Agenda and minutes

Police provided an update on crime prevention for the period since the Forum last met. This is summarised below:

Other Crime Issues

An elderly lady was distracted by burglars who stole items from her property.

An Asian family`s property was burgled. It was assumed the burglars may have targeted the property with the view to stealing jewellery.

Vehicles around the Saffron Road corridor were targeted.

The Police are targeting illegal and inconsiderate parking.

The Police continue to consult residents regarding community safety in the area. This includes their perception of anti social behaviour. Since the last reporting of crime stats, no major policing issues have arisen.

A resident requested the Police to address the issue of motorists being forced to use the red marked bus lane as a cut through, as they are driving towards Leicester City. The understanding was those bus lanes were not to be used by cars.

In Wigston Magna, Fredrick Street, teenagers were spotted riding at speed on pavements, without bicycle lights or visibility clothing. Concern was expressed that this may lead to collision with pedestrians.

A request was made for the alleyway to be prescribed as pedestrians only.

Action: The Council is to address this concern

A concerned resident wished to see Bell Street be a cycle free zone. It was explained that the County Council has allowed cyclists access, although the Council did not agree with this decision.

Action: Councillor Boulter agreed to discuss this issue with the resident.

The amended minutes of June 6^th 2016 were agreed as a true and accurate record. The minutes were proposed and seconded for the Forum`s acceptance. There were no dissenters.

A resident requested the Forum include fewer presentations and that the next Forum meeting agenda set aside an hour to discuss how to make the Forum work.

A vote was taken on a proposal to bring forward the Sir Edward Garnier issue previously raised. Fifteen people voted in favour of this. Following the vote, the Chair brought the item forward for open discussion. This was previously to be discussed under item 8 on the agenda.

The Chair read out a prepared statement on the matter.  The Chair stated the current issue relating to the grievance between the Council and employees cannot be discussed. The matter is covered by law and Human Rights legislation.

Action: Circulate the written statement to residents.

The grievances raised were made back in May 2015. An investigation concluded in 2015.  214 grievances and more were said to have been made. The investigation dismissed them.  The Local Government Association was brought in to do a thorough investigation. Only those interviewed were allowed to talk about it.

A resident noted that it seemed suspicious that none of the 214 grievances against senior management had been upheld.  The Chair stated she could not discuss the grievance matter any further as it is not yet concluded.

The Chair was asked if she or any other Councillors apart from the Leader of the Council were involved in the grievance.  The Leader said he had met the investigator, Mr Penn, but the other Councillors said they had not.  This was done so Councillors were ‘kept clean’ from the matter.

The resident then asked whether the HR department were involved, and if not, why not?   The Chair stated this couldn’t be answered at this time.  Questions can be asked once the process is over. Councillors can only raise questions once the process is over.

The same resident asked why the Councillors had not brought the issues to the Forum before, or after, putting the matter in the hands of the investigator.  The Chair stated Councillors and the Public must be careful not to say anything on this matter as they may be liable to be sued if they say the wrong thing.  The resident concluded by commenting that the subject should have been brought to the Forum before the Forum asked about it. 

It was noted that some residents are upset by this matter and the monetary cost.

Another resident noted that the Chair’s statement had chosen one positive statement from Mr Penn’s report.  The same resident quoted from the Under Secretary of State’s statement from Hansard that;

 “Mr Penn did not, however, give the council a clean bill of health.  In a supplementary report on the organizational issues arising from his initial investigation, he found that there were, ‘deep divisions between the Senior Management Team and the officers who took out the collective grievance.’”

The resident expressed concern that Mr Penn’s report was written in February 2016, presented to the Change Management Committee in April 2016 – yet nothing has been reported to residents about the major management and governance problems.  She expressed the view that Councillors needed to trust the residents and put their hands up and say  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24a

Residents stated that the draft minutes of the September 7 Forum were not a true and accurate record.  Amendments to the September Forum minutes were circulated to all present, read, and agreed unanimously. 

A copy of this document, marked as ‘Addendum No. 1’, is filed with these minutes.

A resident raised that they had document of proposed changes to the forum meetings. The resident requested that further consideration be given at a future meeting as to how the forum meetings were to work.

A copy of this document, marked as ‘Addendum No. 2’, is filed with these minutes.

Councillor Morris gave a guarantee that discussion about the Forum meetings would be on the next agenda, and asked residents to come prepared with ideas.

The other matters.

The other matters.

The other matters.

The Oadby and Wigston Community Responders requested an award of £190 from the Residents Forum. This was for the purchase of two high visibility jackets. They requested the same sum from Oadby Residents Forum, which was agreed.

The Responders are now seeking an award of £190 from South Wigston Residents Form to purchase two jackets. The same sum is to be requested from Wigston Residents Forum.

The jackets will help to address the shortage of official equipment required. The jackets will be accessible to other Responders of which there are eleven in total. The jacket cost will include the embroidered crest of this Council and EMAS (East Midlands Ambulance Service).

The proposal was agreed. There were no dissenters.

The other matters.

The other matters.

The other matters.

The other matters.

Residents are reminded that should they wish to discuss issues that affect them before the full meeting begins, there is a confidential one to one surgery session with the Police and Councillors between 7.00pm and 7.30pm.

The next South Wigston Residents Forum meeting is scheduled to take place on: Tuesday 7^th March 2017 at 7.30pm. Venue: Bassett Street Hub, Bassett Street, Wigston LE18 4PE.