February 2025
 
Questionnaire about repairs and maintenance of Housing Association properties. Closes 28th February
If you live in a property owned by a Housing Association, please help us by completing this questionnaire by the end of the month. The responses will be used to compile a report to present to local Housing Associations. The survey is now online at  www.rutland.gov.uk or contact me if you need any help or would like a paper copy.
 
Reforms to the Planning System.
Further to my article in October’s grapevine, the government has now confirmed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. This includes a new target of 264 houses for Rutland (currently 123). Due to this recalculation, Rutland is immediately without a sufficient housing supply which means we can expect developers to submit applications for sites outside the current local plan, including around Whissendine. This does not mean that such sites will be automatically approved- there still needs to be due planning process- but the underlying assumption is now tilted in favour of development. The draft local plan will be submitted for inspection by March 2025 but will need to be immediately revised, along with plans for St. George’s Barracks and Woolfox but these sites will not provide an automatic solution to the housing numbers now required
 
Council Budgets: Councillors will vote on the 2025-26 budget and council tax rates on 27th February. Rural authorities are major losers in this years national funding settlement as Ministers have directed grant funding towards authorities with higher levels of deprivation and less ability to generate income from council tax. The Rural Services Delivery grant (£1m income for Rutland) has been abolished and it is unlikely that income from other grants will make up this loss of income which adds pressure to already very stretched budgets. As leader of the Opposition on Rutland County Council I will be reviewing the budgets in detail and will continue to press for improvements to services in order to ensure best value for money from Rutland council tax payers in these difficult times.
 
My next residents surgery will be at the White Lion on Wednesday 12th February from 6pm until 8pm.
 
Rosemary Powell
www.rutland.gov.uk
County Councillor
Whissendine Ward
01664 474257
rpowell@rutland.gov.uk
Rutland County Council
Customer Service Centre: 01572 722 577