Agenda and minutes

None Received.

The Police provided an apology for their absence.

Councillor K Loydall provided the following update:

·         Any crimes showing statistical spikes will be provided with resources.

·         Overall crime has decreased. In addition to this it was noted that volume of burglaries in the area, are also in decline.

·         Diwali season has seen extra policing resources being used at different periods.

A leaflet was circulated at the meeting containing information, updates and events accessible via Neighbourhood Link.

The link provides access to free information and the contact details for the Local Beat Officer, in order for residents to ring the relevant Officer without having to call 101.

Wednesday evening 07 November 2018, saw Councillor Kevin Loydall patrolling with the local Police Sergeant around the Oadby Grange area. The Sergeant and the Councillor dropped in to see a resident, who was very pleased to see them. The resident commented positively on the neighbourhood signs displayed around the area.

A Scam Avoidance School presentation is to be delivered on 04 February 2019 at 2pm. The venue is the Salvation Army in South Wigston. The Senior Citizens Action Group is to host this event and Santander is to provide a guest speaker.

Councillor H Loydall noted a leaflet had been placed through residents ‘doors. It was asking residents to support the MP`s efforts to get Oadby and Wigston to pay for a new network of CCTV cameras to be installed.

The crime figures in Oadby are in decline. Although the burglary figures are down for the same period this year as for last year, there is no evidence that this is because of the street lights having been left switched on. Research regarding this issue is still ongoing.

A question was raised as to whether the Borough was to acquire CCTV cameras, where they were to be located and who was to pay for them. It was said that as the Community Safety Partnership holds the remit for tackling crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour in the Borough, they have taken the lead on the CCTV upgrade scheme.

The existing CCTV units are to be retained, and supplemented by new units that take advantage of advances in technology including digital lenses and 4G connectivity.

Five new redeployable CCTV units have been purchased, bringing the total number of units in use in the Borough to ten.

53 lamp posts were structurally tested by LCC Highways at the request of the Community Safety Partnership, and at the Partnership’s expense. 48 lampposts passed this testing and will be installed with the relevant fixtures and fittings to host a camera.

The cost of purchasing the five new CCTV units, and the relevant fixtures and fittings, as well as the structural testing undertaken on the lampposts has currently totalled to £29,000, this has been funded by the Community Safety Partnership. Additional expenditure will be required to convert the identified lampposts into ones capable of hosting a CCTV unit.

At present LCC Highways are requesting a fee of £440 + VAT for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

The minutes were checked for accuracy and agreed as a true record.

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11a) The ‘London Houses Project’ information Board was noted as having been paid for by Jelson Homes Ltd.

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11a) Garden Waste - Garden Waste will be collected over the Christmas period. Residents were reminded cooking oil would not be collected.

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11a) The creation of a two-way traffic system on Paddock Street for Remembrance Day worked well.

Councillors will ask the County Council to assess the feasibility of creating a permanent two-way arrangement.

Democratic and Electoral Services Manager Steve Tucker gave a presentation aimed at encouraging local people to consider becoming a Borough Councillor. A paper presentation handout was circulated to those present.

BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Councillors are currently underrepresented in proportion to people from BME backgrounds residing in the Borough and nationally. Only 4% of Councillors in England are from a BME background.

Without a diversity of candidates we are unlikely to obtain Councillors that reflect the diversity of Oadby and Wigston Borough.

Examples were given of voting apathy in other regions which led to seats being uncontested seats were being won by default. In the 2015 local elections in Blaby District, 9 out of 39 seats were uncontested.

There is a decline of candidates coming forward to stand for election as Councillors.

The myths of what qualifications would be Councillors require were read out, for example a candidate does not need any educational qualifications, or to pay a deposit to stand.

Borough Council elections are held every four years.

After the election is held Democratic Services Officers support the newly elected Councillors through an induction programme, provide them with IT to assist them to fulfil their role.

Officers administer the scheme as to how elected Councillors can claim expenses and pair them up with Senior Officers to help with support to ease them into their role.

Residents were invited to speak to Officers in Democratic Services if they wished to know more about the election process and putting themselves forward as election candidates.

Prospective candidates were advised to think about speaking to their local Councillors to find out more about their experiences. The other options are to contact the local political party branch to discuss how they can support their campaign, or to attend a Council/Committee meeting to see how the Council operates.

Following a consultation report of Councillors in 2013 82.4% of those surveyed said they would recommend the role of a Councillor to others.

At the close of the presentation, the Chair thanked Steve Tucker.

Mrs Clare Lawrence-Simms presented on the topic of the “Community Harmony Scarf”.

She provided a background on how the Scarf Project began. It developed out of the Big Lunch event in 2017 through the effort of the Oadby Youth Group after the Big Lunch the aim was to have it displayed in Oadby Library.

The Scarf represents fun and complexity. It was about young people learning coping skills, helping them to grow and be well adjusted in the community.

