Agenda and minutes
PDF 140 KBVenue: Pewsey Vale School, Wilcot Road, Pewsey, SN9 5EW
Contact: James Hazlewood (Senior Democratic Services Officer)
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7.00pm |
Welcome and Introductions Minutes: The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the Area Board Members, the officers supporting the meeting, and the visiting cabinet representative, Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe.
The Chairman explained that Councillor Charles Howard from the Tidworth Area Board was present as a voting member of the Area Board to ensure a quorum on the votes relating to grants, where conflicts of interest has been identified.
It was noted that the Chairman would take a vote on item 16a (Youth Funding) at item 9e (Update from Community Area Young People’s Issues Group (CAYPIG)). It was also noted that an additional request for funding had been received from Karen Brown, in relation to transport for trips run by the CAYPIG. Copies of this request had been tabled for all at the meeting.
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence had been received from:
· Caroline Dalrymple – Pewsey Parish Council · Stanley Bagwell – Enford Parish Council and Pewsey Community Area Partnership (PCAP) · Nicola Gilbert – Pewsey Primary School · Robert Bruce – Upavon Parish Council · Bob King – Pewsey Community Area Partnership (PCAP) · Alex Carder – Pewsey Parish Council
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Minutes To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 6 September 2010.
Minutes: Decision The minutes of the meeting held on 6 September 2010 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
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Declarations of Interest Councillors are requested to declare any personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee. Minutes: The Chairman, Councillor Jerry Kunkler, declared a prejudicial interest in agenda item 6 (Community Area Grants) specifically in relation to the application from Burbage Cricket Club, as he was a playing member of that club. Councillor Kunkler confirmed that he would leave the room for consideration of that application, and hand over to the Vice-Chairman. The Area Board would still meet the minimum quorum of three voting Councillors, as Councillor Charles Howard was in attendance for this item.
Councillor Kunkler also declared a prejudicial interest in agenda item 16a (Area Board Projects – Youth Transport Funding) as this item contained a request from Pewsey Vale School for funding. Councillor Kunkler was a governor of the school, and again confirmed that he would leave the room and hand over to the Vice-Chairman.
There were no other declarations of interest.
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Chairman's Announcements a. Consultation on Wiltshire Local Transport Plan (LTP) 2011-2026 b. Intelligence Network c. Winter Weather – Call for Partnership Working d. Pewsey Children’s Centre e. Reopening of Pewsey Library - 17 December 2010
Supporting documents:
Minutes: a. Consultation on Wiltshire Local Transport Plan (LTP) 2011-2026 – More information on this consultation was set out at page 3 of the agenda.
b. Wiltshire Intelligence Network - More information on this initiative was set out at page 5 of the agenda.
c. Winter Weather – call for partnership working – More information on this initiative was set out at page 7 of the agenda.
d. Pewsey Children’s Centre – The Children’s Centre had officially reopened on 1 November – more information was set out on page 9 of the agenda.
e. Re-opening of Pewsey Library – 17 December 2010 – At the Chairman’s invitation, Tessa Cozens (Area Library Manager) gave an update regarding the reopening of the refurbished Pewsey Library at 2pm on 17 December. More information was set out at page 11 of the agenda.
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7.05pm |
Community Area Grants To determine any applications for Community Area Grants.
Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Area Board considered a number of applications for Community Area Grant funding. As each application was introduced, the Chairman invited a representative of the applicant to give a brief overview of their project to the Area Board.
Note: Having declared a prejudicial interest in the following item, the Chairman, Councillor Jerry Kunkler, left the room for consideration of the item. In his absence, the Vice-Chairman, Councillor Stuart Wheeler, took the Chair.
Councillor Stuart Wheeler in the Chair
Decision Burbage Cricket Club was awarded £3,934 towards purchasing a new storage shed. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would support this community sports group.
Councillor Jerry Kunkler in the Chair
Decision Burbage Village Hall was awarded £1,300 towards replacing the remaining single glazed external window. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help maintain this community facility.
Decision Burbage News was awarded £1,000 towards reinventing the Burbage News, unifying all local newsletters. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help support communications within the community, developing an increased awareness of issues and events.
Decision Burbage Parish Council was awarded £1,860 towards the construction of a footpath from the A338 Burbage Roundabout south to Marr Green Farm Shop. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help address this need, which has been identified by local people.
Decision Shalbourne Village Hall Committee was awarded £1,382 towards repairing and replacing eroding stonework forming the entrance to the village hall. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help maintain this community facility.
Decision Shalbourne Recreation Ground was awarded £2,843 towards refurbishing and updating the kitchen at the club pavilion. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help maintain this community facility.
