Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Bulletin, spring 2025 (edition 97)

Housing targets increase by 50%

On 12 December 2024, the government published an updated National Planning Policy Framework, and with it updated local housing need numbers for each local planning authority. 

These nationally set housing targets, based on meeting one and a half million homes over the parliamentary term, have resulted in a significant increase for the borough. 

Executive Member for planning, Councillor Bill Crooks said: “Prior to 12 December, our housing target was 433 houses per year. With this target, we could demonstrate a five-year housing land supply of five and a half years, a key material consideration in all planning applications.

“However, from 12 December this target has increased by 50% to now be 649 houses per year. 

“This sudden and significant increase in our housing target means that we can no longer demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, and we are therefore again subject to further speculative applications because of this government led increase in housing target.”

Playing to the gallery

Are you an artist, designer, maker or crafter?  Are you looking for ways to exhibit your artwork in an art gallery?  Look no further than the opportunities coming up this year at Atkins Gallery.

Nuneaton Festival of Arts – Photography, Craft and Needlecraft

Atkins Gallery is supporting Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery by hosting this long-standing community arts festival. Nuneaton Festival of Arts is a celebration of the arts including performing arts, visual arts and creative arts.  

The festival is held every year in and around Nuneaton, and is open to all ages, children and adults, and all abilities from anywhere in the UK. Entries are welcomed from individuals, groups, schools, for example. 

Classes can be non-competitive or competitive. All classes are adjudicated, and all entrants receive a comment sheet from the adjudicator.  

This spring Atkins Gallery is hosting the following sections of the festival.

The photography exhibition is on from 24 March to 2 April with submission of entries from 17 March to 18 March.  

The craft and needlecraft exhibition is on from 14 April to 25 April with submission of entries from 7 April to 8 April.

For full details on the Nuneaton Festival of Arts festival and the different categories, visit Nuneaton Festival of Arts (nuneatonfoa.org.uk) 

Atkins Gallery Annual Open Exhibition 

The Atkins Gallery Open Exhibition returns for 2025 with the theme The Art of Music and we are looking forward to seeing your music inspired submissions to join our annual local artist showcase.

Do you have a favourite album artwork, musical instrument, or portrait of a musician?  Have you ever wanted to illustrate or paint a song lyric? Have you photographed or sketched any live music performances? Have you created any type of artwork including sculpture or film inspired by a piece of music? 

The exhibition will be on from 14 July to 8 August and submission of artworks is from 30 June to 4 July. You can enter up to three artworks for £15. For more information, email info@atkinsbuilding.co.uk or telephone 01455 247070 for an exhibitor pack.

Whether you are a first-time exhibitor or an experienced gallery artist there are plenty of ways to show your artwork in Atkins Gallery this year. You can follow the Gallery on social media @AtkinsBuilding to see the current and upcoming exhibitions.

Tributes to parish councillor

Burbage Parish Councillors and council staff were deeply saddened by the death in January of parish councillor Mrs Ann Hall.

Councillor Hall and her husband Peter, who died in January 2020, were founder members of Burbage Parish Council when it re-formed in 1986, with Peter elected its first Chairman and Ann taking the chain of office in 1995.  

Councillor Hall also served as a Borough Councillor from 2007 to 2015, representing Burbage St Catherine’s and Lash Hill ward.

Burbage Parish Council Chairman, Councillor David Bill, said: “The Parish Council has a particular reason to be grateful to Ann as she and Peter were among the driving force which brought the Council into being in the first place.

“Their names are inscribed on the Chairman’s chain of office, but they were friends stretching back over 40 years.” 

A memorial service for Councillor Hall was held at Burbage Millennium Hall on January 21.

Young people helping to shape the future of our borough

Young people are already helping to shape what the next 50 years in Hinckley and Bosworth will look like.

Ideas were received from 69 students representing nine secondary schools at a youth conference hosted by the Borough Council. The event, aimed at 12- to 15-year-olds, was held as part of the council's 50th anniversary celebrations.

The conference offered young people a varied and interactive programme of activities, including workshops on preventing serious youth violence, climate change, and health and wellbeing.

The conference was opened by the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth and Young Person’s Champion Robin Webber-Jones and in addition to the interactive activities, Executive Member for Housing and Community Safety Councillor Michael Mullaney delivered a presentation on what the council has achieved over the last 50 years. 

The young people were then given a chance to put forward their ideas about what they would like to see achieved in the next 50 years.

Table discussions with councillors then followed, involving young people's suggestions about what works well within their communities and suggestions for improvements. A number of councillors will be arranging follow-ups with the schools in their wards.

All of the views shared by young people at the conference will be collated and shared with partners. They will help refresh the Borough Council's Young People's Strategy and inform the work that the Community Safety Partnership carries out.

Councillor Robin Webber-Jones, the Borough Council’s Young Person Champion said: "It was a joy to attend such a successful event. 

“The feedback gathered so far reflects how informative, useful and positive the event was for students, teaching staff and councillors.

"It is vital that young people have a voice in the borough, it is their future we are working towards. 

“So much of the council's work is about improving and growing the borough for the next generation to thrive."

The conference was supported by partners including Go-Getta, Leicestershire County Council, Teen Health and Hinckley Police. Thanks to the Meeting Centre in Hinckley where the conference took place.

‘Simpler recycling’ for smaller companies

Businesses with 10 or more employees are required to collect food waste separately, and to have a separate dry recycling collection from 1 April 2025 to meet the governments simpler recycling policies.

The council is supporting existing trade waste customers to make this change, and other larger businesses are required to make arrangements with their waste collectors. 

To support businesses to reduce their food waste a food waste prevention resource pack has also been shared with businesses.

These requirements are part of the Governments Simpler Recycling policy update which are in two stages for businesses:

By 31 March 2025, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises in England will need to arrange for the separate collection of the core recyclable waste streams, that is glass, metal, plastic, paper, card and food waste. 

In addition, by 31 March 2027, micro-firms, which are businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees will need to make the same arrangements as outlined above.

Food waste collections for all households will commence in Hinckley and Bosworth during February and March 2027. Updates about this new collection will be shared as soon as details are confirmed. 

Interested to know more why not download our food waste prevention resource pack

If you need your business waste collected contact our Waste Services Team on Tel. 01455 238141 or contact waste services online: waste services contact form

Last updated: 09/04/2025 08:53