Agenda and minutes

Councillor Meghani in the Chair.

Everyone welcomed and introductions given.

Apologies were received from Councillor Dempster.

The first main item on the agenda is Declarations of Interest where Councillors have to say if there is anything on the agenda 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 to be discussed.

Councillor Westley declared he was a Board Member of Ur Choice Project, who had placed applications for ward funding. He indicated he would view the applications with an open mind.

The Action Log for the last meeting held on Monday 1^st December 2014 is attached and Members are asked to confirm it as an accurate record.

Any update on actions taken since the last meeting will be reported at the meeting.

The action log of the previous Beaumont Leys Ward Community Meeting held on 1st December 2014 was agreed as a trued record and noted.

The Community Meeting to receive an update on local policing.

Inspector Nicky Preston introduced herself as the new neighbourhood policing commander for Leicester West, which covered the Beaumont Leys, Braunstone and Hinckley Road areas.

Residents were informed that recent police re-organisation had seen a change in police responsibilities to 3 areas of working: Community Policing, Crime Investigation and Response to Incidents. As a result there were more officers in the ward on foot or in patrols in plain and marked cars, working on longer term problem solving, for example, anti-social behaviour.

PC Woolman gave the following statistical information:

All to note:

·         People had been arrested over the past three months, and the number of burglaries had been reduced to 17.

·         One or two people could be accounted for most of the 58 incidents of theft from motor vehicles.

·         Figure showed a slight increase in the number of cars and bikes stolen. Residents were advised to make sure bikes were secure in sheds.

·         Police continued to target the drugs problem on the estate, and had arranged a significant number of people dealing in drugs. There were three main drug dealers awaiting court appearances.

·         People had been arrested for indecency offences, but problems in identifying people meant issues moving forward to convict them in court.

·         Problem Solving Plans (PSP) – None at present in Beaumont Leys. An issue reported by many people may become a PSP, and can include other agencies.

·         A PSP the previous year to deal with nuisance bikes was now closed. The situation would be monitored as the nights grew lighter. Police also relied on intelligence from the public. Concern was raised over the area in front of Meadows Bar.

·         The Police were in dialogue with owners of Speedway regarding holding events with partner agencies for people on the estate, including bike riders. Young People’s Council representatives also requested an opportunity to meet with Speedway owners.

·         There were two pending clean-up days working with other agencies and volunteers, to clear litter, fly-tipping, etc.

·         A traveller site had been targeted on three occasions, and over £40,000 worth of damage had been caused. People needed to be aware the development of the site would go ahead, and the damage would be fixed at public expense.

The Chair requested a presentation at the next Ward Meeting on the Police review and new ways of working, and what it meant for the Police and local area.

The Chair thanked the Police for their presence and information.

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

Mathew Davinson, City Warden, reported the following the Community Meeting in December 2014:

• 1 complaint of dog fouling (Halley Close). Report issues and times if possible to Matthew.
• 2 litter complaints.
• 2 reports of obstruction on Orme Close.
• The owner of a caravan causing an obstruction in a cul-de-sac had been spoken to. Highways Team had also visited and were informed the caravan would be moved within two weeks.
• 6 One Clean Leicester reports.
• 29 fly tips reported.
• Matthew was trying to arrange a clean-up day. He was speaking to local companies to sponsor lunchtime food and refreshments. A meeting attendee offered sponsorship from Tesco.
• People experienced frustration when Biffa failed to empty bins during recent snowfall. The issue was raised with the Assistant Mayor for Neighbourhoods, and Biffa were put under a lot of pressure.
• Complaints had been received regarding illegal horse grazing.

Residents were encouraged to download the Love Leicester app available for all smart phones.

City Wardens could also be contacted through Twitter and Facebook.

Councillors will provide an update on patch-walks in Beaumont Leys.

The following information was provided:

·         Councillors held regular surgeries in the ward.

·         Following the Election on May 7^th 2015, the boundary for Beaumont Leys Ward would expand, and the ward would include a bit of New Parks, English Martyrs School, and facing Heathley Park on Groby Road.

·         It was not always possible to identify culprits for fly tipping, but most complaints to Councillors were to do with the state of people’s gardens and derelict houses.

·         Leicester City Council were proceeding with 10 compulsory purchases of derelict properties.

·         The recent re-build of Babbington College under the Building Schools for the Future scheme was a brilliant achievement for Beaumont Leys, and joined the re-builds of English Martyrs and Beaumont Leys schools.

·         Councillors reminded people that Heathley Park and Bradgate Heights would have their own polling stations for the election in May.

Councillors are reminded that they will need to declare any interest they may have in budget applications.

APPLICATIONS TO CONSIDER AT THE MEETING:

(i)            Leicester Zimbabwean Community Project – 2015 Community Get Together

Amount Requested: £500

(ii)          Stephen Podesta – Meadows Bar

Amount Requested: £1,500

(iii)         Belgrave Rugby Football Club – Restoration of Disused Playing Field

Amount Requested: £1,000

(iv)         Michelle Welland – Leicester Partnership Trust – Communities are doing it for themselves – Tea Party

Amount Requested: £375

Councillor Westley earlier declared he was a Board Member of Ur Choice Project, and Councillor Meghani would view the applications from Ur Choice prior to making a decision.

The meeting was informed the Ward received £18,000 Community Funding for the year, and there was £4,852.50 remaining. The Ward had received ten further budget applications totalling over £11,000. The Ward Councillors discussed the budget applications, and the following amounts were awarded:

(i)            Leicester Zimbabwean Community Project – 2015 Community Get Together. Application for £500. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £350.

(ii)          Meadows Bar – Meadows Bar. Application for £1,500. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £1,300. Members mentioned it could be used as a venue for a community meeting.

(iii)         Belgrave Rugby Football Club – Restoration of disused playing field. Application for £1,000. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £400.

(iv)         Michelle Welland, Leicester Partnership Trust – Communities Ae Doing It For Themselves. Application for £375. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £100.

(v)          Dr. Stephanie Kellett, Beaumont Leys School – Greenpower Electric Car Project. Application for £498.88. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £400.

(vi)         Kainé Management Ltd. – Teen Parents on Track. Application for £497.74. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £400.

(vii)        Barry Ball, Fabio Costa, Mark Winks, Gav Wilmot – Young Men’s Group. Application for £500. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £400.

(viii)      Leicester City Young People’s Council – Forget About The Name: Barleycroft. Application for £700. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £500. Members requested the applicant check the event did not clash with the Meadows project as requested above.

(ix)         Racheal Kelb – LE4 Rascals. Application for £2,440. The application was NOT SUPPORTED. The applicant was advised to re-submit their application for the next Ward Community Meeting, with a clear proposal of what the project hoped to achieve, the objective and timescales.

Applications Previously Deferred

1.    Beaumont town Football Club – Protective Pitch Barrier and Storage Container. Application for £3,086. The application was SUPPORTED FOR THE AMOUNT OF £1,000.

Other Budget Discussion

Councillors requested that information on late bids be circulated at the meeting if not included on the agenda.

Councillor Westley thanked Councillors Dempster and Meghani for the hard work they had done, and wished them both success for the future.

Councillor Meghani informed the meeting he would not be standing at the next election and thanked officers, partner agencies, Beaumont Leys Councillors and residents for his support during his time as Councillor. He said he was proud to have been brought up on Beaumont Leys and attend the local schools, and would keep in touch with events and news in the Ward.

The meeting closed at 8.07pm.