Agenda and minutes

Francis Connolly, Members Support Officer, explained that it could be difficult for Councillor Wann to attend meetings during the coming year, as he had a busy schedule of engagements through his role as Lord Mayor.  However, Councillor Fonseca was new to the Council and Community Meetings, so it had been arranged that Councillor Potter, who was a Councillor for the adjoining Ward of Humberstone and Hamilton, would attend and Chair this meeting.

Some members of the community present at the meeting expressed concern that this was a new policy being operated by the Council, but assurances were given that this was not the case.  In reply, it was explained that this was a unique situation and the course of action proposed was just for this Meeting.

A suggestion was made later on the agenda that some joint meetings between this Ward and Humberstone and Hamilton Ward could be held, as the two Wards shared various issues of interest, (see minute 12, “Arrangements for Future Meetings”, below).  Several Wards already shared meetings, so this would not be a new practice.  Councillor Potter explained that this had not been considered yet by Humberstone and Hamilton Community Meeting, but would be at its next meeting.

Assurances also were sought and given that applications for funding from the Thurncourt Ward Community Budget would not be considered by the Humberstone and Hamilton Community Meeting.  In addition, concern also was expressed that a joint meeting would not be able to give full consideration to issues specific to this Ward.

AGREED:

                   that Councillor Potter be elected as Chair for this meeting only.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Wann, who was unable to be present due to an engagement in his role as Lord Mayor.

Councillors were asked to declare any interest they had in the business on the agenda, and/or indicate if Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applied to them.

Councillor Fonseca declared a personal interest in agenda item 11, “Ward Community Budget 2011/12”, as he was a member of the Thurnby Lodge Community Association.

Councillor Potter declared a personal interest in the general business of the meeting as she was a Council tenant.

Mike Pears, Team Leader (Highway Asset Management), reported that the Traffic Regulation Order for the road traffic accident remedial scheme at the junction of Havencrest Drive and The Parkway was in operation.  (Minute 49(f)(i), “Ward Community Budget 2010/11 – Other Applications: Road Traffic Remedial Scheme – Junction of Havencrest Drive and The Parkway”, referred.)  An order had been placed for the yellow lines on the western side of the junction to be painted.  This scheme was for the western side of the junction and it was hoped that a similar Road Traffic Order could be introduced for the eastern side of this junction.

The meeting was reminded that £4,200 previously had been supported from the Ward Community Budget towards the cost of this scheme, on the understanding that, if funding for the scheme was received from Leicester’s third Local Transport Plan, the grant would be returned to the Ward Community Budget.  Francis Connolly, Members Services Officer, reported that a decision on this had not been made yet.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2011 were then agreed as a correct record.

Sue Holden, Alcohol Strategy Manager with the Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), explained that the DAAT considered alcohol harm in the City and what could be done about this.  Sue Holden explained that:-

·           There was a high proportion of low risk drinkers in the City, but this led to a high risk of alcohol related harm;

·           Higher levels of drinking often were linked to higher levels of deprivation and crime;

·           A recent survey had shown that there were high levels of binge drinking in the City, especially as part of the night time economy.  A large number of these drinkers were men, although there were increasingly high levels of women drinking.  Binge drinking was considered to be the consumption of 6 units of alcohol or more in one session;

·           The DAAT worked to targets for the reduction of levels of drinking.  As a result, a strategy had been developed that focussed on community safety, treatment, intervention and issues for children and young people;

·           Work being done in the City centre included the issue of Fixed Penalty Notices to people who were drunk and disorderly;

·           When asked how much they drank, people tended to underestimate the amount.  However, Thurncourt Ward was quite high on the list of Wards where people admitted to drinking more; and

·           The DAAT did not want to stop people drinking, but to encourage them to consider the harm it could do and modify their actions accordingly.

Some present at the meeting felt that venues selling alcohol appeared to be only concerned about profits, so did not assess whether people entering had already had enough to drink.  It was noted that people running venues at which problems were experienced as a result of those attending drinking too much were expected to take responsibility for this, but it was recognised that many people drank before going out, so could already have had too much to drink before they entered a venue. 

Sergeant Danny Graham, Leicestershire Constabulary, advised that, although Leicester City centre was better than some, alcohol fuelled violence often happened.  He noted that it was a criminal offence to serve people when drunk, but he was not aware of any prosecutions for this.

