A brand-new play area for Rugby's Whitehall Recreation Ground has opened for use. Installation is now complete, and the area is open for residents and visitors having passed a safety inspection.

The new play area and adjacent musical interactive area mark a significant step forwards in what is hoped to be a major revamp of the recreation ground. They were part funded by a £75,000 grant from Veolia Environmental Trust.

Over the festive period we throw out the equivalent of 2 million turkeys, 5 million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies. With the average Christmas food bill running at £169 per household that's a lot of wasted food needlessly bought and thrown into Warwickshire landfills and energy from waste plants.

Liberal Democrats in Warwickshire are celebrating a fantastic by-election victory for the County Council Ward of Stratford North.

The by-election was won by Dominic Skinner on 29 November 2018. Dominic is also the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Stratford Upon Avon constituency.

The turnout was 29% and Dominic Skinner won with 877 votes (40.7%) with a +16.5% change from 2017.

Have your say on plans to introduce Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) to help combat anti-social behaviour in Rugby.

Rugby Borough Council has launched the public consultations to find out what residents think about the proposed PSPOs, which cover dog control, the taking of intoxicating substances in the town centre, anti-social behaviour at Newbold Quarry Nature Reserve, and cycling in the pedestrianised areas of the town centre.

The proposed orders were drawn up after a task group of councillors investigated how PSPOs could help tackle issues which cause residents concern.

The task group's work included an online public consultation and 'listening posts' in the town centre, where councillors talked to residents to identify problems which the council could target.

The proposed PSPOs put forward by the task group for consultation include the renewal of the existing orders which cover dog control and taking intoxicating substances in the town centre.

The proposed dog control PSPO retains the terms of the current order while including a new restriction which requires dog owners to have a means of picking up dog faeces when walking a dog in a public place.

The draft intoxicating substances PSPO also keeps the existing order's restrictions but contains a proposal to expand the area in which the restrictions can be enforced.

Residents can also comment on plans to replace the bylaws currently in place at Newbold Quarry Nature Reserve with a PSPO, while the council also wants to hear the public's views on the possible introduction of a PSPO to make cycling in the town centre's pedestrianised areas an offence.

The Government introduced PSPOs in 2014 to give councils extra powers to combat anti-social behaviour in public places.

Under a PSPO, authorised council officers and police officers can issue fixed penalty notices to individuals who refuse to comply with the terms of an order.

For more information on the proposed PSPOs, and to take part in the consultations, visit www.rugby.gov.uk/consultation

The consultations close at 5pm on Thursday 3 January.

Warwickshire Liberal Democrats are very concerned over the split between West Mercia and Warwickshire Police and believe that a solution must be found to ensure local Policing numbers are not reduced and communities are kept safe.

An extraordinary meeting of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel has taken place in recent weeks and further meetings are planned. West Mercia have also held an extraordinary meeting with concerns raised about resources being disproportionately used in Warwickshire.

Liberal Democrats demand far better for our environment and our planet. We need a Government that puts climate change at the heart of decision making.

Liberal Democrats would restore the green heart to our government, with a whole of Government approach to tackling climate change and all environmental issues. We would focus on five new green laws.

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse has written to the local papers about the state of British politics and without a "People's Vote" on the Brexit deal he is seriously concerned that we will see greater divisions erupting with local communities forgotten about and continuing to suffer.

Dear Editor,

Recent events in national politics are what I and many others have never seen before The country is in a mess. We are divided. National politicians in the two main political parties remind me of a school playground with bullying and shouting going on with no one listening.

Fly tipping in Rugby Borough is increasing year on year and Councillor Tim Douglas (Paddox) is concerned that incidences of fly-tipping will increase at an even quicker pace unless the £40 Green Bin charge is scrapped.

Councillor Tim Douglas submitted a written question to the Joint Overview and Scrutiny meeting on Thursday 8 November 2018. The response detailed that in 2015 there were 1,033 fly tipping incidents, 1,066 in 2016, 1,085 in 2017 and 1,118 in 2018.

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse has called on the leadership at Warwickshire County Council to use the underspend on concessionary fares to help support the massive cuts to local bus services by Stagecoach.

In November, it was reported that Stagecoach is reviewing its services which could mean some bus services are cut in half and others cut completely.

Jade is setting up a support group called Brinjury - Rugby for 18 to 35 year old people with acquired brain injuries that will meet fortnightly at Kuni Coffee Ltd, 2 Market Place, Rugby, CV21 3DY. The first meeting will take on Sunday 18 November at 11am.

Jade was involved in a horrific road traffic incident a few years ago as a result of which she sustained substantial physical injuries including brain injuries.