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 Grant, Chair for the meeting, welcomed everyone and led the introductions.

Received from Chris Bramley-Brown (City Warden).

Attached for information and discussion.

The Action Log from the meeting held on 6 September 2016 was received and noted.

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

A leaflet containing an update on the City Warden service for Knighton Ward is attached to the Action Log for information.

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

PC Emma Jayne was present. Residents were asked what information for the area they would like to be brought to future meetings.

Residents requested:

·         Indication on what crime was happening and outcomes;

·         Trends, e.g. vehicle break-ins;

All to note:

·         The Police were now based at Wigston, but there would be no change to policing in the area;

·         999 response officers were still based at Euston Street;

·         Police to be called with incidents of ASB (in reference to Knighton Park pavilion building);

·         The Police had received reports of rogue traders and asked residents to be aware, particularly the elderly;

·         Residents to call 101 if not an emergency;

·         Parent parking at schools was an issue. Obstructions were short lived but there were safety implications, repeated outside schools across the city. People have been named and shamed by the police and written to;

·         Speed tests done before the summer holiday had shown issues on Shanklin Drive and Carisbrooke Road – the viability of traffic calming would be looked into.

(This item was in addition to the published agenda and agreed by the Chair prior to the start of the meeting.)

·         The Forum now had a website (http://www.knightonforum.org.uk) and twitter account. (@KnightonForum), where further information on the Forum’s activities could be found.

·         The next public meeting would be held on 29 November 2016, 7.45pm, at Knighton Parish Centre, at which the Council’s consultation on the Local Plan Scoping Document would be discussed (consultation due to end on 5December 2016).

·         The City Council began a consultation on the designation of the Forum in May 2016, which was finished on 4^th July 2016, and finalisation of the formal designation was awaited.

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

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

b)     A list of grant applications submitted for consideration at this meeting is attached.

All to note:

·         Outcomes from the Knighton Ward Funding Budget, 1^st and 2^nd round of applications, is attached for information.

·         Details of the budget applications to be attached to the future agendas and available online.

·         The next deadline for submissions of budget applications is 31 January 2017, following which the decisions taken by Members would be reported at the following Community Meeting.

There were no other items of urgent business.

Update from the last meeting on actions undertaken. The Flood Defense Team will be present, and will be seeking input in the Knighton Ward Community Flood Plan.

Philip Thompson (Flood Risk Manager) and Alex McPhee (Flood Risk Engineer) delivered an update presentation on Hol Brook and flooding issues in the area.

All to note:

·         Flood plan guidance for communities and groups (Environment Agency) was circulated to those present (attached for information).

·         Council officers were happy to support putting an emergency flood plan together.

·         Short term options included flashing flood warning signs, and sand bags.

·         Volunteer community flood wardens were needed, who could be contacted in an incident to turn flood warning signs on – training would be provided.

·         The tender process to appoint an independent specialist surveyor had commenced, to look at the properties affected, and identify necessary actions.

·         A survey for a trash screen to stop litter blocking pipes was undertaken. As part of the emergency flood plan, volunteers would check the screen regularly and report to officers for maintenance.

·         Arriva buses would restrict their speed limits during flooding – to be communicated to Arriva drivers.

·         Finding a flood route across Carisbrooke Road without obstruction would be looked into.

·         One long-term option would be to upsize the culvert at Carisbrooke Road / Arreton Close.

·         Increased pond storage at the race ground would cost millions to protect few properties.

·         There were several areas in the city that required flood protection, each at the potential cost of £5-10million.

·         Update on flooding would be added to the Community Meeting webpage.

The meeting closed at 7.50pm.