Annual parish meeting
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Thursday 14 April 2016 at 7.30pm at theCouncil Offices, Castle Donington
present : Twenty five members of the Public as per the attendance sheet.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
1. minutes of the last meeting
RESOLVED: That the minutes were a true record subject to a couple of minor typos.
2. report from the police
PC Jason Underwood presented a report on behalf of the Beat Team, prepared by PCSO Kev Bradley.
The Local Policing unit continues to forge a pro-active relationship with the Castle Donington Parish Council focusing on combating crime and dealing with those who cause most harm. By working with the Parish Council the Team are able to identify and solve local problems ensuring effective and efficient uses of joint resources.
Crime (NN NWL NPA)
Inspector Bhakta (NPA Commander) recently reported that the North West Leicestershire Policing area reported crime figures are on a whole on par with last years but unusually concerning is an increase in burglary dwelling, commercial burglary and theft from motor vehicles.
By identifying possible suspect vehicles and by liaising with other Police Forces and sharing information and intelligence, made possible by the regionalisation NICHE recording system, a number of warrants and subsequent arrests of nominals have been made. These ‘out of area’ nominals had been able to use the excellent arterial road network in the North West to carry out criminal activities.
A good example of this was the recent arrest by a neighbouring force of two nominal suspects travelling to the North West and stealing Land Rovers and Land Rover parts. Since this arrest offences have greatly reduced.
Op Pioneer and Op Barric are both on going multi-force crime investigations targeting on thefts from commercial vans (tools) and curtain sided lorries respectively, of which there have been a number of incidents recorded in the North West.
A review of burglary incidents finally paid off by both identifying nominals from the force area but not resident locally and a re-occurring ‘modus operandi’ of a local ‘reformed’ offender, lead to arrests.
A proactive policing plan implemented in localities of concern has also been successful in ‘policing’ suspects and increasing public confidence.
Working closely with partner agencies and following criminogenic pathways, Integrated Offender Management is being successfully employed with younger nominals across the area resulting in the use of preventative crime measures like ‘Active Choices’.
CEASE is a force wide multi agency campaign to tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and will feature strongly in the coming months.
Crime trend
ASB
NN NPA year down by -16.7% 5 year down by -30.5%
NN43 Valley year down by -20.3%
RECORDABLE CRIME
NN NPA year up by +5.2% 5 year down by -32.9%
NN43 Valley year up by +5.1%
NN43 Valley
Anti-Social Behaviour
Previously Castle Donington residents raised concerns about perceived Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) within the community which led to two specific Community Engagement Plans, one at Spitfire Road and one at Bosworth Road/Shields Crescent.
The use of Police IT Systems identified specific problems raised concerns at the Joint Action Group meetings where a number of multi-agency enforcement operations were carried out.
Following community engagement and consultation and a lot of work being carried out fundraising by the Parish Council a MUGA and ‘outdoor’ gym equipment have been installed on the Spital Park Recreation Ground with great success, reducing perceived low level ASB in the problem areas.
Recordable Crime
The Team have been heavily involved in high profile investigations, namely the deaths of Kayleigh Haywood and recently, Josh Cotton. A massive amount of resources where deployed in these very sensitive highly reported investigations, both having connections in the Valley area.
Beat members continue to assist in local investigations and actively engage with victims and residents in the immediate area. A number of ongoing investigations are being managed by the Beat Team.
Following a spate of burglaries on Spitfire Road estate the Beat Team and Parish Council have held two forums for concerned residents with the formation of an estate Neighbourhood Watch group. Crime in the area has dramatically reduced.
Following consultations with local residents, Community Speed Watch groups and partner agencies the NN43 Valley Beat Team have carried out a number of successful Traffic Operation dealing with the highlighted issues throughout the beat.
Attention was paid to Hilltop in Castle Donington following consultation with local residents and the Parish Council. With a 30mph limit in place, 25 drivers were advised about driving standards for minor breaches and 2 reported for excessive speeds.
In total 130 drivers were stopped across the beat in a four day period and advised and 21 reported for traffic offences.
As part of an ongoing community based initiative to advocate safe internet usage to local young people a second presentation by the AlterEgo Creative Solutions Applied Theatre Group of ‘CHELSEA’S CHOICE’ was held in October at Castle Donington College following a successful visit earlier in the year.
The Beat Team have embraced this and given a number of assemblies/workshop to all schools across the Beat using CE-OP (Child Exploitation and On-line Protection) presentations aimed at specific age groups raising awareness of Healthy Relationships, Promoting Safe Internet Use and Identifying Risky Situations.
Donington Race Circuit.
The local Beat Team are actively involved with the circuit during the Motor Sport and Festival Season. The biggest music festival last year, Download, saw a intense police operation throughout the event which resulted in a decrease of reported crime by 35% compared with the previous year, This is lowest figure noted for the event in recent years.
Peak attendance over the weekend was on Saturday night, with around 80,000 people. Average over the weekend was around 74,000. Approximately 45,000 people were camping, with additional guests in other accommodation on site.
It is surmised that the due to pro-active and robust policing early on Wednesday night, and the introduction of RFID technology (cashless) to the event, reduced the threat of theft with less cash available in the camping area, a primary target for Organised Criminal Gangs in the past.
