Agenda and minutes

To issue a welcome to those present, and to confirm if there are any apologies for absence.

The Chair welcomed those present to the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Dr Barton and Cllr Haq.

Members will be asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed.

Members were asked to declare any interests they may have had in the business to be discussed.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting of the Culture and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Commission held on 3^rd May have been circulated, and Members will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

AGREED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Culture and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Commission held on 3 May 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Membership of the Commission will be confirmed and noted as follows:

The Membership of the Commission was confirmed as follows:

Councillor Syed Zaman - Chair

Councillor Elaine Halford – Vice-Chair

Councillor Susan Barton

Councillor Ted Cassidy

Councillor Sue Waddington

Councillor Yogesh Chauhan

Councillor Bhupen Dave

Councillor Zuffar Haq

Members will be asked to note the meeting dates of the commission of 2025/26:

19 June 2025

21 August 2025 

3 November 2025

22 January 2026

5 March 2026

16 April 2026

The dates of the meetings for the Commission were confirmed as follows:

19 June 2025

21 August 2025

3 November 2025

22 January 2026

5 March 2026

16 April 2026

The Commission will be asked to note the Terms of Reference.

The Commission noted the Scrutiny Terms of Reference.

The Chair is invited to make any announcements as they see fit. 

• The Chair reported that the recent visit of the Commission to Jewry Wall Museum prior to it opening had been interesting both in terms of the historical artefacts and the modern technology used to bring it to life.  The museum would open on 26^th July and members of the Commission could attend a launch on 24^th July.
• The Chair emphasised that the Commission was there to scrutinise and hold the executive to account, and asked the Commission to do this respectfully.  He further asked that when members asked questions, that they be kept to the topic at hand and that any other issues be brought up with members and/or officers outside the meeting.

Any questions, representations and statements of case submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures will be reported.

The Monitoring Officer reported that none had been received.

Any petitions received in accordance with Council procedures will be reported.

The Monitoring Officer reported that none had been received.

Directors will give a presentation providing an overview of the Culture and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Commission.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services gave a presentation using the slides attached with the agenda pack.  Additional points included:

• It was likely that the City Centre Director would provide information on city centre performance at some point.
• The Festivals and Events team celebrated the city well and had a 28% increase in engagement, which was good in a post-Covid society.
• The divisions of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services and Tourism, Culture and Economy worked closely together.
• The Record Office was run jointly with Leicestershire County Council and Rutland Council.
• There were close links with place marketing and good work had been done with digital content.
• The Culture and Creative Industries Strategy had been recently developed and the Museum Service Vision was a part of this.  It showed ambition for capital investment and work with communities as well as working with children, young people and schools.
• Leicester Museum and Art Gallery (LMAG) was being developed in terms of its climate change and social history galleries, and Jewry Wall Museum would open shortly.
• The capital investment in LMAG and Jewry Wall was aimed at creating memorable visits and providing an excellent visitor experience.
• Arts Council England had provided regular National Portfolio Organisation funding of £1.2m in regular funding of £400k per year, from 2023 – 31^st March 2026 this was for fixed term posts in the service and a wide range of activities making collections more accessible, taking objects into the community, learning, volunteering and access initiatives.   Another year of funding had just been confirmed (2026-27), and the level of this funding was to be confirmed by the funder.
• The Division of Neighbourhoods and Environment had a £45m budget over seven areas and the work of the division touched on all parts of the city. 50% of this budget went on waste services, this was a statutory service.
• The division was representative of the city in terms of ethnicity, age profile and gender split.

The Committee were invited to ask questions and make comments. Key points

included:

• In response to a query on whether the contract with Biffa would be renewed, it was explained that the Council were coming to the end of their contract with them and beginning an open-market procurement exercise.  There was still a Private Finance Initiative PFI agreement with Biffa.  A site visit to Biffa could be arranged.
• The majority of the Divisional budget for waste was spent on the contract with Biffa.  The cost of the contract had only grown by inflationary amounts.
• In response to a query on the enquiry system and whether there would be a named individual in each department to take on directing queries, it was explained that it was being looked to move away from current arrangements and a decision would be arrived at on what the future could look like, and this would be communicated to Councillors.  This may mean that there could be named individuals to direct enquiries, arrangements would be considered over the coming weeks.
• It was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 141.

