Weekly Update from the Chief Executive

Dear Friends,

A new ‘Safe Space’ is opening its doors tonight, offering those who feel vulnerable or in need of support during a night out in Leamington Spa a place to go for advice and assistance. Located in the South Lodge on the Parade and open every Friday night from 10pm to 4am, the facility will be run by our Community Safety Team, in partnership with Warwickshire Police, Street Marshals and Pastors and the University of Warwick. It also has the support of other key agencies including BID Leamington and Pubwatch. I am proud of the achievements of our team and partners in getting this welcome and positive initiative for our vibrant town off the ground.

Another welcome support tool is the updated edition of our ‘Cost of Living’ booklet, which will be available to pick up at community centres and other public venues. The guide contains the latest government and local advice and information on getting financial and practical help with everyday costs, which despite the fall in the rate of inflation, we know many are struggling with.

As we approach the start of the festive season, it’s more important than ever that the most vulnerable groups receive flu and Covid vaccines to strengthen their immunity and reduce pressure on the NHS. I therefore continue to urge anyone eligible to get their vaccines booked as soon as possible if they haven’t already done so.

In other news:

• At their meeting on 15 November our Full Council agreed to the continuation of the project to redevelop the Abbey Fields Swimming Pools subject to an additional recommendation for there to be a cross-party group to provide oversite of expenditure. This decision means that the additional finance will be released if the revised contract with the main contractor does not exceed the confidential price limit. It is envisaged that work will recommence in the new year.
• This week, Councillors agreed to support in principle the Council’s participation in the West Midlands Investment Zone. This is a government initiative to help spur the economy in particular locations and economic sectors. The West Midlands proposal will cover the whole of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Warwick District areas and will focus on the advanced manufacturing and engineering industries but with particular relevance to green technology. Of particular note and importance of the initiative, is the opportunity to help bring forward the long proposed Gigafactory at Coventry airport with the potential huge impact on decarbonising our economy and creating thousands of well-paid jobs.
• Our efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling rates continue with the launch of a new service which will enable the collection of used coffee pods from the kerbside, through a partnership with Podback, a not-for-profit recycling organisation.
• We’re sending our warmest congratulations to two local charities who have recently received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (equivalent to an MBE for charitable organisations). The first is the Veterans’ Contact Point who have a base at the Pageant House in Warwick, an organisation which is run solely by a wonderful group of volunteers. The second is the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust set up by its namesake in 2004 to promote awareness of prostate cancer and encourage early diagnosis.

And finally……the countdown to the festive season officially begins this weekend with Leamington’s big light switch on taking place this Sunday. This is a great way to support local businesses and enjoy a packed programme of entertainment throughout the day, with a Christmas market from 10am, live acts on-stage from 1pm building up to the main switch on at 5.30pm by Moosa Mostafa, star of the Netflix series, “Wednesday”. We are also offering free parking in all WDC off-street car parks that day.

Enjoy!

Chris Elliott, Chief Executive