Hinckley & Bosworth Liberal Democrats

The Leader of Leicestershire County Council Nick Rushton was again urged to drop his plans to abolish Hinckley and Bosworth and the other Boroughs in Leicestershire to create one Unitary authority for Leicestershire.

Speaking at the full county council meeting Cllr Michael Mullaney, Lib Dem finance spokesman labelled the Tory leader's plans to continue to push for a single Unitary Authority "financially wreckless"

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable MP visited Hinckley to meet local Lib Dem supporters and to talk to local school and college principals and students about problems with education under-funding.

Vince Cable said "It was great to see the wonderful work being done at the Hinckley Academy and the North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.

Leicestershire Lib Dem councillors campaigning to save threatened rural bus services have welcomed news that a threatened service has been saved for another six months.

The 159 Roberts bus which travels between Hinckley and Coalville and stops at many local villages including Newbold Verdon, Barlestone, Market Bosworth and Stapleton was due to end in December. However thanks to campaigning by residents and councillors the County Council has agreed to support the service until June next year.

Bosworth Liberal Democrats held a successful Annual General Meeting recently.

A packed room elected the local party officers for the next year and heard how the party was going forwards locally.

Cllr Michael Mullaney Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Bosworth spoke at the meeting "Local Lib Dems are needed more than ever to campaign for local residents. Here in Leicestershire we have the worst funded council by the Conservative government, this means residents face rocketing Council Tax bills whilst vital services continue to be cut.

I/We the undersigned call for the 159 Bus Service to be kept it's a vital service for residents living in many Leicestershire towns and villages & we call for cuts to the 153 service to be dropped

Plans to scrap Hinckley and Bosworth Borough and the other Boroughs and Districts in Leicestershire to create one Leicestershire Unitary authority have been condemned at a regional conference.

The East Midlands Liberal Democrats passed a motion opposing plans for one council for Leicestershire.

Proposing the motion was Leicestershire Lib Dem Finance Spokesman County Councillor Michael Mullaney, Michael said "One Unitary authority for Leicestershire would centralise decision making too much. People in Hinckley don't want planning decisions for Hinckley taken by a remote authority in Glenfield.

A Hinckley County Councillor has urged a Planning Inspector to reject plans for 60 houses to be built on a Hinckley nature feature. A Planning Inspector is currently considering an appeal by Orbit Housing to build 60 houses on the Big Pit site, situated behind Ashby Road in Hinckley.

Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Hinckley De Montfort, Cllr Michael Mullaney has written an official submission to the Inspector urging him to turn down the proposals to build on the site.

Liberal Democrats in Barwell are delighted that Barwell resident and campaigner Pete Stead-Davis is standing to be the new Barwell Parish Councillor in the upcoming by-election.

On Thursday 18th October residents in Barwell St Mary's get to vote for their new Parish Councillor and Pete Stead-Davis is already hitting the ground running having successfully campaigned on many local issues.

Plans for a single Council for Leicestershire have been slammed at a meeting of Leicestershire County Council.

Cllr Michael Mullaney Lib Dem Finance spokesman said "The plans for a single Leicestershire Unitary authority are dead in the water. There is huge opposition to them including amongst Tory MPs and Tory Borough Council leaders. People in Hinckley don't want planning applications for our area decided by a Unitary authority in Glenfield.

Tory County Council bosses have been condemned after they voted to reduce the number of Full County Council meetings from six a year to just five.

Responding Lib Dem Finance spokesman County Councillor Michael Mullaney said "The Tory leadership have taken an axe to accountability and democracy. We have a Cabinet system that concentrates power in the hands of a small number of cabinet members.