The need to talk to young people outside the City Centre was discussed and Sue Holden explained that work in the City centre was only one element of the DAAT’s work.  For example, the team also carried out test purchases, so anyone with concerns about sales of alcohol from particular premises was welcome to pass the details on to the DAAT.

Members of the community expressed concern at the number of shops in the area selling alcohol, as this encouraged people to spend what were often limited resources on alcohol.  The Chair reminded the meeting that any concerns about a premises’ license to sell alcohol could be passed to the Police, so that the concerns could be looked in to.  Any such concerns could be reported by telephoning 0116 222 2222 and asking for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Mike Pears, (Team Leader – Highway Asset Management), updated the meeting on issues previously raised, as follows, (minute 45, “Highways Issues”, 28 March 2011 referred):-

·           As previously reported, the City Council had been asked not to substantially alter the shrubs at the junction of Colchester Road and Elmcroft Avenue until the inquest in to the fatal accident there had been held.  Although the Police investigation had now finished, court activity relating to that accident meant that the shrubs still could not be cut back further than their level at the time of the accident;

·           Two types of vehicle activated signs could be used.  The first of these told vehicles to “slow down”, (for example, when approaching a bend in the road), and the second told the driver the speed at which the vehicle was travelling.  The City Council proposed to buy four of these signs.  It previously had been found that they worked for a few weeks in one location, but after that stopped having an effect.  The Council therefore proposed to move them around different areas of the City, the locations being decided in response to accident statistics.  Colchester Road could be included on the list of possible sites;

·           Croyland Green had been inspected, following reports at the last meeting that the access road was being damaged by refuse collection vehicles.  However, no particular problems had been found with the footway and it had not been clear where the problem was.  Members of the public confirmed that the area affected was the central grassed area.  Mike Pears undertook to put forward a proposal that the edges of the verge be hardened and made in to parking bays;

·           The introduction of a dropped kerb in Havencrest Drive had been a condition of the planning permission granted for the flats.  Mike Pears advised that he would write to the owners of the flats, asking that the dropped kerb be created.  This would have to be done at the owners’ expense;

·           The quality of the reinstatements done to pavements after Severn Trent had finished recent work on pipes in the area had been checked.  People were asked to advise the Council of any other problems encountered, so that the Traffic operations team could looked in to each case.  In response to concerns, Mike Pears advised that the amount of tarmac being laid on surfaces would be checked to ensure it was of the right thickness.

During discussion on this item, Mike Pears advised that all roads in the City were checked at least twice a year.  If they were in a bad condition they would be repaired, but the Council did not have enough resources to make all repairs needed.  A member of the public advised that part of Bowhill Grove appeared to be sinking and Mike Pears undertook to investigate this.

Mike Pears further advised that the free application for iphones or Blackberries to help report environmental problems to the City Council was being extended so that it also could  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

a)    Programme of Works Proposed under the Capital Receipts Initiative

Andy East, (Team Leader – District Management), introduced himself to the meeting, explaining that he was representing Chrissie Field (Area Manager for Humberstone and Rowlatts Hill) and Marlene Blake (Housing Management Team Leader for Thurncourt), were both unable to attend the meeting. 

Andy East explained that capital receipts, received from sources such as sales of Council housing, were being made available for investment in environmental improvements on Council housing estates.  Various proposals for improvements in the Thurncourt Ward had been drawn up and these were tabled at the meeting for information.  A copy of these proposals is attached at the end of these minutes for information.  Comments on the proposals would be referred back to the Area Manager for Humberstone and Rowlatts Hill. 

Andy East also explained that usual procedure was to consult residents on proposals under this initiative.  If any were not supported by residents, they would not proceed.  Some concern was expressed that Ward Councillors and other agencies, such as the Police, had not been consulted on these proposals.  It therefore was agreed that these consultations would be carried out and the schemes progressed if agreed.

Comments were made on these suggestions, as follows:-

·           Bench to be placed near Willowbrook View especially for elderly to rest when coming to Thurncourt Road shops

This would be welcomed, as there was a steep slope that some people needed to come up to reach the shops.  It would be useful if two benches could be installed, one at the top of the slope and one half way down.

It was suggested that it could be more useful to place the bench near The Co-Operative shop.  However, problems with anti-social behaviour by young people gathering near the warm air fans at that shop already had been experienced and placing a bench there could encourage this.  An alternative could be to place the bench further down.  This would place it nearer the front of the shop, which was overlooked by CCTV cameras.

