Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will provide information about:

a.     Clearing away foliage

b.     The Localism Act (attached)

c.     Caen Hillside Diamond Jubilee Woodland (attached)

d.     Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (attached)

e.     A year of celebrations (attached).

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2011.  

Six projects led by young people have been invited to present their ideas and request funding from the Devizes Area Board:

1.     Netball in Devizes – seeking £2,000 towards an academy for 12-16 year olds in Devizes

2.     Wrestling in Rowde – seeking £1,290 towards tuition for a wrestling course and two sumo suits

3.     Wildlife area at Southbroom School – seeking £2,000 to develop an existing boundary of trees

4.     Mixing in Potterne – seeking £1,270.87 towards DJ equipment and tutoring

5.     Table tennis in Cheverell Magna – seeking £598 towards all weather table tennis tables

6.     Conservation in Devizes School – seeking £600 to develop a conservation area.

Tony Scorer, Project Manager for the St Mary's Future Group, will give a short update about where the group is in the planning process, how St Mary’s will be run and project funding since the last report made to the area board in 2009.

Tony Scorer, Project Manager for the St Mary’s Future Group, gave a short update about where the group was in the planning process, how St Mary’s would be run and project funding since the last report made to the area board in 2009.

St Mary’s Church had effectively been made redundant as a place of worship in 2006. A survey had been conducted which had found that the church building would best be employed for community use. A business plan had been developed and an architectural competition had been held. From this, Batterham Matthews Design Limited were selected as the chosen architect for the project. Their proposed design was based on cloisters set into the churchyard. Permission from Wiltshire Council and the Salisbury Diocese was required before the work could start taking place.

A charity, St Mary’s Future Group, had been set up to run the building and ensure the church would be revitalised as a community asset. If you would be interested in getting involved, please contact Reverend Canon Paul Richardson, on 07747 583954 or admin@stjohnwithstmary.org.uk or Tony Scorer, Project Manager St Mary’s Future Group, on 01380 720168 or tonyscorer@yahoo.com.

There was then a short question and answer session. This covered the points below:

·       The acoustics of the church building were good for singing

·       Regular worship would continue in the church building

·       St Mary’s Future Group had a funding team who were working to make up the shortfall in funding

·       Plans were being made to attract the wider community into the church building – there were, for example, opportunities for Wharf theatre productions to be staged.    

To receive updates from the following partners:

a.     Wiltshire Police (attached)

b.     Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (attached)

c.     NHS Wiltshire (attached)

d.     Devizes Community Area Partnership (attached)

e.     Traffic Working Group to include update on December 2011 area board minute ‘Concern was raised that Whistley Lane had not been included in the Devizes traffic model’

f.      Town and Parish Councils

g.     Young people.

a.     The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. Inspector Ron Peach introduced Superintendent Matt Pullen. He explained that it had been a busy year for the county and Marlborough, Devizes and Pewsey had been handed to the special constabulary to manage for a weekend in a trial to see how they would cope. The special constabulary had done an excellent job and it was reassuring for the county to know this contingency arrangement was in place. Police visibility in villages was being increased and a schedule of their visits was available on the Wiltshire Police website. 125 young people had attended the previous Blues n Zuz pyjama party and the next event was a cops and robbers themed disco on 17 February 2011.

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 Lisa Hunt, the new deputy Chief Executive for the Royal United Hospital, had attended the meeting to confirm that x ray facilities in the town would be repaired. 

d.     Devizes Community Area Partnership would expand on the written update included in the agenda pack in the succeeding item.

e.     The Traffic Working Group had had a good meeting with a presentation from Whistley Lane residents. A review of speeds on A and B roads had taken place and a review of C roads was due to commence in spring this year. Whistley Lane, Conscience Lane and Folly Road would be included in this stage of the review. The Chairman reported that crossings at Rowde were proceeding and the traffic model had been validated. The model had found that 70% of traffic in Devizes was locally generated and the intention was to reduce this by 5%. A challenge was to reduce the number of short journeys made in the town. St Peter’s School had been contacted regarding producing a travel plan. The Chairman thanked all those who had been involved.

Councillor Gamble then addressed the meeting about concerns over lorries travelling through Great Cheverell. The High Street road was too narrow for two lorries to pass. There were difficult turnings in the road and a low bridge was hazardous for high vehicles.

A signage change had been made at the end of 2011 to direct traffic to an alternative route; however complaints and concerns had since been raised by those residents affected. Given the concern expressed at the meeting about the suitability of both the original and the alternative route, the Chairman felt the area board did not have sufficient information to make a resolution on this issue.              

To include a mid year report and request for the second tranche of area board funding. 

The purpose of Devizes Community Area Partnership was explained to the meeting. The Partnership had been asked to produce a community plan to supplement the Wiltshire Core Strategy and help shape local development until 2026. The aim was to publish this document by the end of February. The next stage in the process would be to work on how to achieve and deliver the community plan.  

The Partnership had 50 volunteers at present and seven thematic groups, who met on average four times a year (most work was conducted by email). These groups were; community area safety, culture and leisure, health and social care, housing and the built environment, countryside/land-based and the economy. Devizes Community Area Partnership were seeking more volunteers, please email admin@dcap.org.uk with the group(s) you would be interested in joining and any particular skills or experience you could offer, if you would like to become involved.  

Decision

Devizes Area Board would release the second and final tranche funding of £5,819 to the Devizes Community Area Partnership.       

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

a.     Lions Club – seeking £2,000 towards an annual coaching weekend

b.     Erlestoke and Coulston Cricket Club – seeking £3,500 towards the purchase of the walled garden cricket club.

Councillors were asked to consider the Community Area Grants report and make recommendations on the applications received. The Chairman clarified this funding was the funding awarded at each area board meeting and separate to that awarded to the young people’s projects earlier in the meeting.

Decision

Devizes Lions Club were awarded £2,000 towards an annual coaching weekend.

Reason

While the application failed to meet all the 2011/12 grant criteria as an annual event, the grant was awarded as the community benefit from such a project would be substantial.

Decision

Erlestoke and Coulston Cricket Club were awarded £3,500 towards the purchase of the walled garden cricket club, on condition the additional funding required to make the purchase was secured.

Reason

The application met the 2011/12 grant criteria and the club was well used with a large membership.

The Chairman also reported that West Lavington had been awarded £100 towards printing a leaflet on rights of way to be used by all parish councils.   

The Chairman thanked those who were able to attend the meeting. A show of hands was taken as to whether a new start time for Devizes Area Board meetings of 6.30 pm, with refreshments available from 6.00 pm, was preferred. The vast majority of the room were in favour of this change in start time, which would be in place from the next meeting.