Following the local elections to Charnwood Borough Council on 4th May 2023, Barrow has two borough councillors (one new and one … not old, but she’s been doing the job for many years): Councillor Claire Forrest of the Labour Party and Councillor Hilary Fryer of the Conservative Party.

Over the whole of the borough, which has 54 seats, there are 23 Conservative councillors, 20 Labour, eight Green and one Independent. Although the conservatives are the largest party, the council is controlled by a minority Labour administration, who gained control by the Green party voting with them to appoint Cllr Jewel Miah as the new Leader of the Council.

Cllr Hilary Fryer has represented the village for over a decade at both a borough and county level, having held cabinet posts at Charnwood Borough Council. She has lived in the village for over 30 years, which is why she wanted to seek election: to represent the area that she knows very well as a resident herself.

Aside from supporting Barrow in whatever ways she can, Hilary has other causes which she supports such as the armed forces. As a previous Armed Forces Champion, she continues to be involved with veterans in the local area, attending events which involve them, such as the recent Armed Forces Day celebrations. She is also a member of the Plans Committee, one of the more well-known committees of the council.

Hilary is looking to spend her next four years as borough councillor for Barrow to help residents in whichever ways she can, and continues to support local businesses, charities and youth groups. She also hopes to establish a good working relationship with Cllr Claire Forest.

Cllr Claire Forrest also lives in Barrow, and is a member of the Parish Council, which controls local matters. She is a trustee of the King George V Playing Field and a supporter of Barrow library. She is the chair of the borough council’s Appeals and Reviews committee.

She stood for election on the local Labour Party manifesto, which focused on five key points: spending our money wisely; getting our energy bills down; making our streets tidy; fixing our housing crisis; and making our community greener.

You can get in touch with both your councillors by post, telephone or email.

Xander Dolby-Campbell

Cllr Claire Forrest 5 Avon Road, Barrow Upon Soar, LE12 8LE Landline phone: 01509 412477 Email: cllr.claire.forrest@charnwood.gov.uk
Cllr Hilary Fryer 7 Warner Street, Barrow upon Soar, LE12 8PD Landline phone: 01509 620938 Mobile phone: 07990 965673 Email: cllr.hilary.fryer@charnwood.gov.uk

As a reminder, Charnwood Borough Council is responsible for: some of Barrow's sports pitches; parks and open spaces; waste and refuse collection; local town planning; licencing for pubs, restaurants, taxis and rented properties; over 5,000 social housing homes; services to the elderly and vulnerable; crime prevention programs (in conjunction with the police); supporting local community groups; and finding homes and beds for those that need them.

We apologise to parish councillor, Louise Kingham, for somehow missing her out from the feature on Barrow’s new parish council line-up. We are pleased to be able to now introduce Louise to you. Louise has lived in Barrow upon Soar for 13 years, having previously grown up in Loughborough. She joined the Parish Council over five years ago as she was keen to offer her time, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm not only to serve the community but to continue to drive for improvement in local services, amenities and facilities for all age groups in this ever-growing village. She presently serves on the Community, Cemetery, Local Spaces and Policy and Finance committees. Karisa Krcmar