Agenda and minutes

Councillors will elect a Chair for the meeting. 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 Chaplin in the Chair.

Everyone welcomed and introductions given.

Apologies for absence were received from TPS 2210 Yusuf Nagadi, Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant, Leicestershire Police.

Councillor Master declared an Other Disclosable Interest in ward community grant application reference 5102, submitted by Build Community Development, but remained in the meeting.

The Stoneygate Ward Councillors will provide feedback on the issues they have been dealing with as Councillors for the Stoneygate Ward.

All to note that:-

·           Discussions had been held with the City Mayor on issues of concern in the ward:

o    Full consultation had been requested on the possible extension of the Clarendon Park residents’ parking scheme, as it would affect residents in this ward;

o    Road safety around the “way” roads.  This included speed of traffic and parking; and

o    The one-way system around Evington Road needed rationalisation, for example introducing one-way traffic on the side of Evington Road that currently did not have this;

·           Successful patch walks had been held in the Biddulph Avenue and Elmfield Avenue areas;

·           Patch walks were being considered for Bartholomew Street and Evington Footpath, due to anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping; and

·           A review of community meetings was being undertaken, to see how different needs across the city could be met.

All residents invited to suggest locations for new grit bins in the ward.

All residents invited to submit their views as part of the review of community meetings, (including ward community budgets).

The Community Engagement Officer to investigate whether it is appropriate to use newspaper “what’s on” columns to advertise community meetings.

Adrian Edge, Landscape Development Manager will give a presentation on the ongoing work taking place to develop Onslow park.

All to note:

·           A suggested design for the Onslow Street play area and community garden, plus information on suggested equipment for installation in the play area, were tabled at the meeting.  A copy of this is attached at the end of the Action Log for information;

·           The Police had been consulted and the suggested design incorporated their comments;

·           Full costings for the scheme would be prepared when the design was finalised;

·           The whole play are would be enclosed by railings, with two gated entrance points. One of the gates would separate it from the community garden;

·           The wall at the corner of the park at the eastern end of Onslow Street would be taken down and replaced with thorny shrubs to stop anti-social behaviour. If the part of the wall between the arch and St Stephens Road was removed, the arch also would have to be removed and the budget would not accommodate this;

·           The round grassed area in the community garden would be removed and replaced with wooden planters which, although raised, would be fairly low level;

·           If a space for ball games was included in the scheme there would not be enough room for a community garden as well;

·           It was important to have seating in the play area and it could be included in the community garden as well if wanted.  It was noted that the South Highfields Neighbours did not support the inclusion of seating in the scheme;

·           Signs would be put up stating that urinating in public was an offence and the Council would work with the Police to reduce anti-social behaviour in the park.  Increasing use of the area by families also should help reduce anti-social behaviour;

·           At the end of the project, consideration could be given to holding a community event to celebrate the re-opening of the park;

·            Any public toilet facilities installed near the park would need to be for men and women, but were likely to be vandalised;

·           It was hoped that a time capsule could be placed in the park, with a marker to show its location; and

·           It was hoped that work on the project would start in early autumn 2015.

All residents invited to contact either the Ward Councillors or the Landscape Development Manager if they are interested in joining a Friends of Onslow Park group.

The Landscape Development Manager asked to:-

o    Incorporate outdoor gym equipment in to the design of the park if possible, but this is not considered essential to the scheme if space and / or funds are limited;

o    Look in to the possibility of children designing signs to put up in the park reminding people to look after it;

o    Investigate alternative sources of funding for this project, such as Section 106 funding or funding from the Its Your Neighbourhood fund administered through the MKA Centre; and

o    Keep this Community Meeting advised of the timescales for this project.

Highways Officers will provide an update on Highways issues in the Ward.

All to note:-

·           The Council wanted to install an additional 250 grit bins across the city this year.  This equated to approximately 10 – 15 locations per ward.  Areas selected should have high footfall and a reasonable width of pavement, as the bins were quite wide;

·           Funding was available to address traffic issues on Bartholomew Street and improve Evington Footpath.  The details of both schemes were being developed;

·           Footway improvement works had been undertaken in the ward, along with improvements in various locations, such as Rowsley Street and New Way Road;

·           Problems were being encountered with traffic going round the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge and bus stop.  A solution to this was being sought;

·           Issues had been identified with speeding traffic in Highway Road and with congestion and parked cars in Evington Road;

·           Highways officers were working to address problems across the city with parking, especially in key shopping areas, and with faded road markings, particularly at zebra crossings;

·           Consultation on a residents’ parking scheme would be undertaken in the Clarendon Park area as the first phase of the strategy.  The impacts of this scheme would then be considered and consultation undertaken on how to address those;

·           A one-way system for the side of Evington Road not already having one was being considered, but it needed to be noted that one-way systems could result in increased in traffic speeds along the roads included;

·           Residents’ concerns about parking in Bartholomew Street were noted, but a residents’ parking zone was unlikely to be introduced at this time, as only a few parking tickets had been issued there.  Also, emergency vehicle access needed to be maintained, but the options for this were limited as the road was a cul-de-sac;

·           Problems with bus lane enforcement were being investigated, including problems caused by vehicles parking in bus lanes.  This also had been raised by the Bus Users Panel on a regular basis; and

·           Cuts made to Council resources had led to a reduced number of staff working on highways matters, so it could take longer for work to be done.

