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 Shelton in the Chair.  Councillor Cutkelvin also present.

Councillor Cutkelvin and Councillor Shelton both declared an Other Disclosable Interest in grant application number 5053, as they were involved in setting up the event.  However, as neither of them would receive any financial gain from the event, this interest was not considered so significant that it was likely to prejudice their judgement of the public interest.  They were not, therefore, required to withdraw from the meeting.

The Action Log from the meeting held on 30 June 2014 is attached and Members are asked to confirm it as a correct record.   Any update on actions taken since the last meeting will be reported at the meeting.

All to note that the food bank had been very busy, but Waitrose was unable to hold a further collection, as it was only able to do one collection per organisation per year, (item 3/14, third bullet point).  The food bank would relocate to either Southfields Library or the Saffron Resource Centre when the Linwood Centre closed.

Ward Councillors to approach Waitrose in the new year to see if a collection can be held there for the food bank.

Ward Councillors to liaise with the Council’s Housing services to ensure that a meeting is held with Housing, Fire and Police officers to discuss issues and possible solutions relating to the security gates that had been installed in Neston Gardens, (item 3/14, last bullet point).

An explanation of the proposed ward boundary changes and their effect on Freemen Ward will be given at the meeting.

All to note that:-

·           Under the final recommendations for ward boundary changes, it is proposed that the Ward name will change to Saffron Ward;

·           Part of the current Freemen Ward will move in to Castle Ward and some roads currently in Castle ward will move in to the new Saffron Ward; and

·           The Freemen Ward Councillors had suggested that part of the current Eyres Monsell Ward (“the triangle”) should move in to the new Saffron Ward, but this had been rejected.

Any complaints about / objections to the final recommendations on ward boundaries to be made to the Boundary Commission.

Neighbourhood Development Manager to arrange for a Council officer to be at the next meeting to discuss proposals for the boundaries and show the proposals on a map.

Housing Officers will provide an update on the Whittier Road housing Project

All to note that:-

·           A planning application for this project has been submitted;

·           The East Midlands Housing Association will be responsible for building the development and the social housing being provided;

·           An information board will be put up at the entrance to the site during the development which will give contact details for dealing with day-to-day issues;

·           68 mixed dwellings will be provided on the site, including some bungalows.  The properties would be eco-friendly;

·           The bollards on Neston Gardens will remain;

·           The emergency services will have a key to enable them to lower traffic calming bollards for emergency access;

·           Objectors to the development will be offered the opportunity to speak at the Planning and Development Control Committee meeting at which this application is being considered;

·           Saffron Acres will expand in to an additional four acres at this site;

·           The Ward Councillors will be seeking assurances from the developers about providing traffic calming measures; and

·           The development will have to start within three years of planning permission being given.

Ward Councillors to undertake consultation on the proposals in the planning application.

Residents invited to pass concerns about this development to the Ward Councillors as soon as possible before the application is considered.

Jerry Connolly, Scrutiny Support Officer, will be at the meeting to present the findings of the City-wide review of pavement parking.

All to note that:-

·           It was acknowledged that emergency and other vehicles would not be able to travel along some streets if people did not park at least partly on the pavement, so a city-wide ban on pavement parking would not be appropriate;

·           A number of pilot schemes banning pavement parking in specified streets would be run by the Council in the next few weeks.  It was hoped that there would be at least one pilot project in each parliamentary constituency.  These would be set up in consultation with Councillors; and

·           Consideration needed to be given to how restricting pavement parking would impact on proposals to provide a comprehensive network of cycle lanes across the city.

Residents invited to advise the City Warden and / or Ward Councillors of problems being caused by pavement parking.

Ward Councillors invited to suggest roads to be included in pilot schemes to restrict pavement parking.

Planning Officers will be at the meeting to introduce the public consultation that starts on 15 October 2014 on the Issues and Options stage of the new Local Plan.

All to note that:-

·           The Local Plan would set out the basis for the future growth of the city and therefore the principles on which planning applications would be determined;

·           Public consultation would be undertaken at various stages of the development of the Plan, of which this was the first;

·           The consultation document was available at customer centres and libraries across the city and on the Council’s website, at: http://consultations.leicester.gov.uk/city-development-and-neighbourhoods/draft-issues-and-options

·           Comments could be made on paper or on-line; and

·           A lot of work was being done to ensure that as wide a range of people as possible would be included in these consultations, including young people, shop keepers and businesses.

Residents invited to comment on issues and options for inclusion in the new Local Plan.

