Councillors can walk the walk

By Thomas Foster

Leicester City Council has recently been taking a new scheme through its paces to connect with the community.

Councillors have been holding a series of patch walks to find any issues directly from the streets.

Last Wednesday, Councillors Michael Cooke and Wayne Naylor took the last of six recently scheduled walks in the Braunstone ward.

Councillor Cooke said: “It all started off at a council meeting, we felt it wasn’t getting down to real local issues.

“These walks engage with the people and help us keep in touch with the community.”

The walks have allowed councillors to find issues from a first hand perspective.

Some of the issues raised have included residential parking problems on estates, including the damage this can cause to verges, and the differences that can be seen between neighbouring housing estates.

Councillor Naylor said: “We’re acting as the eyes and ears of the council.

“All the issues we find are recorded both photographically and vocally and are turned into a report of the area.”

The walks also allow councillors to review the area as the ten years of the New Deal Programme, which was promoted by Blair’s government, comes to an end.

The findings of these walks will be discussed in a meeting at Braunstone Victoria Working Men’s Club on February 16, alongside performances from projects supported by council funding.

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