Agenda and minutes

To welcome those present to the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed those present to the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence received.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2016.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the extraordinary meeting held on 8 March 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2016 were presented. Under item 10 ‘Our Community Matters’ it was agreed that in paragraph 5, it be noted that traffic calming measures had been put in place in Prince Charles Drive.

The minutes of the extraordinary meeting held on 8 March 2016 were presented.

It was resolved:

       i.          That subject to the amendment of the sentence ‘Traffic calming measures had been put in place and that there was a clearer passageway for traffic in the area’, in paragraph 5 of item 10, to ‘Traffic calming measures had been put in place in Prince Charles Drive and, as a result, there was a clearer passageway for traffic in the area’; the minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2016 were approved and signed as a correct record.

     ii.          That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 2016 were approved and signed as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive announcements through the Chairman.

The Chairman drew attention to a newspaper article for Priestley School; which detailed how the School had received government recognition for their outstanding work and, as a result, the School would be receiving an increase in pupil premium. The Chairman noted that she would write a letter of congratulation to the School on behalf of the Area Board. 

The Chairman also noted that the Area Board had received a petition of 462 signatures, regarding the Calne Library consultation. Melissa Loveday, the organiser of the petition, was invited to present the petition to the Chairman. The Chairman accepted the petition and commented that at the next Area Board meeting it would be reported how the petition had been taken into account.

Cllr Seed, the Cabinet Member for Housing, Leisure, Libraries and Flooding, was in attendance and was invited to provide a brief comment on the petition. He outlined that there was to be a £200,000 investment into the Calne Library and that the service that the Library provided would be enhanced through this investment and therefore, the petition that had been received could not be seen to accurately reflect Wiltshire Council’s plans for the Calne Library.

Cllr Seed informed the meeting that there was no plan to reduce the number of opening hours of the Library, that there would be no reduction to the number of hours that the Library would operate with staff and that there was no plan to reduce the number of activities that were held within the Library; indeed, it was stressed that the swipe-card system planned for the Calne Library would be in addition to the current Library opening hours. Cllr Seed stated that Wiltshire Council was ensuring that its libraries could remain open and functional and that Wiltshire could be seen as unique in this respect; as neighbouring counties had committed to closing their libraries.   

To receive an update from the partners listed below:

a)    Wiltshire Police

b)    Fire and Rescue Service

·         Jack Nicholson, Station Manager

·         Darran Gunter, Chief Fire Officer

c)    Health Services

d)    Calne ‘Our Place’ Project

e)    Town and Parish Councils.

The Chairman drew attention to the updates listed in the agenda pack.

Neighbourhood Policing Team:

Stuart Welch, Wiltshire Police, was in attendance to answer any questions in relation to the written update provided in the pack. In response to questions, Mr Welch confirmed that there had not been a reduction in the number of police officers in Calne and that the police force’s role was to be proactive, as opposed to reactive. In addition, he noted that the priorities of the police force had changed as the days had becomes lighter for longer, due to British Summer Time.

The meeting was informed that the police CCTV van had been repaired and was able to be used. Mr Welch confirmed that he would inform the Area Board, should the CCTV undergo further repairs and thus be out of action. Mr Welsh responded that, despite the fact that the written update noted that there had been an increase in crime in Calne, this could be explained by the enhancement in crime recording systems.

Fire and Rescue Services:

Jack Nicholson, Station Manager, was in attendance to introduce himself as the new point of contact for the Fire and Rescue Services in Calne. Tom Burns was also in attendance and introduced himself as the watch manager for Calne.

Darran Gunter, Chief Fire Officer, was in attendance to provide a short presentation on the combination between Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Services. Mr Gunter outlined that on 1 April 2016 Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Services had combined and he explained that this was to ensure that, as fiscal savings were needed to be achieved, corporate functions had to be rationalised and frontline services needed to be protected.

Mr Gunter highlighted that he had visited several fire stations since 1 April combination and could confirm that they were operating to an excellent standard, as they had done prior to 1 April 2016.

The Chairman thanked Mr Gunter for his presentation and insight into the wide range of activities of the Fire Service.

In response to questions, Mr Gunter confirmed that Fire Stations had to be positioned to ensure that they would cover the area of greatest risk, in as short a time as possible.

Calne ‘Our Place’ Project:

Naomi Beal, Chairman of the Steering Group for the Calne ‘Our Place’ Project, outlined that the project was seeking to increase the level of visitors to Calne, and to increase employment and reduce deprivation in Calne. She detailed that several areas had been highlighted as unique to Calne, such as, Calne Cure. The meeting was informed that various task groups were exploring how to increase visitors to Calne and thus, effectively advertise the area, whilst improving the employment opportunities in Calne.

