Agenda and minutes

Councillors will elect a Chair for the meeting.

Councillor Hunt was elected as Chair for the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

The first main item on the programme is Declaration of Interest where Councillors have to say if there is anything in the programme they have a personal interest in. For example if a meeting was due to discuss a budget application put forward by a community group and one of the Councillors was a member of that group, they would not be able to take part in the decision on that budget application.

Councillors are asked to declare any interest they may have in the business on the agenda, and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

No declarations were made.

The minutes of the previous Knighton Community Meeting held on 16 February are attached and Members are asked to confirm them as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting of the Knighton Community Meeting, held on 16 February 2009, be confirmed as a correct record.

A City Council Parks Services Officer, will give a presentation on Britain in Bloom.

Graham Woods, Area Parks Manager was present to provide a presentation on Britain in Bloom. 

Graham commented that the Royal Horticultural Society were now running the scheme and Leicester was involved in the competition for bloom however unfortunately it had not obtained the gold prize. Graham commented that communities were wanted to take part in the scheme and lead on projects. The scheme was not competitive and it was free. There was also the opportunity to get together with neighbourhoods.

Some of the other benefits of the scheme were:

• Cleaner and greener surroundings
• Safe environments
• Encouraging younger people in neighbourhoods
• Community led scheme
• Increase civic pride

Graham commented that there would be assistance from the Royal Horticultural Society if people wanted to setup a project. He commented that the scheme was all about coming up with proposals about your neighbourhoods.

The Chair thanked Graham for his presentation.

Satish Shah, Head of Transport Systems will provide a presentation on highways and transport related issues in the local area.

Alan Adcock, Head of Highways Management was present to provide a presentation on Highways and Transportation issues. 

Alan explained that from listening to residents, the Council realised that some of the main issues and concerns in the city were:

• Parking problems – this included insufficient space for parking and vehicles parked on pavements, which caused obstruction on the footways.
• Speeding traffic and road safety
• Public transport
• Condition of roads and footways

Alan informed the Community Meeting that there were four main strategies, which were used to plan and make decisions on highways and transportation issues in the city. These were:

• Transport Asset Management Plan
• Local Transport Plan
• Congestion Action Plan
• Rights of Way Improvement Plan

Alan commented that with regard to the lack of parking, problems were caused due to Leicester having many narrow Victorian streets, which were not designed to cope with the current levels of vehicles. Certain residential areas were also not designed for cars. Alan commented that vehicle ownership had increased and there was a greater demand for parking. This in turn meant that the Council had to find ways to deal with parking problems. Some of these ways included:

• Verge hardening and lay bys
• Residents parking schemes 
• Parking Enforcement 

Alan then explained about the problem with regard to speeding vehicles and explained that the Council took various steps to combat the problems, some of the measures were:

• Traffic speed surveys
• Vehicle activated signs 
• Safety cameras
• Traffic calming
• Pedestrian crossings
• Reduced speed limits – 20 mph zones

Alan also explained that there was an legal obligation to carry out accident studies and explained that there was a national target reduction aim.

Alan stated that there it was difficult to accomodate all cars and it was difficult to build new roads therefore alternatives needed to be looked into such as public transport, walking and cycling. Alan added that there had been funding received from the government for a new bus terminal.

Alan commented that bus companies were privately owned however there was the Quality Bus Partnership, which allowed the City Council to share their views. The Community Meeting was informed that there had been improvements made to public services in the city, these included:

• Traffic signals being linked allowing traffic lights to change to green which buses approached.
• Improvements to junctions in the city.
• Increase numbers in concessionary fares and bus subsidies.
• Improvements in the Star Trak system.
• Quality bus corridor improvements, which allowed bus lanes to be created on roads. Alan commented that there was currently work being undertaken to insert a bus lane on Humberstone Road and there would also be a bus lane inserted on Aylestone Road.
• A new park and ride in Enderby.

Alan explained the current conditions of roads and footways in Leicester. He commented that there was not enough funding for all roads therefore improvements were concentrated on main roads and therefore local roads had deteriorated. Alan also commented that footways across the city still needed improvement.

The Community Meeting were informed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

There will be a short presentation with on advice on how to take measures to prevent being a victim of crime.

