Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Judith Webb, local resident.

The first main item on theagenda 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 on the agenda, and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the previous Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields Community Meeting, held on Tuesday 15 February 2011, are attached and Members are asked to confirm them as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting of the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields Community Meeting, held on 15 February 2011 be confirmed as a correct record.

There will be a discussion with regard to the process for the forthcoming elections for local Councillors, City Mayor and the referendum on electoral reform.

Perry Holmes, Director of Corporate Governance, Leicester City Council provided details on the process for the forthcoming elections.

Perry explained that the election day would be Thursday 5 May and that there were currently three elections scheduled however there may be a fourth. These were:

• Leicester City Council elections for Ward Councillors.
• The election for the Elected Mayor.
• A referendum on the Alternative Vote voting system.
• A possible by-election may also take place for the MP of the Leicester South Constituency as it was reported that the current MP would be leaving his role to run for the Elected Mayor.

An overview of the different elections was provided. This was as follows:

Leicester City Council elections for Ward Councillors

It was stated that this took place every four years and there would be 54 Councillors elected in 24 wards. There would be 10 three Member wards and the rest would be two Member wards. With regards to polling stations for the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields area, residents were informed that there would be seven polling stations with two stations in Blessed Sacrament Church Hall. It was stated this was due to a different polling station being needed for the election on the referendum on the Alternative Vote voting system.

Perry explained that for the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward, voters would have to tick three boxes for the three Councillors they wished to vote for.

Elected Mayor

It was explained that there would be two columns on the ballot paper for this election. This represented choosing a first and second choice of candidate,. Residents were informed that if a candidate managed to secure 50% of the first votes then would be declared as the winner. It was explained further that if this was not the case then all candidates apart from the top two would be eliminated and then the second choice votes would be taken into account for the remaining candidates with the first and second choice votes being added together for the candidates and the person with the most votes then declared the winner.

The Community Meeting was informed that if a voter only marked the second choice box and not the first choice then this would be regarded as a spoilt ballot paper and the vote would be not be counted. It was explained however that voters were allowed just to choose their first choice and not necessarily their second choice.

It was noted that in Mayoral elections in other authorities the number of spoilt ballot papers had increased due to the different voting process.

Alternative Vote voting system

It was explained that the Alternative Vote system was similar to the supplementary voting system however there would the possibility of there being a third, fourth or further rounds until a winner obtained 50% of the vote.

Residents were informed that there were 330,000 people in the city and 229,000 were on the electoral register. If people wanted to vote, they needed to ensure they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 140.

Members agreed to accept this extra item.

Katherine Newman, Community Engagement Worker provided a quick update on the Local Involvement Network (LINk). It was explained that LINk would be changing its name to Healthwatch and it would be the only method in which was members of the public could have a say on whether they were in favour of the proposed changes by the Government to Health services. Residents were informed that the network held a number of local events, workshops and task groups.

There will be an opportunity to participate in the Drug and Alcohol Action Team Consultation.

Sue Holden, Alcohol Strategy Manager provided a presentation on the Alcohol Harm Reduction Consultation for Leicester City.

Sue explained that there had been a rising amount of problems related to alcohol particularly over the last 20 years. The Government had produced the country’s first alcohol harm reduction strategy in 2004 and this had been updated in 2007 to Safe, Sensible, Social which was designed to address issues such as licensing issues, alcohol fuelled crime, protecting young people and tackle irresponsibly managed premises.

Residents were informed that the focus was on the minority of drinkers who caused or experienced the most harm, these were:

• 18-24 year old binge drinkers,
• Young people under 18 who drink alcohol,
• Harmful adult drinkers.

It was explained that the strategy had been ongoing for the past three years however there would be a refresh. Sue explained the picture for Leicester with regards to alcohol, it was stated that:

• 75-80% of the Leicester population were either low risk or non drinkers.
• There were higher rates of non drinkers than the national average.
• There were high levels of binge drinking and high levels of both hazardous drinkers and harmful drinkers.
• Drinking levels were higher in the west of the city.
• There were also worse rates than the national average for alcohol specific mortality, chronic liver disease in men and alcohol related hospital admissions.

Residents were informed of the results of the Leicester lifestyle survey 2010 for adults agenda 16 or over. The following information was reported:

• 53% currently drank alcohol.
• 59% of men and 47% of women drank alcohol.
• 68% of alcohol drinkers were white.
• 27% drank above the daily recommended maximum units on a typical day and 25% drank within recommended guidelines.
• Men were more likely to drink about the threshold compared to women.

With regards to the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward, it was noted that it ranked quite low with regards to alcohol prevalence above the recommended maximum unit on a weekly basis however the figure was increased for a daily basis.

