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 Russell as Chair, welcomed everyone to the Westcotes Ward Community Meeting.

Attached for information and discussion.

Action Log for the meeting 17 March 2015

This was not attached to the agenda, and it was agreed that it would be taken to the next Westcotes Community Meeting for consideration.

Action Log for the meeting 21 July 2015 (Special)

Proposed new student development on Western Road and to the rear of the Western Public House

Attendees were asked to note that the developer had submitted amended plans since the previous Westcotes Community Meeting. Because of the City Council’s Supplementary Planning Document on Cumulative Impact, the developers had said that the original plans were likely to be refused and had therefore submitted new plans.

CODE Student Accommodation would be holding a public consultation where people were invited to look at the new plans. A leaflet from CODE was available for all attendees to take away.

The Chair asked members of the public to submit any representations to the Planning Service. In response to queries from attendees, Steve Brown, Group Manager, Planning explained that the original objections were still valid.

Copies of the amended plans were available for attendees and it was agreed that these would be placed afterwards in the Western Public House and the Tin Drum for residents to see.

An update will be given on the Bede Park Development Plan.

Attendees received an update on the proposed developments on Bede Park, and were asked to note that the officer responsible for the project was on leave and unable to be present. The Chair expressed some frustration that there would be a delay in the installation of the gym as there needed to be a procurement exercise.

The Chair stated that she had been informed that a consultation was needed in order that residents could vote on what items of equipment they would like to see on the park. Views expressed from attendees were that they would like the equipment to be installed as soon as possible.

The play area on Andrewes Street/ Dane Street was now completed and was being well used.

A resident asked whether the information could go out on Facebook. The Chair agreed to this and offered to email the information to various people within the community.

An update on planning and development issues in the Westcotes Ward not covered elsewhere on the agenda will be given at the meeting.

The Chair asked attendees to note that a further planning application for a development on Western Road had been submitted. This was for about 100, one or two bed flats and developers were focussing on attracting the graduate market. The application did not provide for any parking spaces.

In response to a question from a resident, Steve Brown, Group Manager, Planning explained that as regards notifications to residents about local planning applications, the council went beyond the statutory requirements regards such notifications. A resident suggested the Twitter could be used.  The Chair offered to look into that, but cautioned that many people were only interested in applications in a particular area; she suggested however, that the Streetlife Community Website might be a useful resource.

Attendees were also asked to note that the City Council was consulting on their Licensing Policy and as part of this were considering conditions that could be applied to new or existing licences, in areas where street drinking was a concern.  Concerns were expressed about anti-social behaviour outside an off-licence on Wilberforce Road; the Police Officers offered to look into this.

Attendees were asked to report anti-social behaviour by phoning the 101 number.

An attendee expressed a concern relating to a problem with accessing the City Council’s licensing pages, on the website, from library computers. He stated that this had been an ongoing problem for over a year. The Chair reported that she had not experienced any problems but asked Mike Broad, the Neighbourhood Development Manager to look into this.

A resident referred to the Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL). She said that they did a very good job, but had only been granted a 25 year lease on the premises. The Chair responded that the 25 years lease was usually the maximum that the City Council gave. The LCIL had been asked to give specific reasons as to why they needed a longer lease. The Chair stated that as as far as she was aware, these reasons had not been submitted, but she would find out what was happening.

Charlotte Jones from Sustrans, the project co-ordinator for the improvements to Braunstone Gate addressed the meeting. The project aimed to involve the community and Charlotte had a list for improvements that people had already requested; including more seating, greenery and better parking. There would be a meeting on Wednesday at Natterjacks. The meetings were held monthly and were open to anyone who used Braunstone Gate.

A concern was raised that the agenda showed that the West End Traders’ Association had received £1000 in relation to a funding bid for Westival; however she knew that the West End Traders had not submitted this bid or received the money. Councillor Connelly responded that they would identify which organisation had received the money.

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

Alexander Kazmierz, the City Warden updated the meeting on the issues he had been dealing with in Westcotes.

Concerns were raised about the number of cardboard boxes that were left outside shops on Narborough Road/ Briton Street. Alex responded that he had been trying to resolve the issue, but he could not issue a fine unless he knew where the boxes were coming from.

There appeared to be a problem with sub-letting in the area and subsequent overcrowding in some of the houses. Alex asked attendees to let him know if they were aware of any overcrowding or sub-letting of properties.

Attendees raised the following concerns:

·         A very large red bin left on the pavement outside a café on Roman Street.

·         Card board boxes being left on the steps at the pack of the Sultan public house. There were concerns that this might be blocking a fire escape route.

·         Complaints were made in relation to a local Co-operative store where bins were regularly left out.

The Chair suggested that it might be helpful to have a task force to go round part of the ward with the Alex.

Alex asked residents to contact him if they had complaints or concerns, because sometimes evidence was needed before action could be taken.

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

The meeting was asked to note an update on policing issues in the area.

·         There had been a serious incident in Compton Road, and an arrest had been made. The person had subsequently been released back to that address and residents were asked to notify the Police if this was an issue for them.

·         The Police were looking to set up a neighbourhood watch scheme in the Watkin Road area.

·         The Police were taking additional steps to tackle anti-social behaviour in Mountcastle Road.

·         In relation to complaints received about cycling on pathways, the Police were setting up operations to educate people and raise awareness.

The Chair commented that she had been talking to the Cycling Officer at the Council, as to ways to encourage cyclists to use Western Road / Wilberforce Road as an alternative to Narborough Road. This provided a pleasanter and safer route.

In response to a query, attendees were advised to phone the 101 number if they wished to report incidents where people were cycling on pathways.

An attendee raised a concern about perfume sellers in Westcotes. The Police responded that these sellers were very difficult to catch, because they disappeared as soon as they saw the Police approaching.

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.

Councillors were reminded that under the Council’s Code of Conduct they were required to declare any interest they had in the budget applications discussed at the meeting.

No such declarations were made.

The meeting was asked to note that the following funding applications had been agreed:

Westival – submitted by the West End Traders’ Association (the name of the applicant who had submitted the funding bid had been queried earlier in the meeting and was subject to clarification)

Approved: £1,000

Riverside Festival – submitted by the Festival and Events Team.

Approved: £3,000

The following funding applications had been submitted too late for inclusion in the agenda:

Councillors stated that they could not make a decision on the night as they needed to check the rules relating to on-going revenue costs. They asked for the view of attendees as to whether or not they thought the applications should be supported. The view of the meeting, subject to the rules, would help the Councillors make a decision.

Can Recycling – from The Recycling Man.

Funding of £180 requested to extend storage space for recycling work, for a further six months.

Upstairs at the Western – from Off the Fence Theatre Company CIC.

Funding of £1728 requested to pay for rental costs for 26 weeks.

Attendees indicated that they were in agreement for both funding applications to be supported.

A concern was raised about community meeting funding being granted to the Riverside Festival. It was reported that at the last event there had been a considerable amount of alcohol being consumed and occurrences of anti-social behaviour. The Chair commented that the funding had been granted to local traders to enable them to have a stall at the festival. She agreed that there was a considerable amount of drinking on the Saturday and she had met with officers from the Festival and Events team. A request was made for there to be more advertising on Narborough Road, about the event.

The meeting closed at 8.50 pm