The Director of Tourism Culture and Economy submits a report on the business case for the new Café at the King Richard III Visitor Centre.

The Director of Tourism Culture and Economy submitted a report on the business case for the new Café at the King Richard III Visitor Centre.

The General Manager of the King Richard III Visitor Centre (KRIII) presented the report.

Key points included:

·       This was a £551k project to bring the café to the front of the site so that all visitors could make use of it.

·       This would involve the conversion of space, lowering the floor and windows and creating a doorway to create a café seating area.  Additionally, the existing reception area would be converted to be a café servery area as well as a place to sell tickets.

·       There could be outside seating on the street.

·       The existing café would be converted to an education space, this could also be hireable.

·       This was an ‘invest to save’ scheme whereby expenditure would be reduced, and income would be increased and service on the site would be improved.

The Committee were invited to ask questions and make comments. Key points included:

·       In response to a request for assurances over the budget, it was explained that lots of work had been done to remove unknowns.  Many surveys had been taken ahead of the project, and this proposal was the second iteration.  Costs and factors needed had been considered and factored in.  Additionally, there was a £100k contingency and research and surveys had been conducted to avoid additional costs.

·       It was requested that a report come back to the Commission 12 months following the opening of the new café to ascertain whether expectations had been met in terms of customer numbers and cost/benefit.

·       It was noted that the existing café had a record year since the pandemic and income had increased 10% year-on-year.

·       In response to a query on whether the King Richard III Society had any association with the site, it was clarified that the Leicestershire Branch of the Richard III Society met at the King Richard III Visitor Centre monthly and there was a section of retail sales that were their products.  Additionally, there were connections with the national Richard III Society and associations with both their past Chair and their current Chair, and Phillipa Langley would be giving presentations at the site.

·       In response to a query on the impact on the site whilst the works were taking place, it was clarified that the major works would take place in the temporary exhibit area, so this would minimise the impact on the rest of the experience.  The rest of the site would not be affected until the breakthrough, which was aimed to take place during the winter period when the museum was closed.

·       In response to a query about how the new café would be advertised, it was noted that the offer in the area included the museum as well as the tomb and the cathedral. As such, the cathedral was worked with closely and between the museum and the cathedral there were over 50k visitors per year.

·       In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142.

The Director of Neighbourhood & Environmental Services will deliver an update on the progress of Public Space Protection Orders.

The Director of Neighbourhood & Environmental Services will deliver an update on the progress of Public Space Protection Orders.

The Deputy City Mayor, Housing, Economy and Neighbourhoods, introduced the item.

• She explained that the Community Safety team led the PSPO consultation, while the political messaging was managed by the City Mayor. The PSPO, which formed part of the Heart of Leicester action plan, already had a significant impact on the City Centre and had contributed considerably to safer streets. However, she clarified that the purpose was to engage and educate members of the public, rather than to be punitive. The issuance of fines was intended primarily as a deterrent.
• The Deputy City Mayor further highlighted the partnership work undertaken in collaboration with the Police to ensure the success of the PSPO, including Operation Pedal Fast - an operation targeting the seizure of illegal bikes and scooters. She noted that by dispersing these behaviours in the City Centre, the Council was better positioned to focus on individuals who require support, such as those leading a street lifestyle despite having an active tenancy.

The Head of Safer Communities elaborated further on the report, stating that the PSPO went into effect in April and focused on the City Centre. She outlined the timelines of events from the education campaign to the Operation Pedal fast and the engagement of businesses, all of which complemented the PSPO. It was noted that:

·       The PSPO covered offences relating to loitering and begging, microphones, loudspeakers, temporary structures, e-bikes (and other offences detailed in the presentation).

