Agenda and minutes

Councillors will elect a Chair for the meeting.

Councillor Bayford was elected as Chair for the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

The first main item on the programme is Declarations 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.

Councillorsare 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 1 June 2009 are attached and Members are asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Chair praised the work done in the ward by Pc Guy Swatland who had recently passed away. He commented that he was a very nice person and had won the beat officer of the year award in 2008.

The Community Meeting was introduced to the new police officer for the area, Pc Steve Douglas who would be taking over from Pc Swatland.  Pc Douglas commented that he was looking forward to the challenge of policing in the ward and he would try his best to ensure the area was a safe place.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting of the Knighton Community Meeting, held on 1 June 2009, be confirmed as a correct record.

Officers from the Highways department will be present to provide a action plan showing how the issues raised at the last meeting will be progressed.

Satish Shah, Head of Transport Systems was present to talk about the Highways and Transport action plan which showed how the highways and transport issues raised at the last meeting were being dealt with.

The action plan, which outlined how the Highways and Transport issues raised would be addressed, was circulated.

Satish explained that the Highways department would start working on the new Local Transport Plan for beyond 2011 and any new development schemes that were being planned would be brought before the meeting. With regard to the issues raised, the following discussion took place:

Speeding

Satish stated that not having traffic calming features and the results from the speed survey conducted in October 2008 did not qualify Guilford Road for a 20mph limit. However, he would undertake research to see if other means of introducing 20mph were available and would be speaking to Councillor Grant regarding it.

With regard to the speeding on Overdale Road, officers from the highways department would be meeting the ward Councillors about the traffic calming schemeand there would be feedback brought to the next meeting.

Vehicle Activated Sign

Satish stated that the vehicle activated sign on Shanklin Drive had been reported by Officers to be in the correct position. With regard to the sign that was covered by a tree, this had been discussed with the resident of the property with a view to getting the tree trimmed.

London Road

Satish informed the meeting that an officer from the Highways department would be meeting Councillor Grant next Wednesday to discuss the transport study on London Road.

Dangerous Junctions

It was reported that the Overdale Road / Welford Road and Welford Road / Chapel Lane / Knighton Road junctions had been identified as part of accident cluster sites and officers were investigating the problem. It was stated that feedback would be available at the next meeting.

Condition of Pavements

Satish commented that officers from the Highways Department would be reporting back at each meeting on what improvements had been carried out. It was also reported that maintenance work had been carried out on Aberdale Road, Asquith Boulevard and Carisbrooke road on 5 and 6 July 2009. With regard to concerns raised about rocking concrete slabs on Oakdene Road and Lambourne Road, Satish stated that this would be investigated and there would be a report back at the next meeting. Satish also stated that the matter of advertising on Asquith Boulevard would be investigated and reported on at the next meeting.

There will be an update provided on the Pennbury Eco Town.

Councillor Grant reported on the decision that had been undertaken regarding the proposed Pennbury Eco Town. Pennbury had not met the requirements regarding how green and environmentally sustainable the proposal was. The meeting was informed that the proposal had not made it through the first and second waves of applications, however the Co-operative group had still thought it was a good scheme.  Councillor Hunt commented that there was a requirement to build houses in Leicestershire and there was a concern that small areas in the county would be enlarged if houses were chosen to be built in those areas.

Residents raised concern about the overdevelopment of houses. Councillor Hunt stated that there was currently an over-development of land in the city. This was related to people not purchasing properties. Councillor Hunt commented that a possible way of helping with this problem was for the Council to introduce Council Mortgages, which some other Councils were currently using.

A resident raised concern that there was a flood risk in Knighton. Councillor Grant stated that Councillors at the Council were about to start a Task Group to look at the issue of flood management in the city and Knighton was currently one of the wards affected. One of the issues that was going to be looked at was the position of flood barriers in the city. There was also an opportunity for members of the public to give their opinions and participate in the Task Group.

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.

Peter Cozens, Member Support Officer will give an update on the Knighton Community Meeting Budget.

There will be a presentation on the Knighton Park Play Area Project that has previously received funding from the Area Committee in 2007.

The following budget applications have been received:

• Sense Experience, Access to Heritage and Culture at Village India and Experience Gujarat Festival, £3,000.                                            

The Chair informed the Community Meeting that the application listed on the agenda from Sense experience had been withdrawn and there had been no further applications received. The balances remaining in the budget were as follows:

• Ward Community Fund - £4, 656
• Community Cohesion Fund - £1, 600
• Ward Action Plan - £9, 500

Members advised that it was best to spend the money in the current financial year and residents were encouraged to submit funding applications.

A resident commented that the funding could help small community groups and make a real difference to the groups. It was reported that a previous applicant who had received funding from the Community Meeting for her rugby training had been selected for the England under 18 and under 21 teams.

Helen Lang reported back on the funding the Knighton Park Play Area Project had received from the Castle and Knighton Area Committee in 2007. There had been £13, 900 allocated by the Committee and this had helped pay for various pieces of play equipment such as a Skateboard area. The Community Meeting was also informed of the fun day that was taking place in the Park on 6 September 2009.

A representation from Holbrook Hall provided a progress report on the Cinema project which he had previously received funding for from the Community Meeting.  There was currently no equipment purchased yet and licensing regulations were currently being looked into. It was hoped that the first screening would be on the first Saturday in December 2009.

A resident raised concern that the running track in Knighton Park had not been marked out, and that it had been done at the request of a local school. Councillor Grant commented that this had already been raised with the Director of Environmental Services previously and would be added to the Ward Action Plan and followed up.

The meeting closed at 8:08pm.