Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Kennet Valley village hall.

The Chairman then invited all the Wiltshire Council members and officers in attendance to introduce themselves to the meeting along with the Parish council representatives in attendance.

Apologies for absence were received from James Cawley – Service Director and Bob Gutherson – Berwick Bassett & Winterbourne Monkton Parish Council.

a.    To approve, and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2010.

b.    Matters arising from the previous meeting.

a. The minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2010 were agreed as a correct record with the following amendments and signed by the Chairman.

Agenda Item No.36 - Waste Collection - MaVCAP Vice Chair Mr Edmonds asked the following questions on what technology was being considered for eliminating land fill from the Eastern area following collapse of joint project with SBC.

• When will the contract for Hills waste Solutions MBT (Mechanical Biological Treatment) Plant at Westbury be signed (go ahead 23rd March) and why is it for 25 years? How much is it costing us?

• Following the collapse of joint venture talks with SBC (Swindon Borough Council) what technology has been selected by WC for waste treatment - presumably this is for East Wilts. Will this be another eternal partnership with Hills?

• Waste collection per household for East Wilts is shown as £31 per household. North £50 South £69 West £48.50. It sounds as if the unified service, or which the only additional benefit is a doorstep cardboard and plastic collection in East Wilts is actually threatened to cost us more. The sums do not add up. If all areas go to the East Wilts cycle plus a Plastic and cardboard collection then there should be a reduction.

Decision

That answers to these questions would be sent to Michael Edmonds in due course.

Agenda Item No.33 – NHS Wiltshire Update - Out-of-Hours Service.

Question from Joan Davies (Savernake PC) - during the time that the Out-of-hours service is operational, when will there be a doctor or nurse from this service at Savernake Hospital.  As the service is only available by telephoning the Out-of Hours number local people who need to use the service need to know if they are likely or not to be seen at Savernake Hospital.

Decision

That an answer to this question would be sent to Joan Davies in due course.

b. There were no matters arising.

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

Councillor Nick Fogg declared a personal interest at item 10ii as a member of Marlborough Apple Day Committee.  He did not speak or vote.

Councillor Chris Humphries declared a personal interest at item 10i as a member of Aldbourne Parish Council.  He did not speak or vote.

To include, but not limited to, the following:

1. Car Parking Strategy – a consultation
2. Camera Safety Partnership – announcement of closure.

Local Transport Plan Car Parking Strategy

It was noted that several people expressed their concerns that the report was too long and difficult to understand.

Camera Safety Partnership to close

It was noted that Wiltshire Police would looking at how they deploy their services across the County, a decision was expected around December 2010 as to how services will change.

Community speed watch is well supported in the local area.

Flood Packs – request for information from Parish and Town

Councils

It was noted that that Parish council representatives would have liked Wiltshire Council to have acknowledged receipt of completed flood packs, it would also have been useful to know which Parishes had returned their packs.

To note the attached updates and receive any further information partners wish to share:

1. Wiltshire Police
2. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
3. NHS Wiltshire – an update on services at Savernake Hospital
4. Town and Parish Councils
5. Marlborough and Villages Community Area Partnership (MaVCAP)
6. Marlborough Downs Movies (MDM).

Wiltshire Police

Acting Inspector Andy Noble – (Wiltshire Police) requested that the written update distributed with the agenda be noted.

It was also noted that that the policy of using the Face book website as a central access point for the Wiltshire Police monthly crime reports was proving unpopular with some members of the public, concerns were raised that not everybody had access to the internet, Acting Inspector Andy Noble advised that this was the most labour effective way of putting this information into the public domain.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Mike Franklin – (Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service) requested that the written update distributed with the agenda was noted.

A question was raised as to whether any future “Salamander” type projects would be run by the Fire & Rescue Service, Mike Franklin advised that funding for the Salamander project had now dried up, the Fire & Rescue Service however, were still actively visiting local schools promoting fire safety etc.

NHS Wiltshire

The written update distributed with the agenda was noted.

Points made from the floor:

• That there were concerns about the way that the PCT were running their business as this may cause a knock on affect to adult social care funding.

• When was it likely that more beds would be made available at Savernake Hospital.

• The list of activities at Savernake Hospital, which was included in the update was very useful but it was felt it would have been helpful if this information had been made available at an earlier date. 

The Chairman advised that all concerns would be fed back to NHS Wiltshire.

Decision

That the Community Area Manager would write to NHS Wiltshire requesting answers to the questions raised at 31 August meeting.

Town or Parish updates

Marlborough Town council – that extra car parking had been made available on the Common to help people who worked in the town during the current period of traffic/road works issues.

There were no parish updates.

