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.

No apologies were received.

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

Members made their introductions and declared any interests they may have had in the business to be discussed.

Councillor Haq declared that he resided within an area to be discussed during the meeting.

Cllr Sood declared that she was an honorary member of The Council of Faith. She is also a member of The Bishop Forum.

The minutes of the meeting of the Culture and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Commission held on Thursday 22^nd August 2024 have been circulated, and Members will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Chair requested approval of the minutes of the last meeting held 22 August 2024.

AGREED:

That the minutes be confirmed as a correct record.

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

          None.

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

Ms Wakley makes the following representation:

Leicester Friends of the Earth have been discussing the council's use of chemical pesticides in the parks with officers and councillors for the past three years. After trialling a different product last year, the council returned to using glyphosate in parks this year, albeit at a lower concentration than previously used. The council's target for pesticide use in the Biodiversity Action Plan is to reduce it by 50% by 2030. We think that target is disappointingly unambitious when other local authorities have already moved away from chemical pesticides altogether. The Pesticide Action Network provide detailed information for local authorities on how to go pesticide free on their website.

The areas that are sprayed in the parks do seem to have been reduced in the last couple of years - we can no longer see any sign of spraying around tree bases in parks, for example, which is an improvement. (Tree bases on road verges are still being sprayed, sadly.) But we are still seeing signs of spraying around and within children's play areas, which is concerning when it is known that children are more vulnerable to the effects of chemical pesticides than adults. I notice this in my local park in Evington, which makes me nervous about taking my nephew there. Like all toddlers, he likes to play with the soil and I spend a lot of time carrying him away from the sprayed, dead grass around the edges of the patches of woodchip and under the fence. Many people will not recognise what this dead grass means, so they will not be able to protect their children from being exposed to the pesticide residues there.

We are concerned about the use of any chemical pesticides, and glyphosate in particular, for a number of reasons. There have been several studies linking glyphosate to cancers in people, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The research was collated in a meta-analysis published in the academic journal Mutation Research in 2019. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of pesticides, because their skin absorbs chemicals more easily and because they are more likely to be playing on the ground. The evidence for the ill-effects of glyphosate on bees and other wildlife has also been mounting over the last few years. It is now known that glyphosate harms bees’ digestive systems, for example, affecting their ability to absorb food, and also damages the ability of wild bees to regulate the temperature of their colonies. When insect populations are falling so alarmingly, we do not believe we should be doing anything to make the situation worse.

Leicester has long claimed to be the UK's first environment city, but on this issue, it is clear that we are not taking the lead. In fact, we are falling far behind other towns and cities.

Mr Bruce Wakley made the following statement on behalf Ms Hannah Wakley  (Leicester Friends of the Earth):

“Leicester Friends of the Earth have been discussing the council's use of chemical pesticides in the parks with officers and councillors for the past three years. After trialling a different product last year, the council returned to using glyphosate in parks this year, albeit at a lower concentration than previously used. The council's target for pesticide use in the Biodiversity Action Plan is to reduce it by 50% by 2030. We think that target is disappointingly unambitious when other local authorities have already moved away from chemical pesticides altogether. The Pesticide Action Network provide detailed information for local authorities on how to go pesticide free on their website.

The areas that are sprayed in the parks do seem to have been reduced in the last couple of years - we can no longer see any sign of spraying around tree bases in parks, for example, which is an improvement. (Tree bases on road verges are still being sprayed, sadly.) But we are still seeing signs of spraying around and within children's play areas, which is concerning when it is known that children are more vulnerable to the effects of chemical pesticides than adults. I notice this in my local park in Evington, which makes me nervous about taking my nephew there. Like all toddlers, he likes to play with the soil and I spend a lot of time carrying him away from the sprayed, dead grass around the edges of the patches of woodchip and under the fence. Many people will not recognise what this dead grass means, so they will not be able to protect their children from being exposed to the pesticide residues there.

We are concerned about the use of any chemical pesticides, and glyphosate in particular, for a number of reasons. There have been several studies linking glyphosate to cancers in people, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The research was collated in a meta-analysis published in the academic journal Mutation Research in 2019. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of pesticides, because their skin absorbs chemicals more easily and because they are more likely to be playing on the ground. The evidence for the ill-effects of glyphosate on bees and other wildlife has also been mounting over the last few years. It is now known that glyphosate harms bees’ digestive systems, for example, affecting their ability to absorb food, and also damages the ability of wild bees to regulate the temperature of their colonies. When insect populations are falling so alarmingly, we do not believe we should be doing anything to make the situation worse.

