Agenda and minutes

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.

Councillor Nangeave (as Chair) welcomed those present and led introductions.

There were no Declarations of Interest.

The Action Log of the previous meeting held on 2^nd November 2022 is attached and Members will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Action Log of the meeting held on 2 November 2022 was attached and Members were asked to confirm them as a correct record.

AGREED:

That the Action Log of the meeting held on 2 November 2022 be confirmed as a correct record.

An update on planning and development issues in the Westcotes Ward not covered elsewhere on the agenda will be given at the meeting.

Paul O’Neill, Planning Officer, was present to provide a presentation on Local Plan developments in the ward. It was noted that the Regulation 19 Consultation stage was ongoing until 27^th February 2023 and officers provided a summary of the local plan and its policies.

The presentation included the following points:

·       The Local Plan included land owned by the Leicester City Council. District Council land was not included.

·       Members of the public were invited to submit a representation on the local plan and provide views and opinions on proposed sites included in the Plan.

·       Leicester City Council was co-operating with nearby district councils to share the housing need for the 39k dwellings specified by the Government. District Councils had agreed to take on 18k of the demand. 23k houses were expected to be built in the inner-city area in the next 15 years.

·       It was noted that Leicester City had grown beyond its boundaries. According to the Strategic Growth Plan for Leicester, over half of the needs had been met outside of the city.

·       Two consultations for the Local Plan had been conducted in 2014 and 2017 to analyse and review options available. The current version of the Plan is the final submission that will be presented to the Planning Inspector, who will examine the plan and review any representations.

·       Four sites had been proposed in the Westcotes wards, three on brownfield sites and one on a mixed brown/greenfield site. Proposals for the sites included two residential areas, two for mixed employment and residential area, totalling 71 dwellings.

·       One site proposed had been put forward by a developer and was not Council owned.

A member of the public questioned whether residences proposed for the sites would be family houses or student accommodation. It was noted that Planning had no say in the final decision of the final dwelling type.

Councillors confirmed that they would watch for the final result in hopes to obtain family residences instead of student accommodation. Councillor Russell referred to a supplementary planning document to retain terraced housing for family residences instead of conversion to student accommodation.

The Officer referred to the consultation form for the plan, which members of the public could access online, or at local libraries, in which members of the public could provide comments and feedback. It was noted that if major changes were required to be made to the Local Plan, it would have to go back to the consultation stage. The Plan was due to be submitted during Summer 2023.

A member of the public enquired about whether community growth expectations were taken into consideration in the Plan and school needs following an increase in population in an area. It was noted that growth expectations were taken into consideration and schools would be available at Fosse Road, Ashton Green and Saffron Road. A projection for the increase in school places could be reviewed and found out.

Councillors discussed the boundary of Leicester City and its expansion. It was noted that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Councillors to provide an update on ward related issues.

Darren Jones, Local Area Manager for Cleaning Services was present at the meeting to discuss local ward developments. The following points were noted:

·       The Local Development Manager noted that the addition of student developments in the ward had made a large difference in the ward, noting higher standards of cleanliness.

·       It was noted that Narborough Road was cleansed multiple times a week.

·       A leaves programme had been put in place following sweeper machine malfunction earlier in the year, and that the Westcotes ward will be swept clear of leaves by mid-March.

·       Following concerns raised by members of the public about blocked drains, it was noted that blocked drains were the responsibility of the Highways team and members of the public could pass any issues onto ward councillors to pass onto the highways team.

·       The Love Leicester app was promoted to members of the public for resolution of any concerns regarding litter, dog fouling or fly-tipping.

A member of the public suggested increasing signage to deter littering. It was noted that hotspots could be targeted with signage and would need to be organised with the Highways team.

Councillor Russell noted the usage of the Ward Community Budget for new bins next to bus stops, which had seen an increase in bins used or requested by fast food shops and residents in the ward.

A member of the public enquired about how much the recycling scheme would make in 2025. It was noted that the scheme was still under development and the Waste Management team would need to be contacted for further information.

Councillor Russell noted that a street drinking ban was no longer in effect, unless the ward paid for a local by-law on the issue, which may cost up to £60k and take an extended period of time to implement. It was noted that a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) was used instead to target street drinking and psychoactive substance used for the whole of Leicester City, which allowed officers to confiscate substances from individuals with anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Russell further noted that the Community Safety team were working closely with Leicestershire Police to identify hotspots in the ward and reported back to ward councillors regularly.

Officers from Leicestershire Police will be at the meeting to provide an update on police issues in Westcotes Ward.

Sergeant Waheed Nagdi and Police Constable Matt Eld, Leicestershire Police, were present to provide an update on local policing matters in the ward.

Cycle theft was noted to be a large issue within in the ward, with hotspots identified around Lidl and Tesco Supermarkets. Bike registration events were being held at both areas and included the provision of free bike marking and entry to the local police bicycle database. Police were working with local commercial properties for better CCTV coverage. Extra patrols were being carried out and police were working in conjunction with the Community Safety Bureau. A number of arrests had been made.

