Agenda and minutes

The Chair will introduce those present and any apologies of absence will be noted.

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

Councillor Hunter as Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and led introductions.

There were no apologies for absence received.

There were no interests declared.

The action log of the previous meeting held 20 February 2020 is attached for information and discussion.

The Action Log of the previous meeting held 20 February 2020 was confirmed as a correct record.

Councillors will provide an update on the issues they have been dealing with as Councillors for the Evington Ward.

Ward Councillors noted that

·         Work was ongoing to ease traffic issues around the ward’s schools.

·         There had been a planning application in relation to the common, which was rejected after resident objection.

·         Parking meters had been placed on Coleman Road, from the maternity unit to the ambulance station.

·         Work was ongoing to support local residents with food packages, in collaboration with Troon ward.

Officers will be present to provide an update and answer questions on the UHL reconfiguration.

Mark Wightman, Director of Marketing and Communications for University Hospitals of Leicester, gave an update on the proposed UHL reconfiguration of the city’s hospitals. The following proposed changes were noted.

·         A new treatment centre would be built at Glenfield Hospital which would handle 90% of elective care.

·         A new maternity hospital would be built at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

·         A new dedicated children’s hospital would be built at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

·         Leicester General Hospital would no longer handle acute care and instead become a primary care and community hub,

·         The midwife lead birthing unit currently based in Melton Mowbray, would be moved to Leicester General.

·         A considerable amount of land would be freed up, that land was proposed for development in the Local Plan.

Residents asked why the new birthing unit was being proposed for Leicester General when many were happy with the Melton Mowbray unit. Mark Wightman reported that the Melton Mowbray unit was unsuitably placed for many in the county, and that moving it into the city would make it more accessible for many in the county.

Residents expressed concerns that the goal of 500 births in the first year of the new birthing unit couldn’t be reached. Mark Wightman agreed that that goal was unlikely to be reached in the first year but that it wouldn’t cause the unit to close.

Councillors asked how existing staff would be affected by these changes. Mark Wightman reported that no staff would lose their job and that it would be easier to consolidate staff with the proposed changes. It was also noted that there would be apprenticeships available for local residents.

Councillors asked what would happen in the scenario that these changes go wrong. Mark Wightman reported that if there were issues then there would be a flexibility to change things if necessary. It was also noted that a number of assurance processes had taken place, run by external organisations.

Councillors asked if they would be kept informed on developments regarding the reconfiguration. Mark Wightman confirmed that he was happy to keep Councillors and members of the public up to date. It was noted that the proposed changes were planned for 2027.

An update on Highways issues in the ward will be provided

Martin Fletcher, City Highways Director, was present to give an update on Highways issues in the ward. It was reported that;

·         Parking issues had been brought up surrounding the various schools in the ward. Several measures had been brought in over the summer to resolve the issues, and several more would be brought in over the upcoming months.

·         There had been reports of heavy goods vehicles using High Street and Church Road for rat running. Officers were considering making High Street one way in order to discourage rat running. Officers would be consulting with residents and aimed to bring in these measures by spring 2021.

·         Maintenance was planned on Church Road and Evington Road.

·         Investigation was ongoing on improving cycle lanes on Stoughton Road and Evington Lane.

·         Officers were looking to install railings and posts on Marydene Drive, Newhaven Road and Whitehall Road to stop parking on grass verges.

Officers from the Local Policing Unit will be at the meeting to provide an update on police issues in Evington Ward.

PC Carl Walsh was present to give an update on policing issues in the ward. It was noted that;

·         In the previous month there had been 4 burglaries and 16 vehicle related crimes.

·         There had been no Covid related fines in the ward, meaning that any breaches were dealt with by officers attending.

Inspector Kam Mistry, the new inspector in charge of the East Leicester Neighbourhood Policing Area, introduced himself to Councillors, officers, and residents. He encouraged residents to continue following the latest guidance and rules relating to Covid-19.

An update on Housing issues in the ward will be provided.

Andy East, Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader, was present to give an update on Housing issues in the ward. It was noted that;

·         Seven new parking spaces had been created on Rowlatts Hill Road

·         Rail fencing had been installed to protect green areas on Goodwood Road, Greenacre Drive, and Withcote Avenue.

·         Overgrown shrubs in the Rowlatts Hill area would be removed and the area tidied up

·         The internal bin doors on Illingworth Road and Champion Close would be bricked up to improve fire safety and the Radstone Walk area would be cleaned up as part of the Environmental Budget.

·         The Environmental Budget for the next year was proposed to include further shrub removal, removing problem trees, and carrying out weed sprays across housing areas.

Councillors asked what the cost would be for the weed spraying. Andy East reported that he received a quote of £7000 for two sprays across 3 wards. Action: Councillors to speak to Andy East about weed spraying costs outside this meeting.

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

Nicole Powell, City Warden, gave an update on City Warden issues in the ward. A written copy of the update is attached at the end of this log. It was noted that;

·         There had been 39 fly tipping cases since March 2020.

·         Investigations were ongoing into fly tipping on Allison Close and Clovelly Road

·         17 Community Protection Warnings had been completed

·         2 court cases related to Rockingham Close were in progress

·         The Virtual Humanitarian Assistance Centre had been supporting residents with food parcels, medication, and other support.

·         Home visits were not currently possible due to Covid restrictions.

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 noted that since the start of the financial year, the ward had receved 14 funding applications. Of which 5 had not been supported, 4 had been supported, and 5 were still pending.

Anna Parr form Adult Skills and Learning encouraged residents to get involved in the Adult Education College. The College was currently focusing on supporting people at risk of redundancy and the unemployed. It was noted that health and wellbeing courses were being provided as well as English and Maths. All courses were currently online but in-person courses would become available once Covid restrictions were eased.

Residents expressed concerns about the Local Plan proposals to build houses on certain green spaces in the ward. Councillors thanked residents for making their voices heard on this issue, and promised to support resident’s efforts to have these developments removed from the plan. Councillors also encouraged residents to complete a response to the online consultation process which would close on 7 December.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.25pm.