Town and Parish Councils:

Cllr Evans, Cherhill Parish Council, informed those present that the next Emergency Planning meeting would be held the following week.

Cllr Baggs, Calne Town Council, provided an update that Calne Council were creating a master plan for upcoming events for Calne.

The Chairman  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive an update on the LYN and to present Positive Tickets to young people in our area.

Helen Bradley, Community Youth Officer, presented an annual review that had been prepared for the area board by the Local Youth Network (LYN), as the young person who acted as Chairman of the LYN was not available to present the report herself.

One positive ticket was noted for a young man who assisted an elderly lady, as she had been having difficulty managing her shopping bags. The young man wished to remain anonymous.

Several Councillors congratulated Natalie Viveash, Community Youth Apprentice, on her tremendous work around Child Sexual Exploitation and also her outstanding contribution to the community as a whole; most notably, with the Calne Drop-In Centre.  It was noted that both Helen and Natalie had made a tremendous impact upon the positive activity and engagement of young people in the Calne Community Area.

Rhonda Ward, Head of Service Operations - Adult Social Care, will be in attendance to provide a presentation on the demand for affordable housing in the Calne community area and will discuss how work can be undertaken with the Area Board to ensure that the delivery of new housing will meet the local need.

Rhonda Ward, Head of Service Operations - Adult Social Care, was in attendance to provide a presentation on the demand for affordable housing in the Calne community area. Ms Ward detailed how work could be undertaken with the Area Board to ensure that the delivery of new housing would meet the local need.

Ms Ward outlined that central government wanted to increase the supply of housing within the UK and were attempting to encourage individuals to purchase their own home and live independently; it was explained that it was important for Wiltshire to be aware of how to respond to the government’s direction and that Wiltshire’s priority would be to ensure that there would be provision for the most vulnerable. Ms Ward highlighted that there would be a freeze on benefits for the subsequent 4 years and that there would no longer be a tenancy for life; instead, a 2-5 year fixed-term tenancy would be put in place.

Those present were informed that, according to 2011 census data, Calne had 1316 social rented houses. Between 2010 and 2016, 956 homes had been built in Calne, of which 215 were affordable houses. It was highlighted that the Rural Needs Survey could only be taken as a snapshot in time and was not deemed to be utilised as an accurate projection of the future.

Ms Ward detailed that the working age for males was determined between 16-64 year olds and between 16-59 year olds for females and that the working age population in Calne was significantly higher than the Wiltshire average. It was also noted that Calne was the 4^th most expensive community area in Wiltshire for one to own a home.

In response to questions, Ms Ward confirmed that she would e-mail Jane Vaughan, Community Engagement Manager, the documentation that set out how individual need for housing and location should be determined and further confirmed that Wiltshire Council had allocated funds to help those who were struggling, as a result of the bedroom tax. In addition, several questions were asked, where Ms Ward signalled that she would provide a written response, after the meeting.

Ms Ward also noted her support for Jim Sutton’s event and commented that she would ensure that an individual from Adult Social Care would attend the event on 8 June.

Olga Tuffery will provide a workshop on Health and Wellbeing following discussions at the last Area Board.

A briefing note on the opportunity to establish a local Health and Wellbeing Group is attached for information.

Dr Olga Tuffery, the Chairman of the HACCA, provided a workshop on Health and Wellbeing, following discussions that had been had at the previous Area Board meeting. Dr Tuffery thanked Jane Vaughan, Helen Bradley and Natalie Viveash for their support in ensuring that the workshop could take place.

The workshop was for those present to provide their opinions on which areas and projects it was felt that the HACCA should focus on. At the conclusion of the workshop exercise, the most popular area of focus for the HACCA were concluded as, primarily, health and, secondly, adult literacy. Indeed, it was stressed that if children were to be literate, then adult literacy would first need to improve.

Cllr Hill proposed, seconded by Cllr Ansell, that feedback from the HACCA workshop be provided at the next Area Board and that the Area Board receive a regular update from the HACCA under ‘Partner Updates’.

Having been put to the meeting, it was

Resolved:

That the HACCA would provide feedback on the 5 April workshop to the next Calne Area Board and for regular updates from the HACCA to be heard at the Calne Area Board, as a part of the ‘Partner Updates’ item.

Update on community issues and recommendations from area board working groups. This will include:

·         Highways working group (CATG) –Cllr Crisp

·         Calne Campus Working Group –Cllr Hill

Ø  An update to be provided on the whole campus project; including the library and community hub

Ø  Consideration to be given to a potential Calne Campus logo

·         Sandpit Road (Section 106) working group –Cllr Trotman

·         Air Quality working group –Cllr Ansell

·         Dementia Friends working group- Cllr Crisp

·         Older People’s Champion –Cllr Crisp

An update on community issues and recommendations from the Area Board working groups was received.