Decision Pewsey Vale Bowls Club was awarded £4,993 towards purchasing and installing an automated watering system for the bowling green. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and linked with the community plan, specifically the need to improve sports facilities.
Decision Patney Parish Council was awarded £251 towards purchasing and installing a new hardwood noticeboard. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help promote communication in this rural area.
Decision Alton Barnes Parish Council was awarded £75 towards a new parish council noticeboard Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help promote communication in this rural area.
Decision Alton Barnes Coronation Hall Committee was awarded £800 towards the refurbishment of the hall floor. Reason The application met the Community Area Grants criteria for 2010/11 and would help maintain this community facility.
The Chairman announced that there was £9,275 left in the Pewsey Area Board’s budget for Community Area Grants in 2010/11; the deadline for submission of grants to be considered at the Area Board meeting in January was Friday 26 November. ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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7.15pm |
Living River Project To receive a presentation on the Living River Parish Resource Pack.
Minutes: The Chairman introduced Gerry Hammersley from Natural England, to give an overview of the Liver River Project.
Gerry explained that the four-year project with partner agencies had sought to raise awareness of the value of the River Avon in terms of biodiversity, and the economic, educational and cultural benefits.
The project worked with 36 parish communities and involved 1500 volunteers, with 20,000 people involved altogether.
One of the key partners was Salisbury International Arts Festival, who helped raised the profile of the project.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) had been developed, paper copies of which were available for Parish Councils, at the meeting or on request from Caroline Brailey. The document could also be downloaded from www.livingriver.org.uk. One of the objectives of the project was to encourage parish councils to care for their own parts of the river, and to ensure then legacy of the project by possibly appointing volunteer “river wardens”.
The Chairman thanked Gerry for this presentation.
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7.25pm |
Cabinet Representative - Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe, Cabinet Representative for Finance, Performance and Risk, will give a brief overview of that area of responsibility. The Chairman will then invite questions from the public.
(Note: Written questions may be submitted in advance – please email to james.hazlewood@wiltshire.gov.uk by Wednesday 17 November 2010)
Minutes: The Chairman welcomed Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe to the meeting, and invited her to give an overview of her area of responsibility (Finance, Performance, and Risk).
Referring to the Council’s financial position, Councillor de Rhé-Philipe commented that central government had announced cuts of 28% in the funding to local authorities over four years. This was close to the anticipated reduction of 25% and so the Council was fairly well prepared to absorb the reductions compared to other local authorities, having low borrowing and following savings made as part of the unitary process. However, it had also been announced that the 28% cuts would be “front-loaded” (i.e. the majority would come at the start of the period rather than being evenly spread out over four years). This front-loading would require an additional £30 million reduction in the Council’s budget. The Council was already looking at its staffing costs, with plans underway to reduce the number of managers by 240.
In addition, the Council would need to make 12% cuts to the 2011/12 budget, with procurement savings and a delay to investments likely to be amongst the areas to be reduced. It was hoped that the effect on frontline services could be minimised.
The Chairman thanked Councillor de Rhé-Philipe and invited questions:
· Responding to a question regarding the savings from moving to unitary status, Councillor de Rhé-Philipe commented that the Council was planning to move from 92 buildings to 4. However, clearly this could not happen overnight, nor was it a suitable time to market the Council’s larger buildings and properties, if it wished to obtain a good return on these assets.
· A resident queried the efficiency of the highways maintenance services, referring to a repair which had required several visits. It was explained that highways maintenance was outsourced to a private company, Ringway. As such, the Council only paid once for the issue to be fixed, and any repeat visits were at cost to the service provider. In relation to potholes, the weather during the previous winter had caused a significant level of damage. The Council had attempted to address this by increasing planned investment in repairing road surfacing.
· In response to a question regarding employee pay and conditions, Councillor de de Rhé-Philipe explained that the Council was considering changes to staff’s terms and conditions, and this this was under discussion with unions.
· In relation to corporate risks, this was managed by a traffic light system, with risks ranked as green, amber or red depending on their likelihood and severity. The Council had a robust risk management group which met regularly to assess and monitor risks.
· Councillor de Rhé-Philipe concluded by announcing that the Council was planning for a 0% Council Tax increase in 2011/12.
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7.35pm |
Partner Updates To receive any updates from partner organisations:
a. Wiltshire Police; b. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service; c. NHS Wiltshire; d. Pewsey Community Area Partnership (PCAP); e. Pewsey Community Area Young People Issues Group (CAYPIG); and f. Parish Councils.
