Wigston St Councillor Kozlowski was elected during a Mayor Making ceremony at the council's annual general meeting Councillor Jasvir Chohan was also elected to the position of deputy mayor The non-political role of mayor is ceremonial with the mayor acting as First Citizen and representing the council at events and civic functions Councillor Kozlowski said: "I'm honoured to have been elected as Mayor of Oadby & Wigston and I will always do my best for the borough which supports cancer research in the Leicestershire and Rutland area and is very dear to my heart which grants wishes to children in Leicestershire who are suffering from life-limiting illnesses or have suffered trauma I would also like to thank Councillor Rosemarie Adams for all she has done over the past two years and I'm looking forward to following in her footsteps representing Oadby & Wigston." At the meeting Emma Hall from Butterfly Beacons was presented with a Mayor's Award in recognition of her community work in the borough by Councillor Adams Butterfly Beacons is a local charity providing support to women and their families to improve their well-being Councillor Adams said: "Serving as Mayor of Oadby & Wigston for the last two years has been a privilege and presenting Emma with this award was a fitting end to my term "I've done things that I never thought were possible and met some amazing people – and I hope I've represented both the council and the borough as best I can while doing so I've also raised almost £2,500 for my chosen charity and I would like to thank all who have contributed and helped my fundraising efforts I would like to wish Councillor Kozlowski all the best in her new role and thank all of the officers at Oadby & Wigston Borough Council who have supported me through this time." A client's love of mid century design and desire for a sustainable low maintenance home has produced Levitate's high quality atmospheric house in a leafy conservation area The client bought a dilapidated bungalow with the aspiration of building a family home inspired by a love of Scandinavian and Californian architecture and design from the mid-20th century Presenting itself to the street as a humble single-storey building the house fully reveals itself as you enter and look down through a double-height space with full-height window Timber steps lead down into the living space Two-storey parts of the house have bedrooms while the single-storey pavilion that extends into the garden houses the kitchen The two are connected with the double-height space which The influence of Jørn Utzon's Ahm House in Harpenden Exposed glulam beams and internally exposed brickwork are an honest material response, yet feel warm and comforting along with extensive glazing to the garden are influenced by the rooms and uses within There has been very little compromise in detailing or choice of materials giving the house an ambitious and high-quality finish as well as an atmosphere and character which significantly improves its occupants’ wellbeing This sustainable and low-maintenance home benefits from solar gains to its well-insulated and airtight fabric along with air-source heat pump and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery roof-mounted photovoltaic panels (which can hardly be seen from the ground) rainwater recycling for the garden and green roofs for enhanced biodiversity All this is within the setting of a conservation area characterised by its early 20th-century development of fine houses ‘The challenge for the future is to allow the area to adapt while ensuring that its sense of place is maintained.’ Maple Lodge should be seen as an excellent example of how this can be achieved See the rest of the RIBA East Midlands winners here. And all the RIBA Regional Awards here To find out more about the whole RIBA Awards process visit architecture.com RIBA Regional Awards 2023 sponsored by Gaggenau, EH Smith and Autodesk Latest articlesRIBAJ Spec: Architecture for Housing and Residential Development Webinar20 May 2025SpecRIBAJ Spec: Architecture for Housing and Residential Development Webinar Chelsea Waterfront integrates public realm and affordable housing to hold out the possibility of an inclusive future Baillie Baillie Architects used contemporary techniques while drawing inspiration from local traditions Sign up to receive regular briefings, updates and our weekly newsletter – all designed to bring you the best stories from RIBAJ.com Sign up to receive regular briefings, updates and our weekly newsletter – all designed to bring you the best stories from RIBAJ.com Sign up to receive regular briefings, updates and our weekly newsletter – all designed to bring you the best stories from RIBAJ.com CloseA security camera has captured the moment a house in Oadby Large amounts of surface water and a number of raised manhole covers were reported in the county on Thursday evening Family friend Mohammed Dakri said: "It was about six to seven inches high inside the house We got rid of all the wet things that were really bad "I'm doing my best to help them out." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreCCTV captures moment flood hits house 00:00:30CCTV captures moment flood hits house 0:30 Up Next 00:01:31Returning to your home after a flood 1:31 Flooding: Two escape flooded Porsche 00:01:35Flooding: Two escape flooded Porsche 1:35 The reality of living with flooding 00:01:38The reality of living with flooding 1:38Editor's recommendations Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 00:01:44Watch: BBC reports from pier 33 - the gateway to Alcatraz 1:44 Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 00:01:25Watch: Prince Louis steals the show as royals mark VE Day 1:25 Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster Video 00:01:21Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster 1:21 'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 00:01:20'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 1:20 Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 00:02:54Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 2:54 Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 00:01:32Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 1:32 Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 00:01:11Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 1:11 Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 00:00:50Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 0:50 Ros Atkins on.. What's in the US-Ukraine resources deal 1:23 Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 00:01:18Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 1:18 Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi is released 00:00:46Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi is released The Leicester suburb of Oadby and Wigston has been revealed by Zoopla as the UK key hotspot where homes are cheaper to buy than rent Across the UK a third of homes (150,000) for sale are cheaper to buy than rent in the same area with the average first-time buyer saving £93 a month on a mortgage instead of renting Zoopla found that whilst some regions have more affordable homes for first time buyers than others it’s most likely urban areas where buying is cheaper than renting has the largest proportion of for-sale homes (82%) with mortgage repayments lower than the local market rent Ipswich in Suffolk comes second (80%) and North West Leicestershire (78%) comes third The majority of homes for sale in Newcastle (68%) Southampton (62%) and Sheffield (51%) are also cheaper to buy than rent thanks to an abundance of flats Assuming a 20% deposit a deeper analysis of homes listed on Zoopla found that first-time buyers can find 150,000 homes (34% of the total listed) where average monthly mortgage repayments are lower than rents Over two-fifths of homes for sale in the North East (48%) Scotland (46%) and North West (44%) are cheaper to buy than rent with the monthly difference between the cost of renting and buying in these areas ranging between £240 and £425 But just a quarter (27%) of homes in the South West and a third (33%) of homes in the East Midlands have mortgage repayments lower than local rents And just two in five homes listed in London would have a lower mortgage repayment than the asking rent says: “First time buyers are an important source of demand for homes accounting for 36% of home buyers looking to move home in the next two years “While higher mortgage rates have reduced buying power our data shows there are many areas of the country where home ownership is more accessible assuming the buyer has saved a 20% deposit.” Surely you can’t ’assume A 20% deposit’ to make a fair comparison When the market turned back in favour or buying rather than renting in the 1990’s we were comparing like for like And buying was still cheaper because of the base rate reductions Don’t know why lenders can’t start lending much higher percentage mortgages again now They were fine if lenders had decent referencing standards You must be logged in to post a comment Oadby and Wigston Borough Council is welcoming government interest in its financial position as it seeks to reach a sustainable long-term financial footing has said his department will begin talks “this month” with the council to discuss its financial position with the prospect of a section 114 notice raised in recent council statements Gove made the commitment having been contacted by Conservative MP for Harborough Neil O’Brien who requested government intervention into the council’s finances as he believed it could be “on track to run out of money” O’Brien raised concerns that the council may have to make emergency spending cuts and that it could be on course to use all its reserves much sooner than the currently projected 2026/27 financial year O’Brien also compared the council’s predicament to Croydon and Thurrock councils – which have struggled financially and issued section 114 notices These notices ban all new spending with the exception of protecting vulnerable people and statutory services and pre-existing commitments However, the leader of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council councillor Samia Haq – a Liberal Democrat – said that government intervention and support would be welcomed and disputed the accuracy of many of the claims made by O’Brien she said it was vital for politicians to understand the constraints smaller councils are working under and noted that corrective financial actions were being put in place “We’ve been seeking more support from government for a long time so it is excellent news that they are taking an interest in our position,” said Haq “It’s important those in Westminster understand how the current funding systems in place aren’t fit for purpose and unfairly hold back boroughs such as Oadby and Wigston. Our size severely constrains our ability to benefit from major funding streams such as the New Homes Bonus and business rates leaving us with a fraction of the money other