Several groups of believed pick-pockets were intercepted before gaining entry into the arena area. Although none of these were known to have attended Download in the past, they were presented as having invalid/no tickets for the event and previously been highlighted for pick pocketing in Europe through an on-going police operation.
At the British Super Bike event, involving all of the beat team pro-actively patrolling the venue and car parks, no crimes were reported over the bank holiday weekend. The team continue to work closely with a number of associated businesses and organisations at the circuit.
3. report of the volunteer centre
4. Report of the chairman of the parish council
The year started with a Parish Council election, the first time in years that positions on the Council have been oversubscribed, albeit by only one. With the village now separated into three Wards we only had an election in the Central Ward where six sitting Parish Councillors contested just five seats. As well as losing an active supporter of our events in Bernadette O’Dowd, it also demonstrated a need to communicate more actively regarding who we are as Councillors and what we do. It is awkward, however, in a Parish which is determined to remain a-political, for prospective councillors to go head to head against each other. That said there were definitely lessons learnt for next time.
The year started with the successful opening of a Multi-Use Games Area and outdoor gym equipment at the Spital. This was the result of, particularly our clerk and local PCSO, going the extra mile to successfully apply for several grants making it possible. This was part of a wider “Youth Provision” Initiative, which also provided the funding for a powerful educational performance on sexual exploitation called “Chelsea’s Choice” which was shown to the local school. This was incredibly relevant and informative. Also on witnessing the performance here, Leicestershire County Council reversed its previous decision and subsequently decided to fund the performance being shown countywide. I cannot help but feel a certain amount of pride that this Parish Council’s initiative proved the catalyst for children right across the county being better equipped to recognise, and be alert to, sexual exploitation.
I am also pleased to announce that the Parish Council managed to negotiate £50k from Bloors, or more specifically a land owner who wanted to develop a land locked triangle of land to the north west of the Spitfire Road estate, to permit a storm drain to run across Parish Council land. Parish Councillors are volunteers and therefore not necessarily expert in these matters so it was a matter of recognising the true value of the permission rather than asking for a nominal compensatory sum. This money has enabled the Parish Council to set up a local grant scheme where local groups can apply for up to £500 to fund the various projects they may have. Afternoon tea is now scheduled for the applicants, in an event we are calling a Celebration of Volunteers.
After recognising that indignantly banging the table at District Council particularly on “Planning” matters has very little positive effect, the Parish Council is now trying to engage with them. CDPC is a consulted body, which means our opinion on all planning matters is sought, but there is nothing in the process to say our views must be heeded. Historically we have therefore ended up antagonising the very people we actually want to influence. This new approach has seen the CEO at NWLDC coordinate a working group of planning officers, District & County Councillors, LCC Highways Department and the two developers behind the 895 house development to try to deliver a complete western perimeter road for Castle Donington three years earlier than was initially programmed. This hasn’t been secured yet as funding loans are being sought but it is testament to what can be achieved by working together. The earliest provision of a western perimeter road became the major priority for the village as we feared that construction work on Junction 24 to build a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange could create five to six years of gridlock for the village, with general traffic avoiding the junction.
CDPC works well with Donington Park, an organisation no doubt buoyed by the Welsh Government’s decision not to fund a competitive, “Circuit of Wales,” race track. Building on the success of the recently added Historic Car Cavalcade which means the Parish Council now has six, free of charge, annual events for the community to enjoy. This year we will also see World Super Bikes racers, riding round the streets of Castle Donington. I am not yet able to share all the details, or the name of the celebrity likely to endorse it but there is a great deal of excitement rising about this Sunday May 22nd event,. This will promote the WSB series one week ahead of them actually racing at Donington Park and significantly raise the profile of Castle Donington.
The Parish Council is also helping to facilitate a street party in honour of our Majesty’s 90th birthday. Borough Street will see lines of tables up and down its length for what will be a great patriotic day out for all the family. Hopefully the Sun will be kind for all our community event days. Although this is hard to guarantee we have successfully moved both the British F1 GP and the Wimbledon Men’s Final this year, so neither clashes with Music in the Park!
At last year’s, Star Council Awards, our clerk, Fiona Palmer was runner up in the Clerk of the Year category; pretty impressive considering there are 9,600 councils in this country. CDPC is now recognised as something of a model Parish Council. This doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels, we should be challenging ourselves to do better. However it is important to recognise that in any institution it is the people who make the difference, so I would like to thank the aforementioned Fiona Palmer, our deputy clerk, Jayne Mitchell, admin assistant, Grace Saffell, our groundsman and new lengthsman, Martyn Lee and Kieron Lehrle. It’s a small team of, primarily part time personnel, yet they represent the best value level of government for any taxpayer in Castle Donington.
Finally I would like to thank my fellow councillors for their support throughout the year. Firstly those who contribute fully to organising and stewarding our events as we all know that without our time, energy and efforts these events simply would not happen and Castle Donington would be a poorer place and community without them. I won’t list everybody’s name but you know who you are. We have councillors who give more time and occasionally their paid work efforts to provide either free or very cost competitive services to the Council. Thank you for this. Finally there is a hard core of councillors who really get things done, they are the antithesis of those who believe that merely attending meetings and making comments is all we should do. Of most help to the Council and me this year have been Councillors, Colin Burton and Chris Hills without whose help, literally, so much less would get done. This village and this Council are lucky to have you.