Supporting documents:
Minutes: (a) Wiltshire Police
Inspector Andy Noble referred the meeting to the written update in the agenda, and commented on the crime statistics set out on page 24. In relation to the rise in domestic burglary, it was believed that this was due to an individual group, possibly from the Thames Valley area.
The 113.3% rise in non-domestic burglary had a distinct pattern in terms of its geographical location. Anyone spotting unusual activity on farmland in the area – particularly four-wheel drive vehicles – was asked to report this to the local policing team.
(b) Wiltshire Fire and Rescue
Mike Franklin, of Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, referred the meeting to the written update, commenting that the low level of fires was down to the high level of preventative work being undertaken by the authority. Mike also referred to free fire safety checks, further details of which were available on the tables.
(c) NHS Wiltshire
There was no PCT representative at the meeting, however the Chairman referred to the written update included at page 27 of the agenda.
In addition, Caroline Brailey commented that Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had been named as the preferred provider for community-based health services in Wiltshire from 1 April 2011. As a result, all community based NHS services for the whole of Wiltshire, plus maternity services for Bath & North East Somerset and parts of Somerset, will transfer to Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
(d) Pewsey Community Area Partnership
Bob King, Chairman of the Pewsey Community Area Partnership (PCAP) had submitted his apologies for the meeting.
(e) Pewsey Community Area Young People’s Issues Group (CAYPIG)
Ryan Angel from the Shak introduced a short film which showed the wide variety of activities available, including dance, canoeing, computer use, music, and much more. Ryan added that the young people were also working with Pewsey Area Community Trust (PACT) to run the iPewsey sessions after school.
As reported at the start of the meeting, the Chairman reported that the Board would take the decision on item 16a (Youth Funding) at this point. Having declared a prejudicial interest in the first application, the Chairman left the room and handed over to the Vice-Chairman.
Councillor Stuart Wheeler in the Chair
Decision Pewsey Vale School was awarded £3,262 towards re-establishing the Shak Breakfast Club. Reason The funding would allow this important service to young people to be re-established.
Councillor Jerry Kunkler in the Chair
The Chairman invited Corinna Cuff (Youth Dance Co-ordinator, Wiltshire Council) to introduce the bid set out on page 59. Corrina explained that as there was no theatre in Pewsey, this project proposed to take young people to nearby events in Marlborough or Salisbury for arts and dance activities.
Decision Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership and POP (Participate Overcome Perform) Youth Dance Project was awarded £508.32 towards transporting young people in the Pewsey Community Area to attend Arts and Dance events in Wiltshire for the next 12 months. Reason The funding would allow young people from the Pewsey Community ... view the full minutes text for item 9. |
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7.55pm |
Census 2011 To receive a presentation on the 2011 Census.
Supporting documents:
Minutes: Phil Morgan, Research Manager for Wiltshire Council, gave a presentation regarding the 2011 Census.
A Census had been carried out every ten years since 1801, with the exception of 1941. The gathering of information regarding the population of every town, village and street was key for allocating resources and planning the investment in and provision of public services. Accurate information was also important for local authorities, as the population figures were used by central government to allocate the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) funding. By way of example, Manchester City Council estimated that they lost 10,000 people from the 2001 Census, and estimated that this would cost the authority £100 million in lost RSG funding over the past 10 years.
It was anticipated that the 2011 Census would show a number of significant changes from the 2001 figures, including an ageing population with around 25% more over-85s than in 2001. An increase in the complexity of family structures was also envisaged, along with higher numbers of gated communities.
There was concern that recent press coverage of breaches of personal information held by government departments and agencies would impact on people’s confidence in the security of the census information. As such, people may be less inclined to complete the required information accurately.
The Census would be completed by questionnaires which would be delivered to every address in the Country. Each household would then be responsible for completing the form based on those people present in the house on the day of the Census – 27 March 2011. The form could also be submitted online. The data from the questionnaires would then be processed and quality assured, before the statistics would be generated and published.
However, it was possible that the 2011 census was likely to be the last conducted in the traditional way. Other methods were now used by other countries; for example the USA used administrative data sets (such as Doctors registers) then applied mathematical formulae to estimate population and demographic figures.
The key message regarding the Census was to encourage everyone to respond accurately and to offer assistance to those who might need it. There would be a high level of national advertising at the time of the Census, some people would remain hard to reach (for example residential boating community, and migrant workers). Parish Councils and local organisations were requested to share their local knowledge and let the Census team know about any areas which might be missed. It was emphasised that this was not to “catch” people, but to avoid missing out on the data.
Help was also needed in the form of paid work, details of which were available online and in the leaflets at the meeting.
