Agenda and minutes

The Chairman introduced Councillor Liz Bryant, the new Councillor for Bromham, Rowde and Potterne, and Richard Rogers, the new Community Area Manager, to the Devizes Area Board team.

The Chairman welcomed Councillor John Thomson to the meeting as visiting Cabinet Member and Roger Grainger, a visitor from Devon Council interested in the work of Area Boards. The remaining Councillors and Officers introduced themselves to the meeting.

The Chairman drew attention to the Chairman’s announcements, as in the agenda pack. She highlighted that the waste consultation results were good news for Devizes, because proposed service changes for summer 2011 would mean increased kerbside recycling. Carshare was highlighted as an excellent Wiltshire Council internet based car sharing free service that helps match people travelling for whatever reason with others going the same way: www.carsharewiltshire.com.    

She added that she had become aware of a petition that was circulating regarding parking in the town centre. While free parking could be reduced in the town centre from an hour to half an hour, it was important to remember that Devizes was the only town in the county with free central Wiltshire Council parking. On street parking provision would also not be affected by proposed changes.        

Apologies had been received from Jo Howes (NHS Wiltshire), Lynda Wearn (Cheverell Magna Parish Council), Paula Winchcombe (Devizes Community Area Partnership) and A Wooldridge (Roundway Parish Council).

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2010.  

The minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2010 would be approved and signed as a correct record, subject to an amendment to include mention of the rat run from Etchilhampton across to London Road.

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

There were no declarations of interest made.

To receive updates from the following partners:

a) Wiltshire Police

b) Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c) NHS Wiltshire

d) Devizes Community Area Partnership

e) Traffic Working Party – to ratify the recommendations for the provision of grit bins at seven sites in the Devizes Community Area:

1.         Cheverell Magna – railway bridge at the Green

2.         Devizes – Pans Lane on railway bridge near school

3.         Easterton – junction of Haywards Place and Oak Lane

4.         Market Lavington – Entrance to Rochelle Court in Northbrook

5.         Market Lavington – Fiddington Clay near junction with B3098

6.         Potterne – Blounts Court estate junction with bungalows 50-58

7.         Urchfont – Crooks Lane at junction with B3098 

f) Town and Parish Councils.

a.      The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. Inspector Noble  was pleased to say that two of the most prolific offenders in the Community Area had been locked up.     

b.      The written update from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was circulated at the meeting.

c.      The written update for January from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d.      The written update from Devizes Community Area Partnership was noted. Tony Sedgewick gave a short presentation about cycling in Devizes. Eighty per cent of traffic in Devizes was local traffic, so shifting travel mode from cars to bicycles was important to improving traffic flows. Devizes was a good area for cycling and a number of additional routes to take cyclists away from main traffic were proposed. Main points raised from the floor included concern over shared use of routes by cyclists and pedestrians, the need for good lighting, a safe place to store bicycles and good links between the villages in the Community Area and the town. The Chairman thanked the Partnership for their work on the issue.  

e.      The Area Board were asked to ratify the recommendations for the provision of grit bins at seven sites in the Devizes Community Area. Twenty one grit bins had been requested, but the Area Board was able to supply seven. If a parish had somewhere where they could safely store grit, they could request a supply from Wiltshire Council.

Decision   

Grit bins would be provided at the following sites:

1. Cheverell Magna – railway bridge at the Green
2. Devizes – Pans Lane on railway briedge near school
3. Easterton – junction of Haywards Place and Oak Lane
4. Market Lavington – Entrance to Rochelle Court in Northbrook
5. Market Lavington – Fiddington Clay near junction with B3098
6. Potterne – Blounts Court estate junction with bungalows 50-58
7. Urchfont – Crooks Lane at junction with B3098

Councillor Ody notified the meeting there would be some additional vehicles on the roads in the Caen Hill area, as material was being moved to improve local bridges to meet European standards. This should be completed by the end of March 2011. The management of air quality had also moved forward as the site now had a real time air quality analyser.

Councillor Ody drew attention to the prioritised traffic schemes schedule included in the agenda pack. He confirmed that the Traffic Working Party were also considering a number of rats runs in the Community Area, including ones at Roundway, Caen Hill and Etchilhampton.

f. There were no updates from Town and Parish Councils.  

Councillor Chris Humphries will give a presentation regarding consultation on the proposed spending cuts.

Councillor Chris Humphries then spoke about proposed spending cuts to Wiltshire Police Authority. £15 million of savings were needed over the next four years (the current total budget for policing in Wiltshire was £107 million). Planned savings at present include nearly £4 million savings on general expenditure and £11 million from staff savings. There were no plans to change frontline numbers, there would be 11 Inspector led areas as now and Swindon and the County divisions were to be merged to give one Force wide service delivery.

Councillor Humphries asked the meeting to take part in the consultation by completing the questionnaire cards that were available, visiting the Wiltshire Police Authority website to complete the survey there: www.wiltshire-pa.gov.uk, or calling 01380 734022 for a hard copy of the plans and questionnaire.

Councillor John Thomson will provide a short overview of his role as Deputy Leader.

Councillor John Thomson provided an overview about his role as Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Adult Care, Community Services and Libraries. He explained this encompassed Area Boards.

Wiltshire Council was committed to retaining libraries and the mobile library service. Opening hours would be reassessed in the context of neighbouring local authorities closing libraries. Input from volunteers and partnership working would be needed in small communities to keep their libraries open.

Wiltshire was set to face a big increase in the number of older people in the county and had a ten year plan to improve services. Wiltshire Council was investing in keeping people in their homes with support for as long as possible, the next stage would be extra care in home and the final stage if needed would be residential care.    

Janice Fortune, Chief Executive of Develop, and Karen Scott of Wiltshire Council will give a presentation regarding the funding of the voluntary sector and Grow, a new infrastructure support service which includes a countywide volunteer service for Wiltshire for the first time.  

Janice Fortune, Chief Executive of Develop, and Karen Scott gave a presentation regarding the funding of the voluntary sector and Grow, a new support service for volunteers and volunteer organisations.

Services provided included connecting volunteers with opportunities, funding advice, up to date information affecting local organisations, resources and publications, a programme of training, forums and networking, low cost printing and more.

306 organisations had registered at the volunteer centre and more than 1100 volunteering opportunities had been uploaded to the database and promoted to the public. Please contact the volunteer centre on 0845 5216224 if you would be interested in volunteering or see the website: www.growwiltshire.org.uk.

The Area Board were invited to lend support to a bid made to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme and recommend the panel approves the Wiltshire volunteers project.

Decision

The Area Board would lend support to the Wiltshire Volunteers Performance Reward Grant Scheme application.     

An update from David Roberts, Head of Regeneration.

Councillor Carter gave an update about plans to regenerate the Wharf. A number of meetings had taken place and a draft plan had been put together in anticipation of consultation. A full development brief with illustrations would be presented  at a future Area Board meeting.  

The Community Area Manager will report on highlights and unresolved issues in the Community Area. A log of the community issues submitted is available to view online at:

http://portal.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/areaboard_issues_search.php?issue_location_in=Devizes.

The Chairman drew attention to the community issues log that was available to view at the meeting. The log of the community issues submitted was available to view online at:

http://portal.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/areaboard_issues_search.php?issue_location_in=Devizes.   

The Chairman thanked those at the meeting and asked for evaluation forms to be completed. The next Area Board meeting would take place on Monday 21 March 2011 at 7.00 pm at Lavington School.