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Pic: (l-r) Rev Adam Wells, PC Maria Pancholi,
Operations Manager at Lafarge Trevor Warren, Deacon Jan Sutton,
Parish Cllr Harold Newman and PC Del Gillespie
Trek for youth club
CASH RAISED from a charity walk has paid
for equipment for a Mountsorrel Youth Club, due to open in February.
The Revive youth club will meet weekly at the Methodist church
and thanks to the efforts of seven police officers, including
Mountsorrel's PC Del Gillespie, £1,050 was raised when
they trekked up Britain's highest peaks in 24 hours.
The money for the Youth Club, which has been organised by Deacon
Jan Sutton, has been spent on a snooker table, TV, music system,
X box, Playstation, dartboard and a table football game.
Jan Sutton said: "I would like to thank the officers, they
have been absolutely brilliant. 15 young people came to an initial
meeting to find out more and I hope the youth club will make
a huge difference to the young people of Mountsorrel."
Mountsorrel Parish Council is supporting the project and quarry
owners Lafarge helped out by providing a minibus and fuel for
the officers on the day of the trek.
Thieves hit Budgens
BURGLARS MADE off with £1,000s worth
of stock after Mountsorrel's Budgens supermarket was targeted
by thieves four times in two months.
Store owner Andrew Fear said: "I've been very shocked, it's
very disconcerting but I'm determined not to throw in the towel."
Burglars have gained access in night time raids through the roof,
by cutting open steel shutter doors and by forcing fire exits.
In November, they entered the store during the day and cut wires
disabling the alarm, returning that night and gaining access
through a fire door.
Mr Fear said: "Because of our improved security, that night
they did not take any stock."
He added: "This is a lovely area and a lovely community
and I'm pretty sure it's not local people. They are all dressed
in balaclavas, we have them on CCTV, and lock like a professional
outfit."
The thieves are taking cigarettes and have stolen more than £10,000
worth of stock.
"We're all trying very hard to improve the store only to
have our efforts repaid by thieves stealing our property. It
is disconcerting but we are determined to go against them"
said Mr Fear.
Best front gardens
THE WINNERS of Mountsorrel Parish Council's
Best Kept Front Garden competition were presented with their
awards at the Council's October meeting.
Large Garden:
1st Mr & Mrs G Smith, l Bradgate Close; 2nd Mr & Mrs
Cort, 23 Kenilworth Close; 3rd Mr & Mrs Lea, 27 Carrisbrooke
Road
Small Garden:
1st Mr and Mrs I Corrall, 8 Berkeley Close; Mr & Mrs C Squire,
16 Rockhill Drive; 3rd Mrs K Rogers, l Glenfrith Gardens; 4th
Mr & Mrs M Brown, 82 Boundary Road (Highly recommended).
Business:
1st The Stag & Pheasant, Leicester Road
Hanging Baskets
1st Mr D Munns, 3 Marsh Place; 2nd Mr & Mrs De Bretton-Gordon,
157 Leicester Road
Supper with friends
A NEW group has been formed to provide
an opportunity for people to meet in a friendly and informal
way.
'Supper with Friends' is for unattached men and women over 45
who want to improve their social lives, without belonging to
a dating or match-making group.
The group meets once a month, at different locations, for meals
out, theatre trips, Christmas outings etc. The emphasis is on
friendly, relaxed, informal settings, with time to circulate
and talk to others in the group throughout the evening.
The venues will be spread across the county, initially meeting
near Loughborough, Leicester and Melton Mowbray and there will
be opportunities for members to suggest events, venues and activities.
Anyone interested can contact 01664 424390 or email supperwithfriends@hotmail.co.uk
for further details without obligation to join.
River rescue
TWO PEOPLE who fell off a narrow boat in
Mountsorrel were rescued by passers by on the towpath.
Marian Padmore, who lives in the village, was out walking with
her brothers Trevor and Michael on the towpath near the Waterside
Inn when they say a 12 year old boy fall from a narrow boat into
the water.
An older man, in his sixties, jumped into the water from the
boat to help the boy but got into difficulties himself and was
struggling in the water.
Trevor, an ex fireman, and Michael managed to reach both of them
and pulled them out of the water. They were looked after by the
rest of the party on the boat.
Marion said: "It was frightening, the people on the boat
were panicking and I thought my brothers were brave, especially
as Trevor can't swim."
Charity fayre
MOUNTSORREL MEMORIAL Hall hosted a charity
fayre on November 11.
The event was an opportunity for 14 local groups and charities
to raise funds. At 11am an Act of Remembrance was led by Revd
Kerry Emmett and a two minute’s silence was observed.