Another way in which Parish Councils could help was through holding drop-in census completion events in their communities.
The Chairman thanked Phil for the presentation and invited questions and comments:
· In relation to the security of the online system, it was explained that the system had been designed as one ... view the full minutes text for item 10. |
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8.05pm |
The Great Stones Way To receive a presentation on the Great Stones Way project.
Supporting documents: Minutes: The Chairman invited Ian Ritchie, from the Friends of the Ridgeway, to give a presentation on The Great Stones Way.
This was a new walking route linking Avebury and Stonehenge, which would also help complete the Ancient Ridgeway: a walking route stretching across South England from Lyme Regis in Dorset, to Holme in Norfolk.
The Friends of the Ridgeway was a registered Charity which sought to preserve the special characteristics of the Ridgeway. Following success in establishing other sections of the route, the next stage was to implement The Great Stones Way, running over 38 miles and encompassing various sites with historic and archaeological interest.
It was hoped that this route would attract national and international visitors to the area, in turn generating huge economic benefits, with estimates of around £6 million revenue per annum, including many new jobs. It was hoped that the route would also support the on-going financial viability of small businesses, including shops post offices and pubs. In comparison to these benefits, it was considered that the costs were relatively modest: around £105,000 for disability access gates, signposts, repairs to the track, legal costs and project management.
The project was currently in discussion with partner organisations including Wiltshire Council, Visit Wiltshire and the North Wessex Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Consultation was also beginning with local communities and Town/Parish Councils; Ian commented that he was happy to attend meetings at the request of Town/Parish Councils. Once funding had been secured, works to signage and access could begin, and maps, promotional literature and the website could be produced.
There were several ways to get involved: · views and suggestions were welcome · those in favour of the scheme were encouraged to send a letter of support · there were opportunities to volunteers as wardens and to help with the on-going trail maintenance · financial support was also welcomed.
The Chairman thanked Ian for the presentation and asked for a show of hands to demonstrate support for the project. The majority of those present were in favour of the scheme. Questions and comments were raised as follows:
· Representatives from Stanton St Bernard raised concerns regarding car parking arrangements, and possible congestion/highways safety issues from walkers’ parked cars. Ian responded that solution were being considered including a “henge hopper” shuttle bus, which would allow walkers to park at a major car park, walk some of the route, and them get the bus back.
· Responding to concerns over signage, Ian commented that local input would be sought regarding the best locations for signs and the preferred routes. Most Parish Councils had a Rights of Way “contact” who may be able to help with this.
· Several Parish Councils emphasised the need for thorough consultation in relation to the proposed routes, and it was noted that public meetings, possibly held jointly between adjoining Parish Councils, could be effective.
· Ian clarified that Wiltshire Council had a legal responsibility to maintain the Right of Way, and that The Friends of the Ridgeway were hoping to ... view the full minutes text for item 11. |
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8.20pm |
Local Transport Plan (LTP) Funding Allocation To consider and determine recommendations from the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) regarding the prioritisation of schemes for Local Transport Plan (LTP) funding.
Supporting documents:
Minutes: Caroline Brailey, Pewsey Community Area Manager, introduced the report set out on page 41 of the agenda.
The Community Area Transport Group (CATG) had met on 13 October 2010 to consider and prioritise scheme requests from the Pewsey Community Area and their five highest scoring schemes had been:
The recommendation of the CATG was that the funding be allocated by highways officers to undertaken feasibility studies on the schemes prioritised above.
Decision 1. The Pewsey Area Board agree to an informal professional assessment to be undertaken by a highways officer to determine which of the five prioritised schemes are worthy of a feasibility study attracting professional fees, and that the funding allocation of £12,377 be used to carry out further feasibility studies. It should be noted that all five will have an initial highways officer assessment but not all will have feasibility work as there isn’t enough funding available. 2. The Pewsey Area Board agree to adopt the attached Pewsey Area Board LTP scheme prioritisation list and close those that are currently included on the Area Board Issues System. Reason – To maximise the potential benefits for the local highways network, from the limited funding available.
The Chairman thanked everyone who took part in the exercise, in particular the members of the CATG.
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8.30pm |
Car Parking Strategy Consultation Feedback To receive feedback on the results of the recent consultation on the Car Parking Strategy.
Supporting documents: Minutes: The Chairman invited David Bullock (Highways Improvements Manager) to present the outcome of the recent consultation.
The draft Parking Strategy covered a wide range of parking issues, including car park charges, strategic parking policy in relation to new residential and commercial developments, parking at railway stations, and residential parking schemes.
