Lightning-fast broadband will be delivered to tens of thousands of Leicestershire and Warwickshire homes and businesses after a £71 million contract was signed under the government’s national Project Gigabit rollout. Independent broadband provider Cityfibre will deliver top-of-the-range full fibre connections to around 38,000 rural premises in the counties which, without government intervention, would have missed out on the industry’s rollout of faster, more reliable ‘gigabit-capable’ broadband. Full fibre is capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 megabits (or one gigabit) per second - up to 30 times faster than superfast connections which rely on traditional copper cables. Gigabit speeds mean households can download a high-definition film in under one minute, stream and download entertainment and shop online across several different devices at once. The upgrades will help grow the economy and create jobs by making it easier to set up and grow a business, and mean rural Leicestershire and Warwickshire communities will have access to networks designed to meet people’s needs for decades to come as the demand for fast connections continues to rise. Rural communities across the counties will benefit, including those in or surrounding Bosworth Charnwood, Harborough, Kenilworth and Southam, Loughborough, Meriden, North Warwickshire, North Leicestershire, Rugby, Rushcliffe, Rutland and Melton, South Leicestershire, Stratford-on-avon and Warwick and Leamington. Now the contract is signed, Cityfibre will begin detailed surveying work with spades expected to enter the ground from the summer. The contract is one of several announced today as part of a £453 million commitment to delivering next-generation broadband to around 236,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses across England. More than £1 billion in contracts have now been awarded through Project Gigabit to connect around 677,000 homes and businesses, with tens of millions of pounds worth of additional contracts to be awarded across the country in the coming weeks. The UK is building gigabit networks faster than any country in the EU, thanks in part to government measures to stimulate competition and bust barriers to rollout. Last month the government announced that gigabit coverage had reached 80 per cent of the UK, up from just 6 per cent in 2019, and the UK is on track to achieve 85 per cent by 2025. As a result of this investment, CityFibre has committed to offer 40 apprenticeships - a minimum of eight per year - across the UK in telecoms and highways maintenance for the duration of the contract, giving young people the chance to develop vital new skills and build a rewarding career. It comes as the country marks National Apprenticeship Week, a government-led campaign celebrating the impact apprentices make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy. The rollout of Project Gigabit is overseen by Building Digital UK (BDUK) - an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Data and Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said: “Tens of thousands of rural homes and businesses from Harborough to Stratford-on-avon will soon be connected to the fastest broadband speeds on the market. Thanks to government’s Project Gigabit. Communities are a big step closer to enjoying next-level connectivity, supporting our mission to unlock opportunity and fuel growth.” CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch said: “We’re thrilled CityFibre has been selected to deliver government’s Project Gigabit programme in Leicestershire & Warwickshire, bringing the benefits of full fibre connectivity to thousands of hard-to-reach homes and businesses that have so far been left behind. “The rollout builds on our significant existing footprint in the region and thanks to Project Gigabit, we’ll be expanding our commercial build even further to include thousands more homes and businesses.” Cllr Martin Watson, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy said: “Improving the county’s digital infrastructure is one of our key priorities given the significant economic and social benefits it can provide for residents and businesses and so we are delighted with today’s Project Gigabit announcement. "This substantial level of investment will promote further digital inclusion ensuring that thousands more Warwickshire residents and businesses will have access to lightning fast, ultra-reliable internet connectivity for decades to come.” Councillor Pam Posnett , Leicestershire County Council’s Lead Member for Digital, said: “It’s great news that more Leicestershire homes and businesses will now be able to access increased speed and reliable broadband through Project Gigabit. Faster broadband will improve the day-to-day lives of our communities and businesses, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas of the county, enabling access to a variety of services such as banking, education and health, as well as improving connectivity and productivity for business operations.”

