Agenda and minutes

Youth Voice Star Innovation Award - How will you hear me?

The Lord Mayor informed Council that the Youth Service had recently received a Youth Voice Star award from the British Youth Council. The award was received for the short film created with young people ‘How Will You Hear Me?’ which will be used as a training resource for professionals to help ensure that children and young people are listened to by professionals. The film was introduced by Bernadette Killeen Youth Development Worker and Youth Council Member Brahmpreet Gulati who explained the background, aims and impact of the work.

The Lord Mayor and Council thanked all those involved in the film and congratulated them on achieving the award.

Adult Social Worker

The Lord Mayor informed Council that Adult social worker Isabel Andrews had been shortlisted for a Social Worker of the Year award which recognise the achievements of the profession’s most innovative and dedicated staff – Isabel was the first member of Leicester City Council staff to be shortlisted.  The Lord Mayor and Council thanked Isabel for her work and send their best wishes for the forthcoming awards ceremony in London.

Interfaith Week

The Lord Mayor noted the recent Interfaith Week which had been a great success and thanked all those involved.

Captain Robert Gee

The Lord Mayor thanked all those involved in the moving and fitting ceremony commemorating the unveiling of the paving stone marking the events of 100 years ago when Captain Gee from Leicester was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Councillor Elaine Pantling

Following a recent by-election held in the Eyres Monsell Ward on 23rd November 2017 the Lord Mayor informed Council that Mrs Elaine Pantling had been duly and had made the necessary declaration of acceptance of office. The City Mayor introduced Councillor Pantling to the Council.

Fire & Emergency Evacuation Procedure

The Lord Mayor asked all present to note the evacuation procedures detailed on the Agenda for the meeting and asked anyone with any queries to speak to one of the Town Hall staff who would be able to assist.

The Lord Mayor invited Members to declare any interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

No declarations were made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 October 2017 are available to view at:

http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk:8071/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=81&MId=8210&Ver=4

Copies are also available from Democratic Support on (0116) 454 6350 or committees@leicester.gov.uk

Moved by the Lord Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor and carried:

The Lord Mayor invited Councillor Russell and Councillor Clarke to make statements to Council.

Councillor Russell noted that the members of the Young People’s Council in March 2016 would be stepping down at the end of 2017 and took the opportunity to thank them for their enormous contribution to the Council and the City through many different projects including through the films mentioned earlier in the meeting, work with scrutiny, involvement with Police Gold meetings and networks across the City, Council recruitment processes, involvement events, the ‘Make your Mark’ ballot, work combating hate crime including ‘Reclaim Radical’ and  combating knife crime including through A Slice of Reality’ projects and many other impacts making sure that young people are involved and their voice is heard within the city and at a national and international level. The Council joined Councillor Russell in thanking the young people for their work.

Councillor Clarke informed Council of the recent decision by NHS England not to decommission the children’s heart surgery unit at Glenfield Hospital. In welcoming the news Councillor Clarke thanked the staff of the unit, the children and their families and all those individuals and Councils across the City and County who had campaigned fought to retain it including the former Deputy City Mayor Rory Palmer and Councillor Alfonso who had collected thousands of signatures for the petition. Councillor Clarke also thanked the Lord Mayor for the opportunity to make the statement. Council and the Lord Mayor added their congratulations and thanks for their work and it was suggested that a victory celebration be organised.

-           Presented by Members of the Public

-           Presented by Councillors

PETITIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

None.

PETITIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

Councillor Chaplin presented a petition with 27 signatures in the following terms:

“We the undersigned request the use of ball calming measures at the East End of Upper Tichbourne Street. Due to the road layout it has become a ready-made football pitch for non-residents. Resulting in anti-social behaviour, that causes a constant disturbance to the well-being of local residents. Therefore one of the following counter measures are requested; (a) Signage (b) Electronic Surveillance (CCTV) (c) Additional parking spaces be added to break up the ready- made football pitch.”

Councillor Chaplin noted that the text of the petition should read ‘…ball game calming...’

The Lord Mayor informed Council that under Council Procedure Rule 13a the aforementioned petition would be referred to the Monitoring Officer for consideration and action as appropriate. 

Lord Mayor:  Questions from members of the public.  May I ask all those members who are asking their questions to introduce themselves and present their question please.

