Inside the 15,000-strong pro-Palestine march that took place at the weekend.
NHS boss tells council committee “I apologise sincerely to anyone who has waited for too long”.
We've highlighted a few entirely baseless myths in circulation about cycle lanes – and explain why they’re so wrong.
Plus: Mett Centre set to close, Seyi Omooba loses appeal and Green Party’s shock withdrawal.
Local campaigners from the Warm Homes Leics Coalition will gather outside the constituency offices of Labour MPs Jon Ashworth and Liz Kendall today to hand in the damning new report on the health impacts of cold homes. The protests will coincide with similar actions taking place across the county.
The new report, ‘Left out in the cold: the hidden health costs of Britain’s cold homes’, produced on behalf of Friends of the Earth and set to be handed in by Warm Homes Leics, has found that many millions of households nationwide are now at the point of crisis due to the lack of meaningful action on cold homes over the last decade.
In Leicester, tens of thousands of homes are poorly insulated in areas with high levels of poverty and where incomes are below the minimum level needed to heat them adequately, putting people at risk of the negative health impacts of cold homes.
The health impacts of cold homes include poor respiratory and cardiovascular health, mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, loneliness, social isolation and a greater prevalence of falls. Cold homes affect the physical and psychological health of both children and adults. Solutions include adequate insulation, double glazing and draught-proofing, but these measures must be combined with proper ventilation.
Zina Zelter, Leicester West resident and Warm Homes Leics member, said:
“We’ve been writing to our Leicester and Leicestershire MPs and inviting them to speak with us about the fuel poverty crisis in their constituencies for over a year now. So far, none of them have responded meaningfully. Government-funded street-by-street home insulation, starting in areas with the highest levels of fuel poverty, would cost £6 billion a year, save the NHS and economy many times more than this, and reduce the suffering we see across so many communities. This is why we are standing outside their offices today – to call on them to act and to ask for a meeting.
“People who cannot afford to live in well-insulated homes have disproportionately high heating bills even as their homes remain cold. They typically contribute the least to climate change but suffer the most from it. Home insulation tackles both fuel poverty and the climate crisis at the same time by reducing the need for energy and the associated carbon emissions. Our MPs and their parties should be making this a priority. People, the climate, our NHS and the world need action. It’s time our MPs stand up for their constituents”.
The campaigners are prioritising Liz Kendall and Jonathan Ashworth because they are in the Labour Party’s shadow cabinet. The party will likely be in power after the general election, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated will be later this year.
by Phil Morrish
The Mett Centre faces closure: A Leicester mental health support service is set to close at the end of March, prompting fears from those who said they rely on it. The Mett Centre provides cooking, arts and crafts and health support. Those attending are worried that closing the centre will lead to social isolation - BBC Leicester
Western Park plans approved: Controversial plans to build 20 homes on Western Park are set to go ahead despite 58 objections from the public. Key concerns included the loss of parkland, the loss of the car park, traffic and parking concerns, and the harm to wildlife - BBC Leicester
Seyi Omooba loses appeal against Curve firing: An actor set to star in The Colour Purple at the Curve in 2019 has had her latest attempt to be paid damages rejected by a judge. Seyi Omooba had been hired to play Celie, but the local theatre dropped her after homophobic social media posts came to light - Leicester Mercury
Leicester City Council blackout: IT systems and phone lines were shut down late last week as a precaution after the council opened an investigation into a ‘cyber incident’. The cause of the incident is yet unknown - ITV
Green Party’s Leicester West candidate withdraws: Jasmine Lowen has withdrawn from the race following her expulsion from Leicester College. There are claims she was expelled because of her activism around the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. However, Leicester College has denied this - Leicester Mercury
The 19th-century Leicester abolitionists: For International Women’s Day this year, Margaret Brecknell explores the life and work of Elizabeth Heyrick and Susannah Watts, two local women who fought to end slavery - Great Central Gazette
Margaret Brecknell
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A stunning sunset over Victoria Park last week, taken by Clarendon Park resident Smital Hannon.
Key:
🚨 – Last chance
💷 – Entry fee
🆓 – Free of charge
🚨 🆓 Discover Co-ops Workshop – 12 March 2024
Are you thinking about starting a co-operative business? Join CASE and Co-operatives UK at Secular Hall for an insightful workshop about the co-op model. Booking online is essential. From 10:30am-3pm.
🚨 💷 Kathleen Kenyon and the Jewry Wall – 12 March 2024
Pop over to Leicester Guildhall to hear a talk by Mathew Morris about the woman who excavated this fascinating part of Leicester’s history. Tickets cost £4.50 each. From 2pm-3pm.
💷 Decorative Slate Painting Workshop – 16 March 2024
Fancy getting creative? Belgrave Hall is hosting a terrific workshop where you can decorate a slate to take home. Tickets cost £28 each. From 10am-1pm.
💷 Fatherhood – 16 March 2024
Head to Attenborough Arts Centre for a fantastic performance – created, written and performed by Shane Shambhu, about being the father of a mixed heritage child. Tickets are pay what you can. From 7pm-8:15pm.
🆓 Leicester Nirvana F.C. – The Pioneers – Now until 13 June 2024
If you’re a football fan, visit the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery for an inspiring exhibition about one of Leicester’s grassroots football clubs.
A two-bedroom apartment in the Freemans Meadow estate, off Upperton Road. It also features an entrance hall, a family bathroom, an open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner, two balcony areas and one allocated parking space. It’s right by the River Soar, a 10-minute walk from Aylestone Meadows.
Price: £150,000
The Blue Boar is a love letter to pubs. It’s the place that makes you lament the fall of the free house. Everything from Pale Ales to Porters and a cheese and onion cob, like they used to make back in the day. The walls are filled with old maps and pictures of Leicester, and all the caps are flat. The beer selection is twice that of The Ale Stone, which I reviewed last week, while still costing less than what you pay in the pub with the funny carpets. The Blue Boar is owned and run by people who love good beer and want to share that with the community.
Price: Pints from £3.80
Bow Bridge House in the 1960s, home to the abolitionist Elizabeth Heyrick, who we wrote about this week. It was built in the late 18th century and later demolished in 1965.
We've highlighted a few entirely baseless myths in circulation about cycle lanes – and explain why they’re so wrong.
Plus: our new events calendar, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, and more
Plus: Police federation reveals poor mental health, Eid celebrations occur at Victoria Park, and work on the market continues.
Plus: the Taxidermy gallery closes, local asylum seekers receive measles vaccines, and Ukrainian students get to stay in Leicester.
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