Cllr Crisp provided an update on the Highways working group (CATG) and noted that the next CATG meeting would be held on 12 April.

Cllr Hill provided an update on the Health and Wellbeing Programme for Calne and detailed the plans for the Calne Library and Community Hub. He also informed the meeting that the Beversbrook Crossing had been installed and that the Beversbrook all-weather pitch was aiming to be opened in summer 2016. It was also noted that the Calne Leisure Centre was in the process of being transferred back to Wiltshire Council and it was intended that, once back in the ownership of Wiltshire Council, the leisure centre would receive a refurbishment; however, details of the programme were yet to be decided.

Cllr Hill showed the meeting a logo that the area board had chosen for the Calne Health and Wellbeing Programme. It was noted that the logo had been adopted unanimously by the area board councillors.

In relation to the Calne Library and Community Hub, Cllr Hill explained that the Calne Library was being refurbished from 18 April 2016 to encompass both the Community Hub and the Library itself and that this would allow customers to be able to access a wide range of community services under one roof. As a result of the Community Hub being housed within the Calne Library; the number of hours that the library would be open and accessible, would be greater than the current library opening hours. Cllr Hill further detailed that any closures to the library service, due to the refurbishment, would be communicated at the earliest opportunity.

Joan Davis, Head of Libraries Heritage and Arts, was in attendance to present a short film on the Open+ (Open Plus) building management system planned for the Calne Library. She highlighted that the Open+ system was being successfully used in 200 libraries in Scandinavia and 20 in the UK. She reiterated that such a system would ensure that access to the library would be extended beyond normal opening hours.

A discussion was then held in relation to the Calne Library where several points were raised by a number of local people. The points raised included the following; the continuation of current activities and events for children, the security of the Open+ system, the management restructure to the library service, as a part of the reduced budget, and the public consultation on this new system being adopted.

Cllr Seed, Cabinet Member for Housing, Leisure, Libraries and Flooding, confirmed that, once refurbished, the Calne Library would continue to operate in its current format and would be provided with a £200,000 investment; which would lead to an enhancement of the service currently provided. He explained that the library would remain staffed by trained and professional librarians, as was the present case. There would also be the same number of services and facilities as was presently provided for the community, such  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To consider the following applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme:

·         Bentley Model Railway Group: £5000

·         Cherhill Cricket Club: £500

To note that Calne Town Council/Royal British Legion have returned £1000 to the Area Board for their project ‘Palest ink stronger than the best memory’.

Consideration was given to the 2 applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme. Jane Vaughan, Community Engagement Manager, introduced the 2 grant applications; the first was from Bentley Model Railway Group for £5000, for their internal work to create a new club building. It was highlighted that the proposed project was DDA compliant and deemed fit for purpose.

Tim Williams, Bentley Model Railway Group, informed the meeting that the group comprised a wide-range of ages and that the group had recently relocated to an industrial unit in Calne. The industrial unit was not fit for purpose and thus, the group needed to rectify this. Mr Williams explained that the total cost of renovating the unit was £100,000 and that, should the group’s grant be approved, the group would need to find a further £15,000. Cllr Hill noted his support for the group, especially since they had taken the decision to move back into Calne.

The second application had been received from Cherhill Cricket Club for £500, to help the Club to have a new roof put in place. Phil Tonks, Cherhill Cricket Club, outlined that the club had a wide range of ages and both male and female cricketers, and that they had never submitted an application for a grant before. It was detailed that the club had had a new roof installed 3 years previously that was supposed to last for 10 years, however, recently the roof had been leaking and had caused damage. It was noted that the club had been advised to replace the roof, in order to minimise any further damage to the building. It was relayed that a new roof replacement would cost £1380.

The meeting was informed that Calne Town Council/Royal British Legion had returned £1000 to the Area Board for their project ‘Palest ink stronger than the best memory’ as the project had not yet come to fruition.

Having been put to the meeting, it was

Resolved:

       i.          To award £5000 to Bentley Model Railway Group for undertake renovations to their new industrial unit club building

     ii.          To award £500 to Cherhill Cricket Club for a new roof for the Club’s building

Noted that £1000 had been returned to the Area Board from the Calne Town Council and Royal British Legion, for their project entitled ‘Palest ink stronger than the best memory’.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.

The next meeting will be held on 31 May 2016 at 6:30pm at Pavilion Hall, Beversbrook Sports Facility.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Calne Area Board would be held on 31 May 2016 at 6:30pm in the Pavilion Hall, Beversbrook Sports Facility, with refreshments available from 6:00 pm.