The consultation had been publicised on the Council’s website and through the Community Area Networks. The issue had also been covered in the local press. Over 600 people had responded to the consultation, submitting over 5000 individual comments:
· There was overwhelming support for treating the economy as the most important consideration in setting parking policy.
· In addition, the majority of respondents supported the idea of price banding for different towns; although there was disagreement over which bands towns should be placed in.
· Support was also expressed for the proposal to offer Town/Parish Councils the option to “buy back” parking spaces or to consider car park management opportunities.
Eight responses had been received from the Pewsey Community Area, some of which referred to the lack of coordination between bus times and train times, and the need to prevent train users from parking in residential roads to avoid the cost of parking at the station.
The next stage in the process was for the consultation responses to be considered and processed, then a report would be submitted to the Cabinet on 14 December. Statutory procedures would take place between January and March 2011, prior to the changes being implemented from April 2011.
The Chairman thanked David for the presentation and sought questions and comments from the floor:
· David confirmed that the consultation proposals sought to introduce a consistent policy and approach for parking charges across the county, although different “price bands” were proposed, based on the individual needs and characteristics of local communities.
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8.40pm |
Community Issues Councillor Stuart Wheeler will give an update on the progress made regarding issues which have been raised with the Area Board.
Supporting documents: Minutes: Councillor Stuart Wheeler updated the meeting on the Community Issues which had been received by the Area Board.
As a results of the Local Transport Funding (LTP) process (item 12 refers), a number of issues would be closed and moved to the LTP list.
Also to be closed were the issues relating to the need for a footpath in Burbage (as a result of a grant at item 6) and another relating to dogs in a children play area, as the Council was now proposing to review and harmonise its arrangements for Dog Control Orders.
A member of Manningford Parish Council expressed concern that an issue was closed which related to rat-running, speeding and HGVs travelling through Manningford. The Chairman confirmed that Manningford was eligible for Community Speed Watch on one stretch of road. In addition, “unsuitable for HGVs” signs had been installed on the A345, and a “Lorry Watch” scheme was being developed. The Chairman asked the local Councillor and Caroline Brailey to investigate the issue and look into why it was closed.
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8.45pm |
Highways Winter Maintenance - Provision of Grit Bins To prioritise and determine the location of additional Grit Bins within the Community Area.
Supporting documents: Minutes: The Chairman introduced the report set out at page 41 of the agenda commenting that, following the severe weather last winter, a large number of requests for additional grit bins had been received. It was not feasible for the Council to meet the cost of providing and filling all 422 additional bins requested across Wiltshire, but 100 new bins would be provided, equating to an additional 10% for each Area Board. For the Pewsey Community Area, this would be six additional bins.
In response to concern that some existing grit bins had gone missing, it was requested that the specific locations could be reported to Caroline Brailey, who would pass them to the Highways team.
Decision The Pewsey Area Board allocated the additional six Grit Bins to the following parishes: · North Newnton · Wilcot · Wootton Rivers · Easton Royal · Grafton · Great Bedwyn
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8.50pm |
Update on Area Board Projects To receive an update on the following two on-going projects being managed by the Area Board:
a. Youth Funding – To consider any requests for funding from this budget which is ringfenced for projects benefitting young people.
b. Reducing unnecessary Street Lighting – To consider recommendations in relation to the funding available to reduce street lighting and subsequent light pollution.
Supporting documents:
Minutes: a. Youth Funding
Noted that this item had been dealt with at item 9e above.
b. Reducing unnecessary Street Lighting
In relation to item 16b Caroline Brailey reported that six parish councils had submitted bids to be included in this scheme. As set out in the report on page 61, the scheme sought to replace street lights with a unit which would automatically switch off around midnight and switch back on again around 5.30am. This would reduce carbon emissions, energy costs to the council, and unnecessary light pollution.
It was noted that, if the Board was minded to approve the applications received so far, there would still be sufficient funding for around 50 further lights to be upgraded in this way.
Decision The Pewsey Area Board approved the parish council bids for the upgrading of street lighting as follows:
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9.00pm |
Urgent Business Time permitting, the Chairman will invite questions and comments on issues not covered elsewhere in the agenda.
Minutes: None. |
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Future Meeting Dates and Close To note the Forward Plan attached.
The next meeting of the Pewsey Area Board is scheduled for Monday 10 January 2011, 7pm at Coronation Hall, Alton Barnes, Wiltshire SN8 4LB.
Supporting documents: Minutes: The next meeting of the Pewsey Area Board was scheduled for Monday 10 January 2010, 7pm at the Coronation Hall, Alton Barnes.
The Chairman thanked everyone for attending.
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