Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from: Tracy Carter (Associate Director, Waste and Environment).

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 28 July 2016.

Resolved:

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 28 July 2016.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive Chairman’s Announcements including:

·       Our survey outcome

·       Supporting Parish Councils with issue resolution

·       Community Hubs

·       Settlement Boundary Review

·       Southern Wiltshire Community Profile update (The JSA)

·       Delegation to CEM – Board approval required

The Chairman made the following announcements:

Area Board Survey Outcome

The results of a survey of the Area Board’s attendees had been positive, however indicated the public would like to know more about how to feedback into decisions taken centrally by Wiltshire Council. The Chairman encouraged residents to let him know if there were items they would like him to address on future agendas.

Supporting Parish Councils with Issue Resolution

Parish councils were encouraged to use their Area Board councillors as a means to progress issues requiring attention with Wiltshire Council. The Area Board could also ‘add weight’ if necessary.

Community Hubs

The Chairman and the CEM had recently met with the Cabinet Member and lead officer for the campus project and explored the opportunity of using village halls as community hubs.

Settlement Boundary Review

A review of settlement boundaries was planned for early 2017

Southern Wiltshire Community Profile-

A public meeting would be held on 16 February 2017 at which local residents and stakeholders would look at the profile of the area and what local priorities should be.

The Chairman introduced a delegation for the Board’s consideration which would allow the Community Engagement Manager to determine funding requests between Board meetings in matters of urgency.

Resolved:

That in order to expedite the work of the Area Board and to deal with urgent matters that may arise between meetings, the Community Engagement Manager, in consultation with the Chairman (or in their absence, the Vice-Chairman) of the Area Board, may authorise expenditure to support community projects from the delegated community grants budget of up to £5,000 in total, youth projects of up to £5,000 in total, and health and wellbeing projects of up to £1,000 in total, between meetings of the Area Board.

And:

Decisions taken between meetings will be reported to the next meeting of the Area Board explaining why the matter was considered urgent or necessary to expedite the work of the Board and the Cabinet Member for Communities, Campuses, Area Boards and Broadband will also be kept informed of any such decisions.

To note the attached information on the following current consultations:

Members noted ongoing consultations in respect of:

·         Salisbury Cathedral Masterplan

·         NGA Broadband

·         Council Tax reduction scheme

The Chairman advised the Board would discuss broadband at its next meeting.

a) Written reports from:

·       Fire & Rescue Service

·       Wiltshire Council Updates – Licensing Trade session

& Mental Health Awareness Raising

b) Area Board Theme updates:

·       Health & Wellbeing

·       Youth

c) Parish Council /Community reports

You are free to raise any issue on the night, but for a more detailed response please let us know in advance.

Written updates were available in the agenda pack from the Fire Service and Wiltshire Council about a licensed trade event and offer of mental health workshops.

Louis Minchella, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, updated the meeting that all staff in Salisbury and Wilton had recently undertaken a Dementia Friends session which they had found to be both useful and engaging. Officers had also recently been to community events to raise awareness of fire safety and would soon have a ‘Safe and Well’ officer to make visits to teach people about being fire safe in their home. The Service was now looking to recruit new officers and encouraged anyone interested to get in touch. Cllr Devine advised that Ben Ansell would start as the new Fire Chief in December.

A volunteer for Alzheimer’s Society encouraged local residents to become involved in setting up ‘Safe Places’ where people with Dementia, or other vulnerable people, could visit for a rest or support when going about their daily business. The meeting was advised that local businesses had so far responded positively to the scheme. The public were also encourage to obtain ‘In Cafe of Emergency (ICE)’ cards for vulnerable friends and family members.

The Chairman updated that the community area remained without a youth officer however the Community Engagement Manager was working hard to support youth provision and would bring a youth grant application to the next meeting.

We shall hear from Sector Inspector Pete Sparrow about the new Community Policing Model, due for implementation in October.

Sector Inspector, Pete Sparrow, gave a presentation on the new Community Policing Model, which aimed to make efficiencies and improve service for victims of crime by having one officer as point of contact for their case. The new scheme had been piloted in Trowbridge and Warminster and would begin for Southern Wiltshire on 17 October. The new staffing structure to support the model was explained, notably there would be two Community Co-ordinators instead of the traditional Beat Manager. The new model would allow officers to work remotely and in the community and allow officers to be deployed based on demand.

Following questions from the meeting the Inspector agreed to circulate the details of the local team to the Area Board once the posts in the structure had been filled. In response to other questions it was confirmed that a group of drug dealers travelling into the county from London had recently been caught, councillors commended the Police for this work.

Mike Davidson, Wiltshire Neighbourhood Watch Association, invited Wiltshire Police, local councillors and members of the public to join an open forum meeting in November where the new community policing model would be discussed and attendees would consider how Neighbourhood Watch could engage with the Police.

Peter White, Enforcement Manager will describe recent prosecutions and discuss the possibility of a dedicated camera for Southern Wiltshire.

Area Board decision required.

Peter White, Enforcement Manager at Wiltshire Council, had been invited to the Area Board in response to local concerns about flytipping in the area. The officer explained where local ‘hot spots’ were and the work the enforcement team was undertaking to catch the perpetrators. It was acknowledged that fly tipping was a particular problem in this area of the county due to its rural nature.

The officer advised that CCTV surveillance was the best way to catch and prosecute fly tippers however there was only one camera available for use throughout the county. The meeting was presented with the option to purchase a covert camera for Southern Wiltshire at a cost of £3,100 which would include batteries with a 4 day life.

