Plans for how to spend £75,000 of development cash in Uppingham were discussed at a town council meeting last night. 

Projects such as new lighting and footpaths at the Tod's Piece green space were discussed and the authority has decided to put together a list in the summer of projects that it will get quotes for. 

A working group led by Cllr Barry Hobbs, has been talking in recent weeks about schemes that could feature, including significant investment in Tod's Piece. 

The authority has had just under £90,000 of community infrastructure levy money to spend – money that comes from developers as part of their planning permission agreements. So far the authority has spent money on upgrading facilities in the town hall and community notice boards. 

There was some concern among councillors that the council should start to begin projects soon. 

Cllr Liz Clarke said there had been talk about improving Tod's Piece for some time and 'unless we commit to doing something we could be in danger of kicking it into the long grass'.  



Councillor Liz Clarke has been keen to allocate funds to improving Tod's Piece for a while (Photo: LDRS)

She said that rather than a big project for the CIL money, the local community would appreciate the council doing things that would make a difference to their daily lives, such as sorting out the boggy pitch at Tod's Piece which caked mud on users shoes and pram wheels. 

Cllr Ron Simpson was concerned the council looked to be allocating the funds towards its own assets and was instead keen there should be a project such as improving the Market Square. The square is owned by the county council, but Cllr Simpson said the county authority had no immediate plans to improve it. 

The council also discussed the devolution and local government issue. Last month it had written to neighbouring councils to say they would like to be included in discussions. The local government changes are currently only involving councils at borough level and above, although the national parish council association would like to see services devolved down to the more local councils. 

Councillor Adam Lowe accussed leader of Rutland Council of being 'obnoxiously rude' (Photo: LDRS)

At the meeting clerk Adam Lowe accused the leader of Rutland County Council (RCC) of being 'obnoxiously rude' at a Rutland celebration service held at Peterborough Cathedral at the weekend and said she had told him it was 'embarrassing' that the town council had written to Melton Borough Council about local government reorganisation.  

The town council has now resolved to write a letter to the county council to say the town council 'wanted to explore all the options of what is right for Uppingham'. 

Tempers are being frayed at town halls and council chambers across the region as the local government jostling takes place. There have been fall outs between the Leicestershire district councils and the county council and there are currently two contrary views about what shape the change should take. There will be an option put forward for one council for the whole of Leicestershire excluding Rutland and another of three new councils, for North Leicestershire and Rutland, South Leicestershire and the city centre. 

Next week the county council will discuss the proposals, but councillors will have no vote on the matter. The council will submit the interim plan to the government by March 21 with a final proposal submitted in November.