Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Graham Payne, welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Trowbridge Area Board.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Nick Blakemore and Horace Prickett. An apology was also received from Siobainn Chaplin (YAG).

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 23 May 2013.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2013 were presented for consideration and comment. It was,

Resolved:

That subject to the removal of the reference of Councillor Dennis Drewett as a member of Trowbridge Town Council in Minute 39 - Declarations of Interest - to approve the minutes as a true and correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

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

Councillors Graham Payne, Jeff Osborn, John Knight, Nick Blakemore and Helen Osborn all declared general, non-pecuniary interests in Trowbridge Town Council issues due to being members of the Town Council.

To include the following:

      i.        Trowbridge Community Area School Travel Plans

i)             Trowbridge Community Area School Travel Plans

It was noted and stressed that the creation of School Travel Plans was the responsibility of each individual school, and the Board encourage all school to keep their travel plans up to date.

ii)            Trowbridge Birthing Centre

Attention was drawn to recent media statements from the NHS regarding the temporary closure of the Trowbridge Birthing Centre over the summer as a result of transfer of staff to cover a shortage at Bath RUH. The Board regretted once again there had been no local consultation, and acknowledged that the Leader of the Council had raised the issue with Great Western Hospitals, and wished to be kept updated to any new information.

iii)           Grass Cutting

The recent concerns over grass cutting following the transfer of contract to the new council provider was noted, and it was noted that full Council had debated the matter for more than an hour on 9 July.

iv)           Agenda Order

With the consent of the Committee, Item 10 as listed in the agenda - Visiting Cabinet Representative - was moved forward to item 9.

To note the written reports and receive any updates from the following:

      i.        Wiltshire Police

    ii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

   iii.        Trowbridge Community Area Future (TCAF)

   iv.        Town and Parish Councils

    v.        Youth Advisory Group (YAG).

Updates from partners were received as follows:

      i.        Wiltshire Police

The written update was noted. Inspector Lisette Harvey also urged people to be vigilant when leaving windows open as a result of the heatwave.

    ii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The written update was noted. The draft public safety plan for 2013-16 was also stated to be in development, with an exhibition and consultation on 12 July, and the service invited people to make comments on the plan. There were also updates on the dangers of Chinese lanterns following recent news reports and the national and regional decline in fires in the past 5 years of around 48%.

   iii.        Trowbridge Community Area Future (TCAF)

The written update was noted. Tracy Sullivan discussed the date of the neighbourhood partnership on 16September, and the Annual General Meeting for TCAF on 7 October at Trowbridge Town Hall, with a theme to discuss of the environment, following comment from the Area Board.

Wiltshire Councillors appointed as representatives to Outside Bodies will report on any recent news, to include:

      i.        Transforming Trowbridge

    ii.        Collaborative Schools

   iii.        Trowbridge Shadow Community Operations Board.

i)             Transforming Trowbridge

It was noted the body had not met since prior to the May Local Elections, and were in the process of producing the Trowbridge Masterplan.

ii)            Collaborative Schools

The written report was noted.

iii)           Shadow Community Operations Board (COB)

The written report was noted. It was stated the shadow COB had received 1700 completed questionnaires in its first round of consultation, and further responses were now being sought. A questionnaire is attached to these minutes.

The board considered a request to appoint a new member of the shadow COB.

Resolved:

To appoint Hayley Bell as a member of the Shadow COB.

a.    Community Area Grants

To consider the following applications:

                      i.        Wiltshire West District Scout Association - Jubilee Wood Scout Camp Site and Community Youth Activity Centre  - £1500 requested

The Area Board considered the following applications to the Community Area Grant Scheme 2013/14:

       i.        West Wiltshire District Scout Association

The sum of £1500 was requested to purchase maintenance equipment and a secure store to keep it in and to improve accessibility at the Jubilee Wood Scout Camp Site and Community Youth Activity Centre.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £1500 to West Wiltshire District Scout Association.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14.

Councillor Jonathon Seed will talk about his responsibilities for Communities, Campuses, Area Boards, Leisure, Libraries and Flooding, and respond to any questions on the topic of Leisure.

Questions may be submitted in advance. Please email any questions to kieran.elliott@wiltshire.gov.uk by 5pm on 04 July 2013

The Cabinet Member for Communities, Campuses, Area Boards, Leisure, Libraries and Flooding, Councillor Jonathon Seed, was in attendance and discussed his responsibilities and vision for the deliverance of local governance of services with more limited resources in the future.

The Cabinet Member answered questions, particularly on the topic of leisure, and it was stressed that community input and direction was crucial moving forward, with details of the proposed campus and other plans in the town to come from the community to be approved by Cabinet.

The Area Board welcomed that additional youth funding the Council had received from central government had been ringfenced, and also sought further information on volunteering in Wiltshire, and it was stated that where necessary volunteers received DBS (formerly CRB) checks and appropriate training, in order to maintain libraries, leisure centres and other services that the Council could no longer afford to staff.

Resolved:

To thank the Cabinet Member for their attendance.