Marlborough and Villages Community Area Partnership (MaVCAP)

MaVCAP were attending parish meetings to bring MaVCAP to the communities.

From this there was need to look at cheap and cost effective traffic calming solutions. Broad Hinton,Froxfield,Ramsbury,Fyfield & West Overton,Ogbourne St George, Ogbourne St Andrew and Ramsbury PC meetings had been addressed with more to come,  this will result in a report to the area board.

The minutes of the last area board map out the key issues and proposed actions from the Wiltshire Local Development Framework Consultation results for the Marlborough Community Area.

MaVCAP with MADT is embarking on the consultation phase of the Marlborough Area Refresh Project for the next five years. The revised Area Plan would be the blueprint for the future of the area, MaVCAP intended to consult widely and provide to highly detailed aspirations for this community area.  MaDT Chairman Martin Cook outlined the six phases with consultation of the Area Board and community being the first and current phase.

MaVCAP would be producing a newsletter to summarize its view of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

a.    To consider Marlborough Town Council’s request to the area board seeking support to upgrade the crossing in George Lane to a ‘Puffin’ crossing.

b.    To receive a short presentation by Ian Ritchie, Chairman of The Friends of The Ridgeway about the proposed ‘Great Stones Way’ walk from Avebury to Stonehenge.

c.    To receive an update report on the closure of Pewsey Road Bridge from Councillor Dick Tonge, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways.

a.George Lane Puffin Crossing

The Area Board considered Marlborough Town Council’s request to the area board seeking support to upgrade the crossing in George Lane to a ‘Puffin’ crossing.

Decision

It was agreed that the Marlborough Area Board supported Marlborough Town Council’s request to upgrade the crossing in George Lane to a ‘Puffin’ crossing and that the issue was to be forwarded to Spencer Drinkwater, Wiltshire Council for consideration at the Community Area Transport Group workshop on 7 October.

b.Great Stones Way Walk

The Area Board received a short presentation by Ian Ritchie, Chairman of The Friends of The Ridgeway about the proposed ‘Great Stones Way’ walk from Avebury to Stonehenge which would provide an attractive route for walkers and bring valuable recreational and employment opportunities, and boost tourist earnings for local communities.

The Chairman thanked Ian Ritchie for his presentation and wished him well with the proposal, it was felt that the group should talk to all local members and parishes to gain as much local backing as possible and increase publicity for the proposed route.

For more information please see the Great Stones website at www.ridgewayfriends.org.uk or contact ridgewayfriends@googlemail.com

c.Pewsey Road Bridge

Councillor Dick Tonge, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways gave an update on the works at Pewsey Road Bridge and advised that Wiltshire Council appreciated that any roadworks in a busy town like Marlborough was likely to increase traffic congestion, but the current works was unavoidable

Closing the bridge or implementing weight limits was not feasible because of the importance of the route and its use as an alternative route when the High Street is closed. In view of the bridge’s condition and type of construction it became apparent that replacing the existing structure was the only feasible option.

The works had been phased and timed around local events, including the Jazz Festival in July and the Mop Fair in October when the road would be temporarily reopened. The scheme had to fit in with other work on the network being carried out by public utilities elsewhere in the town, and this affected the start date.

The future programming of the works was being reviewed to see if there was scope for increasing the time the bridge could be opened before Christmas, and the council and contractor were working on this at the moment. To some extent this may depend on the weather and the conditions encountered during the demolition of the existing bridge and the construction of the foundations of the new bridge.

Points made included:

·        Better traffic information covering the town centre would be welcomed.

·        It was vital to keep the Marlborough open to tourists.

·        George Lane residents were suffering from noise created from the traffic and have had cars using their drives as turning points.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Tonge for his update.

Councillor Peggy Dow will present a proposal from Area Board Task Group for the £5,000 funding allocation for Youth Transport/Access.

Councillor Peggy Dow presented a proposal from Area Board Task Group for the £5,000 funding allocation for Youth Transport/Access.

At its meeting of 22 June 2010, Marlborough Area Board considered suggestions for improving transport for young people, with an allocation of £5k that Wiltshire Council had awarded to each area board. Following this, and the subsequent MaVCAP meeting on 13 July, an area board task group was convened, chaired by Councillor Peggy Dow, which met on 22 July 2010 to consider the matter further.

It was proposed to use the £5k to pilot minibus transport from the villages to a number of activities for young people, aged 13-19, between September 2010 and March 2011.

Three planned activities have already been identified as being suitable for the transport project. These are:

·        Saturday 4 September- ‘Skate Jam’ at Salisbury Recreation Ground.

·        Friday 10 September- Marlborough Downs Movies (MDM) showing of ‘the Prince of Persia’, Cert 12 A at St John’s School.

