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 Osman was elected as Chair and welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Action Log of the North Evington Community Meeting held on 6 December 2017 is attached for information and discussion.

The Action Log from the previous  meeting held 6 December 2017 was agreed and noted.

The North Evington Ward Councillors will provide an update on the issues they have been dealing with in the ward.

Attendees were asked to note the Ward Councillors feedback which included the following issues:

·      Anti social behaviour issues and problems at Sparrow Park and the Hastings Road Park were much improved and credit was given to the Policing team and community service officers.

·      Thanks were given to the City Warden who had been very active in dealing with environmental issues.

·      Case work included numerous issues relating to housing and highways.

·      Concerns were expressed that Spence Street Leisure Centre was in need of refurbishment, although Councillor Khote reported that there was a considerable improvement following work to the changing rooms.

There will be an update on Universal Credit.

Attendees were asked to note a presentation on Universal Credit delivered by representatives from Job Centre Plus . The presentation included the following points:

·      Universal Credit is being introduced in stages across UK; it was being rolled out in Leicester on 13 June 2018,

·      Universal Credit encompassed six benefits all rolled into one and it replaced child tax credit, income support, housing benefit, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Working Tax Credit,

·      Initially Universal Credit will be for new claimants of working age or anyone with a major change to their claim.

·      The Government target was for all claimants to be migrated onto Universal credit by 2022.

·      Universal Credit was operated through a fully digital service and measures were being put in place to support customers making claims. To set up an account, people would need an email address, a bank account and telephone number.

·      There was a complex needs plan and each job centre was working to help vulnerable people.

In response to a concern that some people may not be able to open up a bank account, the meeting heard that there was a national agreement that banks would open basic accounts for claimants.  

Concerns were expressed as to how vulnerable people would be able to access universal credit and the meeting heard that the Job Centre had set up weekly advice forums at venues such as the Bridge and the Dawn Centre and there were also advisors to work with people who were due to leave prison.

ACTION: All to note that further details about Universal Credit could be obtained from the Department of Work and Pensions website :  https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

There will be an update on highways and transport work within the North Evington Ward.

Attendees were asked to note an update from Robert Bateman, Special Projects Manager, Highways. Points made included the following:

Parking problems at schools

·      There was a school parking plan for Sacred Heart Catholic Academy and officers would be going into the school to try to change the behaviour around irresponsible and dangerous parking. The parking plan would be extended to other schools sequentially.

·      Parking enforcement officers would also be carrying out ‘stings’ with parking enforcement officers at schools.          

·      The head teacher at Green Lane Infants was of the view that there was not a parking problem at his school, although the Police Officers had said they disagreed. Officers could not go into a school with a parking plan without the cooperation of the head teacher. Attendees commented that parking there was a serious problem and there was an urgent need for enforcement.

·      In response to concerns raised about parking at Shenton Primary, Robert explained that this school was scheduled for a parking plan in about two years’ time.  Views were expressed that a parking plan was needed there urgently. Action Robert Bateman to check.

Traffic Calming

Concerns were raised that there was a need for traffic calming in the ward. Attendees heard that there were some plans for traffic calming and for some roads to be made one-way, though these were at an early stage. Councillor Fonseca stated that the ward councillors would be meeting the City Mayor on 18 April and he invited residents’ to give their views to feed into the meeting.  Councillor Osman added that a report on a one-way system, including Green Lane Road, was due to be considered by the Executive and he believed that this was in the system to be actioned in 2018/19.

Attendees asked for an update at a future meeting on issues relating to the Charnwood area; there were numerous problems there with potholes. Concerns were also expressed about potholes on Mere Road and Spinney Hill Road and pavement parking on the Uppingham Road / Overton Road Junction.

Robert was thanked for coming to the meeting.

There will be information on current planning applications within the North Evington Ward.

Attendees were asked to note an update on planning issues from Sarbjit Singh, Team Leader in the Planning Service.

Overton Road community centre and residential flats.

Members of the public had expressed concerns about the above planning application; these concerns had been raised with the applicant. Planning officers would re-assess when they had received a response from the applicant.  The application would be brought to committee for a decision and everyone who had submitted representations would be notified.