·           Approx. 47m knee rail fencing – Roborough Green

It could be better to create a hard standing area on the green, which people could use to park on, as there could be objections to fencing off the area suggested.

It was suggested that, as a lot of owner-occupiers lived in properties in Roborough Green, they should be asked to contribute to the cost of the work.

b)    Methods of Payment Available

It was noted that, since 3 June 2011, all cash offices in the City Council’s housing offices had been closed.  The cash office at New Walk Centre also had been closed since then.  Publicity about this, including alternative ways to pay, had been circulated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Darren Evans, (City Warden), gave an update to the meeting, as follows:-

·           The Sunbury Green dog area had been very successful and would be extended to other areas.  However, problems had been experienced with the dog waste bin in the alley way there.  It was hoped that the bin could be moved to the end of the alley way, but this could take some time to achieve;

·           85% of all graffiti tags had been removed from the area.  Work with the Police beat team on this was continuing;

·           The City Warden was working closely with local shops to reduce litter;

·           The City Warden was available at the Thurnby Lodge Youth and Community Centre daily and could be contacted there if needed.

During discussion, it was asked if a “blitz” of the area could be done to tidy and clean it up.  Darren Evans advised that it was hoped that one could be arranged for mid-August.  This would focus on removing all graffiti around the petrol station on Uppingham Road, as well as graffiti along the rest of Uppingham Road.  Side streets also would be included in this.

The meeting was reminded that the police kennels in Hamilton had closed, so lost dogs could no longer be taken there.  A local resident recently had found a dog, but neither the Police nor the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had been able to take it. The Council’s dog warden service was only available until 9.00 pm, so would not be able to help in a lot of cases.  Darren Evans advised that he could provide a telephone number for use outside of office hours in these cases.

A resident asked if the long grass in the Sedgebrook Road area could be cut, as dogs were fouling it.  It was suggested that a width of approximately two feet be cut from the edge of the road, as this would deter the dogs and stop fly tipping.  The area around Thurnby Lodge Primary School in Gervas Road also had become overgrown and needed to be cleared, to allow use of the emergency exit from the school.  Darren Evans undertook to look in to these issues and get appropriate action taken.

Residents asked if it was possible for the names of dog owners who consistently let their dogs foul public areas to be publicised.  The Police confirmed that it could be possible in certain circumstances.  Statistics also could be produced giving the number of people fined for this.

Sergeant Danny Graham, Leicestershire Constabulary, gave the following update on police issues in Thurncourt Ward:-

·           The total number of crimes recorded for the period 1 April – 18 July was 158, which was a reduction from 172 last year.  Of the five Wards covered by the Spinney Hill Park Basic Command Unit, Thurncourt had the lowest number of crimes;

·           The following crimes had been recorded:-

o  42 assaults, one of which was a serious assault, (grievous bodily harm), compared to 45 the previous year;

o  11 burglaries of dwellings, compared to 12 the previous year.  This was a low number;

o  6 burglaries of premises other than dwellings, which was the same number as the previous year.  This was a very low number;

o  25 cases of criminal damage, compared to 17 the previous year;

o  7 thefts from motor vehicles, compared to 11 the previous year;

o  4 thefts of motor vehicles, compared to 6 the previous year;

o  10 cases of anti-social behaviour, compared to 23 the previous year;

·           Incidences of anti-social behaviour had only been recorded for approximately 18 months.  It was recognised that what was defined as anti-social behaviour could be very subjective, (for example, a game of street football could be considered by some people to be anti-social behaviour);

·           Vulnerable Persons Reports were records of people with an inability to look after their own affairs.  For example, a visit to a resident could identify that that person was isolated and needed help in maintaining their property.  Even if the initial visit was about something different, this would be recorded and other agencies sign-posted to that person.  This was particularly prevalent in the Local Policing Unit that included the Thurncourt Ward, with 18.9% of all Vulnerable Person Reports being made in Thurncourt;

·           The Police had received the new mountain bike for which a community grant had been given.  This would be kept at the Thurnby Lodge Youth and Community Centre;

·           During recent weeks, the Police had been working with Harborough District Council and the Police Neighbourhood Team from Market Harborough to stop anti-social behaviour at Scraptoft Hall;

·           An application had been made for a licence to sell alcohol at the Trocadero service station, to which the Police had objected.  However, the concerns raised had been addressed during negotiations with the applicant.  Consequently, the objection had been withdrawn, but the situation would be monitored;

·           An adult male had been legally evicted from Trevose Gardens, after a seizure order had been obtained;

·           An analysis of the levels of hate crime on the City’s outer estates had been done.  Of the eight Wards looked at, levels of hate crime in Thurncourt were the lowest by a significant amount;

·           PC Ben Orton had been nominated as a Beat Officer of the Year, but had been beaten to the title by another nominee; and

·           Every beat needed to have at least one Problem Solving Plan, based on Police crime data and analysis, plus the experience of beat officers and public comments.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Francis Connolly, (Members Support Officer), advised that there was £15,000 in the Ward Community Budget for 2011/12.

