Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will welcome Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning. Information will be provided about:

a)    A New Free Home Insulation Scheme

b)    New Youth Club in Market Lavington.

Apologies had been received from Hilary Burn, Hugh Burn, Councillor Burton, Roger Chadwick (Devizes Community Area Partnership), Chris Saunders (Easterton Parish Council), Paula Winchcombe (Devizes Community Area Partnership) and Noel Woolrych (Devizes Community Area Partnership).

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.

To follow up a question raised at the last Area Board meeting, there was no byelaw for bonfires and their monitoring relied on statutory nuisance law. Consideration of a bonfire as a statutory nuisance would depend on various factors, such as the nature of the material being burnt and the frequency of the bonfire.   

To receive updates from the following partners:

a.    Wiltshire Police (attached)

b.    Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (attached)

c.    NHS Wiltshire (attached)

d.    The Traffic Working Group 

e.    Devizes Community Area Partnership (attached)

f.     Town and Parish Councils (attached)

g.    Young People.

The Chairman provided information about the request for a review of parking. A paper had been presented to Cabinet and would be taken to a Full Council meeting in November. The Area Board were waiting for data to be collected from across the county before making any decisions.

a.     The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. Inspector Ron Peach reminded the meeting of the new non emergency telephone number for Wiltshire Police: 101. Wiltshire Police were moving to a different response model. This would have no impact on the service provided and a lot had been invested in new technology to help with the changes. A question was raised about racing cars in the Sheep Street car park. This was a common issue across the county.

Decision

Mandy Bradley would become involved in addressing racing cars in the Sheep Street car park.    

b.     The written update from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was noted.

c.     The written update from NHS Wiltshire was noted. The Chairman explained that a representative would be invited to the next Area Board meeting as they had not recently attended.

d.     The Chairman spoke about the traffic working group. The group had completed a comprehensive cycling plan. The Quakers Walk developer was predisposed towards including a cycling route in the development. Barriers were requested on the bridleway to stop motorised traffic. The Chairman confirmed that the traffic model data was complete. The traffic working group would now develop an overall traffic plan for Devizes to ease congestion and reduce pollution. The model would also be used to assess the impact on the road network of any future development.   

e.     The written report from Devizes Community Area Partnership was noted. The Chairman was pleased with the progress the Partnership had been making. She informed the meeting that ITV had also broadcast a feature on the town and it was hoped to show this at the next Area Board meeting.

f.      A question was raised under the Town and Parish Council update item about errors in the Core Strategy and communication. There would be another round of consultation in spring with an opportunity to correct the document. This would come to the relevant Area Board meeting. It was underlined that it was important to finish the Core Strategy as quickly as possible in order to prevent unwanted development. The strategic planning team were also working on improving communication with members of the public.

g.     Richard Harris, Locality Team Leader, circulated a written update about the Devizes Development Centre for Young People and CAYPIG (Community Area Young People’s Issues Group). The youth centre was very busy and had recently started Friday and Saturday opening. Street based work was taking place on a Monday in Devizes and on a Thursday currently in the Lavingtons and Potterne. Young people had taken part in the 13-19 strategy consultation. Several groups and individuals had also been nominated for awards at ‘The Event’, including a group who had taken part in Devizes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

A short presentation by Mandy Bradley (Service Director for Public Protection, Wiltshire Council). This will outline what Wiltshire Council intends to do to help address the problem of air pollution in Devizes and when these actions are proposed to take place.

A workshop to consider what practical actions we can take to help reduce the need to drive into or through Devizes.

David Dawson (Director of the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes) will talk about developing tourism for the Devizes area. 

David Dawson (Director of the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes) gave a presentation about tourism in the local area.

Devizes Visitor Centre had now closed and David paid tribute to all the staff had done for the town.

Devizes Area Tourism Partnership were aiming to provide visitor information points in the town, local marketing, signage, a website and to develop and market the package that Devizes has to offer a visitor.

New measures put in place included providing advice for visitors in person, by telephone and by email: tourism@devizes.org.uk.

Following the meeting, it has been confirmed that Devizes Library does have tourism information and leaflets and is very happy to help visitors to the town. It is being included as a Tourist Information Point.

Related to the issue of tourism, Councillor Gamble rose the subject of the clinic site. This was a building owned by the NHS that was now empty as its functions had been transferred to the hospital. The building had been discussed as a potential venue for dementia provision, however while Councillor Gamble supported such a facility, he had concerns about using the building.

He explained that he felt it best for the building to be demolished on visual grounds and because of asbestos. The site could then be used by coaches to access west central car park and its facilities which would attract more visitors into the town. A show of hands was taken as to whether the room was broadly in favour of the demolition of the old clinic site building and use of the space to access the car park. All but one person in the room were in favour of this recommendation (the remaining individual recommended demolishing the building and replacing it).      

Councillor Fleur de Rhe-Philipe provided a short overview of her role as Cabinet Representative for Economic Development and Strategic Planning.

She reassured the meeting there were no strategic housing sites in the Core Strategy for Devizes. A prospective developer had requested Coate Road to be included, but this had been looked into and dismissed. If an application was still submitted, Wiltshire Council would be in a strong position to reject it. No application had been received for either Coate Road or the Merchant Venturers site.  

Having employment sites identified in Devizes in the Core Strategy was important, so that if a developer approached Wiltshire Council to express interest in the town, this could be moved quickly forward. A potential employment site had been identified at Horton Road. 

Councillors will be asked to consider two applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

a)    Wiltshire Heritage Museum, seeking £5,000 towards replacement of the boiler; and

b)    Association of Kennet Passengers, seeking £2,800 towards producing a professional bus route map.

Councillors will then be asked to consider two late applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

c)     Devizes Development Partnership, seeking £2,250 to organise a Christmas Festival for the people of Devizes and district with a lantern parade as its core feature; and

d)    The Crown Centre, seeking £3,190 for the installation of a new boiler and heating system.