Fresh Cops is back for a second season. Starting tonight on BBC3, the docuseries features some of Leicestershire police youngest recruits as they navigate the early stages of their career. The episode kicks off with a grade one call-out for 26-year-old PC Jake Bull. At the end of series one, Jake was seconded to join the child exploitation unit, but a year later and he’s back doing what he loves best response. New to the series is 23-year-old Philippa. Phillippa is as fresh as they come, only on week three as a PC. She admits to feeling overwhelmed – her new motto is ‘fake it ‘til you make it’. She’s mentored by 26-year-old Jenny. The pair are called to an electronic tag breach, and the suspect owns a XL bully dog that’s known to be violent. It’s Philippa’s first ever arrest – with a dangerous dog on the scene and the pressure of the arrest she’s definitely feeling the nerves. Will she remember the words of the caution correctly? Fresh Cops returns Thursday 25th January at 9pm on BBC Three. And will be available on BBC iPlayer #LeicsPolice #FreshCops

Stories from the Leicester road that dates from Roman times and is now one of the most ethnically-diverse shopping streets in the country will be told in a new exhibition at Newarke Houses Museum. From Friday (26 January), Popping to the Shops will shine a spotlight on the city’s Narborough Road, looking back at its past and focusing on some of the people who live and work in the area today. Featuring panoramic photos and interviews, the exhibition will also include memorabilia from past and present shops, including a teaching keyboard used at IntaSound (70 Narborough Road) and a pricing gun from the Narborough Road Wilko, which closed in 2022. Anyone interested in the subject should also visit Westcotes Library, where a second exhibition will feature archive photographs of the Narborough Road area. Popping to the Shops is supported using public funding by Arts Council England and continues until 28 April 2024. A special family-friendly event on Saturday (27 January), inspired by the new exhibition, will feature storytelling and shopping-themed craft workshops. The workshops – aimed at children aged five and over – will take place at 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm and tickets are £3. Places should be booked in advance by calling Newarke Houses Museum on 0116 225 4980. Tickets can also be bought online Also taking place at Newarke Houses this week is an illustrated talk by local historian Cynthia Brown that focuses on another popular Leicester shopping street. A nostalgic look back at some of the old shops on Charnwood Street (pictured), including the Aladdin’s cave that was Paddy’s Swag Shop, Issitt’s clothes shop and the first ever Wilkinson’s store, provides the theme for the hour-long talk at 2pm on Sunday 28 January Tickets for Charnwood Street Shops cost £5, which includes refreshments. Tickets can be booked online or by calling the museum on 0116 225 4980. The shopping theme continues into February, with another special event for those aged seven and under. Story Imagin-ory will provide interactive storytelling sessions, coupled with a chance for youngsters to enjoy a fun, shopping-themed, role-playing experience. Sessions will run on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 February, with tickets priced at £8 per child. Places for each session must be booked in advance by calling the museum on 0116 225 4980 or by completing the online booking form. Details of all events taking place at Leicester’s museums can be found at leicestermuseums.org/whats-on Leicester City Council News Release

There's still time for people to have their say on the next phase in Leicester’s aim to become a net zero and climate-ready city. Leicester City Council’s new draft Climate Emergency Action Plan sets out an ambitious five-year action plan to help the city further reduce carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The draft plan was launched for public consultation in November 2023, and people have until Sunday 28 January to have their say. The draft plan restates the ambition to reduce Leicester’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, or as quickly as possible after that, with government support. It also sets out how the city needs to adapt to climate change to protect people, buildings, critical infrastructure and the natural environment against the impact of floods, storms, heatwaves and prolonged periods of low rainfall. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on climate, economy and culture, said: “When we launched Leicester’s first Climate Emergency Action Plan in 2020, we were under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we had set ourselves as a city. “We’ve achieved a great deal since then, building on Leicester’s already strong record on carbon reduction, but we know we still have a huge amount do as a city. “Our ambitious new action plan will aim to build on that momentum of the last three years. As a council, we will continue to lead by example and do all we can to reduce our carbon footprint to net zero. We also want to continue to encourage and help others to reduce their own impact. “The council can’t achieve the goal of a net zero city on its own. To meet this ambition will require significant and ongoing support from the Government and from local stakeholders. “We all have a role a play. That’s why we’re really interested to hear people’s views on what we’re proposing in our new draft action plan and what we can do to encourage more local action.” Among the proposed areas of focus that will guide actions over the next five years are: further decarbonisation of council buildings, business units and vehicles; improving the energy efficiency of council homes; promoting access to grants for low carbon improvements for owner-occupied homes; and, helping more local small and medium-sized businesses save energy and reduce their carbon emissions. Work to encourage more sustainable methods of transports will continue. Plans include more investment for safe routes for walking, wheeling and cycling; further improvements to the city’s bus services, with more electric buses to come; support for freight operators to reduce their emissions; and, increasing the availability of charge-points for electric vehicles across the city. The new plan also sets out a renewed focus on the city’s need to adapt to a changing climate. This includes ensuring the council’s own construction projects create low carbon, climate-ready buildings and infrastructure; making sure the council’s existing buildings and infrastructure are resilient to climate change; managing council-owned land to reduce flood risk, help tackle heatwaves and support biodiversity; creating new schemes to help prevent flooding; and, ensuring that new development is low carbon, climate-ready and enhances local biodiversity. Other proposed areas of focus include: improving recycling services; buying low-carbon, sustainable goods and services for the council; supporting people in fuel poverty with information, advice and signposting to grants; helping to ensure that private rented homes meet at least minimum levels of energy efficiency; continued environmental education in schools; and, supporting National Grid to improve the local electricity grid to cope with anticipated increases in demand. People can have their say on the council’s proposed priorities, including what would make it easier for them to do their bit as part of city-wide efforts, by completing an online survey at www.leicester.gov.uk/consultations

