As the final stage of the Government?s roadmap approaches on Monday, I want to urge everyone to continue to wear face masks in shared indoor spaces and public transport or if you are outside and unable to maintain social distance from other people. Just because the final set of restrictions are being lifted does not mean everyone is safe from the virus. Rates of infection and hospitalisation are on the rise, so it is important we continue to use measures like wearing a face mask to help keep ourselves and others safe. Wearing a face mask is also important to make others, particularly those more vulnerable, feel confident and comfortable. Over the next few days you will see councillors and other partners posting pictures of themselves wearing a face mask on social media to promote the use of face masks in shared indoor spaces or outside when unable to maintain social distancing. If you want to help spread this message then please like and share the posts from the My Nottingham Facebook and Twitter or post your own photos with the hashtags #LetsStaySafe and #LetsGoCarefully.

I will be wearing a face mask because it enables people to go about their daily lives safely.

It?s incredibly exciting to have world-renowned British designer Thomas Heatherwick on board to help us reimagine the Broad Marsh site. Along with Stories, a leading socially responsible development company, he will work with the Greater Broad Marsh Advisory Group to produce a new vision for this key city centre site. They will use feedback from our Big Conversation to shape the plans.

Their appointment, funded with Local Enterprise Partnership money, shows the scale of our ambition for Broad Marsh and Thomas Heatherwick?s involvement underlines the nationally significant potential of the site. I look forward to seeing them come up with something that?s ambitious and imaginative, enhancing the quality of life for local people while capturing the imagination of people further afield.

Find out more here

Another step on our road to carbon neutrality has been taken this week, with work getting underway to make 14 council homes in Sneinton greener and more energy efficient.

The six houses and eight bungalows on Keswick Street will benefit from improvement works, such as super insulated wall panels, new doors and windows, solar panels and much more.

This is the next phase of the award winning and pioneering Energiesprong scheme to turn hard-to-heat council houses into ultra-low energy homes. So far 46 homes have seen these improvement works and tenants from the first pilot have told us that it has made a huge difference to the warmth of their homes and so I?m delighted we are rolling it out to even more properties.

For more information Greener homes on the way in Sneinton

While most crime types reduced?significantly during the pandemic and related lockdowns, sadly incidents of hate crime have remained much the same.

Over the pandemic we have seen a rise in Covid-related hate crime (targeting East and South East Asian communities), hate crime related to Black Lives Matter and disability-based hate crime. And in the last couple of days we have witnessed the appalling?abuse?that has been aimed at certain England football players following their defeat in the Euros finals.?

Despite this, hate crime continues to be hugely under-reported. That's why we're supporting the Hate Crime Day of Action, working in partnership with a range of organisations to jointly share messages on reporting hate crime.

All hate crime is significant and no hate crime is too minor to report to the police. Anyone can be a victim and it's so important that it gets reported:

• If you're at immediate risk or in an emergency, dial 999
• For less urgent reporting, dial 101 to speak to trained officers in confidence
• You can report anonymously through?Crimestoppers?or by calling them on?0800 555 111?
• Report online via?Truevision