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.

Everyone welcomed and introductions given.

Apologies for absence were received from John Shroff, (Hamilton Residents Association).

The Action Log from the meeting held on 12 January 2015 is attached.

Received and noted, subject to the fourth line of the third paragraph of item 28, “Introductions”, being amended to refer to Councillor Potter, (not Councillor Fonseca).

Officers will provide an update on highways issues in the Ward.

All to note that:-

o    Work was progressing on the adoption of roads servicing completed developments in the Ward. 

o    A list of adopted roads is available on the Council’s website, via the following link http://www.leicester.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/roads-and-pavements/list-of-streets

o    It usually took approximately six to nine months for a road to be adopted after a development had been completed.

o    The Council had started a consultation on a proposal to introduce a 20 miles per hour Zone in Quakesick Valley.

Highways Engineers asked to:-

a)     Advise the Ward Members why all of the roads in the Ward had not been adopted yet as promised;

b)     Provide Ward Members with a list of which roads in the Ward had been adopted in the last year and which remained unadopted;

c)     Advise the Hamilton Residents Association who has responsibility for replacing the cover on a gulley for rainwater from the car park in Snape Close; and

d)     Investigate the problems still being experienced with construction traffic using residential roads.

Residents encouraged to contact the Regional Director of the Greenbelt management company with any concerns about the way in which areas for which that company has responsibility are maintained.

Community Engagement Officer / Democratic Support Officer to include an item on the agenda for the first Ward meeting of the new municipal year on who has responsibility for gritting roads and why this was not done over the last winter.

Officers from Leicestershire Police will be at the meeting to provide an update on police issues in the Ward.

All to note that:-

·           Reported incidents of damage, theft from motor vehicles and theft of motor vehicles had risen since January, but most other crime statistics had fallen compared to the same period last year.

·           270 offences had been recorded since January (down from 287 over the same period last year).

·           A Problem Solving Plan had been opened in relation to the misuse of nitrous oxide.  Areas identified as where the misuse was occurring were being patrolled and visits were being made to schools to warn pupils of the negative effects of the gas.

·           The Police are aware of groups gathering in locations such as near McDonalds and the shops.  The young people concerned had been spoken to.

·           Work was ongoing to improve parking near schools.

·           Work would shortly be undertaken to highlight road safety issues and the need to use seat belts in vehicles.

·           Some operations to stop traffic speeding would be undertaken in the next few days, this possibly to include traffic on Lower Keyham Lane.

·           Work undertaken through Community Payback was done in the Ward on a fairly regular basis.

·           Advice was available on the Police website for anyone with concerns about domestic violence.

Residents encouraged to advise the Police of any problems witnessed, (for example, where groups of young people gather, road safety, speeding traffic, drug misuse).

Housing officers will give an update on housing issues in the Ward.

All to note that:-

·           Extra security has been installed for the doors to the area on top of the shops in Netherhall.

·           More bulb planting is planned for next year, probably in side roads in Netherhall.

·           Landscaping at St Mary’s Court has been completed.

·           A small parking bay has been created on Grantham Road.

·           Areas around the shops in Netherhall are being tidied and developed.

·           Key safes will be installed at blocks of flats over the next two to three months, to avoid delays for emergency services getting access to them.  A telephone number will be displayed from which they can get the required code if they do not already have it.

·           The use of all Council buildings is being reviewed, to ensure that the best use is being made of them.  Humberstone is the next area to be considered.  This will include the Housing office.

Housing officers asked to:-

a)     Investigate problems with bikes being ridden on greens and vehicles being parked on them; and

b)     Contact Highways officers regarding water gathering and flooding in the Netherhall area.

The Chair of the Hamilton Residents Association asked to contact local housing associations and encourage them to attend future Community Meetings.

The City Warden will give an update on issues in the Wardnot covered elsewhere on the agenda.

All to note that:-

·           Money had been received for the installation of a gate in the centre of the path between Humberstone Drive and Danbury Place, to stop motorbikes and other vehicles using the path.

·           The Council was not able to cleanse unadopted roads.

·           Work was ongoing with the NHS to resolve problems with fly tipping on the land behind the surgery on Austin Rise.

·           A new Love Leicester app had been launched.  This was an easy way to report problems, but they could still be reported by telephone if preferred.

·           City Wardens have no powers to make horse riders clear up horse waste.

·           Stencils on pavements advising people to clear up after their dogs could not be refreshed at present, due to a review of the powers under which this was done.

·           Complaints had been received about items being dumped in garage areas.

·           Problems with parking needed to be reported to the Council’s parking officers, as City Wardens had no powers to deal with these issues.

City Warden asked to liaise with the Nirvana Football Club, to encourage people attending the Club to be more respectful of grass verges and fences/bollards in the area when parking.  The results of this discussion to be advised to the Ward Councillors.

The meeting thanked the City Warden and her team for all their work.

The meeting adjourned at 7.42 pm and reconvened at 8.00 pm.

Councillors are reminded that they will need to declare any interest they may have in budget applications, and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

a)     An update will be given on the Ward Community budget; and

b)     Details of grant applications received will be presented at the meeting for consideration.

·           Group Outing (1300) – Grant of £234 to the Seabrook group supported

·           Continuation of Football (5073) – Request for a grant of £600 by Kick Start Academy deferred to enable a constitution to be prepared.  Community Engagement Officer to work with the organisation to draw this up

·           Weekend away for 10 children (1327) – Grant of 1,000 to Play Barn supported

·           Newsletter for homes in Humberstone, Netherhall and Hamilton (5076) – Grant of £500 to Matter of Fact newsletter (Emerald Centre) supported

·           Summer Holiday Club (1352) – Grant of £800 to Hope Hamilton Church supported

·           Contribution to Food Bank (1377) – Grant of £500 to Peace Centre supported

·           Jerome Project (1383) – Grant of £500 to New Shoots Garden Club supported

·           Encouraging young girls to participate in football (1384) – Grant of £300 to Northfield Emeralds Under 13 Girls supported

·           Young People chosen to represent the UK in Slovenia (1385) – Grant of £500 to Envoy Twirlers supported.  Community Engagement Officer to help the group seek support from Sport England and the Council’s sports services

·           Trip to Coast (1386) – Grant of £500 to Hamilton Indoor Bowls Club supported

All to note that the grants supported above total £4,834 which was all that remained in the Ward Community Budget for the 2014/15 financial year

a)     Neighbourhood Plan

Ward Members to defer investigation of the feasibility of forming a group of community members interested in developing a Neighbourhood Plan for the Ward until after the forthcoming elections, when new Ward boundaries will come in to effect. (See action 32, “Public Consultation – Issues and Options Stage of the New Local Plan”, 12 January 2015)

In the meantime, Community Engagement Officer to ask the appropriate officers to provide information on current and planned developments in the Ward and how Neighbourhood Plans had been developed elsewhere.

b)     Votes of Thanks

The meeting thanked the Ward Councillors for their support of local residents.

In reply, the Ward Councillors thanked residents for their attendance at, and participation in, Community Meetings.

The Ward Councillors also thanked officers for their work on behalf of the Ward.

The meeting closed at 8.28 pm