Pic: (l-r) Margaret Wells (Chairman of the
Memorial Hall Management Ctee), Eric Preston, Noel Wakeling (Treasurer
of Mountsorrel Royal British Legion), Revd Kerry Emmett, John
Unwin (President of Mountsorrel Royal British Legion, Peggy Clarke
& Roy Haywood (Chairman of Mountsorrel Royal British Legion)
Pic: (l-r) Jess Goddard (8) & Jessica
Aswell (11) with Mrs Margaret Borsada & Mrs Lyn Courtenay
from Mountsorrel WI
Pic: (l-r) Audrey Surgey, Beryl Porter &
Ella Whittington of the Happy Circle
Congestion feared
PLANS TO locate 20 hectares of employment
land north of Birstall have resulted in expressions of concern
about the impact of traffic and the loss of separation between
communities.
The plans are a feature of Charnwood Borough Council's Local
Development Framework, 'Charnwood 2021', which sets out proposals
for housing and employment land.
Charnwood's planners are proposing to develop a site the size
of the Longslade Stonehill campus on land north of the Hallam
Fields development on the northern side of the A46 bypass.
They have published on their website the results of the first
stage of their public consultation in process.
183 respondents made representations about the principle of development
north of Birstall.
o The County Council has strong concerns regarding the proposal
to locate 20 hectares of employment land north of the A46 because
it would extend the Leicester and Leicestershire Urban Area beyond
the defensible boundary of the A46.
Other concerns are summarised below, and these were mainly from
Parish Councils, the Council for the Protection of Rural England
and local residents.
Transport and Traffic
o Impact of traffic/congestion on A46 and A6, residential roads
within Birstall and smaller roads within Wanlip.
o Impact upon noise and pollution, increase in accidents and
that the development will create additional road trips.
o The County Council says: the proposals will either require
substantial investment in order to deliver transport solutions
or compound the existing congestion; the proposals are located
in areas where there is little scope to deliver the necessary
transport infrastructure to support such large scale proposals.
Separation/Identity
o Loss of separation between settlements, mainly between Birstall
and Rothley, Birstall, Wanlip, Thurmaston, Cropston and Cossington
and concerns included the possibility of continuous urban development
along the Soar Valley.
o The A46 is the natural boundary for development.
o Birstall should not be treated as a suburb.
o Nature of community has changed.
Landscape/Countryside
o The area for growth was prominent and sensitive, buildings
would be incongruous in the landscape, would have significant
visual impact, and would destroy views in rural landscape.
o Development will lead to a loss of prime agricultural land,
and would erode or destroy the countryside. Some raised the concern
of loss of wildlife/ecology. Comments also included the loss
of countryside for leisure.
Environmental Issues
o Flooding/drainage.
o Would increase CO2 emissions.
Employment Related Concerns
o Warehousing will not provide large numbers of jobs.
o Already industry in surrounding settlements.
o People do not want to live next to industrial estates.
o Locating employment next to housing does not necessarily mean
people will choose to be employed in the area where they live.
Scale of Growth
o Birstall is over developed/Birstall has taken its fare share.
o Impact of development on infrastructure such as utilities,
landfill sites, sewerage.
o Industrial land figures seem to be overstated/unsure about
the need for housing/industry.
o Plenty of land within Leicester to use for industrial purposes/need
survey.
o Is contrary to urban concentration strategy.
o Further development should be restricted to brownfield sites
and there should be a study to identify these.
Thousands more homes
CHARNWOOD WILL have to find land for thousands
of additional homes after population estimates were revised upwards
by the Government.
The East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA) has suggested that
95,000 more homes are needed in the county in the period 2001
- 2026, 30,000 more than originally thought. The figure for Charnwood
has been increased from 8,833 to 19,033 homes, the largest increase
in any Borough.
The Government has offered Leicestershire County Council millions
of pounds in funding if the authority agrees to more housing,
to cope with the predicted popularity increase. This would pay
for improvements to roads, hospitals, schools and other services.
A new Leicester eastern bypass could be built.
The number of new homes built in the county from 2001 to date
currently stands at 13,703
The County Council has been alarmed by the proposals and at their
cabinet meeting in September expressed concern over the Government's
estimate of how many homes are required.
County Council leader David Parsons said: "We feel that
people need a respite from recent high levels of housebuilding
in their areas, so we think new developments should be concentrated
on a few areas where services can best be provided."
