Agenda and draft minutes

No matters arising.

PCSO Adam introduced himself to residents. Residents queried the number of on-beat police officers available for South Wigston; promotion for recruitment and available funding were noted as issues for the Police, but are matters dealt with at a higher level than the local beat teams. Crime stats were queried in regard to is there an increase in South Wigston; there is a noted change in shop thefts with Op Detect in place to address this. ASB has not changed significantly for South Wigston. Visible patrols are taking place, including visiting areas in marked vehicles. Praise was given by one resident to the Police for their involvement in an incident they had reported to the Police recently. Residents raised how previous PCSOs in South Wigston used to patrol on bicycle, and were much more visible in the area due to this; it was asked if the Police would be willing to utilise the bikes again which will be fed back to PCSO Dom. Concerns were raised about the long delays on the 101 number for non-emergency calls which, whilst not urgent, do have an impact on residents such as anti-social behaviour. The online reporting mechanism was promoted here but it was acknowledged that this isn’t always suitable for some residents. Thefts from the One Stop on Gloucester Crescent were raised, and the deployment of CCTV noted to be taking place in the near future to deter this.

No LFRS representative was present at this meeting.

Devolution “Have Your Say” Survey – All district and borough councils will be abolished within 2 years under the direction of central government. Councillors are fighting for Oadby and Wigston to stay as a complete Borough and not be absorbed by the City. The proposal put forward by the districts is to see the County split into a north and south authority, with the City remaining unchanged. The County Council plan prefers one authority for the County, and the City plan sees the City expanded into the County, with one County Authority surrounding it. The Government’s decision on this is expected in November. Town Councils are one option being proposed in some groups to see local government engagement maintained. It was noted that the City Mayor role may also be dissolved under the devolution process. If the Borough is joined with the City then Council Tax is expected to increase for residents.

County Councillor - The Chair noted that the new County Councillor for South Wigston was invited to the meeting but is not present – he will be invited again to October’s meeting.

Homelessness – 94 in temporary accommodation, 14 families in B&B, 140 in the system we have a duty to. £244k spent to date on homelessness, so expected to be £1m in the year, from a £7m budget. This is a statutory duty for the Council. Landlords are selling up so the number of homeless cases is increases. The Council has bought some properties and is approaching landlords to rent properties to the Council; the funding shortfall is around £60p/month however from what the Council is entitled to claim toward expenses.

Spion Kop – The County Council states that no works are taking place at Spion Kop, however it is evident from residents that this is happening, with the lines having been lowered. Bridge works themselves have no expected start date but it is thought it will be reduced to one lane once they begin. There are some concerns about the stability and longevity of the bridge so it may still need replacing due to corrosion.

Oadby Tip – Will be closing for three months to enable major concrete works to take place. Alternative sites are Whetstone or Kibworth. Freeman’s Common is only available to City Council residents, and postcodes will be asked for.

VJ Day, 15 August – Service at the Council Officers at 10:30am with a flag raising.

Bushloe House – Has now been sold, with contracts to be exchanged imminently. This will become an 80+ bed care home, with the main house being retained. All other buildings and extensions will be removed and redeveloped.

Blaby Road Park / Bowls Club – Officers were asked to explore revenue generation through the use of the Council’s buildings, including pavilions. A group has been found that wants to hire Blaby Road Pavilion and part of the park itself for a large sum of money. The bowling club and football teams that already use this site are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.

Weed Clearance – Residents raised concerns about weeds in gutters and on pavements – this was noted as being a County Council responsibility, with the County Councillor not present at the meeting. This will be passed over to them.

Cornwall Road – Car Parking and Untaxed Vehicles – Details will be passed to the enforcement officer so a visit can be made. The DVLA can also be notified for an enforcement visit.

Drop Down Curb in Manor Street – This was raised previously, and passed to the County Council, but no response was received by the resident within the last 2 months. The Chair noted that a response was provided to him last week that LCC will not be altering the drop down’s position, but will reset the paving stones.

Overgrowth from Fairfield Primary School into Gardens – Residents are seeing a large amount of brambles, ivy, and vines growing out of the school grounds into their gardens. Residents also noted that there are items of clothing and equipment left on the playing field following the end of term which are an eyesore – these were removed recently following mowing, but does not reflect well on the school itself.

Covid-19 Memorial – Residents asked if there could be a memorial erected in the Borough for those residents that passed away from Covid-19. Other areas in Leicestershire have done this already, including Loughborough. Councillors will explore this, with Blaby Road Park being one potential location.

Abandoned Vehicle – An abandoned vehicle, left in place for 2 years, was raised as a concern within the car park of the Countesthorpe Road flats. This will be passed to the Council’s Housing Team to look into. It was also noted that customers using the Turkish barber opposite the car park, and using the Cue Club, are also parking in the flat’s car park to avoid paying the main car park fees. This is being looked in to across the Borough as a whole.

Property adjacent to William Gunning Park Entrance – Planning Officers should have visited following the previous meeting. An update on this will be sought as some of the building appears to be overhanging the park’s boundary.

Gloucester Crescent Tree Felling – Fully mature trees along Gloucester Crescent are being felled near to the Dalby factory. These trees are covered by a TPO which was in place for a period of time; when the TPO expired the landowner felled the trees before a new TPO was put in place, although legally the TPO is considered concurrent. The Council is taking action against the landowner for this, and for the ring-barking of some other trees on site which will cause them to die. Replacement trees are expected to be planted following action.

Large Eucalyptus Tree on Saffron Road – The tree is nearly 100ft tall now and is causing significant mess for neighbouring properties – it is now subject to a TPO however, with residents requesting the TPO is rescinded. The Council’s Tree  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

Recycling Update to be presented once the Government changes come through. Food waste bins will be implemented next year – the Council has ordered the lorries and bins for these collections. Residents have concerns that the exterior food waste bins will not be rat proof.

LFRS Requested again.

Wednesday, 29 October 2025 – 19:00 – Venue TBC

Wednesday, 29 October 2025 – 19:00 – Fairfield School