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 of interest as required by the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

Councillor Cank in the Chair.

The Chair introduced herself and Councillor Singh to the meeting. 

Reference was made to inaccurate publicity material for the meeting placed on social media.  The regrettable situation advertising an incorrect date was noted.

There were no Declarations of Interest.

There were no apologies for absence.

The Action Log for the last meeting, held on 12 April 2018, is attached for information and discussion

The Action Log of the meeting held on 12 April 2018 was agreed as a correct record.

As an update, it was reported that no progress had been made in respect of the abandoned trailer on Fairfax Road.  The City Warden agreed to pursue the matter.

Ward Councillors will provide an update on local ward issues

Councillor Singh reported on recent activities and advised that a meeting had been suggested with the Police and residents of the Woodgreen Road area concerning incidents of crime, anti-social and nuisance behaviour. Councillor Singh reassured the meeting that regular liaison was held with the City Mayor and relevant council departments to ensure that areas in the ward were appropriately prioritised and were receiving adequate support.

Councillor Cank referred to recent case work, involving repeated reports of problems concerning housing needs, and parking and highway issues.  In respect of the issues reported concerning potholes and highway problems generally, she reiterated the comments made by Councillor Singh that the City Mayor was aware and regular meetings had been convened. The discussions had included parking problems at the Cromwell estate and possible traffic calming measures in the Hastings Road area to reduce accidents.  It was also noted that the Southfields school site and sports pitches would be upgraded following consultation with residents and pupils.  It was expected that works would commence in the autumn.

The Councillors’ reports were noted.

Leicestershire Police will be at the meeting to provide an update on Police issues in the Ward

Chris Brown (Leicestershire Police) provided an update on the Police activities in the Ward.

Chris confirmed that he was based at the Belgrave Neighbourhood Office and asked members of the public to report any crime or incidents.  He commented on the numbers of officers active in the Ward and advised that the police could be contacted on their website www.leics.police.uk.  Members of the public were encouraged to make reports online.  He advised that the 999 number should only be used for serious crimes requiring immediate attention.

Crime statistics for the period were reported relating to robbery, theft from motor vehicles and theft of vehicles.  It was noted that an increased trend in theft from vehicles had occurred. Increased CCTV surveillance had led to a recent arrest.

It was also noted that an increase in thefts of mobile hand-held devices had been experienced, as perpetrators were using cycles to take mobile phones from users in a ‘ride-by’ method.  A campaign to make the public aware of the dangers and to ensure that the public remained vigilant and were aware of their surroundings was promoted.

Councillors welcomed the initiatives to reduce crime in the Ward.  Particular comment was made to reports of crime and anti-social behaviour in the Northfields and Woodgreen areas.  A delegation of residents including members of the Woodgreen Residents Association were present to express their concerns, as they considered that their areas had experienced a high number of reported crimes.  It was suggested that previous multi-agency approaches and crime prevention initiatives had been unsuccessful and it was considered by residents that further enforcement and liaison with community groups was required to ensure adequate engagement with the public.

In response, Chris Brown agreed to refresh the contact information he held and agreed to increase his liaison with community groups and leaders.

Councillors also referred to previous initiatives to fund mobile CCTV cameras in temporary locations.  It was suggested that this initiative be repeated, in view of alleged drug dealing and highway offences being reported.  In respect of other crime reports involving CCTV footage, Chris agreed to discuss an individual incident with a resident following the meeting.

The police update and report was noted.

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

Jethro Swift (City Warden) provided an update on his environmental and enforcement activities in the Ward.

It was noted that an increase in fly-tipping had been experienced and CCTV footage was being used to identify perpetrators.

Other activities included initiatives to reduce bins on streets and ideas to tackle a situation where it had been alleged that members of the public were taking charity bags left for collection.

In conclusion, the LoveLeicester App was promoted as a suitable and preferred method for reports to be sent to the Wardens service.

Jethro was thanked for his report and update.

An update will be given on highways issues in the Ward

Amita Miles (Transport Development Officer) provided an update on highways issues in the Ward.

The following key points and updates were noted:

·         The response from Network Rail concerning the works at the railway bridge was still awaited.  It had been suggested that works be commenced subject to funding being identified.

·         A patchwalk would be convened to look at issues in the Trevino Drive/Humberstone Lane area

·         Broken and uneven slabs on Victoria Road East had been assessed and residents confirmed that the problems were mainly due to the considerable slope adjacent to the Craven’s recreation area and shops.

·         In respect of potholes, it was confirmed that 72 repairs had been undertaken in the ward, compared to 60 for the same period in the previous year.

·         Pencil bollards were to be installed at Northfields House school to prevent inappropriate parking.  Yellow lines were also to be repainted.  The initiatives to reduce inappropriate parking would be considered at other schools in the Ward and consultation was ongoing.

·         The need to cut highway trees and bushes at locations such as the Barkby Road pedestrian crossing and at Troon Way was reported and noted.

·         Parking enforcement measures were to be considered in the Rushford Drive area and at Huntington Road to reduce inappropriate pavement parking.

Amita was thanked for her update.

A representative of HealthWatch Leicester and Leicestershire will be at the meeting to provide an overview of HealthWatch

Attendees were asked to note an update from Gillian Jillett, Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire.

Points made during Gillian’s update included the following:

• Healthwatch arose out of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and whilst there had been some changes to the format, the Healthwatch team aimed to attend meetings such as this to capture people’s views and experiences of the health care system.

• Healthwatch also attended meetings including scrutiny commissions and could help to influence decision making.

• As an example, as to what they could achieve, Healthwatch had helped to introduce two new dental emergency services in Leicester which were open 365 days per year.

• Attendees were asked not to be offended if they were unable to see their doctor, as General Practitioners needed to prioritise their workload. Patients might be offered an appointment with a different health professional rather than a doctor.

Anyone interested in volunteering was asked to speak to Gillian or to contact Healthwatch.  Leaflets promoting the organisation’s activities were circulated for information.

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

An update will be given on the Troon Ward Community Budget

The Community Engagement Officer reported that 5 applications had been received during the current budget round.  Four of which had been supported, with one still being assessed.

The supported applications were as follows:

Troon and Rushey Mead Councillors

Installation of two benches at Trevino Drive Bus Stop

£600

East Leicester Ward Councillors

2 Mobile CCTV Cameras

£2000

Leicestershire Gate

Installation of an entrance gate at Emerald Centre

£780

Friends of Danbury Gardens

Summer Fete

£450

Residents and community groups were encouraged to submit applications for projects online.  It was confirmed that the balance remaining was £14,649.

The following helpline number was provided: 0116 454 1940

Data protection Regulations

The Community Engagement Officer reported that an email communication would be sent to residents and groups concerning the revised Data Protection Regulations.

The meeting closed at 8.00 pm