In response to a query regarding the type of survey that was conducted, the Chair stated that it could have been a population survey. It was stated that respondents to the survey may not have been drinking at the addresses they had provided in the survey. It was noted that the daily recommended intake for men was 3-4 units while for women it was 2-3 units.

Sue explained some of the targets for the city. These included reducing hospital admission rates and reducing alcohol related violence. The Community Meeting was informed of the strategic objectives which were focused on.  These included:

• Prevention
• Community Safety
• Treatment
• Children and Young People

Progress on the strategic objectives was provided. This included:

Prevention

·        A normative campaign had been piloted where it had been stated that it was normal not to drink.

·        There was also a rolling programme with regard to units of alcohol as the Government were concentrating on making sure people were aware of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142.

Members agreed to accept this extra item.

Tracey Inchley, Senior Community Librarian was present to talk about the library service.

Tracey explained that she was the new librarian at the Brite Centre and informed the Community Meeting that in April the library would become a UK Online centre which would allow staff there to deliver computer training. It was stated that the Government was keen to see everyone become more computer literate.

Residents were informed that there were various events running throughout the Easter holidays. It was also stated that commencing on May 14 was Adult Learners week.

Members agreed to accept this extra item.

Jenny Loran, Service Development Manager was present to provide an update on the Recycling Pilot scheme.

Jenny explained that some of the benefits of the pilot scheme were that it would allow an expanded range of items to be recycled and it was easy to understand for residents. The Community Meeting was informed that every property in the trial area with a green box had been provided with a roll of orange sacks. It was stated that the sacks were collected each week along side the regular grey bin collections.

Residents were informed that the trial had commenced on 14 September and there were around 6500 properties included in the trial. It was stated that the trial had initially been for six months.

Jenny explained the progress of the pilot scheme so far. It was noted that  Braunstone has seen an increase in set out and participation rates, these rates indicate the number of residents taking part in recycling each week and overall.  The set out rate has increased from 33% to 58%, while participation has increased from 50% to 78%.  Braunstone has also seen an increase of more than double in the amount of recycling collected from 1.5tonnes per week to an average of 4.2tonnes per week. It was also reported that the amount of waste collected has dropped from 21.9 to 20.7 tonnes each week.

Jenny stated that work was being done with residents to obtain feedback on the pilot and there were focus groups planned for May 2011. There would also be a new system of ordering bags rolled out just before Easter. This would consist of the 29 orange bags being flat packed with one pink bag. Residents would have to put the pink bag out for collection when they need new bags, which would be delivered automatically by the crews. Jenny reported that the trial would be continuing while a final decision is made on whether the new scheme will be rolled out city wide. In response to a query about the material of the bags, Jenny stated that the bags were made out of at least 90% recycled plastic and designed to be thicker than normal bags to help reduce piercing by items such as glass. It was also stated that the bags would be recycled again and would not go to landfill.

In response to a query regarding the green box, Jenny stated that the green boxes could only collect three types of items however the orange bags would be able to collect a wider range of items however, we cannot accept polystyrene, textiles, food etc.. It was queried where the recycling was taken, Jenny explained that currently the orange recycling bags were taken to the Ball Mill where they were bulked up on to a larger vehicle for transportation to Trafford Park in Manchester for mechanical sorting. She added that it was hoped to have a new facility in Birmingham for this process which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144.

Members agreed to accept this extra item.

Noel Cazley, City Warden for the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields Ward provided a quick update and informed the Community Meeting that if someone was seen dropping litter on the street then they would be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £80. Residents were also informed that ‘stubbies’ were available from the Council for people to dispose of their cigarettes in.

There will be a presentation on changes to provision on Multi Access Centres.

This item was not considered due to the relevant officer not being in attendance.

There will be an update provided on the latest situation with regards to the Riverside School site.

This item was moved up the agenda.

Councillor Cooke provided an update on the Riverside School site. He reported that there were ongoing discussions regarding the site and stated that the site would not be developed for housing. The current plans involved turning the site into an education village with the focus being on moving Ellesmere School to the site. Councillor Cooke stated that there was an issue with the shortage of primary schools in the area and it was also important that a community facility was provided. Residents were informed that work had been done with the Headteacher and Governors of Riverside School to make sure children’s education was not affected by the closure of the school with a particular focus being on year nine pupils who had all been relocated. It was stated that lessons had been learnt from previous school closures.

In response to a query regarding the community facility, Councillor Cooke stated that this was still being discussed and residents would be part of the consultation. In response to a query regarding the entrance to the school, Councillor Cooke reported it was planned this would be via Braunstone Lane however there was public right of way in the nearby playing fields and this needed to be fenced off.  He added that there would be traffic problems if the entrance was via Lyncote Road.

There will be an update provided on the latest situation with regards to Braunstone Hall.