Leicester has long claimed to be the UK's first environment city, but on this issue, it is clear that we are not taking the lead. In fact, we are falling far behind other towns and cities.”

The Director of Neighbourhood & Environmental Services responded on behalf of The Parks & Open Spaces Operational Manager, advising that:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

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

The Monitoring Officer reported that none had been received.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services presents an annual report on the Burial Strategy Update which summarises the slide presentation appended.

The Director of Neighbourhoods and Environmental Services submitted a report providing an annual update on the Burial Strategy.

The Bereavement Services Manager presented the report.

The report highlighted the overall demand for burials, identifying the impact on existing cemetery provision.

The report detailed planned works to improve the visitor experience at Gilroes Cemetery and the need to rectify issues related to car parking, traffic and drainage.

Changes to legislation in 2024, were summarised and an update was given on the Law Commission review of Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods legislation.

Further key points to note were:

·       There was not a statutory duty placed on Local Authorities to provide burial spaces.

·       Remaining burial space remaining for the Local Authority was estimated to reach full capacity around 2023/31. There was a need to    find a solution by the end of 2026 to allow time for new development.

·       There were four cemeteries in operation within Leicester, these being Gilroes, Saffron Hill, Belgrave and Welford Road Cemeteries.

·       The number of burials had peaked during Covid with a 20% increase, but this trend was now decreasing.

·       Saffron Hill and Gilroes were the only cemeteries which were conducting burials in new graves.

·       Demand for new graves for Muslim burials was on average 60 - 65% of all new graves per year. Saffron Hill Cemetery had been extended to accommodate the number of Muslim burials.

·       Improvements were required at Gilroes Cemetery which included resolving problems with traffic circulation, parking spaces and drainage. Consultations were commissioned to resolve these issues.

·       Legislation changes made in September of this year had seen the biggest change in death certification for over 50 years. All deaths (excluding still born babies) were now subject to scrutiny either by a Coroner or a Medical Examiner. This was now in line with the process followed for cremations.

·       It was recognised that complex burial and cremation legislation had become outdated. The Law Commission of England and Wales was carrying out the ‘Burial, Cremation and New Funerary Methods Project’ in response to this. Public consultation was now live for the Burial and Cremation element of this.

Members were invited to ask questions for the Bereavement Services Manager to respond to and it was noted that:

·       A previous piece of work had come to scrutiny examining points raised in this report. Having received the report, there was now clarification that these points were national issues.

·       Safeguarding proposals for grave reusage were for next of kin consultation and an application to the Secretary of State. Suggestions had been included within the proposals on suitable time periods after which reusage could take place. The grave would not re-used if objections were received. This was in line with legislation already in place in London.

·       The difference between reclamation and reusage was clarified. Reclamation would occur when unused burial spaces within a plot were reclaimed by the local authority. Reusage would involve disinterring remains already in a grave and reinterring them deeper within the same space allowing room for a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment presents a report providing an overview of the Heritage Places Programme which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment submitted a report providing an overview of the Heritage Places Programme which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Assistant City Mayor (Culture, Libraries and Community Centres) introduced the item and noted that:

·       The Local Authority had a good success rate with funding bids.

·       There was an ongoing focus on engaging with local people from within the different communities at a grass roots level.

A Steering Group would include both Leicester City Council and Community representatives.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment provided further comments:

·       The report referred to the initial bid but by the end of next year, there should be new propositions, potentially resulting in significant funding of up to £10,000,000.

·       The Heritage Lottery Fund was earmarked for Leicester and there was still access to the usual Lottery Funding.

·       It was noted that other cities weren’t as successful in promoting community and heritage as effectively as Leicester.

·       There were however still some communities not explored and celebrated strongly enough. For example there was a recent Somali festival which had been organised as part of Black History Month but this hadn’t been promoted well despite the significance.

In response to Member questions, The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investmentadvised:

• The initial bid was for Revenue Funding only but in the longer term the programme could support both revenue and capital spending.
• There would be a transparent commissioning process inviting collaboration over the period of the initial bid in 2025.
• It was hoped that the funding could bring cohesion to the different communities within Leicester, giving people opportunities to share in one another’s culture, tradition and heritage. This could have a positive knock-on impact with the visitor economy.
• Staffing resourcing would entail allocating a Project Manager and subsequent reporting staff to drive the programme. The £250,000 would pay for the Audience Agency, a part time programme manager in the Museum service and a group of community heritage researchers who would be recruited. 
• It was recognised that Leicester had a strong industrial heritage and that this was an area to be explored and promoted.

