Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Mary Douglas, welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Salisbury Area Board and invited the members of the Board to introduce themselves.

Apologies for absence had been received from:

·       Cllr John Walsh – Wiltshire Councillor

·       Cllr Matthew Dean – Wiltshire Councillor

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 14 September 2017.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 14 September 2017 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were none.

The Chairman will give an update on outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board.

The Chairman drew attention to the following:

·       Wiltshire’s Local Plan Review – papers had been circulated at the meeting detailing the public consultation, which closed on 19th December.

·       Churchfields Household Recycling Centre would be closed for refurbishments between 9 – 18^th November.

To note the written Information Items attached to the agenda:

a.     Healthwatch Wiltshire

b.     Clinical Commissioning Group

c.     Statement from Wiltshire Race Equality Council

The Board noted the following written information items attached to the agenda and circulated at the meeting:

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Clinical Commissioning Group

·       Wiltshire Council – Eat Out Eat Well Award Scheme

Due to this being a themed meeting focusing on item 8, the Chairman, on this occasion has asked partners to provide written updates only.

The Board is asked to note the following attached written updates:

a)    Salisbury City Council (SCC)

b)    Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

c)     Fire

d)    Salisbury Air Quality Management Group

e)    Salisbury Crime & Community Safety Group

f)      Salisbury Child Wellbeing Group

The Board noted the following written updates which were attached to the agenda and circuited at the meeting:

a) Salisbury City Council (SCC)

b) Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

c) Fire

d) Salisbury Air Quality Management Group

e) Salisbury Crime & Community Safety Group

f) Salisbury Child Wellbeing Group

g) Police

This is a complex issue and the Area Board wants to encourage a two-track approach, combining the maintenance of public order with compassionate and effective action to help those in our city who, for various reasons, are rough sleepers, street drinkers or genuinely homeless.  The aim is to better understand what is happening and what we can do to help.

1.     Introduction

2.     Brief presentations on work underway, from Wiltshire Council, Salisbury City Council, the Police and Alabare

3.     Round table discussion and feedback:

·       What is the problem?

·       What needs to be done to solve it, and by whom?

4.     Next steps

The Chairman explained that the Area Board wished to explore this complex topic. The Board hoped to encourage a two-track approach, combining the maintenance of public order with compassionate and effective action to help those in our city who, for various reasons, were rough sleepers, street drinkers or genuinely homeless. The aim was to better understand what was happening and what we could do to help.

The Chairman introduced the four speakers who delivered presentations on the work currently underway.

Wiltshire Council – Cllr Chuck Berry, Cabinet Member for Economic Development & Housing

Cllr Berry outlined the county’s multi-agency strategy and approach. Noting that in 2016 there were 23 rough sleepers and in 2017 this figure had dropped to 17. Every 6-8 weeks a multi-agency meeting was held. Most of the rough sleepers were known by name.

Partnership working and signposting to Turning Point for additional support was in place, with drop in sessions available. The Assertiveness Outreach Officer had communicated with 73 people in the last year.

The Council was able to instigate the severe weather trigger to release emergency provisions and Housing support funding was also available.

A pilot scheme was run in March 2017 in Salisbury, based on model in Finland.

A spot count on rough sleepers would take place shortly. It was hoped that the numbers would be down on the last count.

There was also a £259k grant to fund work with people in drop-in centres, to help get them off the street.

There would be days of action around Salisbury, using the multi-agency approach. The key message was to not donate to individuals, but to help them in other, more long-term ways.

Salisbury City Council – Cllr Sven Hocking

History

The City Centre was a magnet with increasing antisocial behaviour issues created by certain groups of individuals.  With rough sleepers, street drinkers and other vulnerable groups gathering on the Library Steps, at the Cheese Market, and on benches around the Square, drinking from sunrise to sunset.

Some of the issues around the city included open blatant drug dealing to school age children who gathered under Sainsburys car park with the rough sleepers, aggressive begging to business customers, and fighting and abusive behaviour in the Market square.

Out of those concerned, it appeared that there was only one genuine homeless person, the rest were street drinkers or vulnerable adults. It was important to make a distinction, as some people really did need help where as several others had quite consciously made a lifestyle choice.

SCC Action

A private security company who had a good collaborative history with SCC had been hired to monitor the activities of the homeless, beggars, street drinkers and those exhibiting antisocial behaviour (ASB). In the first week, they gathered information and during the second week took action.

Speaking to those people to advise them around ASB and street drinking, and to point them to partner agencies. In the worst cases, they may need to apprehend and call the police who had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

To note the update from the Group and consider any funding recommendations as detailed in the attached report.

The Board noted the update from the Group and considered the funding recommendations as detailed in the attached report.

Decision

Carers Support Wiltshire was awarded £1,357.48 towards the ‘stay with me’ project.

Decision

Safer Salisbury was awarded £490 towards the showcase event in 2018.

To note the update from the Group and consider and recommendations for funding as detailed in the attached report.

(Recommendations for funding relate to schemes 5C, 6D, 6J and 6M)

To note the update from the Group and consider and recommendations for funding as detailed in the attached report.

Decision

The Board approved the recommendations for funding as detailed in the report (schemes 5C, 6D, 6J and 6M).

To consider applications for funding from the Community Area Grants Scheme, as detailed in the attached report.

The Board considered one application for funding from the Community Area Grant Scheme as detailed on the agenda and in the attached report.

Question: The applicant was asked to clarify why, when they held £37,000 in reserves, they would not be contributing anything to the project?

Answer: We had been advised to keep the reserves for any work we may need to carry out. We will have no money in our bank as we will pay for the gates.

The Chairman proposed an award of half of the amount requested, with the suggestion that the applicant contributed the remaining balance.

Decision

Harnham Watermeadows Group was awarded £1,945 towards The Rural Crafts of the Watermeadows project.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2017/18

The Board awarded funding to the Carers Support Wiltshire application under the Health & Wellbeing (HWB) Item 8. That award was split into Revenue and Capital funding, the Capital element will come from the Community Area Grants budget.

Decision

Carers Support Wiltshire was awarded £628.99 of Capital funding.This would be added to the £1,357.48 revenue contribution from HWB budget at item 8.

To consider applications for funding from the Area Board’s Youth Budget.

The Board considered one bid for funding from the Youth Budget for 2017/18, as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

Decision

Alderbury Football Club was awarded £400 towards the Open Access Monday Night Football project.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 11 January 2018, 7pm at City Hall Salisbury.

The next Area Board meeting would look at the Transport Strategy.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and noted that the next meeting of the Salisbury Area Board would be held on Thursday 11 January 2018.