Agenda and minutes

Councillors will elect a Chair for the meeting.

Councillor Byrne was elected as chair for the meeting.

No apologies for absence were received.

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.

Members were asked to declare any interests that they may have had in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Act applied to them.

No declarations of interest were received.

The minutes of the previous Abbey Community meeting, held 30 June 2009, are attached and Members are asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The minutes of the Abbey Community Meeting, dated 30 June 2009 and as circulated, were approved as a correct record.

Councillor Byrne invited Carlym Sandringham to provide a briefing to the meeting on the development of a new quarterly Community Magazine. Carlym confirmed the following:

·        That the magazine is a project with input from Housing, Surestart, Leicestershire Constabulary, the various Community Centres and voluntary groups, and local Councillors;

·        That the first issue would be distributed with the Leicester LINK publication;

·        That the magazine would be used to advertise future Ward Community Meetings; and

·        That this was likely to be at the end of September or during October.

An officer from the Highways & Transportation Section will give an update on highways and transport issues in the Abbey Ward and there will be a presentation on the Highways and Transportation Action Plan.

Jeff Miller, Director – Regeneration, Transport and Highways gave an update on the Highways and Transport Action for area, and specifically the following matters were discussed:

Parking in the surrounding roads

Jeff confirmed that the Parking and Traffic Regulation Order Team had visited the areas concerned. It was found that the only enforceable road was Beaumanor Road, and as a result enforcement action had been taken to address the issues.

Speeding traffic

Jeff confirmed that the Traffic Impact Team had visited the local hotspots to conduct traffic surveys. In relation to Somerset Avenue it was confirmed that speeding was not found to be a problem, that there had only been one personal injury in three years, and that the road was ranked 117^th on the priority list. In relation to Parker Drive it was confirmed that speeding was identified as a problem, the vehicle activated signs had not worked, that the road was ranked 4^th on the priority list and therefore traffic calming measures would be worked up for recommendation and would be brought back to the meeting for consultation. It was also confirmed that, although no budget had been identified for this, contributions were being sought from local developers. Finally, in relation to Marwood Road it was confirmed that no problems had been reported, that only four personal injury accidents had been reported in the last three years, that the road was ranked 27^th on the priority list and that any works needed would be brought forward in the 2011 Local Transport Plan.

Councillor Byrne, with the support of Councillors Bhavsar and Marriott, confirmed that consideration would be given to spending some Community Meeting funds on the Highways and Transport issues outlined within the action plan.

Residents raised the following questions/issues:

·        Consideration should be given to creating a one way system on Langley Avenue due to the speeding traffic;

·        The removal of the concrete bay on Halifax Drive has created additional problems;

·        The road surface on Hatton Avenue and Marwood Road was dangerous;

·        A resident was using a domestic garage to operate a car repair business, which in turn was creating safety issues to the large number of vehicles parked on the carriageway;

·        Speeding was said to occur at various times during the day on Somerset Avenue;

·        Measures to address speeding on Halifax Drive should be considered due to the length of the road. 

·        Visitors to the factories on Parker Drive were parking on the street rather than using the grounds of the companies they were visiting; and

·        That double yellow lines should be considered on Sudley Avenue.

In response, Officers from Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Constabulary stated that:

·        The Traffic Impact Team would investigate the issues on Langley Avenue, advising Councillors beforehand, and would report back to a future meeting;

·        That parking restrictions and traffic calming measures would be considered for Parker Drive and the options reported back to meeting;

·        The issues raised in relation to Halifax Drive and the removal of the concrete  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

Councillor Marriott will give an update on issues raised regarding Kinlay Road flats.

With the agreement of the Chair these items were taken together.

Neville Senior, Neighbourhood Housing Manager, provided feedback to the meeting on the position of Kinlay Road Flats and the recent patchwalk and in doing so stated the following:

·        11 items of repair were raised and had been addressed;

·        Environmental Issues such as fly-tipping and dumping had been picked up;

·        The way lighting was to be replaced;

·        Recent rubbish fires had led to damage to electricity supplies and work was underway to resolve this;

·        The ceilings in the access areas to the flats were to be painted white; and

·        Restricting access to the flats had been considered, for example by way of a key fob mechanism, but any proposed methods were likely to be expensive.

Neville Senior, Neighbourhood Housing Manager, will give an update on progress with bids under the Housing Capital Receipts Initiative, following the discussion at the last Abbey Community Meeting.

Neville Senior, Neighbourhood Housing Manager, provided feedback to the meeting on the Housing Capital Receipts Initiative. It was confirmed that the following three bids had been accepted and were being progressed:

·        Halifax Drive Parking Provision

·        Hefford Gardens Fencing

·        Langley Walk Fencing

Residents raised the following in relation to the information provided:

·        The works to rectify the fire damage to the electricity supply should have been completed;

·        Asbestos in local properties, both Council and those sold under the right to buy scheme;

In response it was stated that the repair works to the electricity supply were significant and that the new guidelines and legislation covering any reinstatement works had contributed to delays to the repairs, as the works required were more complex. On the issue of asbestos, it was confirmed that the contractors carrying out any works to the properties should have checked them for asbestos beforehand but didn’t and that it was the responsibility of private owners to survey before purchasing and before any subsequent works were conducted to their properties.

Steve Letten, Member Support Officer, will give details of the children and young people’s activities that were available during the summer holiday.

Steve Letten, Members Support Officer, updated the meeting on the Summer Activities that were funded over the summer. The following schemes were confirmed as having taken place:

·        Mowmacre Young Peoples Play and Development Association Holiday Playscheme;

·        Stocking Farm Community Centre Holiday Playscheme; and

·        Tudor Centre Holiday Playscheme

Councillors are reminded that they will need to declare any interest they may have in any 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 Community Meeting Budget.

Feedback will be given regarding the successful funding of the Redhill Allotments.

Steve Letten, Members Support Officer confirmed the current position in relation to the expenditure of the Abbey Community Meeting funds and explained that nothing had been approved to date within the financial year. It was also explained that a late application had been received from the Maranatha Youth Club to support their youth activities across the city and that consideration was being given to how the application could be most appropriately routed as the potential beneficiaries came from 14 areas of the city.  A representative from the Youth Club also said a little more about the organisation.

Councillor Bhavsar also confirmed to the meeting that a bid from an Older Persons group had previously been submitted and it would be considered at the next meeting. Steve Letten also confirmed that he would investigate why it had not yet been processed and accepted responsibility should it turn out that the application had been properly received.

Community Partners

With the agreement of the Councillors, Terry Knight of the Mowmacre Tenants and Residents Association introduced himself to the meeting and confirmed that he was interested in becoming a Community Partner. Steve Letten confirmed that his application would be processed through the proper channels and that the Cabinet Lead for Frontline Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods would consider it for approval.

Mowmacre Bonfire and Fireworks Display

In response to questions from residents it was confirmed that the responsible organisation were attempting to raise funds independently of the Community Meeting, but that it was likely that the event would not take place this year.

Old Scrapyard – Piggotts Place

In response to questions about possible developments at the site, Steve Letten, Members Support Officer recommended that should anyone wish to find out information about this then they should complete and return an enquiries form which were available at the meeting.

Greenacres

In response to questions raised by a resident, Councillor Marriott confirmed that he was not aware what was happening and that as soon as he did he would inform those residents concerned.

The meeting closed at 8.03pm.