Mr. Patel:  Hello, hi.  I am Vimal Patel.  I am asking a question on behalf of Mansukh Pankhania and the question is:  “If you merge the Rushey Mead library and the Rushey Mead recreation centre in Rushey Mead how are you going to ensure there is no reduction in size to both services”?

Lord Mayor:  Councillor Master.

Councillor Master:  Thank you Lord Mayor.  I think this is an ongoing conversation that we are having with campaign groups and residents of Rushey Mead in regards to the decision to move the Rushey Mead library into the recreation centre.  In regard to the particular question, I think it is the duty of both the officers of the City Council and the users of the Rushey Mead library and recreation centre to ensure that the service that we put in place going forward will be the best possible offer that we can do.  There has always been a commitment on our side, myself personally and officers to continually consult with users of both services to make sure that the service that we do put in place going forward will be the best offer for Rushey Mead residents.

Lord Mayor:  Thank you.  Do you have a supplementary question?

Mr. Patel:  No I don’t.  Thank you.

Lord Mayor:  Thank you.  Question number 2 please.

Ms. Kotecha:  Hello I am Ms. Kotecha and I am asking a question on behalf of Mrs. Rosalind Marsh.  “Why did you ignore the consultation findings which supported keeping the Rushey Mead library and the community centre open”? 

Lord Mayor:  Councillor Master:

Councillor Master:  Thank you Lord Mayor.  Again thank you for the question.  I think consultation is something that we have done extensively through transforming neighbourhood services over the past couple of years that I have been involved and previously Councillor Russell before that, and we have continued to engage members of the communities, user groups, everybody involved in the services and the buildings that we have been looking at around the process.  I think in regards to the actual consultation it is important to make a distinction between the outcome of a consultation and it doesn’t always meet what everybody wants and that includes ourself.  We have had to do consultation previously where we have made decisions that we thought were right and then inherently they weren’t the right decisions.  But there is a process that we all need to be part of and I think with the Rushey Mead campaign group, the Rushey Mead residents, they have had this red line where they are not going to accept the best decision going forward and they have continued to lobby on that basis and unfortunately consultation does not mean you will always get what you want and that is where we are.

Lord Mayor:  Thank you Councillor Master.  Do you have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

7.1       Capital Programme 2018/19 – 2019/20

7.1            CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2018/19 – 2019/20

A report was considered which sought approval of a Capital Programme for the Council for the period 2018/19 to 2019/20.  Details were included within the report of the resources position and proposed projects. The report had been considered by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 20 November 2017 and a copy of the relevant minutes of the meeting were made available at the meeting.   

Moved by City Mayor, seconded by Deputy City Mayor, Councillor Russell and carried:

19.___ That Council,

1.      thank the Overview Select Committee for their comments and their support of the draft programme;

2.    approves the recommendations at paragraph 3.1 in the report to Council and adopts the programme included within the report and;

3.    notes the changes from the draft programme described at paragraph 10 of the report to Council which arise for 2 reasons:

a) Inclusion of expenditure funded from the Government’s recently announced National Productivity Investment Fund;

b) In response to comments made, to provide more specificity regarding schemes funded from the Economic Action Plan – the general provision has been reduced and individual projects included.

8.1       Draft Tree Strategy

8.1       DRAFT TREE STRATEGY

The City Mayor gave a presentation to Council giving detail of a proposed Tree Strategy for the Council and a proposed consultation period. A copy of the presentation is attached to these minutes.

 Moved by City Mayor, seconded by Councillor Clarke and carried:

20.       That Council:

a)            agrees to the commencement of a period of consultation ahead of an Executive Decision to approve its formal adoption as a working policy designed to steer continued focus and investment in this key element of Leicester’s green infrastructure and;

b)            notes that a finalised public version will subsequently be produced which will be available to download from the Council’s website.

-        To note any changes to the Executive

-        To vary the composition and fill any vacancies of any Committee of the Council

Moved by Councillor Westley, seconded by Singh and carried:-

21.       That:

1.    Councillor Gugnani be appointed as Chair of Neighbourhood Services & Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission.

2.    Councillor Thalukdar be appointed as Vice Chair of Neighbourhood Services & Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission.

As there were no items of urgent business the Lord Mayor thanked students from De Montfort University for their attendance and on behalf of himself and the Lady Mayoress wished all present a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The Lord Mayor closed the meeting at 8.44pm.