Minutes:
a) UK City of Culture 2017 Bid
The Chair advised the meeting that notification had been received today that Leicester was one of the four cities through to the second stage of bidding to be the UK City of Culture in 2017.
At the last meeting of Council, he had congratulated the City Mayor on the Council’s bid and had asked him for an assurance that consultation would be held with community groups. It therefore was hoped that some groups in Evington would be consulted.
b) Petitions
Councillor Bajaj advised the meeting that:-
· In response to a petition regarding Coleman Road, an additional 8 parking spaces had been provided. Two of these had been obtained by removing yellow lines from the road;
· A petition was circulating that asked the Council to consider introducing a 20 miles per hour speed limit in Headland Road. As no funding currently was available for this, it was important that as many people as possible signed the petition
c) Ward Councillor Activities
The Ward Councillors advised the meeting of the following activities:-
· Councillor Bajaj advised that he would be meeting the City Mayor to discuss the highways and transport budget and would be requesting as much investment in Evington as possible. Residents were welcome to suggest priorities for discussion;
· Councillor Baja advised that he had attended an event at De Montfort Hall to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hall; and
· Both Ward Members had attended a service to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the arrival of Ugandan Asians in Leicester.
d) Parking Issues
Residents reported that during 2012 a lot of work had been done to replace paving in Downing Drive. However, cars were now parking on grass verges in the road and breaking the verges up. Some of these vehicles had been identified as belonging to people involved in the development of the nearby City of Leicester College.
Residents were concerned about this, as there appeared to be no notice taken of people parking on grass verges. In reply, it was noted that the contractor was required to make good any damage done during the development, but this would not be until the development had finished.
Councillor Singh reported that a similar situation had arisen in front of Hunters Fish Bar, so it had been proposed to plant strong plants and/or saplings there, to resolve the situation.
Residents also reported that problems were created in Angela Drive/Whitehall Road when parents dropped children off for school and in Greenacre Drive by vehicles breaking up grass verges. A petition had been presented to the Council in respect of the latter, which was due to be discussed by the City Mayor and highways officers.
Councillor Singh further advised the meeting that the Council’s Neighbourhood Services were aware of the range of parking issues being experienced across the city, but no decisions had been taken on how it could be tackled.
Nicole Powell, City Warden, reminded the meeting that the City Wardens would have powers relating to parking enforcement with effect from August 2013. Some campaigns already had been carried out to encourage parents dropping children off at school to park responsibly, but only Police officers could make arrests. The Police had been asked to participate in a further campaign, but it was not known if they had sufficient resources to be able to do this.
e) Housing Issues
Chrissie Field, Area Manager with the Housing service, advised the meeting that new fire regulations had been introduced in relation to communal areas in multi-occupied properties. Under these regulations, the fire service could inspect any landlord’s property, to ensure that the regulations were being complied with.
The new regulations meant that residents were no longer allowed to have anything that could be a trip hazard in communal areas. This was causing problems nationally, as it included things such as mats, plants, buggies and mobility scooters.
If items that contravened the regulations were found in the communal areas, the fire service could issue an advice note on their removal, or a deficiency notice, under which a situation had to be rectified within three months. An Action Plan or Enforcement Notice could then be issued. If a problem was still not rectified, the fire service could issue a Prohibition Notice.
To date, four Enforcement Notices had been issued in the city. A fine of up to £500,000 also could be imposed, but the Council had not been fined so far.
For some time, the Council had allowed tenants to put their own property in communal areas at flats, but under the new regulations this would have to be removed. Tenants would be given three chances to remove their items, after which items remaining in the communal area would be destroyed, as there were no storage facilities for them.
f) Evington Fete
John Sloan, Chair of Evington Village Fete and Show, updated the meeting as follows:-
· This year’s event would be held on Saturday 10 August;
· As Chair of the Fete, he had been invited to attend a City of Culture event, as the Evington Fete and Show was held in high regard. The brochure for this year’s Fete and Show carried the “Support the bid” logo in recognition of the support given to the Fete by the Council;
· Entries were needed for the various classes of the Show. These were very cheap to enter. There also was a scarecrow competition, which families, groups and businesses could enter;
· Brochures about the event, which included the Show schedule, were available; and
· A fundraising quiz night would be held at The Cedars on Friday 21 June.
g) Boarded Up Properties
Residents reported that a house in Downing Drive had been boarded up for many years, but the Council had said that it could not take action on it, as it was privately owned and the owner had run out of money. In reply to a question, it was noted that a property had to be in this condition for a number of years before the Council act to get the situation remedied, but the exact number was not known.
In addition, a bungalow in Delaware Road had been boarded up and it had not been possible to find out what the plans were for the site. An established tree had been removed from the grass verge in the road, but the Council had said that it had no funds for the replacement of such trees.
The Ward Members undertook to look in to these matters and asked that full details be sent to them.