Five applications were presented to the meeting that had been considered at the meeting held on 28 March 2011, but had been deferred as there were insufficient funds in the budget at that time to support the applications fully, (minute 49, “Ward Community Budget 2010/11”, referred).  These had been discussed by both Ward Members, who had supported them all in principle.

Two new applications also were presented to the meeting.  Some concern was expressed that Thurnby Rangers Football Club was semi-professional and so paid some of its players.  However, the applicant advised the meeting that, although some teams in the league in which Thurnby Rangers played were semi-professional, no-one in the Thurnby Rangers team was paid.

Two further applications had been received since the agenda for this meeting had been circulated.  These were tabled at the meeting, but as they had not been received in time to be circulated prior to the meeting, it was suggested that they should be deferred.

It was noted that £500 of the grant previously approved to the Taxi Support Scheme remained to be released, which those operating the scheme felt would be sufficient to keep the scheme running until the next Community Meeting.

Francis Connolly invited anyone who wanted any information about grants from the Ward Community Budget or to submit an application for funding, to contact him.

RECOMMENDED:

1)    that the following grants be approved:-

a)     £151 towards As Salaam Women’s events, this being the balance of the grant requested at the meeting held on 28 March 2011;

b)     £300 to the As Salaam group for the hire of a single deck coach to take young people from the As Salaam group on an outing;

c)     £500 for coach hire and entrance fees for an outing for members of the Silver Threads Monday Club to a place of interest;

d)     £114 to Thurnby Lodge Tenants and Residents Association for two people to attend the City Council’s Driver Assessment and Wheel Clamping Course to enable them to use community transport minibuses;

e)     £3,000 to the Thurnby Lodge Forum towards the costs of an estate Carnival, held in Thurnby Lodge Park on 9 July 2011;

f)      £200 to Rowlatts Hill Allotment Society towards the cost of site renovation being undertaken as part of the Society’s Centenary Celebration; and

g)     £1,320 to Thurnby Lodge Rangers Football Club towards the purchase of football nets, strip, footballs and tracksuits;

2)    that the applications submitted by Thurnby Lodge and District Community Association for a grant towards the operation of a Taxi Support Scheme and Allan Gratrix for the purchase of a planter seat as part of the Royal Horticultural Society Improvement Project at Thurnby Lodge Community Centre be deferred to the next meeting; and

3)    that, if emergency funding is needed for the Taxi Support Scheme before the next meeting, a grant of up to £500 be approved by the Ward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

As Thurncourt Ward and Humberstone and Hamilton Ward had various issues in common, the Chair invited the views of those present on whether it would be useful for those Wards to have some joint community meetings.

In response to a question, it was explained that the suggestion that joint meetings could be held had been considered some time previously.  Councillor Fonseca confirmed that both he and Councillor Wann, (the other Ward Councillor), had asked that this item be included on the agenda for this meeting.

Various concerns were raised about this proposal:-

·           Joint meetings could be very long if they were considering matters for both Wards;

·           It was possible that joint meetings could be very large if they had to accommodate people from both Wards, which could make it difficult for everyone to have their views heard; and

·           Future meetings should focus on just one Ward, otherwise Councillors would be expressing views on issues that did not affect their own Ward(s).

On being put to a vote, it was unanimously

AGREED:

                   that separate meetings of Thurncourt Community Meeting should continue to be held and that joint meetings with Humberstone and Hamilton Ward should not be held.

a)     Meeting at Ocean Road Community Centre

Some concern was expressed that a meeting had been held at Ocean Road Community Centre to which all user groups had not been invited.  The purpose of that meeting was not known.

The Ward Members undertook to find out what the purpose of this meeting had been.

b)     Thurnby Lodge Carnival

The Chair thanked all concerned for the Thurnby Lodge Annual Carnival Day, which had been held on 9 July 2011.  This had been very successful.

The Chair thanked all present for attending and closed the meeting at 8.50 pm