Work to further improve a busy shopping street and important gateway into Leicester City Centre is due to get underway. Leicester City Council will begin works to widen footpaths and create more space for pedestrians on a stretch of Granby Street. The first phase of work will begin on Monday (22 Jan). The works will make permanent a pop-up scheme introduced in 2020 as part of the city council’s response to Covid-19. The improvements will see former pay-and-display parking bays along Granby Street – which have been out of use for more than three years – converted into wider, high-quality footpaths with outdoor-café seating areas to help improve the route between the city centre and Leicester railway station. Additional on-street parking bays will be created on Chatham Street, York Street and Dover Street. During the work, which is expected to take up to ten weeks, Granby Street will be closed to traffic between its junctions with Dover Street and Chatham Street. A short, well-signed diversion will be in place. The scheme will also permanently close the junction of Dover Street and Granby Street to motor vehicles to help improve safety. The city council plans to create a new turning facility on Dover Street, to maintain access for general traffic to nearby businesses and attractions, including The Little Theatre. These latest works are part of wider, ongoing investment to improve the street scene and shopping environment on Granby Street. This includes the refurbishment of the landmark Grand Hotel buildings and restoration of its historic shopfronts, supported as part of the city council’s successful bid for £1.5million from Historic England towards a High Street Heritage Action Zone for the Granby Street and Church gate conservation areas. Fifteen new businesses have opened in Granby Street since May 2021. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on climate, culture and economy, said: “Granby Street is an important gateway into the city centre and a busy shopping street in its own right. These latest works will build on recent improvements to this popular part of the city centre, supporting the major heritage-based investment now being made to landmark buildings along the route. “It is vital that we continue to invest in Granby Street to support local businesses and to improve the look and feel of the area, making it feel safer and more welcoming to all.” Future phases of improvement work, which will see pavements widened along Granby Street towards the main shopping area in the city, will take place later this year. Leicester City Council News Release

Wingtrapp, a popular quick food outlet that offers Buffalo, New York style wings is preparing for big things in 2024 after a successful 2023. Having expanded to four locations - Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Coventry – Wingtrapp is on the rise after the successful launch of two new outlets this year In 2023, Wingtrapp delighted customers with tantalizing new additions to its menu including the flavourful African Gazebo range, now a part of their growing list of signature sauces. Looking ahead, Wingtrapp is set to broaden its culinary horizons in 2024 with plans to introduce four or five new products throughout the year. As part of its ambitious expansion, Wingtrapp is actively seeking new single and multi unit franchise partners, aiming to solidify its positions as the leading chicken wing brand in the country. Founded in 2018, Wingtrapp was born with the vision of evaluating the wing culture in the UK and providing customers with an unparalleled wing experience. Committed to delivering fresh, mouth watering and 100% halal authentic wings, the brand has garnered a loyal following. A spokesperson for Wingtrapp said: “We believe wings are a growing market in the UK and we aim to capitalise on this gap in the market in the years to come. We welcome all new franchisees who are aligned with our brand vision and growth strategy and can add to value to the brand as a whole. While wings will always be our core product we understand the need to diversify our menu to continue to meet customer demands. This isn’t something we intend to stop doing in 2024 with several exciting new products in the pipeline.” Wingtrapp Leicester 54 Granby St, Leicester, LE1 1DH Tel 0116 319 262 https://www.leicester.wingtrapp.co.uk

