Agenda and minutes

Councillors will elect a Chair for the meeting.

Councillor Cooke was elected as Chair for the meeting.

Apologies of absence were received from Councillor Glover.

Residents passed on their regards to Councillor Glover, and wished her a quick recovery.  

The first main item on the programme is Declaration of Interests, 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.

Councillorsare 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 Finance Act 1992 applied to them.

Councillor Naylor declared a personal and prejudicial interest on Agenda Item 7 – Community Meeting Budget and in particular relating to the funding application for the Mini Moto Academy. Councillor Naylor agreed to leave the meeting during the consideration of this item.

The minutes of the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields Community Meeting, dated 2 December 2008 and as circulated, were approved as a correct record.

Councillors will provide an update on the approval of the Council Budget 2009/2010.

Councillor Cooke, supported by Councillor Naylor, gave details of the Council budget proposals for 2009 – 2010. The following information was confirmed:

·        That the proposed budget would have led to an Council Tax increase of approximately 4.4%;

·        That the Council was experiencing increasing pressures in Social Care;

·        That the increasing pressures were down to the changing demographic make up of the City and the inherited difficulties around Community Centres;

·        That the Social Care budget would increase by approximately £2m in 2009/2010;

·        That the Council was committed to providing community facilities in every ward, through a combination of reorganising the use of existing facilities and constructing new ones where necessary;

·        That the Council was reviewing the provision of elderly peoples homes as the standard of some facilities was not as good as it should have been and that improvements needed to be made;

·        That the emphasis of the review was not to close down existing facilities, rather move them to another service provider who may have been in a better position to make the required improvements;

·        The emphasis was on different ways of fulfilling peoples needs through the delivery of more effective care packages;

·        That Leicester would be hosting the symphony orchestra in 2009;

·        That the budget would result in the provision of extra leisure facilities throughout Leicester; and

·        That £5m worth of additional funding was to be received from the Football Foundation and to be spent on grass roots football initiatives.

A resident raised concerns relating to the Anglian Regiment Homecoming Parade, and specifically requested what action was being taken to safeguard the new footpaths in the City Centre from the Tanks? Councillor Cooke agreed to take the matter up with the Officers responsible for the event.

A resident questioned how private sector residential care homes were inspected. Councillor Cooke confirmed that the Commission for Social Care Inspection was responsible for inspecting all private sector residential care homes, and additionally that the Council monitored the provision of any organisations in contract with the Council to deliver residential health care services. 

Steve Letten, Members Support Officer, will provide an update on the Ward Action Plan. Councillors will also provide feedback on recent Patch Walks undertaken in the ward.

Councillor Cooke gave details of the findings of a number of patch walks carried out in the area, and in particular explained findings in relation to the ward action plan and litter, dog fouling, street cleaning matters, graffiti, road signs, cable boxes, rubbish at the local secured access to the Great Central Way, vehicles mounting the pavements to park, parking around Riverside School, vandalised bollards and overhanging trees.

A resident stated that, in relation to street cleaning, vehicles and operatives did clean in the area but it was often at the wrong times for example when parked cars were obstructing the roads to be cleared or before the domestic refuse collection day.

RESOLVED:

1)                 That funding for a ‘Spring Clean’ of the area covered by the patch walks, and in particular to address issues of litter, graffiti, rubbish, gutter residue and overgrown trees, be secured.

2)                 That the Transport Section be requested to look at the issues of traffic management in the area, particularly around Riverside School and parking of vehicles on pavements.

3)                 That the feasibility of providing a permanent access to Great Central Way across the Riverside School playing fields be explored.

4)                 That the allocation of additional litterbins to the area be explored.

Councillors will provide an update on the plans for Community Meetings in 2009/2010, and will also consider how to make improvements to future Community Meetings in the ward.

Councillor Naylor, having declared a personal and prejudicial interest, left the meeting during the consideration of this item and did not take part.

Councillor Cooke explained that as the meeting was inqourate, due to the absence of Councillors Naylor and Councillor Glover, that proper consideration of whether to recommend approval for the various funding applications was unable to be taken at the meeting. It was also confirmed that the views of the residents would be considered and referred to the Cabinet Member prior to the final decision on the application for funding.  Councillor Cooke explained the following funding applications to the meeting and requested feedback on the proposals.

Mini Moto Academy – Appendix B1

Residents supported the application in general, but did request assurances that there would be no noise nuisance generated by the scheme should it be approved.

Braunstone Community Art Exhibition – Appendix B2

Residents were supportive of the funding application.

Braunstone Community Carnival – Appendix B3

Residents were supportive of the funding application.

Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields Community Event – Appendix B4

Residents were supportive of the funding application.

Improving the Environment – Appendix B5

Residents were supportive of the funding application. Representatives from the Local Policing Unit indicated to the meeting that they had received a number of requests from residents for more dog fouling bins. Steve Letten, Members Support Officer, confirmed that the feasibility of the provision of additional dog fouling bins in the area would be investigated further. Councillor Cooke confirmed that the provision of additional bins could be included, subject to the investigation by Steve Letten.

Ward Transport – Appendix B6

Residents were supportive of the application.

Promoting the Ward Meetings – Appendix B7

Residents were supportive of the application.

Councillors will provide an update on the plans for Community Meetings in 2009/2010, and will also consider how to make improvements to communication and attendance at the meetings.

Councillor Cooke confirmed to residents that the finalised schedule of dates for the 2009/2010 Community Meetings would be communicated as soon as they became available.  

Manor House Neighbourhood Centre

Residents raised concerns about the possible closure of the Manor House Neighbourhood Centre. In response, it was confirmed to the meeting that a consultation exercise was underway in relation to the Neighbourhood Centre and that improvement works and relocation options would be considered.

Riverside School

Councillor Cooke referred to the matter of the reported possible closure of Riverside School, and stated that any such closure would create problems for the area therefore some local engagement was required. The Braunstone Neighbourhood Management Board requested to be involved in any consultation or engagement.

The meeting closed at 7.36pm.