The county have advised that the housebuilding target be cut
by 14,400, from 95,000 to 80,600. they say there should be 4,400
fewer homes in Harborough, 2,500 less in Melton, 1,250 less in
Blaby, 1,000 less in North West Leicestershire and 5,250 less
in Oadby and Wigston. They have made no recommendation that the
19,033 proposed for Charnwood be reduced.
Mr David Hankin, Director of Development at Charnwood Borough
Council told the Mountsorrel Post: "The County Council's
press statement makes interesting reading. Other than that I
can't comment. The County Council has a statutory responsibility
to advise EMRA on its proposals, but the Borough Councils do
not. It would not be appropriate for the Borough Council to make
a comment at this stage."
He explained that after receiving advice from the County Council,
EMRA will make its recommendations known in the Regional Plan.
The consultation process on this plan began on September 28 and
Charnwood will not make an announcement until late December 2006.
Charnwood Borough Councillor Roger Wilson said: "The areas
for growth in Charnwood are in Loughborough and the Hamilton
development which could encroach into the Borough. But why are
we in Charnwood the ones who have to have so many new homes,
it does seem to me as if Charnwood is being penalised."
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Coffee shop’s birthday
Pic: Tony Dunnill and Annie Wiltshire
A PASSION for good, fresh food and great
coffee inspired Tony Dunnill to start his coffee shop in Mountsorrel.
Now celebrating its second birthday, Toni's Coffee House on Cromwell
Road, has become popular with all age groups from toddlers to
pensioners.
After 20 years working with the Ambulance Service and three years
working with homeless people for Leicester City Council, Tony,
43, was looking for a new start.
"I always wanted to work for myself" said Tony. "I
could remember how few places there were when my daughter was
young to meet out, eat and feel comfortable with the children,
so I wanted to create a place like that in the village that would
provide a service to the local area."
The Coffee House serves espresso, cappuccino, latte, iced coffee,
milk shakes and a range of hot meals including baked potatoes,
toasted sandwiches, soup, paninis, pancakes, pastries and all
day breakfast.
Helping Tony in the cafe are Annie Wiltshire and on Saturdays
wife Sharon and daughter Emma.
Tony said: "We've now really found our niche in the village,
it's become a meeting place for all. We have mums and toddlers,
senior citizens and local teenagers who meet for hot chocolate,
pastries and cake."
Customer Kathie Layfield from Mountsorrel is a regular customer.
She said: "We love it so much - I don't know where to start!
The coffee is absolutely brilliant and Tony is such a smashing
guy. He caters for everyone - children, old people and whenever
we come in there's always someone here we know to say hello.
I recommend it to everyone I know. He really has done such a
huge amount for the old people."
Tony has started offering a cold buffet catering service and
plans on buying a van to start a sandwich round. He said: "We've
been open two years in November and I'd really like to thank
the community for their continuing support."
Toni's Coffee House is at 14 Cromwell Road and is open 9am-5pm,
Monday to Saturday.
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Budgens’ fresh bread
Pic|: Budgens' baker Rob Flewitt
A DESIRE to provide high quality fresh
food prepared on the premises is the inspiration for the changes
at Budgens supermarket.
A bakery producing items from scratch is the first in a series
of improvements planned by the store's owner, Andrew Fear.
"What I'm hoping to provide will be a sort of farmers' market
affair with a bakers, butchers and fishmonger" he said.
Pic: Store owner Andrew Fear with Tricia Brabbins
at Radio Leicester's Food & Drink Exhibition in October.
Their Quenby Hall stilton bread was popular with visitors.
Rob Flewitt is the store's new baker who is making the bread
from scratch. He said: "We've got a really high quality
flour and are slow proving the dough. Sales are going up and
up - last Saturday we sold 60 french sticks, compared to 10 before."
Rob, whose father and grandfather were bakers, says hand made
cornish pasties and pork pies will be available soon. A popular
item at the moment is the Stilton bread, a loaf with crumbs of
the locally made Quenby Hall stilton cheese added.
Pic: Rob Flewitt with children at Mountsorrel
School, making rock cakes. The store visited four primary schools
in the area to do a food quiz with the children and to bake cakes.
The store plans to open its fresh meat and fish departments next
year. Andrew said: "I'm very keen that we replace the old
fashioned local services that have been lost to the large supermarket
chains, with great quality fresh food, wherever possible locally
sourced."
The store offers a free bus service for shoppers on Tuesdays,
with a free home delivery service. The bus picks up from locations
in Barrow, Sileby, Rothley, Mountsorrel, Thurcaston, Cropston,
Swithland, Woodhouse and Quorn.
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