councils in the area receive “We look forward to sharing our ideas and receiving feedback on our long-term sustainability plans we’ve put in place to mitigate the continued financial challenges ahead.” Oadby and Wigston Borough Council chief executive Anne Court sent a letter to Gove earlier this month (5 April) in which she aimed to provide context around the council’s financial circumstances and position As one of the smallest councils in the country Court noted that Oadby and Wigston “is unique in Leicestershire in that it is unparished and is therefore delivering and funding additional services that elsewhere are funded through parish precepts – such as parks the borough is “severely constrained” in size restricting the council’s ability to benefit from income streams such as those noted by Haq while it receives “a fraction of the money neighbouring Leicestershire councils receive” through s151 officer Tracy Bingham – who is leaving her position as strategic director at Oadby and Wigston in June to become the new strategic director (corporate resources) at South Derbyshire District Council – reached out earlier this year for support from O’Brien regarding the council’s funding predicament “without success” and so his letter to Gove “came somewhat as a surprise” Court said Oadby and Wigston was “well aware” of the financial challenges it faces and has proactively engaged with the Local Government Association (LGA) through a financial health check in 2021 and a peer review in 2022 which are additional to its continued engagement with DHLUC since 2019 “The peer review recognised that we had fully implemented the recommendations from the financial health check including increasing resilience in the finance team,” she wrote “The council disputes Mr O’Brien’s comparison with ‘councils which have failed recently Oadby and Wigston’s financial sustainability concerns are characterised by low levels of spending power rather than high levels of debt and financial mismanagement “The council’s capital financing requirement of £37.6m is made up in the main of 23% relating to the commissioning of its two leisure centres in 2015-16 with 52% relating to the HRA arising from the self-financing decisions.” Oadby and Wigston’s net general fund annual budget has reduced over several years – in its case from £8.5m in 2010/11 to £6.5m in 2022/23 – due to the loss of the Revenue Support Grant from 2019 with a funding system that diverts funding in reward for growth spending power and absolute funding has diminished in Oadby and Wigston,” Court wrote council tax now makes up 62% of the council’s funding “The ratio of useable reserves to net revenue expenditure of Oadby and Wigston is worse than any of the other Leicestershire districts and boroughs because the council has had to make use of its reserves to balance the budget in the face of diminishing spending power.” Oadby and Wigston has taken steps to address the financial challenges recognising its diminishing funding position as its key strategic risk in its Medium Term Financial Strategy “We have developed and mobilised with members a sustainability plan for closing budget gaps but we recognise the savings projected will not cover the deficits projected in full,” wrote Court “We have been able to maintain front line services has recently become the means of balancing the books “The council is taking steps to generate capital receipts with the objective of this activity to reduce ongoing operational revenue expenditure and deliver economic regeneration and enhancement of community facilities at no/low cost Examples of this are downsizing the office headquarters and the sale of a former swimming pool site.” In an interview with Room151 in March outgoing s151 officer Bingham noted that Oadby and Wigston highlighted that the council had been “financially challenged for a very long time” with “really low reserves” and the possibility of a section 114 notice on the horizon for 2026/27 Over recent years “the core spending power in Oadby and Wigston has completely diminished in real terms” with it also having no business rates growth as well as lower-than-average increases in council tax and New Homes Bonus The council is “never going to achieve growth above baseline” Bingham stated in March that Oadby and Wigston was only able to deliver a balanced budget for 2023/24 with the use of reserves and still faces projected funding deficits for the following financial years With Oadby and Wigston being an unparished authority it has to “pick up the bill” for the services that parish councils usually provide but within limited means due to the 2.99% or £5 district council tax referendum limit envelope The only way forward to overcome this disparity in the council funding system is through local government funding reform “The disparity is because we are so far deep into this funding regime now that when things are being taken away the councils that have had the New Homes Bonus are then being compensated with a funding guarantee,” Bingham said “This transitionary funding is the right thing – we need to protect councils from dramatic changes in funding But what about the councils that never got any of that incentivised funding in the first place We can’t seriously be saying that’s fair.” Around 1,700 children are referred to children’s social care services every day in England – while council spending on early intervention services has dropped by more than £2bn Company registration number: 6650714VAT number: 938406505