In response to a concern about the length of time taking to process planning applications, Sarbjit explained that they were aware of the problem; this might be partly due to officers’ annual leave, but it was hoped that the system would speed up within the next 2 months with the implementation of a new software system.

Councillors asked for information to be brought to a future meeting on a large development on Green Lane Road, on an industrial development on Bridge Road and for details on how the Section 106 money from the development on Wadkin Road was allocated. Action: Planning Officers to bring the requested information to the next North Evington Community Meeting.

An update on housing works within the North Evington Ward will be delivered.

Attendees were asked to note an update from Andy East, Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader. Points made included the following:

·      The Humberstone housing office closed in March 2018 and frontline services were now being run from St Barnabas Library.  Officers could also be contacted through the call centre.

·      Suggestions were being sought for improvement works which could be delivered from the 2018/19 Environmental Budget.

·      Consideration was being given to some improvements to the flats on Beatty Road, which would increase visibility, reduce anti-social behaviour and create more space for parking.

Some residents from the Charnwood estate commented that there were numerous problems in that estate and at the previous meeting they had been told that the housing officer for that estate would be present at this meeting. Following some discussion relating to the problems there, it was agreed for the ward councillors, officers and relevant partners to carry out a patch walk there and to focus on the streets identified by the attendees who had raised the concerns. Police officers confirmed that they would like to be involved. Residents also to be invited. Action: Community Engagement Officer to liaise with relevant officers to arrange the patch walk.

The local City Warden will deliver a presentation on any environmental works within the North Evington Ward.

Attendees were asked to note an update from Jethro Swift, City Warden. Points made included the following:

·      Jethro had very recently carried out a patch walk around the Charnwood estate and amongst other actions had put up signs instructing people not to feed the birds.

·      He was aware that there were issues relating to litter in Sparrow Park; people did not drop litter when he was there but he couldn’t be present all the time.

·      Fly tipping was a major problem but he did take action to try to find who was responsible. The council offered a bulk collection scheme whereby they would collect five items for free, every two months.

Attendees asked Jethro to put dog fouling deterrent signs and stencils on Willowbrook Road and Coleman Road, between Uppingham Road and Haynes Road. Action: The City Warden

An attendee asked if the CCTV camera that had been placed by Sparrow Park could be brought back as it was an effective deterrent against anti-social behaviour.  He would be willing to provide some funding towards the cost.  Jethro commented that the camera had been placed there as a deterrent against fly tipping; it had not been focussed on the park and he was not sure whether that would be appropriate but he would raise the issue with his manager. Action: The City Warden

The local Police team will provide information on any policing matters within the North Evington Ward.

Attendees were asked to note an update from the Police and heard that the North Evington ward covered three Police beats. Points made included the following:

·           Bramall Road / Overton Road  - the Police would like to speak to anyone about any ongoing issues or problems at the basket ball court. Councillors also reported anti-social behaviour at the back of the ball court.

·           The Police were aware that that the City Warden was working on the issues at Sparrow Park and another Day of Action was planned. The action taking place there however had pushed some of the youths to Overton Road. Residents were urged to keep reporting any problems; the situation at Sparrow Park was improving but there were still issues there. Concerns were raised that the nearby off-licence and bookmakers exacerbated the anti-social behaviour problems at the park. The Police confirmed that they were engaging with the bookmakers, the off-licence and the licensing team about the issues there.

·           The Police were also dealing with issues relating to drugs and alcohol on Hastings Road.

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

An update on the Community Meeting Ward Budget will be provided at the meeting.

The Community Engagement Officer provided an update on the ward budget. Attendees were asked to note the following:

·      13 applications had been received since the previous meeting.

·      A balance of £1800 was being carried forward and with the new allocation, there was now £19800 in the budget for 2018/19.

·      Applications for funding would need to be submitted on-line.

Information on the community meeting budget was available on the council’s website as follows:  https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/decisions-meetings-and-minutes/community-meetings/ 

The Chair agreed that Fatema Burani, Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Officer could address the meeting. Attendees were asked to note that there were three Crime and ASB Officers who covered the whole of Leicester. People could report ASB by telephoning the Police on 101 or by phoning the Crime and ASB duty desk on 0116 454 0250.  The team could also be emailed on : crasbu@leicester.gov.uk

The meeting closed at 8.35 pm