Page 10 - Herald Feburary 2023

10 THE NEW COUNTESTHORPE HERALD
MEET LEICESTERSHIRE’S
SEVERN TRENT RIVER
RANGERS
“We love interacting with people out and about so please come and say hello if you see us” As well as educating customers to prevent wipes and sanitary products from reaching rivers, Siobhan and Zara carry out vital operational, monitoring and sampling activities that allow the company to understand the quality of rivers in its region better than ever before, and what’s needed to protect and improve them.
Siobhan said: “We’re both outdoorsy people so it’s the perfect job for us. Our role means we’re the eyes of the river - checking our assets, walking up stretches of river to monitor them, as well as meeting with local groups that have an interest in rivers such as boating and water sports groups. We also like to join in with community litter picks along riverbanks. “While Severn Trent doesn’t own the region’s rivers, our team is just one example of how seriously Severn Trent is taking the health of our rivers. Going back to the areas we’ve previously worked in is so rewarding.”
In addition to the company’s river ranger team Severn Trent launched its Get River Positive commitments in March 2022 to provide a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Zara added: “I love my role - you can’t get a better job walking up and down the rivers every day, even in the rain it’s great. Just from the invertebrate surveys we do which are a key indicator of river health, you can see the improvements already, and in the years to come it will only improve further. We love interacting with people out and about so please come and say hello if you see us and we’ll be more than happy to chat about the work we’re doing.”
BOUNDARY CHANGES
DO NOT EFFECT
COUNTESTHORPE
Voters in this May’s Blaby District and Parish elections are being advised of changes to ward boundaries and the number of Councillors to be elected.
FEBRUARY 2023
Some residents will be in a different ward with a different name and will be listed to vote at a different polling station.
For residents of Countesthorpe, nothing is changing there will still be three councillors representing the village.
The changes follow a review from the Local Government Boundary Commission – it’s first on the area for 20 years – which proposed a redraw of boundaries and the loss of three District Councillor seats. The proposals, aimed at ensuring fairness with wards having roughly the same number of electors, went out for public consultation last year and were approved by Parliament in December.
They mean:
- Blaby District will now have 36 councillors, three fewer than before
- Blaby District now has 17 wards, one fewer than before
- Boundaries for 15 wards have changed, with two staying the same
- There are 3 three-council wards (including Countesthorpe)
- There are 13 two-councillor wards - There is one single-councillor ward
The changes ensure all wards have around 2,150 electors for each Councillor.
As ward boundaries have changed, so have ward names. Stanton and Flamville,
Croft Hill and Normanton are now Fosse Highcross, Fosse Stoney Cove and Fosse
Normanton.
Saxondale ward is Glen Parva, with ward boundaries being redrawn to move residents of the ward who live in Blaby Parish into the newly created Blaby ward. Leicester Forest East and New Lubbesthorpe join to become one ward, named Leicester Forest and Lubbesthorpe, with three councillors, while Muxloe and a small section of an area in Leicester Forest East combine to become Kirby Muxloe ward.
A small number of polling station locations will alter due to the new situation – information on where to vote is always listed on the polling card.
For more details visit: Electoral Boundaries (blaby.gov.uk)
These changes run alongside the new nationally imposed rule to show an accepted form of photo ID to vote in person. More details on this can be found on the front page of this issue of the Herald.
WI PROGRAMME
Barbara Talbot - President of Countesthorpe WI has announced a packed programme of Speakers for 2023. These include talks on The Laura Ashley Story to Ladies of Leicestershire. The Group meets every second Monday of the month at 7.30pm in the Bridge next to St. Andrews Church. All visitors are welcome to attend.