Blaby District Council Conservative Group

14/03/2026

Next stop was to pop down to the New Lubbesthorpe Market today and catch up with Cllr Matt Tomeo 👋

It’s fantastic to see the work Matt, the parish council and all the volunteers put in to organise these events for the community 🙌

The weather was lovely ☀️ and there were plenty of great stalls to browse — from delicious cakes 🍰 to Mother’s Day gifts 💐 and lots more.

If you can get down, do! It’s well worth a visit and a great way to support local sellers and the community 🛍️

12/03/2026

🚀 New Grant Scheme Launching This April!

Great news for local micro businesses! A new Blaby Business Grant Scheme is launching as a one-year pilot with a £25,000 funding pot to help small businesses grow.

👥 Micro businesses (1–10 employees) make up 90% of companies in the District, but many struggle to access funding due to lack of awareness, expertise, or because they only need smaller amounts. This scheme aims to provide simple, practical support to help them thrive.

💡 Funding can support things like:
📈 Boosting productivity
💻 Developing digital tools
🏢 Expanding premises
🌱 Decarbonisation efforts
💷 Reducing running costs
🏬 Improving shopfronts

💰 Two grants available:
🏬 Shop Front Improvements Grant – £5,000 pot to enhance the appearance, accessibility, and safety of business premises.

🌱 Decarbonisation & Business Growth Grant – £20,000 pot offering up to £3,000 per business (50% match funding required) to cut carbon emissions or improve products, services, or ways of working.

✨ If the pilot proves successful, the scheme could be extended to provide even more support for micro business owners in the future.

More details here: https://www.blaby.gov.uk/your-council/news-and-awards/news/new-grant-will-boost-small-businesses/

Blaby District

25/02/2026

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝

Last night, Blaby District Council approved its budget for the year ahead at February’s Full Council meeting. ✅💼

This balanced and responsible budget will deliver on key priorities across our district — including further investment in temporary accommodation for homeless families 🏠 and the rollout of our new food waste recycling service ♻️🌱

At a time of significant financial pressure, we remain committed to protecting vital frontline services and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. Every pound of taxpayers’ money must be spent wisely, and this budget reflects that commitment.

Looking ahead, there are challenges — including Local Government Reorganisation and the added strain it will place on short-term finances. But we will continue working hard to deliver for residents and ensure Blaby District remains a great place to live, work and visit. 🌍

We’ve also committed to continuing our community grants scheme 🤝 and have introduced a new business grant scheme to support micro businesses — which make up around 90% of all businesses across the district. 🏪📈

24/02/2026

16/02/2026

Councils are changing – and we’re supporting the North, City, South proposal to help keep communities connected to local government.

The Government has launched a consultation on how councils in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland should operate in the future – with three options being considered.

North, City, South proposes three unitary councils, each serving around 400,000 residents.

⚖️We believe this option delivers the best balance: large enough to be efficient, but local enough to stay close to communities.

The other proposals on the table:

- Two councils with an expanded Leicester city boundary and a single council for the rest of Leicestershire and Rutland (proposed by Leicester City Council) - Under this option, the following areas of Blaby District are identified for inclusion within an expanded city boundary:
Blaby
Braunstone
Cosby
Countesthorpe
Enderby
Glen Parva
Glenfield
Huncote
Kilby
Kirby Muxloe
Leicester Forest East
Leicester Forest West
Littlethorpe
Lubbesthorpe
Narborough
Thurlaston
Whetstone

- Two councils with one single council for Leicestershire and Rutland and one for Leicester on its existing boundary (proposed by Leicestershire County Council)

📣 Have your say in the government consultation 👇

04/02/2026

29/01/2026

𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝

An appeal against the refusal of a 134-home development in Sharnford has been rejected.

A government planning inspector has upheld Blaby District Council’s original decision to reject the scheme.

The inspector agreed with the Council’s view that the proposed site, north of Leicester Road, was unsustainable and unsuitable for new housing.

Following a visit to the village the inspector noted just picking up milk and bread was not a simple task: "Sharnford is extremely limited in terms of the services and facilities within it. I accept that there is a school, public houses, play areas and a car garage, but note that there is no shop or post office.

"As such, facilities for day-to-day living and convenience are not available within the village itself, with residents instead needing to travel to other nearby settlements, such as Sapcote or Stoney Stanton for day-to-day services and facilities."

He said while bus services and walking routes were available linking Sharnford to neighbouring villages he wasn’t convinced they were an easy, realistic or practical alternative to a car.

Referring to both national and the Council’s own planning development policies he concluded "the appeal site is not a sustainable location and is not therefore a suitable location for the development proposed."

The decision has been welcomed by ward representative and Planning and Strategic Growth Portfolio Holder, Councillor Mike Shirley. He said: "We are pleased the planning inspector agreed with our view that the proposed location for this development was entirely unsuitable.

"Planning policy makes it clear any new housing scheme should be sited sustainably with options for residents to work, shop and access amenities which don’t solely rely on the use of a private car. Our original refusal was based on the lack of these options and it’s gratifying to see our refusal upheld for the same reasons."