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 in the Chair. 

The Chair introduced himself and Councillor Cank to the meeting.

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting, reminding residents that this was the last Troon Community Meeting of the Council year.

All present were invited to add their names to the distribution list for papers relating to Troon Community Meeting.

No interests were declared.

None received

The Action Log for the last meeting, held on 7 November 2017, is attached for information and discussion

Agreed as correct.

Further to Item 16, “Towers Park Proposed Improvement”, all to note that the Council has allocated £110,000 for these improvements.

Ward Councillors will provide an update on local ward issues

All to note that Councillor Cank has gained the position of Group Whip to the Council’s Labour Group and that Councillor Singh has been nominated to be Chair of the Council’s Overview Select Committee, (the Council’s senior scrutiny committee), for a fifth year.

All to note:

·           The Council has allocated £86,000 for improvements to the Trevino Drive Open Space.

·           New equipment for the Open Space was discussed with local school children.  Items planned for installation have been decided based on these discussions.

·           The play equipment will be located nearer the school than the current equipment is and will be visible from the entrance to the site.

·           Moving equipment will leave an area of hard standing.  It therefore is suggested that outdoor gym equipment, (suitable for use by people aged 14 and over), be placed there. 

·           The remaining grassed area can be used as a “kick about” area, as the trees around the site will stop balls going in to the road.  This will be created instead of the previously discussed “kick about” area identified near Troon Way, as that location is not considered suitable for that use.

·           Seating in the Open Space will be improved and planting done by the fences to prevent further damage and provide screening.

·           Maintenance of the grass in the Open Space will be improved.

·           Issues about repairs needed to the path will be identified and paid for through revenue budgets.

·           Sandfield Close Primary School adjoining the site is supportive of these proposals.

·           It is hoped that this work will help alleviate problems with ball games being played in Huggett Close.

·           Work was started approximately three weeks ago, but had to stop due to damage to the site caused by working in the bad weather.  However, it is intended that the work on the play area will be completed within the next six weeks and the remaining work within the next six months.

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

All to note:

·           The update from the City Warden tabled at the meeting is attached at the end of the Action Log for information.

·           Waste on land at Trevino Drive has been cleared following identification of the land owner.

·           A joint operation with the Police has been carried out in the Fairfax Road area to address litter and fly tipping problems.

City Warden asked to address the following issues identified at the meeting:

o    A motorbike with no number plate abandoned in Woodgreen Walk;

o    Possible criminal activities at the garage opposite Birch Close;

o    Whether a gate can be installed at the above garages to prevent people dumping rubbish there;

o    Whether a car repair service is being carried out at a garage in Huggett Close and the blocking of pavements with vehicles by the person concerned;

o    People driving over the grass verge in a pedestrian area in Huggett Close to access a property;

o    An abandoned trailer on Fairfax Road (between Essex Road and Naseby Road); and

o    Bags of builders’ rubble dumped in the garage area at the rear of Fairfax Road.

City warden to ask Highways Officers to consider whether yellow lines can be installed down one side of Huggett Close, to reduce congestion in the road caused by parking.

All residents invited to contact the City Warden about any environmental problems arising in the Ward.

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

All to note:

·           An operation has just started targeting vehicle crime and burglary, and people wanted on warrant for these.  Four arrests have been made so far.

·           A joint operation with the City Wardens has been agreed to address anti-social behaviour such as fly tipping and the illegal use of mini motorbikes.

·           A joint operation with agencies such as Trading Standards has been carried out focussing on potentially fatal actions, such as not wearing seat belts in vehicles.  Supermarkets have helpfully allowed the use of their car parks and in addition plain clothed spotters have been used.  The operation has been very successful and is ongoing.

·           The Police have been trying to educate parents who park illegally at schools about the legal issues involved, the risk to children’s lives and the anti-social aspects of such parking.  This has had some success.

·           The Police are aware of drug-related activities in the Craven Recreation Ground and action has been taken.

Police asked to investigate:

o    The blocking of Northfield Road / Gipsy Lane by parked cars;

o    Speeding vehicles and inconsiderate parking in Woodgreen Road; and

o    Inconsiderate parking outside the Post Office on Swainson Road.

A Housing Officer will be at the meeting to provide an update on housing issues in the Ward

As no housing officers were present, no update was given.

Highways officers will be at the meeting to provide an update on highways issues in the Ward

All to note the following in relation to the discussion at the last meeting about Woodgreen Walk, (item 17, “Highways Issues”, refers):

·           The City Council is responsible for the lighting under the railway bridge and has agreed to leave it on 24 hours a day, to try and make the area more attractive.

·           It is hoped that the lowest part of the footpath, (under the railway bridge), can be raised, to stop it flooding.  A response from British Rail to this proposal is awaited.

·           It is estimated that the cost of reconstructing the footpath will be approximately £40,000.

·           Gullies have been cleaned, to try to alleviate flooding along the route, but it has been found that drainage there is a soakaway, not a drain.  It therefore needs to be established if it needs to be connected to the main drain.

·           The Parks Service has accepted that part of the grassed area is the Council’s responsibility, but believes that some growth in that area may have originated from non-Council land.  If this is the case, the Council will work with the relevant landowner(s) to encourage the removal of this vegetation.

·           The broken fence at the Trevino Drive end of the footpath has fallen in to the property whose owner is responsible for that fence.

·           Highways officers are willing to pursue the improvements outlined above, but it is not possible to say at present how quickly the work can be done.  In addition, it has been difficult to establish ownership of some of the land alongside the footpath, which may make some of the works being considered difficult to implement.

Highways officers asked to inspect the broken and uneven paving slabs outside the shops on Victoria Road East and to take appropriate remedial action.

A patch walk to be arranged to inspect the footpath at Woodgreen Walk.

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

All to note the larger scale projects supported:

·           £5,000 has been committed to improvement works in Woodgreen Walk, (see also item 32, “Highways Issues”, above).

·           Four large white stones are to be erected in Huggett Close to stop people parking on the grassed area.

·           £7,000 has been allocated to works at the Craven Recreation Ground, for fencing in the area of the goal posts and levelling.  Patrols of the area also will be made more frequently, to ensure problems with drug use in the area do not recur.

·           £2,000 will be used to buy mobile CCTV cameras, which can be located as needed to assist Police investigations.

·           Four lockable noticeboards will be placed at different locations in the Ward, which can be used to advertise community information.  These will be cemented in for safety.

·           Two additional benches will be placed at the bus terminus in Trevino Drive.  Due to its location, half of the funding for these will come from the Troon Ward Community Budget and half from the Rushey Mead Ward Community Budget.

·           Consideration is to be given to whether remedial works would be appropriate at Falcon Primary School to alleviate problems with parking and whether funding from the Ward Community Budget should be committed to such works.

·           A total of £4,000 has been committed from the 2018/19 Community Ward Budget towards the benches and CCTV cameras mentioned above.  £14,479 therefore remains in the Budget for the 2018/19 financial year.

Residents invited to submit applications for funding from the Ward Community Budget, but reminded that residents in the Troon Ward must be the major beneficiaries.

a)     Publicity for Troon Community Meeting

Ward & Community Engagement Officer to look in to why Troon Community Meeting is not being advertised on the Council’s social media pages.

b)     Potholes in Roads

Residents reminded that potholes in roads can be reported to the Council through the Council’s website or by ringing 0116 454 1000.

The meeting closed at 8.00 pm