Work is due to begin on re-cladding a landmark Leicester building. Cladding materials are due to be replaced on Phoenix Square in the city’s Cultural Quarter, as part of a Government-financed scheme to improve fire safety on residential buildings. Phoenix Square is a mixed-use building, with residential apartments, business units and also Phoenix cinema and art centre within the development. Leicester City Council applied to Homes England’s Building Safety Fund for money to carry out the work, and was awarded £14million in November from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities scheme. The council is working with contractors Willmott Dixon, which constructed the building back in 2009, to undertake the re-cladding work. Discussions and consultations have taken place with the three main tenants’ groups, including Phoenix cinema and art centre, Metro PM which manages the venue’s residential units, and LCB Depot which manages the business units on site. Work is due to begin on site from early January 2024, and is expected to last 18 months, during which the building will be clad in scaffolding. The façade to the whole of the building will be re-clad, including the central courtyard but excluding Phoenix cinema’s new extension. The Phoenix Square building – including Phoenix cinema and the business units – will remain open for the majority of the works but there may be times when access is restricted. Advance notice will be given for any restrictions. The work will also include a series of temporary road closures nearby, which will be signposted and managed by the city council’s highways team. Leicester deputy city mayor for climate, economy and culture, Cllr Adam Clarke said: “This Government-funded work is being carried out due to a change in legislation following the Grenfell Tower tragedy – not because of any particular risk at Phoenix Square itself. “This funding means the new cladding will meet the stringent modern standards required by law. “The building will very much be open for business throughout the work, and we’ve been in contact with groups representing all users to ensure they are kept abreast of the planned work and how we can minimise the impact on them.” John Rance, CEO of Phoenix cinema and art centre, added: “Phoenix has worked closely with the city council in the lead up to this major project on their Phoenix Square development. “While work takes place on the building’s exterior under its veil of scaffolding, it will be business as usual for Phoenix – we’ll continue to bring a fantastic programme of film, art and education opportunities to Leicester audiences, plus meeting room hires, conferencing and events, and a superb dining experience in our Café Bar. “Our new extension, which opened in January 2023, is outside the scope of the re-cladding project, so our wonderful roof terrace will still be open to Phoenix visitors, and we’ll continue to work with the city council to minimise any disruption to our customers.”

Motorists are being advised that traffic restrictions will be in place on a busy Leicester route as work on a major road improvement scheme continues. Leicester City Council is carrying out highway improvements to the A50 Frog Island and Northgate Street to make the route safer and more attractive to walkers, wheelers and cyclists, as well as improving facilities for bus users. To enable work to be carried out safely, the road will be closed to traffic in its inbound direction, between Abbey Gate and Sanvey Gate, from Monday 8 January. A short, well-signed diversion will be in place along Blackbird Road, Ravensbridge Drive and onto St Margaret’s Way for the duration of the works, which are expected to last up to 12 weeks. Inbound bus services will also be diverted from Woodgate onto Abbey Gate and Ravensbridge Drive, before joining St Margaret’s Way into the city centre. The scheme is a continuation of works recently carried out along Woodgate. Improvements will now continue along Frog Island and Northgate Street, towards the new Waterside housing development. This will create a safer and more attractive route through the neighbourhood with wider footpaths, a new off-road cycle lane, raised tables at junctions with key side streets, and an improved pedestrian crossing close to Salter Street Primary School The main carriageway will also be resurfaced. This work is due to be carried out in late-March and will require a full road closure. Full details will be publicised nearer the time. The works will be the final phase of improvements carried out as part of the major redevelopment of the A50/Fiveways junction and its connecting roads, in northwest Leicester, to help make this important route safer and easier to use for all road users. Martin Fletcher, Leicester City Council director of highways, said: “This is a major scheme that will make huge improvements to this important route and its nearby neighbourhoods, including the new development at Waterside. “It will create safer and more attractive routes for residents and pedestrians. But the work will also improve this important route and its busy junction for cyclists, for the public transport network and for motorists. "We’re working hard to keep disruption to a minimum. The ongoing works mean that we will still need to manage a rolling programme of short-term and partial road closures as we approach the final phases of the complex scheme.” Work on the major improvement scheme is expected to be complete by late spring 2024. The A50/Fiveways improvement scheme is being paid for through a mix of Enterprise Zone funding through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), and the Transforming Cities Fund following the city council’s successful bid for £32million of second tranche funding to support improvements to public transport and provide more safer routes for walkers, wheelers and cyclists in the city centre and local neighbourhoods. Work is being carried out by Thomas Bow City Asphalt – one of the biggest building and civil engineering contractors in the East Midlands – under contract to Leicester City Council. Leicester city council news.

