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 Alfonso took the Chair and welcomed those present to the meeting.

An apology for absence was received from the Highways Department as no Officers were available to attend the meeting (item 21 refers).

The Action Log from the meeting held on 10 November 2016 is attached for information and discussion.

The Action Log of the previous meeting held on 10 November 2016 was agreed and noted.

Update: Vernon Street Play Area

As an update from the actions of previous meetings, the Chair commented on a written statement received from Neighbourhood Services concerning the work necessary to improve the Vernon Street play area.

It was noted that the site had been inspected and a considerable amount of work had been identified.  It was expected that the play area would therefore remain closed for a significant time.

The possible use of S.106 planning contributions was suggested in the statement and ongoing discussions with the Parks Department were ongoing.

The assistance offered by volunteers to improve the situation at a reduced cost to the Council was suggested.  It was agreed that this offer be promoted to Council officers.

The position was noted.

The Senior Project Manager will provide an update on the project.

David Beale (Senior Project Manager) and Andy Spencer (Keepmoat) presented an update on the progress of the Waterside regeneration project.

The meeting was reminded of the Council’s ambition to provide a mixed use development at the waterside and that Outline planning consent had been granted.

In respect of the future detailed application, the Council had acquired a majority of the development sites and a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) would be applied for, which it was hoped would allow the Council to acquire the remaining land necessary for the regeneration project to commence.

A Public Inquiry was expected in June 2017, when the Government’s Planning Inspectorate would consider the CPO application.  If the CPO was granted in the Council’s favour the site would be handed over to Keepmoat who had been chosen as the preferred developer.

Andy spencer presented an overview of the company’s ethos and provided details and examples of successful development sites elsewhere in the UK.

In respect of the Waterside scheme the likely numbers and styles of housing types were reported.  It was noted that a mix development of 288 houses and 50 bed extra care units would be provided alongside 60,000 sq ft of office space and a range of retail facilities.

An initial design layout was presented, including details of the regeneration proposals for the Soar Island.

It was noted that the residential development and associated elements proposed would be of a high quality given the unique nature of the site.

At the conclusion of the presentations, the Chair invited discussion and the following issues were raised by residents:

·         Having regard to the numbers of properties and parking, it was confirmed that the Council had been working closely with Keepmoat to ensure that adequate parking would be available.  Courtyard areas had been proposed to prevent inappropriate parking on pavements.  Physical obstructions, including the planting of trees, would also prevent inconsiderate parking.

It was suggested that the parking available would not be sufficient for the numbers of residential units proposed and in response it was clarified that national policy guidelines had been followed, including the provision of visitor spaces.

·         Flood abatement measures had been considered, due to the development directly adjacent close to the waterside. It was noted that safe and improved public access to the waterside was a benefit of the redevelopment proposals.

·         Wildlife protection had been considered and concerns that the development would reduce the numbers of wildfowl were noted.  It was confirmed that nature conservation groups and other interested parties had been involved in the design proposals and would be consultees in the planning process.

·         Concerns in respect of increased noise and disturbance were expressed.  In response, comparisons to the existing commercial and industrial activity were noted and it was considered that any noise disturbance from the regeneration site would be less than the noise from the existing uses.

·         The proportion of social housing was noted at 50 units within one block.  Although meeting the design criteria in the supplementary planning guidance, residents did  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

Highways officers will be at the meeting to provide an update on highways issues in the Ward.

Highways Officers were not available to attend the meeting and had provided an apology for absence.  It was confirmed that a written update could be circulated to Councillors in due course.

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

Police Sgt Mike Hooper and PCSO Jake Dudman provided an update on their activities in the Ward.

The following issues were noted:

·         Anti-social behaviour (ASB) at Tudor Road and Tudor Close area had caused significant concern and deployment of increased resources.  A multi-agency approach to alleviate problems of ASB, particularly at Tudor Court was being increased and it was noted that residents would be involved, possibly by convening a public meeting to debate the issues.

·         An increased trend in vehicle crime was being experienced, including theft of vehicles and theft from vehicles.  It was noted that the recording of the incidents often included mini-bikes and mopeds, where increased and inconsiderate use was also causing concern.

·         An increase in drug use and drug dealing had been targeted by a successful recent plain-clothed operation.

·         A social media survey had been released by the Police and residents were encouraged to complete the information.

Sgt Hooper and PCSO Dudman were thanked for their report and update.

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

Charlotte Glover (City Warden) provided an update on the Council’s environmental and enforcement activities in the ward.

The following issues were noted:

·         To deal with the problems of bins on streets it was reported that 16 fpns had recently been issued.  A list of streets to be targeted during April was provided.

·         Fly – tipping remained a significant issue in ward and work continued with the Council’s Cleansing Team to promote free bulky waste removal for residents.

·         The car park adjacent to St Augustine’s had caused lots of issues with litter.  After a dedicated clear-up operation the situation had been resolved and before/after photographs were circulated for information.

·         The use of the Council’s LoveLeicester app was promoted for reporting problems in the ward.

Charlotte was thanked for her update. 

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

An update will be given on the Ward Community Budget.

The Community Engagement Officer reported that 16 applications had been received for the period.

11 were supported, 2 not supported and 3 withdrawn.

It was confirmed that £1500 remained in the community funding budget at the year end and this amount would be carried forward to the 2017/18 financial year.

School Parking

Residents raised problems of parking at the schools within the Ward.  It was reported that often the roads outside schools and other adjacent roads were blocked by inconsiderate parents double parking, parking on corners, and on the zigzags. 

It was noted that the problem existed across the city and the Council were considering various methods to alleviate the problems, including mobile CCTV units.

In respect of increased enforcement by Council officers and the Police, it was noted that this could not be made permanent and only alleviated problems for a short time.  Once dedicated enforcement periods expired the problems returned.

An update on the Council’s activities city wide would be reported in due course.

The meeting closed at 7.35 pm