The Community Scrutiny Committee of North West Leicestershire Council met on Thursday, 10 September 2026, to review several key council functions. Discussions were scheduled to cover the annual performance of leisure centres, an update on community grants and the community lottery, and an annual review of the district-wide regeneration framework. The committee also planned to consider items for inclusion in its future work programme.

Leisure Centres Annual Review

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the performance of the council's leisure centres, managed in partnership with Everyone Active. The report, covering the period from May 2025 to April 2026, detailed the outcomes achieved across various areas, including improving health and wellbeing, providing local economic benefits, supporting safe and inclusive neighbourhoods, and educating young people. It also highlighted the quality of services provided, with Whitwick & Coalville Leisure Centre achieving an 'Outstanding' Quest assessment banding and Ashby Leisure Centre & Lido securing 'Excellent' status. Key performance indicators for participation, membership levels, and utility consumption were also to be presented. The report noted a decrease in overall participation compared to the previous year, partly attributed to increased local competition and changes to the Club Activ8 scheme. However, fitness memberships showed an increase. Financial performance and environmental improvements, including efforts to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, were also detailed.

Community Grants and Community Lottery Annual Update

An update was scheduled on the council's Community Grant Programme for the financial year April 2025 to March 2026. This included information on the Small Grant, Zero Carbon Grant, and Love Your Neighbourhood (LYN) initiatives, which collectively had a budget of £15,000. The report indicated a slight overspend on the general community grant budget, covered by an underspend from the Community Focus budget. A map illustrating the geographical spread of grant applications was to be presented, highlighting areas for potential future promotion. The report also provided an update on the North West Leicestershire (NWL) Community Lottery, now in its second year of operation. It detailed the number of good causes participating, the funds raised, and the allocation of grants to support community projects. The council's own good cause, the NWL Community Lottery Central Fund, had raised £30,960 in its first year, with £20,000 allocated to a grant scheme for community groups.

District Wide Regeneration Framework Annual Review

The committee was set to review the 2026 update to the Coalville and District Regeneration Frameworks. Since their initial adoption, the frameworks have been consolidated into a single portfolio of 38 regeneration projects for reporting purposes. Of these, 15 projects have been completed, including significant developments like Marlborough Square, the Belvoir Shopping Centre, and the Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre. The report highlighted progress made during the 2025/26 financial year, with projects such as Leisure Provision Research, Memorial Square Workspace, and Moira Furnace – Phase 1 being delivered. Priorities for 2026/27 were to focus on projects nearing or in their delivery phases, including the Marlborough Centre, Stenson Square Gardens, and Phase 2 of Moira Furnace. The report also outlined priorities for 2027/28, such as the Old Market Hall and Nottingham Road developments. Communications efforts have focused on the Coalville Regeneration Framework, with plans for a wider programme update. The report also touched upon the challenges of measuring the cumulative impact of regeneration delivery, particularly in light of the forthcoming Local Government Reorganisation.

Items for Inclusion in the Future Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider potential items for inclusion in its future work programme. This would involve reviewing the current work programme and a plan of forthcoming Cabinet decisions to identify topics for future scrutiny.

The meeting also included standard agenda items such as apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and a public question and answer session. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 25 June 2026 were to be approved, and an update on outstanding actions from previous meetings was to be considered. Finally, the committee was to receive a report on the Cabinet's response to recommendations previously made by the committee.