Agenda item

Flooding

M Smith read through Planning’s response to the questions posed, with agreement to circulate the responses to residents within these minutes as an appendix. Cllr Gamble has asked for a Section 19 response from LCC regarding the two previous flooding occurrences in the Borough, and remedial works taken to date, as details are yet to be made available to the Council to date.

Community Grants

Two queries were received ahead of the Forum which are detailed below;

1. Harborough District council has made available grants to residents who were severely impacted by the flooding on 5^th January 2025. Why has OWBC not offered similar support to its own residents?

2. Harborough District Council offer grant funding to community groups. Why do OWBC not do the same?

No response to these queries were available at the time of Forum taking place. A request was made for a response to be provided at the next meeting of the Forum.

Brocks Hill Toilets

Public toilets are accessible through Jennos. There is no signage highlighting the toilet facilities available at Jennos, as noted by some finds by litter-pickers, so an increase in signage is recommend. The availability of toilets is linked to Jennos’ opening hours 9am – 7pm (5pm Sundays).

Pavement Parking outside Bru, Oadby

This is still an issue – has their been any progress on the provision of bollards along the Parade? S Haq notes that she has sought funding from the UKSPF budget for planters; the UKSPF budget is not available to the Council as yet but the request is in place. Civil Enforcement Officers cannot enforce against pavement parking if there are no double-yellow lines on the road itself. Cllr. Kaufman that where there are TROs in place the CEO’s employed by the Council to monitor car parks should also be enforcing in these areas. It was noted a lot of these vehicles are displaying blue badges meaning the enforcement is believed to become a police responsibility. Residents noted that this behaviour has increased significantly since the introduction of parking charges within the Council’s car parks. Parking permits on Sandhurst Street for residents did not work as parking from 6pm, at the end of restrictions, becomes incredibly difficult. The parking charges are not objected to by residents as long as enforcement, to change the problematic behaviour, is made. Parking schemes cost an initial £10,000 just for the first assessment study of the scheme’s suitability. Residents proposed that revenue from car parking charges may be used to fund these studies; it was also proposed that this revenue may also be used to fund educational approaches for residents / parkers. S Haq noted that conversations with the Police have highlighted that feedback from the Oadby Forums is acted upon by the Beat Teams. It was proposed that information around reporting pavement parking concerns to the Police is promoted by the Council to encourage further reporting. New Street, Oadby has been noted as an area of concern, as has Primrose with its single yellow.

The development of a Cyclops junction on the A6 near to Epic Accessories was raised as a concern in respect to an increase in pavement parking given changes to access. This would be lead on by the County Council as the Highways authority, with stakeholders having been consulted previously. Public consultation also took place but no results of this has been published. With a budget of £1.9m for the Cyclops junction there is a possibility that it will not surface following the results of the County Council election. Residents asked if the Council can speak with the County Council regarding a lack of support for this plan from residents at the Forum.

The Chair asked for an officer from LCC Highways to be invited to the next meeting of this Forum with a view to discuss parking enforcement, and the CYCLOPS junction. Police representation at this meeting would also be beneficial with both parties being present to discuss parking matters.

Concerns were raised regarding the new LCC administration cutting budgets in relation to the above too, with highlighted concerns regarding libraries.

16 residents voted against the CYCLOPS junction.

East Street Car Park

There are huge potholes within the private section of the car park which pose a risk to the public; can pressure be put on the owners to rectify this?