Leicestershire Police made 102 arrests during their recent winter drink drug drive campaign, this included 75 drink, 18 drug and 9 drivers who failed to provide. Thirty of those arrested were following a roadside collision, 19 of those detained were between 6am and 6pmand 17 were drivers aged 24 or under. While 54 of those arrested were in Leicester city the remainder were across our rural towns and villages. Jonathan Clarkson, spokesperson for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership said, “It is extremely disappointing that so many drivers chose to ignore our advice and made the wrong choice to get behind the wheel while over the limit and now face the prospect of starting the New Year with a criminal conviction.” If you see someone who appears to be a drink or drug driver enter a vehicle to drive away, make a note of the registration plate and the direction of travel and call your local police on 101 or make a make a free and anonymous call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Rupert Matthews has called a meeting on 16 January to give residents in East Leicester the opportunity to share their views on crime and policing. The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC will be joined by Chief Constable Rob Nixon and local police officers for the event which will be held at Wesley Hall Community Centre. There will be a short presentation from both the PCC and the Chief Constable looking at the work underway to address community safety and crime prevention in the area. Residents will then be invited to ask questions and raise any concerns about safety in their area to help ensure resources are allocated to where they are needed most. Mr Matthews said: "This is a great opportunity for people here in east Leicester to meet both those setting the policing priorities and those delivering them. They can ask questions of me, the Chief Constable and their local neighbourhood policing team. "I think it's important that we tell people what we are doing to meet their policing needs and the work we are doing as part of the ongoing crime prevention strategy to make their communities safer. "The various communities of east Leicester can face different challenges. One of my priorities as Commissioner is to understand these unique problems so we can design solutions together. It is important we get it right for everyone and you can help us make a difference by sharing your concerns." The meeting will be held between 6.30pm and 8pm at Wesley Hall Community Centre, 76 Hartingdon Street, Leicester, LE2 0GN. Anyone wishing to book a space for this meeting, or who has a question that they would like answered during meeting, is asked to email opcc@leics.police.uk or call 0116 229 8980. Remaining spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Flash flooding last night on our new £10.4million Fiveways junction here in Leicester. The road became totally impassable during the rain around 9pm on the Fosse Road North junction. Motorists and nearby residents contacted our news room to complain. One resident said “It’s totally impassable and cars are reversing and turning back. Someone is accountable for the bad drainage and this will only get worst when the new school is complete. The old layout always flooded and I would have thought the design would have better drainage. Apart from the flooding, accidents happen nearly every day because of the new layout and poor signage and for the cycle lanes that are hardly used and endanger pedestrians when trying to navigate their way around”. What do you think ? #LCC #FivewaysJunction #FosseRoadNorth

We expect our services to be extremely busy, some may be subject to cancellations or an amended timetable. Services are expected to be busy on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 December. Due to industrial action by the RMT Union at one of our four maintenance partners in the Edinburgh area, there may be alterations between Saturday 30 December and Monday 1 January. Due to a high number of cancellations, CrossCountry Trains have announced temporary disruption over the next couple of weeks. During this period, passengers can expect to adjusted timetables, potential delays and we expect our services to be extremely busy. We understand that this may inconvenience our passengers and appreciate the ongoing support and understanding. To minimise disruption, CrossCountry Trains have advised that passengers please check journey planners for the latest information before travelling, the last train to your station may be extremely busy, please allow extra time for your journey and where possible travel on additional services where provided for a comfortable journey back home. Our journey planners are the best place to find all the latest travel information. 2023 has been a challenging year for all train operators. The widespread industrial action has greatly increased the levels of cancellation. General punctuality of the service has been impacted by recent storms and extreme weather which has led to speed restrictions being imposed and affecting passenger lateness. An increase in Network Rail structural and embankment incidents has also contributed to a rise in cancellations with significant incidents seen at Nuneham, Plessey, Aycliffe and at Lydney. We at CrossCountry continue to work closely with Network Rail on improving the punctuality and reliability of our services. This collaborative working has contributed to improvements in asset reliability, track quality and improved operational resilience at key locations and junctions that we operate over. For further information please see - Disruption | CrossCountry (crosscountrytrains.co.uk)