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 of interest as required by the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

Councillor Singh Johal (as Chair) welcomed those present and led the introductions.

There were no declarations of interest.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Halford.

The Action Log for the last meeting, held on 27 October 2022 is attached for information and discussion.

Dragan Jovic, Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader noted two amendments as follows:

·       ‘It was noted to be a busy period and housing officers were strained due to a number of ongoing projects, such as environment and landscape schemes in the Braunstone area.’,  was noted to be changed to ‘The housing officers were busy with general tenancy management issues and were looking for ideas for environmental improvements.’

·       ‘The public were advised to contact local ward Councillors or the Neighbourhood Housing team if there was a concern requiring specific attention.’, was noted to be changed to ‘The public could contact Neighbourhood Housing Officers via their Customer Service line: 0116 454 1007.’

The Action Log of the previous meeting held 27 October 2022 was, with regard to the above amendments, agreed as a correct record.

Ward Councillors will provide an update on local ward issues

Councillors provided feedback on local ward activity which included the following:

·       Councillor’s surgeries were being re-introduced on the first Wednesday of every month at Christ Church or BRITE Centre. Councillors were reviewing the possibility of using the Oak Centre as a venue.

·       Casework had increased due to higher numbers of resident contact via email or telephone or through visits to community groups.

·       An increase in housing requests had been noted in the ward.

Councillor Barton provided feedback for her work in the ward and highlighted the following:

·       Councillor Barton had joined the Friends of Highways Spinney litter picking group for litter picking in the ward.

·       A warm space was provided at the Oak Centre on Monday mornings which included a film or meal.

·       b-inspired Braunstone hosted the Reaching People AGM, which was included in the Braunstone Alert paper.

·       Councillors thanked volunteers that supported food banks. Councillor Barton had met with a representative for support for the local food bank and noted that 500 people had supported the bank through volunteering.

·       Councillors had visited Cauldecote School following concerns about parking and were looking into parking control methods following similar concerns city-wide.

·       Councillors had been pushing for a residential parking scheme, but the process would be lengthy, and progress would be seen in the next two years.

Members of the public raised argument for and against residential parking. It was noted that a residential parking scheme had been initially consulted on a few years back for the terraced houses near Braunstone Gate Bridge. Further consultation would take place before a scheme would be implemented. 

The Chair raised concern over ongoing matchday parking issues across the ward, with Dumbleton Avenue noted to be dealing with heavy parking issues. It was noted that a full consultation was required to understand the scope of the issue and look at possible resolutions.

A member of the public referred to the old agreement for a park and ride service to the major sports stadiums local vicinity and emphasised the need for a park and ride service on matchdays. It was further suggested that clubs financially contribute to a park and ride service as a means of contributing to the community. Councillors noted that matchday park and ride services had not always been successful in other counties. ACTION: Councillors to take back the suggestion for consideration with Councillor Clarke, Deputy City Mayor for Environment and Transportation.

A member of the public questioned how proposing a park and ride service would impact away fans and matchday parking. Sergeant Golden noted that the majority of away fans come via train and matchday parking was mostly a home fan issue.

A member of the public suggested that schools offer parking on matchdays as a solution to matchday parking issues and as another form of generating income.

Housing Officers will be at the meeting to provide and update on housing issues in the Ward.

Dragana Jovic, Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader was present to provide an update on Housing matters in the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward, which were noted as follows:

·       There were currently 35 empty properties in the ward.

·       A partial objection had been received for the Hockley Farm Road environmental project and available options were being looked at. A meeting was being held on 6^th February to discuss the removal of planters.

·       Neighbourhood Housing Officers conduct a surgery once a month on the last Thursday of each month at Gallards Hill office.

·       The smoking and healthy eating pilots were still active. Housing Officers were working in partnership with Public Health to assist people in quitting smoking and eating more healthily.

Councillor Barton raised concern about frequent complaints for the length of repairs in council properties. ACTION: The Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader noted repair delay concerns and would take them back to the repairs manager.

Councillors raised concern about ongoing overcrowding issues in the ward and the qualifying standards for Band 1 Council properties. ACTION: The Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader requested for the Chair to email the details of the reported overcrowding and would look into housing options.

The Neighbourhood Housing Team Leader noted that if a council applicant or resident had a change in circumstances, that the change should be reported to the Housing Department. It was further encouraged that residents look into a housing exchange, as there were residents in larger houses that requested a smaller residence.