This item was moved up the agenda.

Councillor Cooke provided an update on the latest situation with regards to Braunstone Hall. He reported that there had been two prospective developers.

Residents were informed that the enabling land off Hinckley Road had been put up for sale and two bids had been submitted however these were well below the asking price. It was reported that other bids had been submitted for negotiations on the said land and were progressing. Councillor Cooke stated that negotiations were still ongoing and the two interested parties had been asked to develop business plans for the Hall however both parties had asked that the boundaries for the site be reviewed but except for minor ‘line’ changes there were rejected. Councillor Cooke also informed residents that it was important to make sure the Hall was protected so it did not deteriorate even more.

Members agreed to accept this extra item.

Councillor Cooke informed the Community Meeting about the Census. It was explained that 27 March was Census day when the forms needed to be filled out and that the new way of filling in the forms through a self completion system which was different from previous Censuses. It was explained that previous census data was protected by law and was not released for 100 years. It was further explained that the information submitted as part of the Census was not shared by the Government or given to any other organisations. Councillor Cooke explained that it was believed the city was receiving less money than it should do due to a misunderstanding of how many people lived in the city reflecting a shortfall in completed forms. He stated that the basis of the grant given by the Government to local authorities was based on their population. Residents were informed that it was a legal requirement to fill in the form and were encouraged to do so.  

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.

There will be an update on the Community Meeting Budget. Please find summaries of applications received for consideration below. Full application forms can be accessed by contacting Democratic Support on 0116 2298814 or by visiting the Council’s website at www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk.

The following budget applications have been received:

• Braunstone Clean-Up Campaign, 2011, b-inspired - £2,486.80

Appendix B1

• Fullhurst Community College hardship fund start up, Tom Campbell, Head, Fullhurst Community College - £5,000                   Appendix B2

• Internet Broadband Installation, the Manor House Community Association, Paul Howgill - £883.20                          Appendix B3

This item was moved up the agenda.

Councillor Cooke presented the Community Meeting budget.

The following applications were submitted for consideration:

·        Internet Broadband Installation, The Manor House Community Association, Paul Howgill - £883.20

It was explained that the application was for the establishment of an IT suite at the Manor House Community Centre with an internet connection.

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £884 be allocated from the Ward Action Plan Fund subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods and the Leader of the Council.

·        Lunch Club Transport, The Manor House Community Association, Paul Howgill - £910

It was explained that the application was to help with transport for residents who have difficulties getting to the Manor House for the lunch club. Members suggested extending the lunch club to the residents of Mortimer Way and stated that if there was an opportunity to increase membership of the club then it should be promoted.

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £910 be allocated from the Ward Community Fund subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods and the Leader of the Council.

·        Braunstone Clean-Up Campaign, Braunstone Foundation (b-inspired), - £2,486.80

It was explained that the application was being requested on behalf of the Braunstone Clean-Up Group, which was a Task Group of the Braunstone Neighbourhood Management Board. It was explained that the group carried out campaign work throughout the year to improve the local environment. It was agreed that £1,186 be funded which would contribute to the cost to paint repaired railings and the underpasses in the area. Residents were informed that the rest of the funding requested would be deferred until the next municipal year. Additionally it was stated Community Payback would provide the labour for the painting scheme.

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £1,186 be allocated from the Ward Community Fund subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods and the Leader of the Council.

·        Fullhurst Community College Hardship Fund Start Up, Tom Campbell, Head, Fullhurst Community College - £5,000

It was explained this item would be deferred until the next meeting. It was stated that the services offered covered three wards and suggested that money be allocated from all three wards to get the project moving.

·        Simon Seal, Si Sports Ltd, Friday Night Football Sessions at Fullhurst Community College 6pm – 7.30pm - £1,485

It was explained that the application was for running of football sessions attended by young people aged 8 to 17 years at Fullhurst Community College from 1 April 2011 to 29 July 2011.

RESOLVED:

that the application be supported and £1,485 be allocated from the Ward Community Fund subject to final approval from the Cabinet Lead for Front Line Service Improvement and Neighbourhoods and the Leader of the Council.

Residents were informed that the application for the rest of the Braunstone Clean Up and an application for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 150.

There will be a review of projects funded to date through the Community Meetings.

Councillor Cooke went through a list of funding applications that had been approved by the Community Meeting since it’s first meeting. It was agreed that the list would be circulated with the minutes.

There will be an opportunity to discuss and assist in developing the future Ward Action Plan for the Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields ward.

This item was not considered.

Concern was raised regarding the short notice of the distribution of the publicity. It was explained that this was due to the short time scales between the last meeting and the current one.

Members thanked residents for their support.

The meeting closed at 7:22pm.