1 Leicester Forest East Parish Council

Minutes of the Planning, Trees and Highways Committee Meeting on Tuesday 6th July 2021, held in the Parish Hall, Kings Drive, Leicester Forest East, commencing at 7.00pm.

Present: P. Kitchen P. Linnett C. Lawrence R. Darlison D. Di Palma

District Councillor Coar (via Telephone) A Member of public (via Zoom) Councillor Di Palma’s Support Worker Mrs H. E. Mann – Clerk to the Parish Council

PTH 21.76 Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman Councillor Linnett proposed Councillor Kitchen to be Chairman of the Planning, Trees and Highways Committee, Councillor Darlison seconded. The Committee unanimously agreed. Carried.

Councillor Kitchen proposed Councillor Di Palma to be Vice-Chairman of the Planning, Trees and Highways Committee, Councillor Darlison seconded. The Committee unanimously agreed. Carried.

Clerk to update website accordingly.

PTH 21.77 To receive apologies for absence Apologies were received from Councillor Dracup prior to the meeting, which the Committee duly accepted.

PTH 21.78 To receive Disclosures of Interest in accordance with the Code of Conduct None.

PTH 21.79 To adjourn the meeting to receive Questions from the Public A member of the public attended via Zoom to suggest parish Council set up a Parish page on the the Nature spot website. The website is a charity run by volunteers and it celebrates wild places and encourages public participation. There is a database on the website which logs sightings of wildlife in a Parish. The parish page would be updated by a volunteer in the community.

This year, the County Council is offering to fund some Parish pages. Priority will be given to those Parishes who signed up for the wildlife verges scheme but there are still some spaces available. As there has been some interest from the parish, in the form of a project at St. Andrew’s Church, a space is being offered to Leicester Forest east Parish Council.

The only work for the Parish Council would be to approve the content of the parish page.

There would be no cost this year, but a £50.00 contribution would be needed from the Parish Council annually from next year.

Councillor Kitchen thanked the member of the public for the information and explained it would be discussed as an agenda point later in the meeting.

PTH 21.80 To confirm the Minutes of the Planning, Trees and Highways Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 1st June 2021 Subject to the date being amended and that the meeting was in person, not virtual (with only the member of the public attending via Zoom), Councillor Linnett proposed accepting the minutes, Councillor Kitchen seconded. The Committee unanimously agreed. Carried.

Clerk to action.

PTH 21.81 To discuss matters arising from those minutes: (a) Neighbourhood development plan update The Clerk explained that the documents necessary for submission have been sent back from Blaby District Council to the Parish Council for uploading to the Parish Council’s website for the submission, these will not be hosted on Blaby District Council’s website as has happened for previous NDPs. The documents will remain on the website for the consultation period and submission of the NDPP to the examiner.

There is an additional document which BDC have requested be re-formatted. This document has been sent to the re-formatting company, reformatted and sent back to BDC.

Councillor Kitchen added that an additional document was then requested by BDC which has also been sent to them.

It is hoped the NDP will be submitted before the next Planning Committee meeting.

(b) Christmas Lights and To approve getting the new lamp posts tested for Christmas Lights The Clerk has emailed the company who tested the lamp posts previously to see if they are willing to test just a few lamp posts, a response is awaited.

The Committee gave the Clerk permission to go ahead and have these tests done if the cost is below £500.00.

Clerk to action.

(c) Lubbesthorpe Liaison Meeting Councillor Di Palma was unable to attend the last meeting but will attend the next one. He thanked the Clerk for gathering information required by the meeting.

(d) Repeated Flooding on one section of the A47 This work is still in progress.

District Councillor Coar had telephoned Councillor Linnett and said he would contact County Councillor Chapman. The Clerk confirmed she had not heard back from the County Councillors as yet.

(e) Salt Bin The resident has been informed that the Parish Council is willing to purchase a salt bin, but that the resident, and other surrounding residents, would be responsible for spreading the salt. Additionally, the Clerk has clarified that to apply for a salt bin, all neighbouring residents must be consulted first and give their permission.

Usually, the signatures of all residents are needed to say they give their permission for a salt bin to be placed in a location. However, the Clerk is seeking clarification on whether other means will suffice due to the pandemic restrictions.

The salt bin will need to be purchased from s. 137 money and will, therefore, require a specific resolution.

Councillor Kitchen proposed purchasing the salt bin from s. 137 money, Councillor Lawrence seconded. The council unanimously agreed. Carried.

