Agenda and minutes

Councillors will elect a Chair for the meeting.

The Chair will introduce those present and make any necessary announcements.

The Chair and any other Councillors who are present will make any declarations as required by the Councillors Code of Conduct.

The Chair welcomed all present to the meeting and the Ward councillors introduced themselves.

No declarations of interest were made.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Patel and from Rashmi Vyas.

The Action Log of the meeting held on 4 October 2016 is attached  and Members will be asked to confirm it as an accurate record.

Agreed as correct

Councillors will provide feedback on ward matters.

Item 13 – Ward Councillor Feedback

Ward Councillors have discussed a range of issues with representatives of Mellor Primary School.  The signs referred to at iii) at the Checketts Road entrance to the school have deteriorated, so improvements to them would be part of a package of measures.

Consideration also is being given to problems with parking in Bellhome Close and Mortfot Road, but a solution has not yet been identified.

ACTIONS:

Ward and Community Engagement Officer to find out whether narrowing the road entrance is considered to be a feasible option.

Ward Councillors to arrange a further meeting with representatives of Mellor Primary School, to discuss what further action can be taken to reduce parking problems.  Residents of Clarke Street to be invited to this meeting.

The thanks of the meeting to be passed to the lady directing traffic outside Mellor Primary School for the excellent job she is doing.

Feedback will be given on the Transforming Neighbourhood Services Programme.

All to note:

·           A decision has been taken to invest in Rushey Mead Recreation Centre and move the library in to there.  Concerns were raised by Ward Councillors and the community about the rationale for the decision and how the consultation process was managed.

·           Consideration was given to a suggestion from stakeholders at the engagement stage to extend the library building and to relocate the Recreation Centre to the library site, (ie, the land and building), but this would have been a very expensive option.

·           The consultation was on an area model including 10 buildings in the north-east of the city covering five wards.  Following the decision the Council will work with the local stakeholders to find the best way to implement the changes.  This will include consideration of a range of options for the disposal of the current library building.

·           The capital budget for the changes in the north-east area of the city is £400,000, (plus a £100,000 contingency).  Approximately £100,000 of this has been provisionally allocated for the works in the Rushey Mead area.

·           As details of the work to be done have not been agreed yet, no timetable currently exists for works.  However, the project will take several months to deliver.

·           Ward Councillors hope to meet the Assistant City Mayor – Neighbourhood Services to see if an alternative way forward can be agreed.  The Assistant City Mayor has been invited to Rushey Mead Community Meetings.

·           No library services are being closed and the book fund is not being reduced under these proposals.

Members of the community were invited to contact the Head of Neighbourhood Services if interested in participating in the work being done to implement the agreed changes.

Ward Councillors to arrange a meeting with the Assistant City Mayor.

N.B. At the meeting on 19 June 2017, Councillors requested and agreed that the following text be added to the end of this item as follows:

‘In the work being done to implement the agreed changes and the proposed meeting with the Assistant City Mayor, the strong opposition to these proposals raised at this Community Meeting to be taken into account when considering a way forward’

An update will be given relating to parking issues on Harrison Road.

All to note:

·           Pavement parking was an issue for 80% of respondents to a recent consultation.

·           It was not intended to ban pavement parking, but ways of managing it were being considered.

·           A petition had been received requesting that traffic only travel one way in Harrison Road between Canon Street and Marfitt Street.

·           One option was to introduce residents’ parking schemes.  A significant majority of residents would need to be in favour for one to be introduced and residents would need to pay for a parking permit, (currently approximately £25 – £35).

·           Careful consideration is given to whether planning permission can be granted for businesses in mainly residential areas.  However, the Council has limited grounds on which such applications can be refused, although conditions can be imposed, (eg, operating hours).

·           An exhibition will be held outlining suggested options to address the parking issues, but a date for this has not been decided yet.

Highways inspectors to look at whether the speed bumps on Stafford Street are too high.

Transport Development Officers to ensure that information is provided on the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options proposed to address parking issues in Harrison Road.

All invited to pass evidence of parking problems to officers or Ward Councillors.

A Police Officer will be at the meeting to provide an update on local policing issues in the Ward.

All to note:

·           There had been a peak in thefts of, and damage to, motor vehicles, although the number of incidents had reduced following recent arrests.  However, all requested to remain vigilant and report any further incidents.

·           Operations were being run with the Fire and Rescue Service at Sandfield and Mellor Primary Schools to demonstrate the dangers of drink-driving, using a mobile phone while driving and speeding. 