The longer term aim is to create a scarf that will grow to go around the girth of the world. This is a measurement of some 475 Kilometres.

In summer 2019 it is the aim to have a scarf, which will measure 730 metres to enable it to fit around King Power Football Stadium in Leicester. The Scarf has travelled around parts of the UK and even as far as Spain. It is a conversation piece. It now consists of fifty-two sections, each piece has a theme attached to it.

The current piece brought to the Residents Forum was titled: “I have a Voice and I`m Going to Use It”. The first ribbon in the scarf was purple. Purple represents the Suffragette movement.

In concluding the presentation Mrs Lawrence -Simms described the Scarf as a “Story of Community”, of Britain, of the World. The Scarf is helping people to find their voice.

The Lions are organising the Christmas Light Switch-on. This takes place on November 24 2018 at 6pm.New lights have been purchased to update the current lights. These were purchased for £5,000.Bell Street will be closed. Shops will open until 8.00p.m.for late night shopping.

The old icicle lights will be replaced in 2019.

Praise was expressed as to how nice The Pinfold was looking.

For more information about Pride of the Borough click on the link provided here. https://www.prideoftheborough.org/

Maromme Square Benches and Play Equipment

It was expressed that residents on Maromme Square are looking to acquire equipment that is more mobile.

Residents desire equipment that can be placed outside and stored away.

The current Wigston Residents’ Forum budget stands at £49,151.

To mark 100 years since the end of World War 1, a request was made for £200 to be used to print leaflets and advertise for a concert to be held in November.

The venue is the United Reformed Church by Peace Park. Entry to the concert is free of charge.

One person proposed the request and there was unanimous agreement by all present. Donations would be appreciated. At least six different acts are to perform.

Friends of Peace Park requested funds to raise the carpet bedding in the park. £200 is required but only £100 was requested. The rest of the money is to be made up from raising funds at coffee mornings. The repair is required to be completed by March 2019.

One resident proposed the project and one resident seconded the proposal. There were neither objections nor dissensions. The award of £100 was agreed.

A proposal was brought for replacing the Framework Knitters Museum gates. The replacement is expected to cost £600.It was agreed to award £400.

The proposal was seconded, there were no dissenters. It was also likely that the fire alarm would require replacing in a couple of years.

Celebration to Mark the End of World War 1

·         Church bells were rung throughout the Borough.

·         A request for celebrating the end of World War 1 by the playing of bagpipes at 6:00am was declined. This was in consideration of the proposed hour for ringing of bells and the potential impact on sleeping residents.

·         This was organised by Bruno Peat from London. He has since emailed to say he is considering playing the bagpipes in commemoration of VE (Victory over Europe) Day in two years’ time.

New Pavilion on Little Hill

·         The first dig for the new building takes place at the end of November 2018. The land conditions meant extra work on the land was required because it was not stable. The Pavilion will be open at the end of May 2019, it will hold up to 150 people.

Trees along the Cemetery Layby

·         The trees have been checked and found safe.

Creation of a new Unitary Authority for Leicestershire

·         The MPs for Leicestershire have collectively stated that in their view, now is not the correct time for this proposal. However, the Leader of the County Council wants to hear the public’s views and is therefore continuing to prepare for a consultation.

·         In the meantime, the Districts have said they will not conduct any further work on the scheme.

·         The Leader at County Hall had stated that OWBC has the highest Council Tax band, but neglected to mention that OWBC does not include any Parishes, therefore there is no Town/Parish Council precept, which is the case in the other Leicestershire authorities.

·         A Sunset Clause is a provision in a Bill that gives it an expiry date once it is passed into law. Sunset clauses are included in legislation when it is felt that Parliament should have the chance to decide on its merits again after a fixed period.

·         The Sunset clause states that if this proposal for a unitary authority is not settled by 29 March 2019 it will die. Further information can be found at https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/sunset-clause/

·         The results of a survey held in 2014 showed residents wanted Boroughs and Districts to retain autonomy. A unitary authority might mean; a cut in fortnightly waste collections and the introduction of car parking charges.

·         The Council will be including a survey in Letterbox in early December. Residents were requested to fill it in and return it.

Action:

Place the County Council Tax banding, like for like on the Residents Forum agenda for 2019.

Wigston Civic Society

Wigston Civic Society is celebrating its 40^th year of existence. Its most recent project is the installation of an ‘Interpretation Board’ that describes the heating elements and the London Houses placed there by Henry Davenport.

Joining enables a person to provide comments on any planning or building issue. Anyone may join the Society, annual membership costs £9.00.

Defibrillator Training - Spring 2019

New training dates on how to access and use a defibrillator will be arranged for Spring 2019. Anyone interested in such workshops  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

It was suggested that Council Tax banding is reviewed to check comparison to other Leicestershire districts.

Wednesday 06 March 2019, at the Council Offices, Station Road, Wigston, LE18 2DR, beginning at 7:00pm.