Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to St John’s School.

The Chairman introduced Lionel Grundy, (Wiltshire Council cabinet member for Children’s Services) who was in attendance for this meeting.

The Chairman then invited all the Wiltshire Council members and officers in attendance to introduce them selves to the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2010.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting on 7 December 2009 were approved and signed as a correct record.

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

A working party looking at the A345 would be meeting with officers from Wiltshire Council during February 2010.

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

a)     Wiltshire Police

b)     Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c)      NHS Wiltshire (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment data for Marlborough is available at www.wiltshirejsna.org/userfiles/file/Health-Area-Marlborough.pdf)

d)     Marlborough and Villages Community Area Partnership (MAVCAP)

e)     Town and Parish Councils

Wiltshire Police

Inspector Andy Noble asked that the written update distributed with the agenda was noted.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The written update distributed with the agenda was noted, Mike Franklin made the point of the importance of roads being gritted during the cold weather that the county had suffered, several fire crews had reported issues on non-gritted roads when called out.

NHS Wiltshire

The written update distributed with the agenda was noted.

Marlborough and Villages Community Area Partnership (MAVCAP)

Rich Pitts thanked Joan Davies for all her hard work in health related issues that she had given to the Marlborough and Villages Community Area Partnership and other organisations over the past few years, the Chairman also thanked her on behalf of the Area Board. A bouquet of roses was presented.

There were no Town or Parish updates.

An introduction by Rich Pitts, Chairman of MAVCAP, and Karen Davis, Extended Schools Co-ordinator, on the recent survey of activities for young people within the parishes, followed by a discussion on how to progress the key issues raised.

This will be followed by presentations on some of the current activities led by young people including:

a)     Community Area Youth People’s Issues Group and the Bridging Project

b)     Wiltshire Assembly Youth

c)      Aldbourne Youth Council.

The cabinet representative Councillor Lionel Grundy, responsible for Schools, Children, Families and Youth, will be on hand to answer questions raised during this discussion.

Rich Pitts, Chairman of MAVCAP, gave a brief overview of the recent survey carried out by MAVCAP, which highlighted the “dreams and wishes” of a cross section of young people across the Marlborough community area.

Several local youth groups were then given the opportunity to tell the meeting what they did and what mattered to them, living in and around Marlborough.

Aldbourne Youth Council

Points made included:

• The Youth council had fostered good links with both Parish and Town councils.

• Had been very successful in their fund raising, with £10,000 raised to fund a BMX track.

• The group took part in regular village clean ups and hedge planting sessions.

• The group had been motivated to prove adult doubters wrong when first formed, and through working and listening to them, they had won over the doubters with their hard work and willingness to get involved in local projects.

• The group felt that all villages would benefit from a “Youth Council”.

Wiltshire Assembly Youth

Dr Lesley Spencer and members of the Assembly gave a power point presentation that outlined the main themes and findings of the “dreams and wishes” survey, (a copy of the presentation is attached).

Community Area Youth People’s Issues Group and the

Bridging Project

Points made included:

• The group are keen to get young people involved in local politics.

• Young people have an important voice and can make a difference.

• The group are looking to work with the local Police to foster a working link between them and local young people.

The Chairman thanked all the youth groups for their informative and enlightening speeches.

Points made from the floor.

• Parish Councils should employ young local people who are struggling to find work opportunities.

• Wiltshire Council should be doing more to help young people afford public transport.

• Parish Councils should work with youth groups to start up community shops.

Cllr Lionel Grundy, (Wiltshire Council cabinet member for Children’s Services) advised the meeting that he would be looking at better public transport links for young people, this issue had been a recurring theme at other area boards that he had attended recently.

Rich Pitts advised that MAVCAP would like get a wider group of people together to discuss how to take youth issues forward and looked for the Area Board to support this.

Decisions

• That the Marlborough Area Board would commit the under spend of £7,439 from the 2009/10 Area Board budget to be carried over to 2010/11, to be used to deliver projects identified from the February 2010 “Dreams and Wishes” consultation exercise with local young people.

• Cllr Fogg agreed to represent the Area Board and work with MAVCAP to take forward the work.

Kieran Kilgallen, Chief Executive, will give a brief presentation on the work of the Wiltshire Police Authority and the setting of the police precept 2010/11. This will be followed by a short question and answer session.

Inspector Cullop then introduced Kieran Kilgallen - (Chairman of the Wiltshire Police Authority) who gave a brief presentation that outlined what the Wiltshire Police Authority did, who they were and what could they do for the residents of Wiltshire.

Points made included:

• The Wiltshire Police Authority wanted the opinions of local people as to their priorities for the service of Policing they received in the future.

• How much would local people be prepared to pay next year for their police force.

• What changes would they like to see in local policing.

• Where your council tax money is spent on policing Wiltshire.

• Neighbourhoods expected good response times from their police service.

Mr Kilgallen advised that the Wiltshire Police Authority would be sending out e-mails and letters to find out just what Wiltshire residents think their Policing priorities should be.