Members agreed that fly-tipping was a concern for the community and discussed the merits of funding a camera for the area. It was confirmed that the camera could be used in 4 or 5 hotspots in the area and could be available just to Southern Wiltshire if this was the wish of the Area Board. Councillors considered the lifespan of the batteries and it was understood that the camera would record continuously and officers would attend to cameras to ensure they remained charged.

Resolved:

To grant £3,100 for the purchase of a new covert camera system on the condition that it be used only in Southern Wiltshire unless otherwise agreed by the Area Board.

To hear from Adrian Hampton, Head of Local Highways about Wiltshire Council service levels and opportunities for Parishes.

Adrian Hampton, Head of Local Highways at Wiltshire Council, presented to the meeting on local highways priorities and how residents and parish councils should report highways issues using ‘My Wiltshire’.

It was explained that the Council was focussing on maintenance priorities therefore road markings and signage would only be re-issued when there was a statutory need to do so. Street sweeping, outside of town centres, would be done on request, meaning that only dirty roads were swept. The officer reassured that grass would be cut once per month and rural verges would be cut once per year, the Council would also soon be doing a big clearance of all gullies.

The officer advised that in order to target maintenance where it was most needed, parish councils and local residents should report work on the My Wiltshire App or via the Council website, an officer would then investigate whether it needed to be addressed. Using an online system was also allowing the council to make savings and invest £1million in the Parish Steward Scheme which would see 20 parish stewards trained to carry out minor highways work in the community.

In response to questions from the floor it was confirmed that parish and town councils could commission extra services, such as grass cutting, from the Council subject to minimum hours and costs. The officer also advised that if highways issues were caused by utility companies recompense could be sought from the companies.

The Chairman thanked Adrian Hampton for his informative presentation.

To note the report of the last CATG meeting held on 20 September 2016 and to consider any funding recommendations arising from that meeting, as detailed in the report.

Recommendations from the Community Area Transport Group were presented for consideration by the meeting.

Councillors discussed potential speed limit reviews at Landford and the Chairman agreed to investigate this again following a request from the parish council that current speed limits be reviewed by the Cabinet Member. A traffic management scheme at Ford was discussed and the Board considered that it was too high an amount of funding (approximately £12,000) to be given by the Area Board, it was agreed that the CATG should make a bid to Wiltshire Council’s central highways budget for funding. It was noted that the parish council had asked the Area Board to defer consideration of funding for speed limit on The Portway until it had been further discussed with the Parish Council.

Resolved:

·       To grant £1,500 to fund additional work on improvements to the crossing in the High St, Downton.

·       That the Chairman raise the issue of speed limit reviews on locations at Landford with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.

·       To recommend that the CATG submit a bid to Wiltshire Council’s central highways budget for funding for traffic management schemes in Ford.

Reason: The CATG has insufficient funds to cover this project.

·       To defer consideration of funding for a speed limit on The Portway, Old Sarum to a future meeting of CATG.

Reason: To allow further discussion by the Parish Council.

The Board will consider 1 application for funding from the Youth budget and 4 applications for funding from the Community Area Grant Scheme as detailed below:

Budget remaining for 2016/17

Community grants: £11,963.30

Youth grants: £34,435

Officer: Tom Bray, Community Engagement Manager

Members considered an application for youth grant funding from Salisbury Transition City to support a Youth Transition Group event. A representative from the organisation spoke in support of the application, advising it was applying to two other nearby Area Boards for funding and the event would be relevant to residents within a 15mile radius of Salisbury. Councillors were concerned that the event would not reach the parishes within southern Wiltshire, and did not consider the activities to be appropriate for young people ages 13-19. Members did not agree that enough people would be attracted to the event and it should have been advertised more in advance.

Resolved:

·       That that Area Board does not grant funding to Salisbury Transition City.

Reason: The Board considered that the event had not been sufficiently publicised and would have limited involvement with Southern Wiltshire community area.

Applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme were then considered.

A representative from Salisbury and South Wilts District Scout Council spoke to their application for funding towards a new minibus. Following questions it was confirmed that the Scouts required their own bus as they were often unable to borrow mini buses from local schools, and that the new Scouts minibus would be available for other community groups to use. It was understood that the minibus would seat 3 passengers. Councillors advised that the Board had limited funding left available and therefore could not grant the full amount applied for, however would contribute £3,000 due to it being the final sum needed to allow the new van to be purchased.

An application from Winterslow Village Hall for funding towards stage refurbishment was discussed, councillors agreed that the current stage was very well used however was impractical to assemble and unsafe and therefore could benefit from refurbishment. It was confirmed that the Area Board was asked to consider an application for £4,235.50.

A representative from Whiteparish Memorial Trust spoke to their application for funding towards a new projector, which could attract extra hiring of the hall. The Area Board noted that the Trust had significant levels of reserves and considered that, although the Trust has other projects to fund, the reserves were sufficient to purchase the projector.

A representative from West Grimstead Village Hall spoke to their application for funding towards a new oil-fired heating system, it was considered that this would increase the use of the hall during the winter. Following questions from councillors it was confirmed that the Village Hall had not approached the parish council for a contribution and it was agreed that the application be deferred until this discussion had taken place.

Resolved:

·       To grant Salisbury and South Wilts District Scout Council £3,000 for a minibus replacement project.

·       To grant Winterslow Village Hall/ Winterslow Drama Group, £4,235.50 for stage refurbishment. 

·       That the Area Board does not grant funding to Whiteparish Memorial Trust.

Reason: The Area Board considered the projector could easily be funded by the Trust’s reserves without impinging on other developments planned for the Hall.

·       To  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

The next meeting of Southern Wiltshire Area Board was to be held on 1 December 2016.