Councillor Russell highlighted the issues with current bike racks in the ward, noted Ward Community Budget funded bike racks and suggested review into funding additional bike racks in the ward.

Officers noted Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) around the Narborough Road and Ashley Road area. Multiple police consultations had been conducted and it was identified that a gate required fitting, which had been installed in the past week.

A member of the public enquired about whether Project Darwin, a local policing project regarding the management and allocation of officers to help meet demand, was in use in the ward. It was noted that a blueprint was being developed by senior officers following research and analysis, which would return to officers as actions following completion.

A member of the public enquired about other policing models in use in the ward. It was noted that not all policing models were applicable to an area and models applied would be dependent on the situation and needs of the ward.

Officers noted that an ongoing investigation into drug suppliers had recently concluded, which resulted in 50 arrests within the Narborough Road area. ACTION: Officers to note any newly empty houses following police action and let the Council know, so it could be ensured houses aren’t left empty.

The following further points were made:

·       Officers discussed ongoing operations in the ward, which include door to door consultations, regular patrols and inquiries with residents on local issues. Turning Point were active to provide help and advice to individuals with drug concerns.

·       Officers noted the installation of metal detectors to tackle knife possession in Bede Park and local officers present encouraged members of the public to enter through the arches.

·       Biscuit with a Bobby events were ongoing in the ward, where residents could drop by and talk to police about any concerns. Details of the events were online on Leicestershire Police social media. ACTION: Officers to leave details of the event at the Westcotes Library for informational purposes

·       A traffic operation was in progress on Narborough Road.

·       Members of the public were encouraged to sign up for Neighbourhood Link for information about local issues.

Members of the public raised concern about large quantities of Noxious Oxide cannisters left on streets. Police officers noted the concern, further noting that the legislation regarding Noxious Oxide was being reviewed and that regular patrols and surveys would be undertaken  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

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

The City Warden, Marlon Gray, was present to provide an update on local ward issues, and made the following points:

·       Street bins had been installed on Narborough Road, which had seen a limit in the amount of litter seen.

·       A small number of complaints had been received regarding dog fouling, which were usually seen in parks and open spaces. It was noted that legal stencils regarding dog fouling had been stencilled on the pavements in the ward.

·       Regarding issues with commercial bins left on streets, 47 notices had been issued since November 2022 to local businesses regarding the correct disposal of waste. Regarding issues with residential bins left on streets, a plan had been formulated and submitted to senior officers with a request for more manpower to target the issue.

·       Three offences for flyposting had been fined and dealt with accordingly.

·       Fly-tipping was noted to be an ongoing issue, with 56 cases in Westcotes ward. The Warden noted the difficulty of obtaining evidence of the offenders, however if the identity of the offender was identified, a fine would be issued.

·       It was noted that leaflets and posters regarding Duty of Care for the disposal of waste had been distributed to residents and businesses and while the number of occurrences of waste or bins left on highways had been reduced, they had not stopped.

·       It was noted that over 60 community protection notices had been served to local residents.

The Chair noted instances of residents unsure of how to correctly dispose of waste and discussed methods in which to inform residents. The City Warden noted that the warden team had posters available for informational purposes.

A member of the public raised concern about the number of Nitrous Oxide cannisters found left on streets, which may lead to accidents for cyclists or children. The City Warden encouraged members of the public to use the Love Leicester mobile app to report cannisters left on streets so that they could be removed and disposed of safely.

Members of the public highlighted ongoing concern regarding waste issues on Narborough Road, near the Salvation Army Charity Shop and at the opposite Shell petrol station. It was noted that multilingual leaflets had been posted to residents in the area and regular patrols were ongoing in hopes to address the problem.

Members of the public reported issues with waste collectors not taking bins from front porches or bins whose lids aren’t fully shut. It was noted that waste collectors should be taking bins, with the only exception being if they were a hazard.

A member of the public raised concern about playground graffiti on Upperton Road. It was noted that the team in charge of dealing with graffiti were required to receive the permission of the property owner. Councillors discussed the potential of replacing graffiti in the ward with murals.

A member of the public reported fly-tipping at Linkway Gardens. It was noted that the City Warden would investigate the issue.

Members of the public raised ongoing concern  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

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 presented an update on the Ward Community Budget as follows:

·       The total remaining balance was £8,320.

·       Eight applications had been supported, granting a total of £9,680.

·       There were 5 applications currently outstanding and awaiting a decision. Should all 5 applications be granted, the remaining balance would be £2,687.

·       Following Councillor discussion during the local policing update regarding providing funding for bike racks in the ward, it was estimated that the total of the years Ward Community Budget would be spent by the end of the month.

Councillor Russell noted that the repaving project within the Westcotes Ward had mostly been finished, with work currently being done outside Westcotes Library and Braunstone Gate area. The work was expected to concluded by the end of March.

It was further noted ongoing highways issues within the ward that were being taken up with the Highways team at the Leicester City Council.

A member of the public voiced appreciation of the road improvements in the ward and highlighted the roman history of the roads in the ward.

Councillors reminded members of the public of the upcoming election and changes to the requirements for voter’s ID.

The being no other business, the meeting closed at 8:36pm.