To receive a presentation from Phil Morgan (Wiltshire Council: Research Manager and Census Liaison Manager) on the trends and implications for the Trowbridge Community Area arising from the 2011 National Census.

Phil Morgan (Wiltshire Council – Census Liaison Manager) delivered a presentation, attached to these minutes, on trends and data for the Trowbridge Community Area arising from the 2011 National Census.

The high levels of recent immigration clustered in specific areas of Trowbridge was noted, to a far higher degree than other population centres in Wiltshire. The Area Board noted challenges arising from the trends given recent and historical issues of deprivation in parts of the Trowbridge Community Area, and discussed how the area could appropriately target support and resources for specific areas in a time of high stresses on funding levels.

The possibility of Neighbourhood Budgets trialled in other parts of the country was raised, as a method of focusing funding for specific purposes and targeted much more closely on affected areas than previously.

After debate, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To thank Phil Morgan for his presentation;

2)    To receive a report from Michael Hudson (Wiltshire Council: Service Director – Finance) on Neighbourhood Budgets and potential options for the Trowbridge Community Area, at the next meeting of the Area Board on 12 September 2013.

To receive a presentation from Caroline Taylor (Museum Project Consultant).

Caroline Taylor (Museum Project Consultant) delivered a presentation, attached to these minutes, on the plans to move and update the Trowbridge Museum. It was stated funding had been applied for from national bodies, with the goal of taking advantage of the heritage assets in Trowbridge, such as Courtfield House, a Grade II* listed building, and creating a regionally significant site among the history of textiles in the country.

The need to create partnerships and a cultural strategy in addition to the museum project proposal was emphasised, in order to create a cultural provision for Trowbridge, and permit it to better utilize its advantageous position close to regional hubs like Bath and Bristol.

The Board discussed the strategy and made several suggestions about moving forward.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

To support the development of the strategy and a commitment to consider the recommendations once that exercise had been completed.

To be introduced to the Highways and Streetscene Local Community Co-ordinator for the Trowbridge Community Area, and receive an update on the scheme from Pat Whyte (Wiltshire Council: Engineer, Highways and Streetscene), Christopher Clark (Wiltshire Council: Client Area Manager West, Highways and Streetscene) and Mark Banks (Wiltshire Council: Communtiy Co-ordinator, Highways and Streetscene)

Pat Whyte (Wiltshire Council: Engineer, Highways and Streetscene), Christopher Clark (Wiltshire Council: Client Area Manager West, Highways and Streetscene) and Mark Banks (Wiltshire Council: Community Co-ordinator, Highways and Streetscene) introduced a presentation, attached to these minutes, on the Highways and Streetscene Local Community Co-ordinators.

The role of parish stewards in the new scheme was queried, and it was stated stewards were now part of the new ‘Community Teams’ and would continue to play a significant role. It was also stated that officers hoped that each Town Council and Parish would provide single points of contact to limit redundant liaising.

It was,

Resolved:

To thank officers for the presentation.

To receive a written update from Stephen Hawkins (Wiltshire Council: Team Leader – Enforcement) on continued developments at the Peter Black site in Trowbridge.

The Area Board considered the report from Stephen Hawkins (Wiltshire Council, Team Leader – Enforcement) on developments at the Peter Black Site, along with an update to the report, attached to these minutes.

Resolved:

To note the update and request a further update at the next meeting of the Area Board.

To receive an update on the progression of the Trowbridge Transport Strategy.

A written update was received from Martin Aldam (Wiltshire Council: Senior Transport Planner), on the Emerging Transport Strategy for Trowbridge, following the previous update to the Area Board on 17 January 2013.

The Board examined the contents of the report, and noted with regret that it did not address the issues the Board had previously raised, and as an update did not satisfy the concerns that had been identified.

After debate, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To REJECT the report as wholly unsatisfactory in terms of addressing the concerns and needs of Trowbridge as previously raised by the Area Board, and

2)    To seek feedback from the report author on the concerns raised by the Area Board for the meeting in September.

To consider the recommendations from the Community Area Transport Group.

The Area Board noted the report on the Community Area Transport Group Recommendations.

Decision

To agree the recommendations of the Community Area Transport Group, as follows:

1)    That £1,346 is allocated for a topographical survey and £12,000 is allocated for carrying out the works related to a crossing point on Bradley Road, Trowbridge.

2)    That £3,000 is allocated for a road traffic order for restricted access on West Street, Trowbridge

3)    That £560 is allocated for 2x grit bins in both Southwick and Trowbridge Paxcroft Divisions. The refilling of these bins will not be carried out by Wiltshire Council.

4)    That £950 is allocated for the provision of 2x dropped kerbs in Hazel Grove area on condition that this sum would be matched by £950 from Trowbridge Town Council.

The Chairman will take any items of urgent business.

The meeting is asked to note the future meeting dates below and the Forward Plan.

The Board discussed the draft forward plan, and suggestions were made regarding a report on proposed celebrations of the Magna Carta, and to confirm if the Green Spaces report would be scheduled for the September meeting.