The City Warden will give an update on issues in the Westcotes Ward.
Minutes:
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 about the number of broken or non-functioning streetlamps. The City Warden advised members of the public to take the code on the streetlamps and send it through to the City Warden for resolution.
Members of the public raised issues regarding back-alley gates in the ward, including fly-tipping, sewage, public defecation and locked gates, which may cause danger in the event of a fire. It was noted that the alley gates were the responsibility of the landowner and that the City Warden had contacted landlords, with an agreement to maintain the standards of the gates having been put in place.