Agenda and minutes

None had been received.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed on the agenda.

Councillor Malik declared that he worked for an organisation that delivered programmes in partnership with Leicester Adults Education.

Councillor Rae Bhatia declared that, he had relatives that lived on Harrison Road which was being discussed as part of the TRO reports and would be approaching the item with an open mind.

The minutes of the meeting of the Commission held on 1 January 2022 and 24 February 2022 are attached and Members are asked to confirm them as correct record.

AGREED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Economic Development, Transportation and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Commission be confirmed as a correct record.

The Monitoring Officer to report on any questions, representations and statements of case received in accordance with Council procedures.

The Monitoring Officer noted that none had been received.

The Monitoring Officer to report on any petitions received in accordance with Council procedures.

The Monitoring Officer noted that none had been received.

The Director for Planning, Development and Transportation submits a report on Traffic Regulation Orders.

Members of the Commission are recommended to note the report and provide any comments to the Director of Planning, Development and Transportation.

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The City Highways Director introduced the report and noted that there were 3 schemes that were being considered which had received objections that were detailed in the report.

As part of the discussions, it was noted that:

·         Some Members of the Commission supported the Officer recommendations

·         Correspondence in the form of a letter had been distributed to residents following the consultation

·         It was suggested that double yellow lines with bollards on the edge of the footpath may tackle some of the issues raised in relation to parking

·         Members suggested that parking half on the footpath and half on the carriageway disrupted easy passage for wheelchair and pushchair users

In further discussions a Member of the Commission raised concerns on issues with the obstructive parking and the balance of the consultation process. In response to the Member, Officers noted that:

·         The Council as the local authority had powers to enforce highway obstruction and that policing priorities meant that they would not necessarily be responding to obstructive parking

·         Civil Enforcement Officers worked up to midnight and the introduction of regulated bays allowed for enforcement of obstructive parking by the local authority

·         Engaging with residents door to door was as a result of mis information being circulated

Officers further noted that a petition had been received from the local residents for the introduction of the Residents Parking Scheme and that the proposal was the only realistic solution to the issues that had been raised. The first year of the Scheme would be free and that visitor parking had also been considered and resolved through a scratch card solution.

The Deputy City Mayor for Environment and Transportation noted that Officers had been working with a range of views and delivering. Local Ward Councillors had also played a key role in understanding the residents’ concerns and that the proposal for the introduction for shared use parking outside of businesses on the street and permit holder parking outside of the private property frontages would resolve many issues that had been raised by residents over a number of years.

AGREED:

1)    That the City Highways Director be requested to note the recommendations, and

2)    That the City Highways Director be requested to consider comments made by Members of the Commission. 

The Director of Planning, Development and Transportation submits a report updating the Commission on the Transforming Cities Fund scheme.

Members of the Commission are recommended to note the report and pass any comments to the Director of Planning, Development and Transportation.

The City Centre Streets Programme Manager delivered a presentation updating the Commission on the ongoing schemes.

As part of the discussions Members noted that:

·         A Member of the Commission was in support of the schemes presented as they drove the objective of sustainable transportation in the city

·         Some Member of the Commission supported the Park and Ride Scheme as it provided a good option to those who were visiting the city. Additionally, Members were keen to see continued efforts and similar schemes for the inner city

·         Concerns were raised with the number of people using busses

·         Concerns were raised with the 5 ways junction on Woodgate where there was an issue with flooding when there were heavy rains

·         The Aylestone Meadows schemes which had not yet been funded should be made a priority as it would bring that part of the city into life and people have proven they would desire to use that route

·         The impact of proposals on existing roads and the consideration of restricting access during peak periods

·         A Member of the Commission also raised concerns over the development of the Beaumont Leys Park and Ride site on a greenfield site

·         The route being proposed for the Great Central Way Scheme connecting Lubbersthorpe way via a cycle lane should be supported.

