Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairman for the forthcoming year.

Councillor Jane Burton sought nominations for the position of Chairman of the Devizes Area Board for the 2012/13 forthcoming year.

Decision

Councillor Laura Mayes was elected Chairman of the Devizes Area Board for the 2012/13 forthcoming year.

Councillor Mayes in the Chair

To elect a Vice Chairman for the forthcoming year.

The Chairman sought nominations for the position of Vice-Chairman of the Devizes Area Board for the 2012/13 forthcoming year.

Decision

Councillor Jane Burton was elected Vice-Chairman of the Devizes Area Board for the 2012/13 forthcoming year.

To confirm memberships of outside bodies and to confirm membership and terms of reference of working groups (to include Community Area Transport Group).

Decision

The appointments to outside bodies would be as below for 2012/13:

Devizes Community Area Partnership – Councillor Mayes

Devizes and District Association for the Disabled Executive Committee – Councillor Burton and Councillor Ody

Devizes Development Partnership – Councillor Gamble.

Decision

The appointments to the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) would be as below for 2012/13:

Councillor Gamble (Chairman)

Richard Rogers (Community Area Manager)

Gareth Rogers (Highways Officer)

Devizes Community Area Partnership representative

Devizes Development Partnership representative

Town Council representative

Rural parish representative

Supporting Officers when required

The group is open to any Parish Council to request to attend to discuss an issue.

Decision

The terms of reference for CATG were agreed, as included in the agenda pack.

The Chairman will provide information about:

a.     The Jubilee celebration grants awarded

b.     The May 1 Jubilee celebration event

c.     Warm and well - canvassing taking place (attached)

d.     Informal adult education in Wiltshire (attached)

e.     Rural facilities survey (attached)

f.      11 to 19 commissioning strategy update (attached)

g.     Paths improvements grants scheme (attached)

h.     Neighbourhood plan (Devizes).  

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 26 March 2012.  

The area board is asked to decide whether it agrees for the land currently owned by Wiltshire Council to be transferred to Roundway Parish Council for allotments.

The area board was asked to decide whether it agreed for land currently owned by Wiltshire Council to be transferred to Roundway Parish Council. Mr Wooldridge explained there was a long waiting list for allotments in Roundway. Allotments would help people to produce inexpensive food, encourage exercise and bring the community together.

Decision

The Community Asset Transfer of land currently owned by Wiltshire Council to Roundway Parish Council for the purpose of allotments was agreed, in accordance with Wiltshire Council’s Community Asset Transfer policy.

The final report from the working group with recommendations for an area board decision.

The Chairman explained the background to the skatepark and BMX working group. Since the skate park was required to be removed from Hillworth Park in Devizes 9 years ago, there had been a desire to find a permanent replacement skate park site.

In August 2011, the skate park working group was reformed with a remit of assessing all potential locations and reporting back to the area board. The group had carefully considered 14 possible sites and Green Lane had been the group’s preferred option.

The Chairman of the relevant parish had been consulted and was supportive of the project as was the Town Council who owned the land, providing the site was well managed. To help with this, young people would be involved in the design of the park and fundraising for it.

Decision

The area board agreed to take forward the proposal to construct a skate park at Green Lane.

Decision

The area board agreed to take forward the proposal to construct a BMX facility at Green Lane.                           

Lucy Murray Brown, Head of Campus and Operational Delivery, will give a presentation about the development of a community campus proposal for Devizes Community Area.

Lucy Murray Brown, Head of Campus and Operational Delivery, gave a presentation about the development of a community campus proposal for Devizes Community Area.

The presentation included the following:

·       Background to the proposal – a campus is a building, or buildings, in a Community Area that will provide improved services fit for a specific community

·       Developing a campus proposal for Devizes and an indicative sequence of events

·       Preliminary management project – testing the principles of community led management of local services

·       The role of the Shadow Community Operations Board (SCOB) and representation on the Board.

Lucy then answered questions and took comments from the floor. Anyone who thought of questions at a later stage was invited to leave them on paper provided at the meeting.

