North West Leicestershire District Council says that changes will be made to some services in Coalville to preserve a freeze on council tax.

Grass cutting, flower beds, litter bins and some buildings in the Coalville area are being targeted.

Following a decision by the District Council's Cabinet, various changes are being put in place to reduce the budget - with around £55,000 in cuts highlighted.

A council spokesperson said today (Wednesday) that this is so the precept paid in council tax bills does not increase for households in the Coalville Special Expenses area.

One of the more visible changes, says the Council, will be a reduction in grass cutting frequency, taking the annual cost down by almost half from just under £50,000 to nearly £27,000

Essential cutting for safety reasons will go ahead as usual, some areas – including cemeteries, play areas and recreation grounds - will receive fewer cuts, while some will be left completely uncut.

This move will reduce the money spent on cutting the grass, whilst increasing opportunities for pollinators like bees and butterflies.

In addition:

• Coalville in Bloom will be funded through sponsorship, with Jelson Homes sponsoring floral displays in the town centre in 2023, saving £5,000­­­
• Formal flower beds that would traditionally hold bedding plants will instead be seeded with wildflowers; a cheaper option that also adds to the biodiversity in the area. This reduces the spend from almost £20,000 to just over £4,000
• The number of litter bins will be reduced where there are several, in places like playgrounds and cemeteries, with the council instead encouraging people to take their litter home with them so it can be recycled, saving £2,000
• Three buildings – the pavilions at Greenhill and Melrose recreation grounds and the cemetery hut at Broomleys Cemetery will be closed. This will save around £10,000

Councillor Richard Blunt, Leader of NWLDC, said: "As a council we are committed to limiting the financial burden on local people as much as possible, which is why we've frozen council tax for so long.

"Whilst we don't have control over whether town and parish councils increase their portion of the bill, we do control what happens in Coalville, and we don't feel it's right to increase tax in this area, especially right now, when everyone is feeling the pinch.

"That decision means we have some difficult choices to be able to make the budget balance.

"We feel that the measures we've agreed, including reduced grass cutting in some areas, a different approach to flower planting and removing some underused facilities, are the most sensible ways to do this."