Agenda and minutes

An introduction by Martin Watson, Headteacher of Lavington School. 

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially the young people present, and introduced the Wiltshire Councillors.

The Chairman announced that a public health fair would be held at Devizes Town Hall on Monday 8 Feb from 4-6.00pm.

Following the recent weather, Wiltshire Council’s highways team was working round the clock to repair damaged roads in the county. The meeting was encouraged to report serious potholes to CLARENCE on 0800 232323 and they would be filled in as soon as possible. Wiltshire Council was also refilling grit bins, in case of more severe weather in the coming weeks.

A lucky draw was held for respondents to a survey from Connect 2 Wiltshire. The winner selected by the Chairman was D Little from Urchfont.   

Councillor Mayes handed the meeting to Martin Watson, Headteacher of Lavington School, who gave a short presentation on the school.

Apologies were received from Juliette Bennett (Devizes Partnership of Churches), Mitch Roberts (Town Centre Manager), Judy Rose (Devizes Guardians), Lynda Wearne (Cheverell Magna Parish Council), Margaret West (Voluntary Action Kennett), Charles Winchcombe (Devizes Town Council), Paula Winchcombe (Devizes Community Area Partnership) and Noel Woolrych (CCTV Manager).

Councillors are requested to declare any personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2009.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record, with the amendments that Chris Callow had attended the meeting and Lavington railway station be referred to as such rather than the Chocolate Poodle railway station.  

A film featuring young people from Devizes and Lavington on their experience of living in the area.

Round table discussions.

A film was shown about young people from Devizes and Lavington and their experience of living in the area.

This was followed by round table discussion of the film, facilitated by Damian Haasjes, Youth Development Co-Ordinator. The Chairman asked for an issue arising from the film and a possible solution to the issue from each table. The main issues raised were:

·         Nowhere to go in Market Lavington

·         Parties for young people banned in village halls

·         Lack of ownership of facilities and under appreciation of existing facilities by young people

·         Lack of a skate park

·         Transport for young people from the villages

·         Lack of respect for young people and a lack of interaction between the generations

·         Nowhere for young people to go

·         Lack of awareness of available facilities and how to become involved

Possible solutions to the above issues were:

·         Provision of a dry and warm shelter in Market Lavington

·         Provision of a youth site with facilities

·         Greater involvement of young people in the running of existing facilities

·         Greater involvement of young people in the decision making process 

·         Better use of community transport  

·         Inter-generational events and activities

·         Improved dialogue between Wiltshire Police, young people and complainants

·         Subsidised prices at the youth centre

·         Better publicity of available facilities - information was available on www.sparksite.co.uk

Councillor Wheeler noted the issues and solutions that had been raised. He commented that it would be worth looking at successful schemes elsewhere, such as in Rowde, and that as activities required a critical mass of participants, schools were a strong venue as young people were already there and they had good transport links.

David Whewell (Head of Youth Work, Wiltshire Council) and Carl Bowen (Special Projects Officer, Wiltshire Council) will provide an update on possible transport schemes for young people in villages.

Councillor Gamble presented an update on a possible transport scheme for young people in villages, which had been put together with David Whewell (Head of Youth Work) and Carl Bowen (Special Projects Officer). The scheme was for an evening bus club running from the villages into Devizes for young people. He underlined there would be no special provision planned for the young people once they were in the town. A pilot scheme was intended to be run from late 2010.  

The club would be debated by young people at a conference held on Friday 19 February.     

To receive updates from the following partners:

a)    Wiltshire Police (written)

b)    Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (written)

c)    NHS Wiltshire (written)

d)    Devizes Community Area Partnership (verbal).

a)    The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted.

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

c)    Alison Knowles from NHS Wiltshire provided a short update on the Primary Care Centre. The centre would now be located at the Quakers Walk site adjacent to a scheme for social care for older people from the charitable foundation St Monica’s Trust. This site was selected after the initial site selected in 1997 became financially unviable.

Alison Knowles answered a number of questions from the floor. There were no plans for a Minor Injuries Unit in Devizes. No money had been spent on investigating the initial site, except for the cost of two public exhibitions. Quakers Walk would be resurfaced as part of the new housing development. Figures on the relative costs of the sites would be available to the public once negotiations were completed. Concern was raised regarding how Devizes infrastructure would cope with the new development and the concentration of cars at peak times.

The Community Area Manager will provide an update on progress with the skate park. A printed log of the community issues that have been submitted and progress made will be available at the meeting.

The Community Area Manager drew attention to the issues log circulated with the agenda papers and emphasised that issues could be submitted and tracked online through the Wiltshire Council website: www.wiltshire.gov.uk. 

Matt Davies, creator of a Facebook petition for a skate park in Devizes, spoke to the meeting about the need for a skate park in the town. The Community Area Manager advised the Area Board of progress to date and sought authority for the creation of a working group to advise the process.

Decision

A working party would be created to advise the progress of the skate park.

Decision

The Council’s property department would investigate the acquisition of a parcel of land referred to in the skate park for Devizes report, included in the agenda papers.

Councillors will be asked to consider the Community Area Grants Report and make recommendations on the applications received.

Consideration was given to four funding applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme.

Decision

West Lavington Village Hall were awarded £656 for purchase of replacement tables.

Reason

The above application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2009/10 and would support use of community venues.

Decision

Rowde Village Shop Steering Group were awarded £4,420 for fixtures and fittings.

Reason

The above application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2009/10 and would support volunteering and sustainable communities.

Decision

Erlestoke Parochial Church Council were awarded £5,000 for access improvements to the church hall.

Reason

The above application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2009/10 and would support use of community venues.

Rowde Parish and Rowde Youth Councils were advised by the Chairman to return to a future Area Board meeting with their application to provide and install safe facilities for a skate park on behalf of the Youth Council.

The Chairman thanked everyone for a brilliant meeting and asked those present to complete evaluation forms.

The next Area Board meeting would take place on Monday 22 March 2010 at Devizes School at 7.00pm, with refreshments available from 6.30pm.