Points raised included the following:

·       The proposal was dynamic and organic – your input was extremely important in determining what the community received

·       The amount of funding available would depend on the business case put forward to Cabinet

·       Funding was from a number of sources, primarily the Wiltshire Council Capital Programme

·       The transformation team were looking to engage with health services where possible

·       In the meantime the Browfort site had been allocated for extra care housing

·       There was a voluntary sector representative on each of the existing SCOBs in the county

·       A space was set aside on the SCOB for anyone from the community to get involved (this could be a business representative)

·       The SCOB would be able to set up sub groups, such as a group to look into rural issues, and these could involve further Town and Parish Council members 

·       If you would be interested in taking part in the SCOB, an expression of interest form is available on the Wiltshire Council website or please contact Richard Rogers, on 01380 734710 or richard.rogers@wiltshire.gov.uk. Forms must be completed no later than 23 July 2012.

Decision

Devizes Area Board would move forward the community campus proposal by setting up a Shadow Community Operations board.    

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.     The Traffic Working Party (verbal)

f.      Town and Parish Councils (attached).

a.     The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. Inspector Peach then answered questions from the floor. Foot patrols were taking place in the community area and he was pleased to confirm two more PCSOs would be operational from July. Individual PCSOs could be contacted directly through the Wiltshire Police website.

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

c.     The written update from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d.     The written update from Devizes Community Area Partnership was noted. Tony Sedgwick expressed concern over the appeal regarding the rejected planning application for the Quakers Walk Care Village. A show of hands showed the room was strongly minded against the application and the area board noted this concern.

e.     Councillor Gamble stated his appreciation for Devizes Passenger work on the bus maps in the Market Place. He provided a warning about road closures on the A342 between Rowde and Edith’s Marsh and on the A360 at West Lavington and Littleton Panell. Since the last meeting, the new bus stop on Estcourt Street had been fully commissioned and the old one removed and new road markings had been put on London Road for northbound traffic. Gates to Worton were still awaited. With regards to current projects, work on cycle routes was progressing, as was designating Quakers Walk as a bridle way so that it may be incorporated into the cycle network. Matters to be considered at the next area board meeting were related to the Air Quality Management Zone and proposals in the Core Strategy.  

f.      The written update from the Town and Parish Councils was noted.  

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

a.    Devizes Community Area Partnership - seeking £2,098 to improve and  replace signage in Devizes.

b.    Kennet Furniture Project - seeking £4,500 to employ a volunteer manager.

c.    Devizes Carnival - seeking £4,000 to expand a community outreach project.

d.    Devizes Rugby Football Club - seeking £4,700 to purchase additional flood lights.

e.    Old School Day Centre, Market Lavington - seeking £874 to purchase computer and photographic equipment.

f.     Sustainable Development Network - seeking £456 to run an energy fair in Devizes.     

Councillors were asked to consider the Community Area Grants report and make recommendations on the applications received.

Decision

Devizes Community Area Partnership was awarded £2,098 for signage in Devizes.

Reason

The application met the 2012/13 grant criteria apart from that it did not directly provide match funding. However a considerable amount of volunteer time had been put into this project which more than matched the award being sought. 

Decision

Kennet Furniture Project was awarded £4,500 to employ a volunteer manager, on condition all other funding was secured.

Reason

The application met the 2012/13 grant criteria and the application would help increase volunteering and employment.

Decision

Devizes Carnival was awarded £4,000 to expand a community outreach project.

Reason

The application was for a well liked and supported event that the area board wished to be associated with. However the applicant should not see the area board as a continuous source of funding for this work as it contravened Council guidance.

Decision

Devizes Rugby Football Club was awarded £4,700 to purchase additional flood lights.

Reason

The application met the 2012/13 grant criteria and the application added to the cultural and leisure activities of the area as well as improving people’s health.

Decision

Old School Day Centre was awarded £874 to purchase equipment.

Reason

The application met the 2012/13 grant criteria and would support older people to play a fuller and more active part in the community.

Decision

The Sustainable Development Network was awarded £456 to run an energy fair in Devizes.

Reason

The application met the 2012/13 grant criteria and was a single event so future funding was not required.

The Chairman thanked those who were able to attend the meeting. The next area board meeting would take place on Monday 23 July 2012 at 6.30 pm, with refreshments available from 6.00 pm, at Bromham Social Centre.