As reported locally in the news West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) plans to move the final ambulance stationed at Rugby's St Cross to Coventry in October.

Rugby Liberal Democrats are calling on the ambulance service to explain to Councillors and the public why they plan to remove the last ambulance stationed at St Cross.

Last week the Government have finally acted to tackle the NHS backlog and put more money in Social Care to help the vulnerable.

The changes, which go against the Conservatives' manifesto promise not to raise taxes, will mean hard-pressed local families and small businesses will be left paying hundreds of pounds more in tax each year.

Public consultations have been launched to give residents a chance to have a say on the refurbishments of play areas in Bilton and Brownsover.

Rugby Borough Council has confirmed plans to revamp the play areas in Apple Grove and Sorrel Drive, and now wants to hear from residents to help develop blueprints for the refurbishments.

Consultation packs have been delivered to the homes of residents living near the play areas, while the wider community can have a say by completing the online consultation forms on the council's website:

On 9 September, business people from across the Midlands will come together in Sutton Coldfield at the inaugural meeting of LDBN Midlands, a newly formed regional business network.

LDBN Midlands will be first of six English regional business networks to be established under the "umbrella" of the national Liberal Democrat Business Network (LDBN), a 300-member strong group of liberally minded business women and men. LDBN unites the voices of business people across the country and acts as a dynamic "conduit" for the exchange of information and ideas between the business community and Liberal Democrat MPs, peers and local government leaders.

Have your say on bus service improvements in Warwickshire.

Warwickshire County Council is working closely with bus operators to develop an ambitious Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) aimed at encouraging more people to travel by bus.

The Government has earmarked £3 billion towards improving bus services throughout England. The BSIP will set out Warwickshire's ambitions for bus service improvements and help secure a proportion of the funding to benefit people living, working and travelling in Warwickshire.

Rugby Borough Council has launched a survey to gauge Rugbeians' understanding of climate change and the effect it has on their lives.

With the United Nations this week (w/c 9 August) announcing that the climate emergency has now become critical, the council is preparing its climate change strategy and now wants to understand residents' perceptions of the emergency, how prepared they are to respond to the emergency, and how the council can support residents to shift to a net zero future.

After a lengthy period of lockdown when many residents found that they were using online and telephone services rather than in person visits, Rugby Borough Council is asking residents how they would prefer to access council information and services in future.

Like many other service providers the council has seen an increase in online transactions and enquiries, with one service seeing 70 per cent of transactions taking place online. Face-to-face enquiries have been limited to urgent enquiries such as homelessness.

Community and voluntary organisations can now apply for a grant from Rugby Borough Council.

Community Project Grants and awards from the Rural Development Fund aim to support community, voluntary and charitable organisations to deliver one-off projects which benefit the borough's communities.

Applications for grants can now be submitted, with Community Project Grants of up to £3,000 available to help organisations develop and deliver a wide range of projects.

The Rural Development Fund offers parish councils, community and voluntary organisations the chance to apply for a grant of up to £10,000 for projects or purchases which support the borough's rural communities.

The grants aim to help deliver projects which enable residents to live healthy, independent lives and meet the aims of the council's new Corporate Strategy, including combating climate change, improving access to education and training, tackling loneliness and isolation, and increasing opportunities to exercise and lead a healthier lifestyle.

The council has a grant funding pot of nearly £64,000 for 2021/2022.

Grant applications must be made online before midnight on Friday 3 September. Full guidance and the application form can be found on the council's website: www.rugby.gov.uk/grants