The city mayor acknowledged that it has been a ‘pretty tough few years’
Sir Peter Soulsby, city mayor, in front of the Jewry Wall(Image: LeicestershireLive)
Leicester’s city mayor says he is “optimistic” better days are ahead as he looks to the coming year.
Sir Peter Soulsby acknowledged that it has been a “pretty tough few years” and there is more that needs to be done by the Government to get the country back on track. Local people are not “yet” seeing the “upturn” that was promised by Labour at the last election, the city mayor added.
However, he believes the Government is “doing and saying the right things” and, he said, he is “very much hoping” Leicester will start to “see that turnaround” in the coming year. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the city mayor said “above all” the Government needed to “deliver on” its commitment for “real growth” in the economy.
Sir Peter said: “I think the most important thing that we’re all very much hoping for is, very much an upturn, nationally, in the economy, and a chance for us all to feel better off. Obviously, it’s been a pretty tough few years of austerity.
“It’s early days yet, but I think there’s still more to be done by the Government to make us all feel better, and [for us] all to be more positive about the future. I’m very much hoping that, in 2026, we’ll see that turnaround in people’s optimism about the future – and that goes for us in Leicester as much as anywhere else.”
He added: “Above all, the Government’s actually got to deliver on what it’s committed itself to, which is real growth in the economy. The headwinds have been pretty difficult both nationally and internationally, but hopefully we will begin to see soon the green shoots.
“They’re doing and saying the right things but, for many people in Leicester, I don’t think they yet noticed the sort of upturn that is being promised, and particularly the growth and the optimism that the government was elected on 18 months ago.”
Closer to home, Sir Peter said it has been a “grim” time for Leicester in recent years, but he was “more optimistic” than he has been for “over a decade” about the future of services in the city.
He said: “[Basic services] have been savagely cut over the last decade or more, and I just very much hope that we can continue to maintain what we’ve got and to repair what we’ve lost […]
“People sometimes don’t appreciate the full range of everything that the council provides, it’s everything from rat catching and bin collection through to parks, playgrounds, and looking after vulnerable children.
“All of those things have been under pressure and, while I don’t believe that suddenly we’re going to have a mountain of cash to repair all the damage, at least the pressure for savage cuts is being taken off and it’s an enormous relief to me. What I and my colleagues did not go into local government for was to take an axe to vital services. We went in because we actually believe that local government is a vital part of making Leicester a civilised place.”
The city itself could also see a number of transformations over the coming year, with projects big and small in the pipeline. Among them are the regeneration of Leicester Market and the Leicester Railway Station revamp, with Sir Peter saying he “very much hopes” the council can “get on with delivering” the two schemes next year.
He said: “There are some really exciting projects going on [elsewhere in the city]. The next major excitement is the refurbishment that’s taking place to the Leicester Museum and Gallery on New Walk, which is being transformed with a new welcoming cafe to bring people in and new galleries for them to enjoy when they get there.”
The city mayor added: “We are also continuing to invest very heavily in the neighborhoods across the city and particularly in homes and in schools. We’ve got a major programme of refurbishment of elements within our schools.
“A very significant proportion of our investment does go into, just the day to day maintenance and improvement of schools, and that’s vitally important for those children and, indeed, for the teachers who work in the schools. We do all sorts of investment in schools, everything from replacing windows and roofs, through to making toilets decent and usable.”
Asked if he has a message for the people of Leicester looking ahead to next year, Sir Peter said: “I want to take the opportunity to wish the people of Leicester well for the New Year, and to encourage them to be optimistic about their city and its fortunes in the year ahead.”