Clerk to add to website that surrounding residents will receive a letter regarding the salt bin and unless the Parish Council hears back from them to the contrary, it will assume they give their permission. Also to write to residents concerned.

PTH 21.82 To discuss Planning Applications: (a) 99 Hinckley Road – formalisation of address, 99 – Ground Floor, 99A – First Floor – 99B – Retail – 99C – Office. Noted

(b) 21/0484/HH – 20 Regents Walk – single storey garage to side elevation No Comment.

(d) 21/0438/FUL – 150A Hinckley Road – conversion of 1x flat to 2x two bedroomed flats and 1x one bedroomed flat No Comment.

(e) 21/0781/RM – MUGA – at Old Warren Park, Lubbesthorpe At 7.20pm the Clerk telephoned District Councillor Coar, Councillor Kitchen asked for him to reiterate, to the Committee, his understanding of what was planned in the land between Leicester Forest East and Lubbesthorpe.

Councillor Coar explained that his understanding was that the area would be a completely green area, countryside, with no sports pitches of any kind. This would be from Beggars Lane to the end of the David Wilson Estate.

Councillor Kitchen investigated and found that this application goes back to 2015, various items are contained within it and play areas are mentioned only at the end. On this original application, there was a detailed map which included football pitches but those pitches were refused. It seems that the MUGA was buried within the application.

Councillor Coar suggested the Parish Council contact Blaby to say they are bitterly disappointed that this application was hidden within the jargon of the application and that the Parish Council only found out about it when it was too late to comment.

Councillor Kitchen that Lubbesthorpe Parish Council have not objected to the plans but have raised their concerns over parking. There will be none provided. This will likely mean people using the MUGA will park on Forest House Lane. Councillor Coar that the Police may say this will slow traffic down.

Councillor Coar went on to say that he does not think there is an official signed agreement that nothing would be built on that land.

Councillor Kitchen thanked Councillor Coar for his time.

District Councillor Coar left at 7.26pm.

Councillor Kitchen added that LFEPC had responded, unfortunately, to the initial application in 2015 with ‘No Comment.’

Clerk to:

Object to this planning application for the following reasons: 1. Parking – users of the MUGA will park on Forest House Lane (also raised by Lubbesthorpe Parish Council). 2. The Parish Council believed the land would be left as green land, with nothing being built on it. 3. Request BDC to make it obvious to the Parish Council when a Lubbesthorpe Planning Application is likely to materially affect the Parish of Leicester Forest East.

(f) 21/0453/HH – 33 Hinckley Road – retention of outbuilding to rear garden No Comment.

PTH 21.83 To discuss Planning Applications/Decisions/Enforcement cases received after agenda was prepared: (a) E21/0219/UDRES – 18 Forest House Lane – application of render to front of property – status PCO Noted.

(b) E21/0220/UDRES – 8 Forest House Lane – application of render to front of property – status PCO Noted.

(d) 21/0247/HH – 14Beggars Lane – single storey rear extension and associated alterations including part conversion of a garage – GRANTED Noted.

(e) 20/0157/RM – 137 dwellings etc – parcel R10, Beggars Lane, Lubbesthorpe, Enderby No Comment.

(f) 21/0676/FUL – Harkaway, Hinckley Road, Leicester Forest West – erection of dwelling and associated access and infrastructure. No Comment.

PTH 21.84 To discuss Naturespot.org.uk Website Councillor Linnett proposed the Parish Council join the Nature Spot website and paying the future costs of £50.00 per year; Councillor Kitchen seconded. The Committee unanimously agreed. Carried.

Clerk to contact the Nature Spot website and ask to have a Parish Page added.

PTH 21.85 To discuss the £25,000 each Leicestershire County Council member has to spend on Highways projects this year After discussion the Clerk was asked to keep this item on the agenda.

PTH21.86 To discuss overgrown hedges Complaints have been received regarding hedges overhanging pavements at:

• 37 Forest House Lane • 70 Rushmere Walk • Warren Lane (close to Doctors).

The Clerk has reported these issues to LCC Highways.

Clerk to: • Check on address of property on Warren Lane, and • Write to the three residents and ask that the hedges be cut back.

PTH 21.87 To discuss the Consultation launched on the Draft Leicester Transport Plan and Workplace Parking Levy Clerk to leave on agenda.

PTH 21.88 Date of next meeting Tuesday 3rd August 2021, at 7.00pm.

The meeting closed at 7.40pm.