AGREED:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That comments made by members of this commission to be taken into account by the lead officers.

3)    For an update to come to scrutiny post stage 1 decision

For the findings of the Audience Agency to be provided.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submits a report giving an overview of the Study Zones initiative in libraries, in the context of the digital support provided by libraries for people living, working and studying in Leicester.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report giving an overview of the Study Zones initiative in libraries, in the context of the digital support provided by libraries for people living, working and studying in Leicester.

The Assistant City Mayor for Culture, Libraries and Community Centres introduced the report and noted that the successful funding application had allowed more people to bring their equipment to be used in Council libraries.  This was increasingly important due to overcrowded houses, as this scheme allowed people to come to libraries for a quiet space to study and work.  She further noted that Libraries were often neighbourhood hubs.

The Head of Neighbourhood Services presented the report.

Key Points included:

• Libraries remained committed to four universal offers:
  • Reading
  • Culture and Creativity
  • The Digital Information Offer (including IT resources and signposting support from staff)
  • Health and Wellbeing
• Members’ attention was drawn to the graphs in the report, and it was explained that these showed the changing patterns of use and illustrated the recovery of computer use following the Covid-19 pandemic.  It was further clarified that use of library computers had recovered to 60% of use prior to the pandemic, and people using their own devices with the library WiFi had recovered to 80% of pre-pandemic levelsand was predicted to recover to 100% by the end of this year.  This showed real change in how people accessed online services.
• Customer surveys had shown that there was a preference for people using their own devices in libraries, and this had been part of the rationale for the bid.
• The pilot programmes in Knighton and Highfields libraries had been very successful, showing that this had been a key bid to make.  As soon as the desks had been installed, people had used them, and they had not needed to be promoted.
• The scheme had supported the homework help club which had been important for children’s health and wellbeing as well as to support their out of school learning following the pandemic.
• The scheme provided welcome facilities for residents in high-density housing.
• The scheme supported the Warm Welcome programme, as well as supporting the increase in people working from home.
• The scheme supported increasing partnership work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and library Jobshops.  People could take part in sessions with work coaches in libraries, and then continue to work in the library following the session.

The Commission was invited to ask questions and make comments.  Key Points included:

• It was aimed to track how people used services so that changes could be pre-empted and to establish what was required in different locations.  There were approximately 60,000 individual library users, of which around 20,000 were estimated to be IT users, either through using library computers or bringing their own devices.  IT users were profiled, and it had been identified that whilst library users had a slight female majority, a slight majority of IT users were male.  In terms of age, children and young  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.

The Head of Neighbourhood Services and the Area Development Manger submit a report outlining how Ward Funding was spent across the city between April 2023 and March 2024. The report seeks to provide an insight into the variety of projects and initiatives that took place in the wards, and some of those that were important to residents locally.

The Head of Neighbourhood Services and the Area Development Manger submit a report outlining how Ward Funding was spent across the city between April 2023 and March 2024. The report seeks to provide an insight into the variety of projects and initiatives that took place in the wards, and some of those that were important to residents locally.

The Assistant City Mayor for Culture, Libraries and Community Centres introduced the report and noted that:

·       It was important to protect these monies as they did a lot of good for small groups. 

·       A training session would be held with Ward Councillors in which they would be encouraged to look at ward priorities.  A clearer focus should help to inform decision making.

·       Funding should be quick, easy, accessible and engaging.

·       Small projects funded by ward funding could help with community cohesion and prevent isolation.

The Commission was invited to ask questions and make comments.  Key Points included:

• The report was welcomed, and projects funded by ward funding, such as Christmas decorations, were praised as they had helped community spirit. 
• There had been variations in spending depending on the makeup of the Ward.  Additionally, IT issues in March 2024 had made it difficult to get projects out to Councillors.  Some of these had been carried over after March.  Anything not spent had been carried over, as long as it was under the 10% carry-over limit, which all were.
• It was noted that not every council provided ward funding.

The Chair made the suggestion that unspent money from underspent wards could be divided amongst wards that had spent to capacity.

AGREED:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That comments made by members of this commission to be taken into account by the lead officers.

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

It was noted that the agenda for the next meeting looked heavy according to the work programme.  Items could be considered for postponement at the following agenda-setting meeting.

The work programme was noted.

There being no other items of urgent business, the meeting closed at 19:27.