City Warden asked to investigate problems being experienced with foul water coming out of a drain on Saxby Street.

Highways officers asked to investigate problems with right turning traffic at the junction of Evington Road and Mere Street and at the turning from Evington Road in to Dashwood Road.

Officers from the Local Policing Unit will be at the meeting to provide an update on Police issues in the Stoneygate Ward.

All to note:

·           The Neighbourhood team currently consists of 1 Sergeant, 5 Constables and 3 Community support Officers.  In September 1 Police officer will be lost, but in October 1 PCSO is returning from maternity leave;

·           Crime figures since the last meeting show that there had been 12 violence related offences, 7 public order incidents, 14 vehicle offences, 21 thefts, 12 burglaries, 7 drugs offences, 2 robberies and 3 incidents of criminal damage;

·           15 anti-social behaviour reports currently were running.  13 of these were Police led and 2 were led by Leicestershire Anti-Social Behaviour Unit;

·           There were 2 problem solving plans currently in place, 1 for drug dealing on Upper Tichborne Street and 1 for anti-social behaviour in and around the area of Kedleston Road, Osmaston Road and East Park Road;

·           During the last month there had been 2 separate patch walks, one on Evington Footpath and one on Bartholomew Street; and

·           A day of action also had been held jointly with partner agencies.  This included local consultations, licencing visits, traffic enforcement and a patch walk.  A total of 14 tickets were issued for traffic related offences in and around the Evington Road corridor.

Police asked to let the Community Meeting know why an officer is being lost in September.

All residents encouraged to report issues to the Police and invited to contact the Police or Councillors with any questions or comments on policing in the ward.

Shobhana Patel from the Community Safety Team will be present at the meeting to give an update on Community Safety.

All to note:-

·           Outreach youth workers were working in Biddulph Avenue following incidents of anti-social behaviour there;

·           An easy to understand leaflet for reporting incidents was being introduced, following a suggestion from a resident.  These would be sent to the residents’ association for circulation;

·           Action Plans had been set up for Bartholomew Street and Evington Footpath; and

·           Work was in progress to get 10 alley gates installed in the ward, to try to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime in alleyways.

Community Safety officers asked to keep the Community Meeting informed of progress with the action plans for Bartholomew Street and Evington Footpath.

The City Warden will provide an update on environmental and enforcement activities in the Stoneygate Ward.

a)     City Warden Update

All to note:-

·           An update from the City Warden was tabled at the meeting and is attached at the end of this Action Log for information;

·           The volume of rubbish being left in Mere Road had improved;

·           Littering in Rowsley Street was mainly due to take-away food.  Regular cleansing was undertaken there, but the litter bins were the main problem.  Residents were aware that work was ongoing, but that it could take some time for the situation to improve;

·           Work with the shop keepers in Evington Road was underway to encourage them to take responsibility for the litter their businesses generated;

·           Action would be taken over dustbins left on streets when the anticipated legislation was in force; and

·           Fly tipping in Onslow Park and Onslow Street had reduced.

Residents asked to contact the Council when reporting issues for the City Warden, as a record was needed of these reports.  Direct contact could still be made with the City Warden as well if wished.

City Warden asked to deal with:-

i)       Graffiti that has appeared on Evington Footpath and to check that the old gate left on Evington the Footpath has been removed; and

ii)     Recent fly tipping on St Albans Road.

b)     Evington Road Sacred Spaces Project

All to note:-

o    The residents’ association did not support keeping the art work installed on Evington Road under the sacred spaces project, preferring something like a mural and/or seating to be placed there instead.  However, others preferred to keep it;

o    The LCD screen could be removed, or it would be possible to repair it.  If it was repaired, agreement would be needed on who would be responsible for it;

o    Consultations on the future of the art work were on-going with the partners involved in originally setting it up;

o    A suggestion was made that, if the recycling bins were relocated, the area could be improved, for example by establishing a green area and introducing seating and planting;

o    There was not enough funding available to provide a new art work in this location, but there could be enough to create a small mural, (subject to confirmation of ownership of the wall); and

o    If it was decided to replace the art work, contributions towards the cost could be sought from local businesses.

The Arts Advisory, Interpretation and Grants Officer asked to present suggested options for the future of this art work and/or space at the next Stoneygate Community Meeting, these options to include costings.

Successful applicants for Stoneygate Ward funding will give feedback or a presentation on what was achieved with the funding received.

