The Coalville Special Expenses Working Party met on Tuesday 2 June 2026 to discuss capital projects and the events programme for 2026/27. The meeting noted updates on various capital projects, including planned works for Coalville Park, Greenhill Recreation Ground, and cemeteries, as well as tree planting initiatives and the Coalville in Bloom project. An update on the 2026/27 events programme was also presented, detailing plans for St George's Day, Music and Picnic in the Park, Christmas in Coalville, and associated Christmas decorations.

Capital Projects Update 2026/27

The Working Party received an update on capital projects planned for the 2026/27 financial year. These include external painting of the public toilets at Coalville Park, graffiti removal at the Greenhill Recreation Ground pavilion, and tree works at London Road Cemetery and Broom Leys Cemetery. Significant expenditure is also allocated to path sealing at Broom Leys Cemetery (£17,705) and play area works across various locations, including Western Avenue Recreation Ground, totalling £73,710.

Additionally, the report highlighted tree planting initiatives, with 770 whips planted at Greenhill Recreation Ground, 18 trees at Stadium Close open space, and 390 whips and 11 trees at Western Avenue Recreation Ground. The funding for these trees covers planting and three years of maintenance. The Coalville in Bloom project has seen flower towers and hanging baskets ordered, with efforts underway to encourage shop owners to financially contribute to hanging baskets outside their premises.

A notable concern raised was the planned installation of an underground shaft tank by Severn Trent at Scotlands Recreation Ground. While the council cannot prevent these works, details regarding the timeline, disruption, and impact on access to the bowls pavilion were still unknown despite urgent requests for information.

Events Update 2026/27

An update on the 2026/27 events programme was presented, outlining planned activities and their allocated budgets. The programme includes:

• St George's Day (23 April 2026): Installation of the St George flag at the Memorial Clock Tower.
• Music and Picnic in the Park (4-5 July 2026): A weekend of family-focused entertainment in Coalville Park. Saturday will feature an afternoon of sports activities and an evening of music and performance, while Sunday will be a family fun day with a main stage, activities, workshops, stalls, and food and drink. The Saturday event has been extended to start at 4pm. Sponsorship from Everyone Active, a previous supporter, was not secured for this year but they remain committed to future events.
• Coalville Sport (4 July 2026): A new event organised by the Council's Health and Wellbeing Team in partnership with local sports clubs, inspired by the Ashby Sport event. It aims to introduce families to various sports available in Coalville.
• Christmas in Coalville (28 November 2026): A day of Christmas festivities in the town centre, with a revised time of 11am to 7pm to encourage evening footfall. The event will feature a main stage in Marlborough Square for music and performances, including the Christmas Light Switch On at 6pm. A Christmas market is planned for the Belvoir Shopping Centre, and a funfair and attractions, potentially including a synthetic ice rink, are proposed for the Needham's Walk car park. The event will also include Christmas window competitions and a Christmas Trail to encourage local shopping.
• Coalville Christmas Decorations (28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027): Decorations will include a Nordmann Christmas tree in Memorial Square, lights on the Memorial Clock Tower, pea lights in trees, and pole-mounted decorations on lamp posts. Due to planned works at the Marlborough Centre, artificial trees will be relocated to Hotel Street and High Street.

Members expressed a range of views on the recent Picnic in the Park event, with some finding it somewhat routine while others praised its success. Suggestions were made to introduce new elements in future years. Concerns were also raised about the delivery of events beyond 2028 due to Local Government Reorganisation, with officers advising that planning and securing funding would help position the successor authority favourably. A request was made for a detailed breakdown of the £21,000 spent on Picnic in the Park, with the Senior Economic Development Officer agreeing to provide this information.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2026 were approved and signed by the Chair. A query was raised regarding an update on the need for bins in the Western Avenue play area, with officers confirming no further information was available but that it would be addressed in a wider review of the area.

Finance Updates

The Head of Finance presented provisional outturn figures for 2025/26 and Quarter 1 figures for 2026/27. Discussions touched upon planned expenditure for Western Avenue Recreation Ground, with a request for details on proposed works. Officers stated this information would be circulated once received. Enquiries were also made regarding a decrease in burials at Broom Leys Cemetery, with officers undertaking to investigate the reasons. Both finance reports were noted by the Working Party.