·           A male had exposed himself outside Sandfield Close Primary School, but the Police had found him within 24 hours.

·           There had been two burglaries.  Someone had been arrested in connection with one of them.

·            A person had been banned from Sainsbury’s and would be arrested if they returned.

·           “Keep safe” training, regarding the dangers in meeting people on social media, had been given to all officers, as over 50% of crime was now on-line related.

·           Over £500,000 of cannabis seed had been found and a warrant had been obtained in relation to another cannabis farm.

·           Resources were being obtained to run an operation on bad parking.  Vehicles would be seized if a fire engine was unable to get along a particular road.  The Police also were working with the Fire and Rescue Service to drive a fire engine along roads outside schools and drivers would receive a fixed penalty notice if their parking blocked the path of the fire engine.

·           The Police could only deal with vehicles blocking a route when they caused a complete blockage.  Other cases were the responsibility of the City Council.

·           Following the introduction of stricter laws about using a mobile phone while driving, the Police would be undertaking operations to ensure that drivers were not breaking these laws.

·           The Police were aware of problems with school traffic in Rushey Mead.  It was hoped that walking buses could be introduced to alleviate these, but the agreement of parents was needed.

Police to patrol the route of traffic diverted due to roadworks in Humberstone Lane to identify any problems being caused by the diversion.

Ward and Community Engagement Officer to ask Parking Enforcement Officers to give particular focus to patrols on the route of traffic diverted due to roadworks in Humberstone Lane and near schools in the Ward.

All invited to contact the Police about any policing issues.  Police officers can visit homes, (out of uniform if preferred), to discuss issues.  The Rushey Mead neighbourhood team can be contacted as follows:

o    Telephone:101

o    Email:eastleicester.npa@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk

o    Twitter:twitter.com/LPRusheyMead

o    Facebook:https://facebook.com/Leicestershire-Police-Rushey-Mead-1552097321770077/

The City Warden will give an update on issues in the Ward.

All to note:

·           Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued for a variety of offences, including littering and spitting, (including an operation in Harrison Road relating to spitting paan).

·           Fly tipping has increased.  Companies found to be responsible for tipping commercial waste are asked to produce their waste disposal contract documents.

·           Planning officers are investigating whether the owner of the empty site in Woodbridge Road on which cars have been parking has leased the land out for this purpose.

City Warden to confirm whether any action needs to be taken regarding the vehicles parking on the empty site in Woodbridge Road.

Councillors are reminded that under the Council’s Code of Conduct they should declare any interest they may have in budget applications.

The ward community engagement officer will provide an update on the Ward Community Budget.

All to note:

·           Six applications for funding have been agreed, as follows:

o    Gujarat Hindu Association – £495 for a Christmas celebration (community fun day)

o    Vijya Chauhan – £500 for yoga sessions

o    Meditation group sessions – £500

o    Highfield Rangers – £1,340 for a fun day

o    Chand Community Centre – £150 towards a treadmill

o    Mens milap – £1,499 for room hire

o    Art of Relaxing – £500 for art classes

·           One application remains to be decided.

·           Subject to the decision remaining to be taken, £1,800 remains in the budget and will be carried forward for the 2017/18 financial year.

Ward and Community Engagement Officer to confirm the purpose of the Gujarat Hindu Association’s community fun day and who was able to attend.

a)     Developments at Sainsbury’s Melton Road and Belgrave Road Sites (Henry Boot Developments)

All to note:

·           Details of proposals for the development of land adjacent to the Sainsbury’s site off Melton Road and the Belgrave Road site (where Sainsbury’s had been located) are available online at www.henryboot-meltonroad.co.uk and www.henryboot-belgraveroad.co.uk.

·           Comments received during the consultation on these proposals will be taken in to consideration when preparing the planning applications for the sites.

·           Details of how Section 106 funding is spent are available from the Council.

All invited to respond to the consultation on proposals for the development of land adjacent to the Sainsbury’s site off Melton Road and the Belgrave Road site where Sainsbury’s previously had been located, either online or by post.

Ward Councillors to liaise with Henry Boot Developments to arrange a meeting for the developer to advise how comments received through the consultation process are being addressed, this meeting to be open to the public to attend.

b)     GE / Thorn Lighting Plaque

All to note that a plaque commemorating the former GE / Thorn Lighting factory has been erected.

The meeting closed at 8.40 pm