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

Sergeant Nick Golden from the Leicestershire Police was present to provide an update on policing matters in the ward. The following stats were noted for the Braunstone Ward:

·       Violent crime – reduction 8.9%

·       Theft – increase 23%

·       Public Order – reduction 6.1%

·       Damage – increase 5.1%

·       Drugs – increase 28%

·       Sexual offences – reduction 29%

·       Weapons – reduction 6.25%

·       Robbery – reduction 6.6 %

Sergeant Golden highlighted the following points:

·       Focus had been placed on Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) concerns on Newark Road by local school children. A camera had been deployed by police along with increased police presence.

·       Speeding incidents had been noted in the ward and enforcement was being undertaken correspondingly.

·       Police action was being taken to combat increase in burglaries. Residents were recommended to apply for personal safety alarms from the Police, which had been funded by Safe Leicester Partnership. Police could also analyse and suggest improvement to garden gates on residential properties if they appeared susceptible.

·       It was noted that an increase in theft and drug crime statistics may be due to increased enforcement.

·       Police presence had been increased at Braunstone Park to target public concerns there.

·       Leicestershire Police were working with Housing to keep an eye on housing crime concerns.

Councillor Barton noted increased concerns around parking and driving issues around Braunstone schools, as well as crime at Braunstone Park. It was noted that parking was a civil enforcement issue, however if a car was parked that was dangerously obstructive, residents could report to the police for a check.

The Chair raised concern about scrambler bike presence in the ward, causing stress to local residents and noise pollution. It was recommended residents report incidents to police as they occurred. It was further noted scrambler bikes using an unofficial dirt path to access Braunstone Park and incidents would be dealt with as they came. Difficulty in identifying offenders was noted due to being masked or wearing helmets.

A member of the public enquired about the use of drones to follow suspects on bikes. It was noted that drones were available, but officers required training in drone handling prior to use. It was further noted that time must be planned in advance for drone use and that drones could not guarantee catching a suspect.

Members of the public raised concern about lack of police presence on Braunstone ward Parks in the summer.

A member of the public suggested a public campaign on scrambler bike use in public spaces.

The Chair thanked Sergeant Golden for attending.

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

It was noted that the City Warden was absent from the meeting.

Councillor Barton noted ongoing concerns with fly tipping and that attempts to deal with the issue are being made. Patch walks had been undertaken and leaflets on proper waste disposal had been sent out to residents, however it was noted that high turn over of residents cause the same issues to reoccur.

Concerns were raised about the ward’s attractiveness to home-buyers due to the ongoing waste removal issues. Frustration was noted with the 30-day legal notice enforcement allowing residents 30 days to remove waste and bulky items.

Highways Officers will give an update on highways issues in the ward.

It was noted that Highways Officers were absent from the meeting.

A member of the public raised concern about ongoing speeding issues on Narborough Road. It was noted that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, a Highways Officer had attended the area and rejected public request to install a Vehicle Activated Speed Sign (VAS).

Sergeant Nick Golden noted that the area was a two lane stretch of road and placing a vehicle activated sign would be difficult to enforce as it would be hard to differentiate which vehicle was speeding.

A member of the public enquired about the possibility of installing a camera on Narborough Road and requesting the income generated from offending fines to be used for the ward. A Councillor noted that some cameras may not be Council property and fines may not be paid to the city.

The Chair noted that both junctions coming in and leaving Leicester on Narborough Road held safety concerns.

The Chair had requested resurfacing of Dumbleton Avenue, which had been deemed not severe enough for action, and would be requesting the criteria behind the decision from the Highways Department.

A member of the public noted repeated flooding issues on Imperial Avenue, noting that falling leaves may be a major cause and required a road sweeper to resolve.

ACTION: The Chair to take back comments to the Highways Department.

Councillors are reminded that under the Council’s Code of Conduct they should declare any interest they may have in budget applications.

An update will be given on the Ward Community Budget. A summary of grant applications submitted for consideration since the last meeting is attached.

The Ward Community Engagement Officer (WCEO) summarised the Ward Community Budget for the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward, noting that as of the prior meeting, there was no more budget available until 1 April 2023.

The WCEO noted that there were 6 applications held in reserve for the next municipal year’s funding. Councillors expressed concern that more applications would come through and be held in a backlog for the next years pot. Councillors recommended starting afresh with applications for next years budget.

A member of the public enquired about whether applicants were referred to other sources of funding when applying. It was noted that applicants were informed of other local funding including the local lottery and the Co-Operative Group.

Councillor Barton summarised recent changes to the election process across the UK and the new requirement for voter ID, in preparation for the upcoming election period.

Details of voter ID requirements can be found here.

It was noted that for those electing to use a postal vote, security checks will have been made prior to submitting a vote.

It was further noted that the Council will be sending correspondence regarding new updates to the voting process to all residences in Leicester and would be included in their next council tax bill.

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 7:22pm.