All to note:-

·           Hanging baskets had been provided in Biddulph Avenue and Gottham Street.  These had been very successful, improving the street scene and bringing the community together;

·           Attempts to establish an Evington Road Business Association had not been very successful, despite good initial interest.  There had been an issue about the timing of the newsletters produced, and the content;

·           The £500 grant awarded to MKA for the garden had been spent.  The garden was flourishing, receiving a lot of positive feedback; and

·           Some of the £2,000 awarded to MKA for the youth group had been used to carpet the youth room.  Some also would be put towards the purchase of equipment for it, including a computer and some pool tables.

Community Engagement Officer asked to:-

i)       Liaise with the Evington Road Business Association to identify what help could be given by Council officers to enable the Association to become established, and to engage the appropriate officers in this;

ii)     Arrange a meeting with Ward Councillors and representatives of organisations interested in becoming involved in the Evington Road Business Association, to discuss how a newsletter for the Association can be produced;

iii)    Provide the residents’ associations and the Evington Road Business Association with details of the website containing information about funding for community newsletters and websites; and

iv)    Obtain further feedback from MKA on the youth group when it had started to meet.

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.

The following applications will be considered at the meeting:

Joint Bid: 5090

Applicant: Leicester Welfare Association

Project Name: Community Eid Celebration

Project Summary: To organise a Community Eid Celebration around July/ August 2015

Amount Requested: £1,000.00

Joint Bid: 5091

Applicant: Greater Noakhali Shomiti UK

Project Name: Eid Function & Celebration

Project Summary: To celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr on 18/07/2015 following 30 days of fasting.

Amount Requested: £800.00

Joint Bid: 5096

Applicant: Prem Group

Project Name: Minibus Hire with Driver

Project Summary: The request is support to pay for minibus and driver hire to provide transport for women who attend the group.

Amount Requested: £1,500.00

Joint Bid: 5099

Applicant: Su Tucker – Stars Creative Director

Project Name: Stars Performing Arts Summer Workshop and Stars Youth Choir

Project Summary: To run three weeks of summer activities for children aged between 4 &16 years old.

Amount Requested: £1,530.00

Bid: 1460

Applicant: South Highfields Neighbours (formerly HART)

Project Name: Gazebos for community events

Project Summary: Request funding to buy two gazebos, which would be used for South Highfields Neighbours events and also would be lent to ERNA – when required.

Amount Requested: £580.00

Joint Bid: 5102

Applicant: Build Community Development

Project Name: Community event in the Park

Project Summary: The event will be held in Spinney Hill Park on 20^th August 2015 11-5pm

Amount Requested: £500.00

Joint Bid: 5104

Applicant: Community Advice and Law Service

Project Name: Advice in Schools Project

Project Summary: To continue to deliver this service when the current funding from the Big Lottery ends in 31 July 2015. In order to alleviate the disadvantages experienced by children living in poverty.

Amount Requested: £1,200.00

·           Community Eid Celebration (ref: 5090) – Grant of £500 to the Leicester Welfare Association supported.

·           Eid Function and Celebration (ref: 5091) – Grant of £500 to Greater Noakhali Shomiti UK supported.

·           Minibus Hire with Driver (ref: 5096) – Request from the Prem Group for a grant of £1,500 deferred to obtain information on where Group’s membership is drawn from.  Depending on the information received, a grant of up to £1,500 to be considered.

·           Stars Performing Arts Summer Workshop and Stars Youth Choir (ref: 5099) – Application from Su Tucker, Stars Creative Director, for a grant of £1,530 not supported, due to the low number of young people from the ward who will benefit from this project.

·           Gazebos for community events (ref: 1460) – Grant of £480 to South Highfields Neighbours (formerly HART) supported.

·           Community event in the Park (ref: 5102) – Grant of £500 to Build Community Development supported.

·           Advice in Schools Project (ref: 5104) – Grant of £700 to the Community Advice and Law Service supported as bridging support until the October half-term holiday.  The applicant to advise at that time what the Service’s funding position is, so that consideration can be given to whether further support is needed and, if it is, what sort of support would be appropriate.

·           The application from Evington Valley School for a grant towards improved signage and planting at the entrance to the school deferred for further information.  When this information is received, consideration to be given to the most appropriate sources of funding for this work and whether a package of funding can be generated.

·           The application from the Somali Development Service for a grant towards establishing a Somali cultural festival to be passed to the Assistant City Mayor – Culture, Leisure and Sport for inclusion in the city-wide review of cultural events, to see if funding for a Somali cultural festival can be provided.  In the interim, the applicant to be advised of the fast track process for approval of grant applications.

Councillor Master, Assistant City Mayor – Neighbourhood Services, asked to include in the current review of community meetings the view of this Meeting that all applicants for ward grants should be required to provide a statement of who they are, what they do and where they are based.

a)     Off-Sales of Alcohol – Cumulative Impact Zone

All to note that a meeting has been arranged between the Stoneygate Ward Councillors, the Castle Ward Councillors and the Assistant City Mayor - Culture, Heritage, Leisure and Sport to discuss the development of the cumulative impact zone for premises with a licence for off-sales of alcohol.

b)     Date of Next Meeting

Thursday 17 December 2015, (venue to be confirmed)