New phase of pavement repairs in Melton Road now under way
Work to replace the existing uneven pavement on the outbound stretch of the street, between Ascot Road and Checketts Road, was carried out last year.Also included in the work is the covering of existing tree pits with a porous resin-bound material to help improve drainage and the installation of new drainage channels where required.Damaged footpaths caused by tree roots will be repaired as well, with new bollards added along with new cycle racks where possible to prevent vehicles parking on the pavement, the council said.The authority added that work will be carried out in sections to help minimise disruption to pedestrians and nearby businesses and is expected to take about 50 weeks to complete.Some short-term lane restrictions on part of Melton Road may be required to ensure a safe working environment.Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "This ongoing investment in repairing and replacing broken and uneven pavements on Melton Road will help improve the look and feel of the area and make it more attractive for residents and shoppers."Projects like this are an important part of ensuring that our neighbourhood shopping streets and busy routes into the city stay looking their best."
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The Independent
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- The Independent
Which tax rises could Rachel Reeves introduce to pay for the £5bn welfare U-turn?
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But perhaps this week's welfare climbdown will leave the chancellor with no option but to look again at Rayner's suggestions. Here, The Independent takes a look at a number of tax rises that the government could rely on to raise funds and balance the books. Tax threshold freezes The Treasury's most likely move would be to extend the freeze on income tax thresholds. This means that as wages rise with inflation, over the years workers are dragged into higher tax bands and end up paying more. A freeze on the threshold at which the higher 45 per cent tax rate is paid was one of the options suggested by Ms Rayner in her leaked memo. But there is growing speculation the government could extend the freeze across all tax brackets. It's a stealth tax, the impacts of which are not felt immediately, meaning it is normally better received among the general public compared with a direct hit to businesses or pay slips. But, if the freeze were extended to the end of the parliament, it could also bring in billions for the Treasury as earnings rise. The freeze, which is already planned to last until 2028, is expected to drag around two million workers into higher tax bands. Wealth tax There have been calls from Labour MPs on the left of the party to introduce a wealth tax, calls which have only grown in the wake of Tuesday's welfare climbdown. Rachael Maskell, the architect of the rebellion which forced the government into shelving key pillars of the bill, demanded the government increase taxes on the very richest to pay for the £5bn climbdown. Polling conducted by YouGov on behalf of Oxfam on the eve of the spring statement found more than three-quarters of people (77 per cent) would rather the government increase taxes on the very richest to improve public finances than see cuts to public spending. 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The Sun
an hour ago
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