The Chairman thanked Mr Kilgallen for his presentation.

A representative from Wiltshire Police will give an overview of the Community Speed Watch Scheme and how parishes may get involved. All applications to the scheme should come through the Area Board Issues Process available online:

https://forms.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/areaboards.php

Inspector Andrew Noble gave a brief overview of Community Speed watch.

That plans were now at an advanced stage of the county-wide roll-out following successful trials in a number of Community Areas.

Implementation of Community speed watch and the use of speed indication devices was part of the Wiltshire Police strategy and would potentially lead to casualty reduction by engaging the community in addressing speed related offending.

The main objectives of community speed watch were:

• To secure a reduction in vehicle speeds.
• Reduce the numbers of collisions and casualties.
• Improve quality of life for all.
• Reduce noise and pollution.
• Raising public awareness to inappropriate speed.

Community speed watch would help local people reduce speeding traffic through their local community.

The scheme enables volunteers to work within their community to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and to help control the problem with direct action using approved speed monitoring equipment, (speed guns).

Parish Councils that wish to consider using the Speed Watch Scheme should contact the Community Area Manager in the first instance.

The Chairman thanked Inspector Noble for his overview.

a)     The Wiltshire Councillors will consider 7 applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

i)        Marlborough Arts Association – to provide a hired marquee, technical support and security for the Marlborough Jazz Festival

ii)      Baydon Parish Council – to install 3 pairs of gates at the entrances to the village as part of the traffic calming project

iii)    Baydon Parish Council – to install a water supply to parish field to service the allotments and recreational areas

iv)    Aldbourne Youth Council – to provide outdoor adventure activities for young people

v)      Ramsbury and Axford Parish Council – to provide a new parish notice board for Axford

vi)    Broad Hinton Village Hall Association – to create a patio area at the new village hall

vii)  Fyfield and West Overton Parish Council – to provide a replacement picnic bench at the village play area.

Grant application packs for the Community Area Grants Scheme are available from the Community Area Manager or electronically at

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

b)     The Wiltshire Councillors will consider one Expression of Interest to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme, as follows:

i)  Sustainiable Christmas Lights Illumination – an initiate to establish the Christmas Lights illumination in Marlborough on a permanent basis.

a) Community Area Grants Scheme

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

Susie Fisher addressed the Area Board on behalf of Marlborough Arts Association.

Tony Prior addressed the Area Board on behalf of Baydon Parish Council.

Amy Wallis addressed the Area Board on behalf of the Aldbourne Youth Council.

Sheila Glass addressed the Area Board on behalf of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council.

Marilyn Martin addressed the Area Board on behalf of the Broad Hinton Village Hall Association.

Sue Rogers addressed the Area Board on behalf of Fyfield & West Overton Parish Council.

Note

Cllr Nick Fogg left the hall prior to the Marlborough Arts Association application being discussed by the Area Board members and returned after the members had voted on this application.

Cllr Chris Humphries did not take part in the vote for the Aldbourne Youth Council application.

Decision

Marlborough Arts Association – Award £5000 towards the marquee hire, technical support and security for the Marlborough Jazz Festival.

Baydon Parish Council – Award £582 towards the installation of three pairs of gates at the village entrances as part of a traffic calming scheme.

Baydon Parish Council – Award £619 towards the installation of a water supply to the parish field to feed allotments and recreational activities.

Aldbourne Youth Council – Award £868 to provide outdoor adventure activities for young people.

Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council – Award £199 towards the provision of a new parish notice board for the village of Axford.

Broad Hinton Parish Council – Award £3000 for the provision of a patio for the new village hall.

Fyfield & West Overton Parish Council – Award £216 for the replacement of the picnic bench at the village play area.

Reason

The above applications met the Community Area Grant criteria.

b) Expression of interest to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme

Sustainable Christmas Lights Illumination – an initiate to establish the Christmas lights illuminations in Marlborough on a permanent basis.

Decision

• It was agreed that the Marlborough Area Board would support the application on the understanding that clarity was given on how the project would be managed and by whom, and that details of this team would be forwarded to the Marlborough Area Board Members.

The Chairman will invite any remaining questions from the floor.

A Number of questions were raised including:

Clarification on when would the Marlborough football pitch and BMX Track be floodlit?

It was agreed that this was a Town Council issue.

That more grit should have been available so the carers could get to vulnerable people during the cold weather.

Wiltshire Council would continue to ensure that as much grit as possible would reach those areas that need it most.

Could young people have a more “youth friendly” agenda?

It was agreed that the Community Area Manager would look into this.

When will Marlborough have a permanent Community Area Manager?

Wiltshire Council were considering options and would ensure that this post is filled as soon as possible.

The meeting is reminded that the arrangements for future meetings are set out in the attached Forward Work Plan.

The Chairman thanked all those who had attended, and reminded those present to complete the new pink evaluation form.