PC Guy Swatland was present to provide a presentation on Neighbourhood Policing.

PC Swatland explained that there were two neighbourhood-policing teams that covered that Knighton ward area. There was one in Stoneygate and Knighton and one in the Kirby Estate and West Knighton.  

The Community Meeting was informed of the latest burglary statistics. There had been an increase in burglaries that had taken place both in dwellings and properties classified as ‘other than dwellings’, which included sheds, schools, offices and shops. PC Swatland commented the rise in burglaries had been due the student population currently residing in Ratcliffe Road being targeted. There had also been targeted shed break ins during January and February on Shanklin Drive and subsequently people had been charged. 

PC Swatland explained the methods of entry used by burglars to gain access to homes. These included:

• Small glass windows – as a result of people leaving them open such as in summer.
• Rear of property – residents were encouraged to put a trellis on top of their doors to prevent burglaries climbing over their rear doors and fences.
• Other insecure features such as patio doors.

The Community Meeting was informed that some of the items that were frequently stolen included:

• Car keys and cars – residents were encouraged to hide their car keys
• Computers
• Games stations
• Mobile phones

Residents were encouraged to mark their property with UV pens, which would prove the property was theirs should it be stolen.

PC Swatland explained some of the policing actions that were being undertaken to combat the burglaries. These included:

·        Overnight plain clothes patrol

·        Home crime reduction surveys

·        Promote property marking

·        Target hardening schemes e.g making properties more secure

·        Encourage ‘check and lock’

·        Secure cars and keys

·        Fully investigate all reports

·        Support to victims.

PC Swatland commented that on one night’s patrol he had found 20 dwellings that were open for break ins. He added that a Police Community Support Officer had visited the dwellings the next day to offer crime reduction advice. He commented that the Police Community Support Officer was available to attend the house of residents to officer crime reduction advice if it was requested. The Community Meeting was encouraged to keep their cars in their garages to make them more secure. The Community Meeting were informed that all reports of break ins were fully investigated and a forensic team were sent round to gather evidence. There was also the possibility of obtaining free locks from the City Council as well.

A Member commented that he had been burgled where four houses had also burgled on the same night. He praised the Council and Police for their help and support following the incident.

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.

Steve Letten, Member Support Officer will give an update on the Knighton Community Meeting Budget.

Steve Letten, Member Support Officer presented the budget for the Community Meeting. Steve recapped the funding proposals that had been approved in the last financial year. He commented that Members had requested that the groups and individuals who had received funding to provide presentations at future Community Meetings on how they had benefited from the funding. The Chair suggested that it would be useful to have some pictures of projects as well.

A representative from the South Knighton Community Events Group who had received funding at the previous Community Meeting was present to provide feedback. He commented that the group met on the first Saturday of each month and met in Holbrook Hall

Steve informed that Community Meeting of the funding that was available for the financial year. Steve commented that there would be £5,000 available from the Ward Community Fund, £2,000 from the Community Cohesion fund and £10,000 from the Ward Action Plan Budget,

Steve reported that there had been two applications submitted for funding with an additional amount to be given to an application that had been approved at the last meeting.

Steve went through the applications and gave details of the bids. The following bids were submitted:

1)     Lancaster Boys Choir – Tops for choir members, £400

Steve commented that the application was to purchase tops for the choir members. The Community Meeting was informed that the total cost of the application would be split between the Knighton and Freeman wards.

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £400 be allocated from the Community Cohesion Fund subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods.

2)     The Knighton Park Gardening Club / Sensory Garden Project – Disabled Portaloo for Sensory Garden, £344

Steve commented that the application was for the installation of a portaloo for the sensory garden.

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £344 be allocated from the Ward Community Fund subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods.

3)     Friends of Queen’s Road Allotments – fencing, £500

Steve commented that the application was part of a proposal that had been approved for funding at the last meeting and it had also been agreed at the time of the proposal that £500 would be funded from the budget in the new financial year with the condition that funding be released when the match funding for the rest of the proposal be found.

RESOVED:

that the application be supported and £500 be allocated from the Ward Action Plan Budget subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods

The meeting closed at 8:30pm.