Planning Officers to include reference in the new Local Plan to:-

a)    the lack of capacity already being experienced at places such as local schools and doctors’ surgeries;

b)    insufficient provision of parking spaces at new developments; and

c)    space standards for new developments, including ensuring that space was provided where waste bins could be stored.

To receive an update on Police issues in the area

All to note:-

·           A person had been charged in connection with a recent arson offence at Aylestone Leisure Centre, as well as six other arson offences;

·           Incidents in the Ward during the last three months included 10 burglaries of dwellings, nine other burglaries, 39 incidents of damage (which was quite a high number), 13 incidents of damage to motor vehicles and 23 thefts from motor vehicles (mostly from unsecured vehicles);

·           The athletics stadium had been locked recently in order to stop travellers returning to the site; and

·           Buses were unable to stop near the pavement in various places near the football and rugby stadiums on match days due to parked cars.  Although this was problematic for passengers, the Police could take no action as the cars were parking legally.

Residents asked to report any incidents of road users breaking road traffic laws, (for example, cyclists ignoring “no entry” signs).

Residents invited to respond to the monthly consultations on the Police website from which local problems are identified.

Ward Councillors and Police to visit the areas in the Ward where match-day parking is causing problems, to see if anything can be done to reduce those problems, (for example, marking out bus stops more clearly).

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

All to note that:-

·           The free bulky waste collection service is available to use;

·           It is hoped that new legislation will make it easier to address problems with street drinking and bins on streets;

·           The Love Leicester app had replaced the One Clean Leicester app; and

·           Parks officers dealt with dog fouling on parks, but City Wardens dealt with dog fouling elsewhere

Residents invited to contact the City Warden with issues that need attention.

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

The approved expenditure on Grants for the Ward so far this financial year is £4,086.66, which leave a balance of £14,047.34 for future applications, including the following applications, which are submitted for consideration by the meeting:-

1.     Bid no. 5030 – Youth Support for Leicester fencing – Leicester fencing club – (£4,847 requested)

2.     Bid no. 1118 – Nutritional Improvement – Our Community Cares (£1,000 requested)

3.     Bid no. 1130 – European Championships – Empress Rollerskating Club (£500 requested)

4.     Bid no. 1131 – European Championships – Empress Rollerskating Club (£500 requested)

5.     Bid no. 5040 – Developing Youth, Mothers in Music – Pink Lizard (£500 requested)

6.     Bid no. 5053 – Saffron Neighbourhood Management Board Christmas Event – May Jones (£3,000 requested)

·           Equipment for Youth Support (5030) – Grant of £500 to Leicester Fencing Club supported.  Community Engagement Officer to advise the applicant that a further application can be considered when details of where members of the Club are from are known

·           Nutritional Improvement (1118) – Grant of £1,000 to Our Community Cares supported

·           European Rollerskating Championships Costs (1130) – Grant of £150 to Empress Rollerskating Club supported

·           European Rollerskating Championships Costs (1131) – Grant of £150 to Empress Rollerskating Club supported

·           Developing Youth – Mothers in Music (5040) – Grant of £500 to Pink Lizard supported.  Community Engagement Officer to invite two or three people from the project to come to the next meeting to explain how they have benefitted from the project

·           Saffron Neighbourhood Management Board Christmas Event (5053) – Grant of £3,000 to May Jones supported. 

All to note the declaration of interest in grant reference 5053 by Councillor Cutkelvin and Councillor Shelton made under item 13 above, (“Introductions and Apologies)

·           Ward Councillors to liaise with the Parks service to see if it is possible to get play equipment accessible to disabled children installed in Aylestone Recreation Ground, (Macaulay Street end).

·           All to note that the seats had been removed from the swings in Tic Toc Park due to vandalism.  Consultation would start soon on new play equipment, which should be installed next year.

·           All to note that funding is available to create parking bays in certain areas around Aylestone Fields, to stop the grass there being damaged.

·           All residents asked to report any activity or incidents such as those recently witnessed in the bushes in local recreation grounds to the Police.

·           Ward Councillors to investigate the possibility of introducing specific dog walking times in parks with heavily-used facilities and little additional space for walking dogs.

To note that future Community Ward meetings will be held as follows:-

Tuesday 20^th January 2015 at 6pm – venue to be confirmed.

Thursday 19^th March 2015 at 6pm at the Church of the Nativity, Cavendish Road, Leicester, LE2 7PL.  

6.00 pm on Tuesday 20 January 2014 – venue to be confirmed

6.00 pm on Tuesday 19 March 2014 – at the Church of the Nativity, Cavendish Road, Leicester, LE2 7PL