·       The target hours of work were 8 Staff per day, split between the City Wardens and the Community Safety team.

·       Thirty-eight signs had been installed at specified locations, alongside digital displays in April. There were plans to do this again for education and public awareness throughout the city.

·       Since the PSPO came into force, three FPNs had been issued, a relatively low number compared to the level of engagement. This underlined the fact that the priority was engagement. However, there were challenges with issuing FPNS, including threatening behaviours, refusal to provide details, and lack of support from the police.

·       There was a high risk of intoxication, but the team was also proactive in removing alcohol from people under the powers granted by the PSPO. Some individuals were also referred to outreach services.

·       Opposition from preacher groups regarding the amplification aspect of the PSPO had also posed some challenges. It was, however, important to emphasise that the robust system governing protests and campaigns remained in place, and the intention was not to hinder any of these activities. Plans were underway to meet again with a religious group, following an initial meeting, to ensure sustained engagement.

·       Press coverage had been generally positive.

Members commended the PSPO but expressed concerns that it might potentially stifle activities in the City Centre. In response to questions and concerns, the following points were made:

·       Oversight was in place for the implementation of the PSPO, and contrary to the concerns about  ...  view the full minutes text for item 143.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submits a report providing a summary of the Household Waste Collections Engagement Survey including the approach to the engagement survey, the key lines of enquiry in the form of its objectives and scope.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report providing a summary of the Household Waste Collections Engagement Survey including the approach to the engagement survey, the key lines of enquiry in the form of its objectives and scope.

The Deputy City Mayor, Housing, Economy and Neighbourhoods, introduced the item.

• She explained that Waste services generated significant interest in the city because it was a visible service delivered directly by the Council to residents. The proposed changes to waste collection aimed to align with the growing trend of increasing recyclables, separating food waste, and diverting as much waste as possible from landfills. Many other local authorities had already begun adjusting their frequency of waste collection. However, with any changes made, the Council intended to fully involve the community, recognising their feeling and opinions, and responding to their proposals. The first step toward this was the engagement survey which covered different themes.
• The Deputy City Mayor highlighted that the waste management services contract between the Council and Biffa was due to expire in 2028, and recommissioning under the current terms would be unaffordable by the council, particularly given the well-known financial challenges being faced by the council, and other local authorities in general.
• She further affirmed that the proposed changes were also driven by the new legislation requiring local authorities to focus on reducing the volumes of waste, increasing the proportion of recycling and collecting food waste. This presented an opportunity for the Council to educate the community about recycling, as the survey revealed certain knowledge gaps in this area; as well as make the new system more accessible and simplified. 
• She acknowledged the difficulty of implementing these changes, particularly given that the current scheme was viewed as successful, and there was understandably hesitation and uncertainty about changing the frequency of collection. However, the engagement survey explored various waste-related issues and gathered valuable data on the perspectives and reality of the communities. The survey delved into topics such as willingness to pay for caddy liners, knowledge about recycling, indoor and outdoor storage space for extra bins based on size and type of houses, among others. The information gathered were informative and would be incorporated into future decisions.
• The Director for Neighbourhoods and Environmental Services expanded on the previous points and highlighted the following;
• Many Local Authorities were rolling out different collection streams, like food waste collection, etc., in alignment with the national change programme. Thus, Leicester City Council needed to procure beyond 2028 and adapt is approach to reflect national expectations.
• There was a need to further engage residents to provide them with the necessary understanding and knowledge, which was expected to become easier as the new collection regime became standardised. This knowledge would be key to securing resident support for the proposed changes.

Members commended the report and proposed the following;

·       That the scheme be aligned with the Net Zero Strategy that was recently agreed at the Council. This was noted by officers.

·       For the report to include a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144.

Members of the Commission will be asked to consider the work programme and make suggestions for additional items as it considers necessary.

A Grassland Maintenance Report was added to the workplan to include areas for sports and recreation.

The work programme was noted.

There being no further items of urgent business, the meeting finished at 19:26.