COLUMN - Political View with Leicestershire county councillor Andrew Innes (Reform UK)
It has now been just over a year since I was privileged to be elected as Melton East’s representative on Leicestershire County Council.
In that time, I have been proud to serve our community and support the work of the new Reform UK administration.
As we promised, the administration has been focused on identifying efficiencies across the council, not by cutting services but by improving how they are delivered.
Our aim is to work smarter and reduce the long-term burden on taxpayers whilst maintaining quality services.
There is still much to do, but this first year has shown what we can achieve with a clear, practical approach.
By diverting funding away from vanity projects into front line services we can take more proactive action on areas like flood protection and social care.
There has been much debate about the role of social media in politics.
While it is a useful tool for sharing information, I do not believe it fosters meaningful political debate.
Too often it leads to unhelpful exchanges.
I strongly believe that constructive, in-person collaboration delivers far better results for our town.
To demonstrate this, I continue to work with county council officers, county and borough council leaders, our MP, and potential bidders to secure a solution for the Melton campus and theatre complex.
A meeting between all interested parties is scheduled at County Hall in mid-June.
It is essential that we move this forward but, for sure, it will require a certain degree of compromise from all sides.
Pork Pie Way is a valuable new asset for our community.
As with any major infrastructure project there are some teething problems.
I have been actively gathering feedback from residents and working with council officers to address concerns.
Some aspects may seem counterintuitive, Leicester traffic direction as an example, but there are reasons behind them.
I will continue to push for these concerns to be addressed over the coming weeks.
I remain committed to listening to residents and working collaboratively to deliver the best outcomes for our town.
Email me on: [email protected] with your issues and observations.
Andrew Innes is the representative for Melton East on Leicestershire County Council. His Reform UK colleague, Kerry Knight represents Melton West.