Barwell - Independent Councillors

28/08/2026

🚨 IMPORTANT PUBLIC NOTICE — SKATEBOARD PARK CLOSED 🚨

PLEASE STAY OUT — THE SKATEBOARD PARK IS CURRENTLY UNSAFE

The Skateboard Park is now CLOSED until further notice due to serious subsidence and movement of the concrete slabs.

The concrete surface has developed large and potentially dangerous steps and changes in level where the slabs meet. These occur in several locations across the Skateboard Park and have resulted in some ramps becoming elevated or uneven.

This creates a significant risk of injury to anyone using skateboards, scooters, BMX bikes or other equipment.

⚠️ THIS IS NOT A MINOR REPAIR ISSUE
The Skateboard Park is constructed over a number of concrete slabs which also provide access points to the Severn Trent sewer infrastructure running beneath the site.

On a previous occasion, a section of this sewer pipeline collapsed beneath the Skateboard Park. This caused the surface to become uneven and required Severn Trent to replace the affected section of pipework. The ramps subsequently had to be repositioned.

Unfortunately, a similar problem now appears to be developing again — but the movement and changes in level are considerably more significant.
Simply moving the ramps is not considered an acceptable or safe solution, because the problem is affecting the wider surface of the Skateboard Park.

🚧 THE PARK HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR SAFETY
The Skateboard Park has been taped off and warning notices have been placed on the equipment.

The Parish Council will now need to consult with Severn Trent to establish the cause and extent of the problem and determine what remedial work may be required.

Because the infrastructure beneath the Skateboard Park is not owned or controlled by the Parish Council, we are currently unable to give any reliable indication of how long the Skateboard Park will remain closed.

We sincerely apologise to all users for the disruption and disappointment this will cause, particularly during the school holidays.

However, public safety has to come first.

25/08/2026

Stapleton lane - Path at flats

Reminded LCC when BT Open reach laid more cable down the path way recently they cut across a drainage channel and filled it in!!!

Hopefully this will also be chased up.

Well done BT Openreach

Photo pre cables installation

25/08/2026

Friswell Lane - School Retainer wall

This was also reported at the same time as the flats retainer wall.

Images from Google maps

Along the entire corner section several large gaps and top stones detached and unsafe.

25/08/2026

Flats Retaining Wall - Bank Terraces

I have had to deal with this several times over the years.

Yesterday its been reported again as the wall is moving again even though the trees were dealt with a couple of years back.

Its now becoming unsafe along its lengh.

25/08/2026

23/08/2026

R.I.P

PCs killed in A66 crash were heroes, say families

Two police officers who died when a car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway crashed into their vehicle have been hailed as heroes by their families.

PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died when a Volkswagen Passat, which officers had been pursuing until seconds before, collided with their marked armed response car on the A66 near Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Passat's occupants Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17, also died.

ByTom MacDougall and Philippa Goymer, North East and Cumbria
Published by the Daily Telegraph
23 August 2026, 17:25 BST
Updated 55 minutes ago

Image source,Cleveland Police
Image caption,
PC Matthew Blades (left) and PC Tom Clough were killed in a crash near Middlesbrough on Saturday

22/08/2026

Well done Barwell Bloomers another outstanding year making the centre village look lovely.

Of course I am little biased there...
The editor

20/08/2026

20/08/2026

New planning controls on HMO's in defined areas of BARWELL and Earl Shilton will take effect from 14 August following a formal public consultation.
The controls, known as an Article 4 Direction, mean a planning application will be needed before a family home can be turned into a small, shared house, known as a House in Multiple Occupation or HMO, in the defined areas. Without an Article 4 Direction, this type of change can usually happen without a planning application. Existing lawful HMOs will not be affected.
Under national planning rules, immediate Article 4 Directions must be based on evidence and apply only to specific areas.
The move follows enquiries from residents, councillors and local communities about the number of shared houses in parts of BARWELL and Earl Shilton. Issues raised include parking pressure, rubbish, noise and disturbance, and pressure on local services.
A similar Article 4 Direction for part of Hinckley town centre came into effect in May. At the same time, councillors gave officers delegated authority to consider action in other areas if concerns were raised, subject to consultation and evidence.
Concerns were subsequently raised about HMOs in Earl Shilton and BARWELL, so officers consulted on plans for an Article 4 Direction covering a defined area in and around the two settlements.
More than 200 responses were received from residents, landlords, business owners and other stakeholders. Around 83% of those who answered the question supported the proposal, around 10% opposed it, and the rest were unsure.
Supporters said they wanted more control over future HMOs and more say on issues such as parking, rubbish and noise.
Council Leader Stuart Bray, Leader said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views in the consultation. Your voice is important to help us get this right.
“A lot of people raised concerns about asylum accommodation in the borough, and I want to acknowledge that. It’s important to remember the Borough Council does not run the asylum accommodation programme. The Article 4 Direction is about making sure new HMOs in the area are properly planned and managed. I’ll be asking officers to continue keeping a close eye on this borough wide, and if we see similar pressures building up elsewhere, we’ll look to extend this into further areas.”
The new controls will apply to defined areas in and around BARWELL and Earl Shilton from 14 August. From Hinckley & Bosworth Council.