·        Saturday 30 October- ‘Slum Survivor’ event to raise awareness and funds for people who live in slum settlements in the poorest parts of the world.

Decision

That the Marlborough Area Board agreed to fund the three pilot events and then look at the business plan of the project, it would then decided on any further future funding from the £5,000 allocated by Wiltshire Council.

It was also noted that the Youth Transport Task Group would meet again on 23 September at 2pm, Youth Development Centre.

a.    Community Area Grant Scheme

The Wiltshire Councillors will consider three applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme 2010/11, as follows:

                    i.       Aldbourne Parish Council request £773 to upgrade a footpath to improve access for all to the play area and village green

                  ii.       Marlborough Apple Day Festival request £1,083 to raise awareness of local apple varieties and orchard habitats and to launch a Community Orchard

                 iii.       Ramsbury Allotment Association request £831 for the installation of a water pipe to the allotment.

Copies of the completed application forms and grant application packs for the Community Area Grants Scheme 2010/11 are available from the Community Area Manager or electronically at

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboardscommunitygrantsscheme.htm

b.    Performance Reward Grant Scheme

The Wiltshire Councillors will consider two bids to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme, as follows:

                    i.       An application has been received by all area boards from the Climate Change Team who wish to provide free energy monitors for loan at all of Wiltshire’s libraries to help households reduce their energy consumption and fuel costs.

                  ii.       An application has been received by all area boards from Councillor Chris Williams, entitled Wiltshire Voices. This project is a two year initiative which will challenge our Area Boards to develop new and innovative approaches to community engagement and empowerment, particularly focused on engaging with hard to reach and traditionally excluded groups.

                 iii.       To note the decision of the Performance Reward Grant Panel at their July meeting, concerning the Christmas lights application.

Community Area Grant Scheme

The Wiltshire Councillors considered three applications to the

 Community Area Grants Scheme 2010/11, as follows:

Cllr Chris Humphries hands the chair to Cllr Nick Fogg.

Decision

Aldbourne Parish Council was awarded £773 for the upgrading of a footpath to improve access for all to the play area and village green.

Reason

The above application met the Community Area Grant criteria for 2010/11 and improves local route networks for cyclists and pedestrians.

Cllr Chris Humphries now back in the chair.

Decision

Marlborough Apple Day Festival was awarded £709 to raise awareness of local apple varieties and orchard habitats and to launch a community orchard.

Reason

The above application met the Community Area Grant criteria for 2010/11, maintains and enhances the distinctive nature of the local country side.

Decision

Ramsbury Allotment Association was awarded £697 for the installation of a water pipe to the allotment, with the condition that all Ramsbury allotment holders contribute £5.00 per person towards the costs of the water pipe.

Reason

The above application met the Community Area Grant criteria for 2010/11and also contributes to the Council’s climate change agenda.

Performance Reward Grant Scheme

The Wiltshire Councillors considered two bids to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme, as follows:

i An application had been received by all area boards from the Climate Change Team who wished to provide free energy monitors for loan at all of Wiltshire’s libraries to help households reduce their energy consumption and fuel costs.

Decision

The Marlborough Area Board endorsed the Performance Reward Grant application from the Climate Change Team.

ii An application has been received by all area boards from Councillor Chris Williams, entitled Wiltshire Voices. This project is a two year initiative which will challenge our Area Boards to develop new and innovative approaches to community engagement and empowerment, particularly focused on engaging with hard to reach and traditionally excluded groups.

Decision

The Marlborough Area Board agreed to defer this bid until further information could be provided.

The Marlborough Area Board noted the decision of the Performance Reward Grant Panel at their July meeting, concerning the Christmas lights application and the panel’s decision not to approve the bid.

Councillor Stuart Wheeler, cabinet representative for Leisure, Sport and Culture, will give a presentation on the review of leisure facilities across Wiltshire.  This will be followed by a discussion.

Councillor Stuart Wheeler, cabinet representative for Leisure, Sport and Culture, gave a brief presentation on the review of leisure facilities across Wiltshire and its impact on the Marlborough community area.

Points made from the floor:

• A thank you to Wiltshire Council for its continued support of leisure services in the Marlborough community area.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Wheeler for his presentation.

The Chairman will invite any remaining questions from the floor.

There were no other questions.

The meeting is asked to note the future meeting dates below:

Tuesday 19 October 2010, St John's Community College, Granham Hill, Marlborough, SN8 4AX

Tuesday 23 November 2010, Broad Hinton Village Hall, Yew Tree Lane, Broad Hinton, Swindon, SN4 9RH.

The Forward Plan is attached for information.

The Chairman thanked everybody for their attendance and made the point that future agendas would need to be smaller if future meetings were to finish at or before the planned 9pm.