In response to Members queries and concerns, Officers noted that:

·         Bus passenger numbers had decreased during the years and more during the pandemic, but new figures suggested bus usage was back to pre-pandemic figures

·         The Transforming Cities work was also working on delivering an attractive service for bus users and changing behaviours to have a positive impact

·         Councillors from the Country also supported the scheme for Aylestone Meadows as it would allow for residents from the county to also access the city in a more sustainable manner for work and leisure

·         The Park and Ride site was to be developed on a brownfield site and that the development of the site would include new trees and vegetation

·         24/7 bus lanes ensure motorist are aware of the restrictions and do not use them at all, avoiding the likelihood of penalty notices

·         The overall reconstruction of the 5 ways junction would address the flooding concerns as Severn Trent would ensure the drainage was sufficient

·         Where there is an introduction of new walking/cycling routes efficient lighting is introduced without disturbing the ecology of the area.

The Chair queried whether Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points are being considered as part of the proposals and whether accessibility groups had been consulted with. In response Officers noted that, LTAP had been engaged with and their contributions had been taken into account and that Officers were engaged with on street EV charging points provider Western Power in gathering info who had a 5-year contract to introduce EV charging points.

The Commission took the Opportunity to thank the City Centre Streets Programme Manager for his contributions and wished him all the best in retirement.

AGREED:

1)    That the presentation be noted, and

2)    That  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment submits a report updating the Commission on progress with the inward Investment and place marketing elements of the economic recovery plan.

Members of the Commission are recommended to note the update and pass any comments to the Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment.

The Assistant City Mayor for Jobs, Skills, Policy Delivery and Communications introduced the item and played a video.

The Director for Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment delivered an overview of the Inward Investment / Place Marketing update and noted that the video worked well as a promotional tool at an event with investors in France and would be used at other events also.

As part of the discussions, it was noted that:

·         Officers were thanked for the immense hard work carried out demonstrated in the video and commended Officers for an excellent job turning an old industrial city into a modern city fit for the future

·         Investment in the city was across the board in the local economy with a huge demand for new industrial space due to Leicester’s geographic location and additional interest in investment in Housing

·         Officers were recommended to continue dialogue with existing organisations in the city centre such as the Jain Centre and the Guru Nanak Temple which was the oldest Sikh temple in the city

·         Future plans should consider the improvement of major corridors leading into the city

·         In the past development had taken place outside of the city centre which was now being addressed

·         Data from hotels suggested that visitor numbers were returning back to pre-pandemic levels

In response to Member concerns about the Carbon footprint of the proposals, it was noted that the development industry did have a Carbon footprint but it was important to invest in the city. Other works carried out across the city address the concerns raised with the on-street parking for visitors to the city.

Members also requested reassurance from Officers that areas in the city that had not been included in the development schemes would be included in future projects. In response, it was noted that, it was difficult to deliver in densely populated areas and that the close proximity to the developments should benefit the local communities.

The Chair thanked Officers for the video which helped show the city in a new light.

AGREED:

1)    That the Director for Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment be requested to consider the comments made by the Commission, and

2)    That the report be noted.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment submits a report providing an update on Leicester Adult Education.

Members of the Commission are recommended to note the update and pass any comments to the Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment.

The Assistant City Mayor for Jobs, Skills, Policy Delivery and Communications introduced the item.

The Head of Adult Skills and Learning Services provided the Commission with an overview of the report and noted that the service had been renamed as Leicester Adult Education (LAE) which was formally known as LSALS.

As part of the discussions, it was noted that:

·         Although the Fosse and Belgrave Neighbourhood Centres had been lost to vaccination and testing clinics most other local centres were up and running for delivery of projects in local communities

·         Numbers were not precise but were a good reflection and were driven by ESOL. It was suggested that the new census data would provide a better picture of the city

In further discussions it was noted that basic courses and courses for the unemployed or those on a low wage were free and that all other courses were £2.50 per hour. Members of the Commission suggested that fees for courses were considered as barriers and that prices for the courses should be kept low, this would be appealing for people and encourage them to sign up.

In response to the Chair, it was noted that the hybrid approach to learning would remain as it had proven to be a success over the last couple of years. It was noted that 10% of the provisions would be maintained online and that almost all courses had an online element.

It was also noted that there were various language courses being delivered and that a refresher course for primary school teachers teaching languages had also been made available.

AGREED:

1)    That the report be noted.

For Members’ consideration, the work programme for the Commission is attached.

The Work Programme was noted

The Chair took the opportunity to thank the Commission Members and Officers for the support over the year.

There being no items of urgent business, the meeting closed at 8:18pm.