Agenda item

Officers from Parks and Green Spaces, Leicester City Council, will be present to discuss with residents various issues in relation to Bede Park.

Adrian Edge (Play and Youth Development Officer), Dave Flavelle (Area Parks Manager) and Anita Robinson (Parks Officer) were present at the meeting.

Councillor Russell advised the meeting that current financial restrictions meant that funding would not now be available to install the proposed fencing around Bede Park.

Anita Robinson advised that the cleaning schedule had been increased since last summer.  Cleaning was carried out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings by the Parks Services grounds maintenance team and, since June, the Park had been litter picked and the litter bins emptied in the evenings, at approximately 4.00 pm, by the Blitz litter team.  Regular patrols also were undertaken, with visits to the Park made by Parks Officers and the City Warden team.  Dave Flavelle noted that single litter bins throughout Bede Park had been replaced with double-sized bins, to increase disposal capacity.  However, despite this, the amount of litter being left on the grassed area did not appear to have decreased.

Councillor Russell reminded the meeting that, when large scale developments were approved, the planning permission also could include a requirement on the developer to provide facilities of benefit to the community.  This could include providing additional facilities in parks.

Adrian Edge explained that three options currently were being considered for the provision a multi-use area (ball court) in Bede Park through developer contributions.  However, what could be provided would depend on how much funding was provided by the developer.  At its most basic, it would be a tarmac area, with three metre high fences to keep the balls in.  If more funding was available, it could be possible to also provide things such as floodlighting, or a better grade artificial surface.

Councillor Russell suggested that, alternatively, the developer could be asked to provide a skateboard area.  For example, there was land at the rear of the former Key Pub, which currently was owned by Everards Brewery, that it was hoped could be brought in to community use, but it was recognised that the ability to do so was dependent on a lot of different factors.

The meeting welcomed both of these suggestions, noting that floodlighting could have the added benefit of discouraging people from meeting there to drink and agreeing that a skateboard park would be a good facility for local young people to use.

It also was suggested that De Montfort University could be asked to create a recreational square on its side of the canal, as there was a lot of spare land there and it could ease pressure on Bede Park.  Officers recognised the advantages of this, but noted that a lot of the land there was not owned by the University and it was not known who the developers were.  This was further complicated by the fact that developers could submit planning applications for sites before they owned them.

The Chair advised the meeting that, when an application to turn the former Equity Shoe factory in to student accommodation was considered by the Council’s Planning and Development Control Committee, an officer had suggested that the developer should contribute towards the provision of a ball court.  However, there had been no previous discussion about this, so it was important that it was discussed now by the community.

Since that meeting, the developer had suggested funding the whole ball court.  Although this was welcomed, some concerns remained.  For example, the height of fencing required would make it very visible, although any reduction in anti-social behaviour arising as a result of it was to be welcomed.

Adrian Edge advised the meeting that the developer had been advised that the Council was seeking to make provision for young people and adults, but the developer had requested a more specific brief.  For this reason, a multi-use area (ball court) had been suggested.  The meeting noted that officers negotiated with developers on how funding would be used.  Councillors did not take part in these negotiations, so could not appear to influence the discussions.

The meeting was reminded that Westcotes Ward currently had the least green space of any Ward in the City.  The developer in question was seeking to provide shopping, a cinema and 200 units of accommodation, which some members of the community felt would be too much for Bede Park.  Representations about the application could still be submitted, so it was suggested that objections could be lodged to the current proposal and the suggestion made that appropriate green space be provided on the development site, rather than taking away land from Bede Park and reducing its size.  The proposed ball court also would reduce the sixe of the area used for the annual Riverside Festival.

Alternative suggestions were made of areas that could be used for green space, such as the industrial estate, which some felt was not being used properly, and the open areas down Great Central Way.

Adrian Edge advised that the Council’s planning officers had been asked if a policy specific to the Western Park Road area could be produced.  The potential for developing open space in conjunction with other areas could then be considered.

It also was noted that plans for the development of land either side of the Equity Shoes site were likely to be submitted shortly.  The Ward Members advised that they would be asking for these to be determined by the Planning and Development Control Committee, rather than by officers.  Individuals would be able to submit representations on the proposals.  Information on the grounds on which objections could be made was available on the Council’s website, in libraries, from planning officers, or through Ward Councillors.  If it was received in time, the application in question would be included on the agenda for the Joint Castle and Westcotes Community Meeting to be held on 27 October 2010 and the developer invited to attend the meeting.

In response to a question, it was noted that there currently was not a drinking ban on Bede Park.  It was suggested that one could be introduced, for example with all drinking banned after 10.00 pm, but it was felt that drinking in the Park at any time could be a problem for neighbouring residents, (for example, as children often got disturbed at their bed times).  The problem was not just with people staying in the Park to drink, but also with those using it as a thoroughfare.