Residents are being urged to prepare for bad weather this winter – as Leicestershire County Council steps up to support communities against flooding. With a number of flood events in recent years, and last winter being the wettest on record, the county council has worked with communities during 2026 to help them prepare for any future flooding. Last year, £2m of money earmarked for carbon reserves was put towards flooding, which is being put to use across Leicestershire. Comm

Leicestershire County Council is urging people to take their final chance to have a say on the big priorities for the county. A consultation on Leicestershire’s long-term priorities is asking residents, businesses and communities to tell the council about the draft plan, which focuses on: supporting people to live well and achieve their full potential keeping Leicestershire safe, connected and community-minded building a strong economy with capacity to grow being efficient

Leicestershire residents and visitors can enjoy free and discounted bus travel every Saturday until the end of December. Travelling by bus on all Leicestershire County Council supported services will be completely free on Saturdays from 3 October to 26 December, helping people explore more of the county, visit local attractions and enjoy days out for less. There’s also 50 per cent off all journeys every Saturday on FoxConnect, the on-demand bookable bus service which allows p

Get free support to quit for good. Smokers across Leicestershire are being encouraged to take part in this year's national Stoptober campaign and take the first step towards a healthier, smoke-free future. People who stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to quit for good, making Stoptober the perfect opportunity to break the habit with support from QuitReady, Leicestershire County Council's free stop smoking service. Over 14,000 people have successfully quit s

Young people and their families are invited to attend Leicestershire’s biggest SEND information event of the year. ‘Have-a-go’ activities including ‘emoji cold cookery’, music creation and stone decorating will feature at the bumper event from 5 - 7.30pm at County Hall, Glenfield, on Thursday, September 24. Around 35 different organisations which support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families are expected to attend. They include gro

Blood pressure monitors can be borrowed by adults for free under a new council initiative launched in libraries across Leicester. The city council has made 100 devices available for loan across all city libraries, and members can borrow them free of charge for up to three weeks at a time. It is estimated up to 24,000 people living in Leicester could have high blood pressure and not know it. Around one in three adults in England are affected by the condition. High blood pressu

Shepshed residents will be able to vote for a county councillor in a by-election this October. The by-election on Thursday 15 October has been prompted by the resignation of County Councillor Helen Butler. Residents who are not already registered to vote need to apply by midnight on Tuesday 29 September 2026 on the Register to Vote page. Rosemary Whitelaw, head of governance and strategy, said: “The county council provides hundreds of services across Leicestershire every day,

Four country parks are celebrating the internationally recognised Green Flag Award for the second year in a row. Beacon Hill Country Park, Market Bosworth Country Park, Snibston Colliery Park and Watermead Country Park, all managed by Leicestershire County Council, have all received the award which recognise the best parks and green spaces. The honour highlights the great work of the parks in their conservation efforts, visitor experience, accessibility and site management. T

A piano studio in Hinckley, where students range from toddlers taking their first music lessons to retirees embracing a new challenge, has become one of the first businesses in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to be recognised as a Mental Health Friendly Place. The recognition was awarded by Leicestershire County Council's Public Health team. Pianista Music Studio has joined a growing network of Mental Health Friendly Places across the area, recognising organisations tha