Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will welcome those present to the meeting. This will include an introduction to Chloe Harris Alba, the new representative for young people in the Community Area.   

The Chairman greeted those present to the meeting and thanked Sherston Village Hall group for their excellent welcome. The Chairman introduced Chloe Harris-Alba, the new representative for young people in the Community Area, Andrew Noblet from Chippenham Town Council and the visiting Cabinet member Councillor Lionel Grundy OBE. He thanked the representatives from Inner Flame and Ridgeway Care and Repair for their display stands available before the meeting and the community for opening up the Sherston Old School building for the public to view the plans for the building.   

Apologies for absence were received from Peter Campaigne (Norton and Foxley Parish Council), Andrew Carnegie (Malmesbury Town Council), Catherine Doody (Malmesbury Town Council), Andrew Woodcock (Malmesbury Town Council), Ellen Blacker (Dauntsey Parish Council), Graham Morris (Sherston Parish Council), Bob Tallon (Brokenborough Parish Council), Terry Mockler (Hankerton Parish Council) Frances Goldstone (River Valleys Trust) and James Yorke Moore.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2011.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman will provide announcements, as in the agenda pack. This will include information on digital inclusion and the Fosse Way at Whitewalls Avon. Please also find an information sheet about the Fosse Way attached. 

The Chairman drew attention to the written announcements included in the agenda pack. A few late announcements had also been received. Deaf Awareness Week would run from Monday 2 May until Sunday 8 May when organisations working with deaf people across the country aim to improve understanding of the different types of deafness by highlighting the many different methods of communication used by deaf, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people, such as sign language and lipreading. He reminded the audience that hearing loops were available at area board meetings for anyone who was hard of hearing.  

Free blood pressure and cardiovascular risk assessment checks would be available from 11 am until 3 pm at Malmesbury Town Hall on Tuesday 17 May in recognition of World Hypertension Day.

Miranda Gilmour, Community Area Manager, would be hosting two tea and talk events for Town and Parish Councils in the Malmesbury Community Area on 23 May and 6 June. Town and Parish Chairmen, Councillors and Clerks were asked to respond to Miranda by 18 May.

The Chairman explained that it had come to his attention that a project to drive forward the cycle/foot path between Cowbridge and Malmesbury town centre required revitalising.

Decision

The Area Board would set up a Community Task Group with representatives from Malmesbury Town Council and St Paul Malmesbury Without Parish Council and other community representatives to move the cycle/foot path project between Cowbridge and Malmesbury town centre forward. 

To receive updates from the following partners:

a)    Wiltshire Police

b)    Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c)    NHS Wiltshire

d)    Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership

e)    Town and Parish Councils

f)     Young People’s Representative.

The Chairman noted the written updates from partners included with the agenda pack. He invited partners to speak if they had further information for the meeting.

a)    The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. Sergeant Martin Alvis appealed to the public to come forward if they had any information regarding drug use in the Community Area.

b)    The current Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service written update was circulated at the meeting.

c)    The written update from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d)    Martin Rea provided a comprehensive end of year update from Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership. The Partnership was working well and achievements made included the following:

-       Orchard Court residents had been assisted

-       A successful transport event had been held in September 2010

-       Local fundraising had been supported

-       A speed bump survey had been completed

-       Work had taken place on a project to reduce street lighting.

The community safety forum and the transport group would continue this year. A walk between Malmesbury, Sherston and Luckington was being developed and the main project would be to introduce a community hub to the town.   

e)    Julie Cavendish spoke about Malmesbury Town Council. She promoted their successful film showings and stated there would be an Alive and Kicking event showcasing Malmesbury’s businesses and organisations to the community at Malmesbury Town Hall on 7 May.

f)     Chloe Harris-Alba introduced herself and gave a short presentation about the Wiltshire Assembly of Youth and the UK Youth Parliament. The Chairman explained that the Area Board had felt they needed a young person on the area board and he thanked Chloe for taking up the challenge.  

A request for Area Board funding from Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership.

A request was made for Area Board funding from Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership.

A question was raised regarding whether the tasks handled by the Partnership could be covered by Town and Parish Councils or the Area Board. The Chairman responded that the Partnership in Malmesbury was working very successfully and volunteers had been able to deliver a lot with relatively little funding. A show of hands was taken as to whether the Partnership was believed to offer good value for money and the large majority of the room were supportive of the Partnership.  

Decision

The Area Board would approve the 2011/12 core funding of £8,118, with an agreement to release the 1^st tranche of £4,059 immediately.

Decision

The Area Board would release the 2^nd tranche of funding in November 2011, as long as conditions set by the Partnership Development Officer and agreed by the Board, have been met.

Groups of local young people will present a range of proposals for funding (related to the transport funding provided in 2010/11 for young people).

Groups of young people presented a range of proposals for funding. The Chairman explained that funding had been awarded by Cabinet for young people to address transport related needs in the area. He thanked Charlotte Morris, Jo Hartley and Gareth Brown for their work to support the process and the young people. He asked the meeting to evaluate each project using the electronic voting handsets on the basis of whether the project offered good value for money and the number of skills young people involved in the project would develop. On the basis of the presentations and the question and answer sessions for each proposal, the decisions below were made by the Area Board. 

Decision

Young People’s Film Project Group were awarded £1,500 to run and promote film nights for 13-19 year olds.

Decision

Sherston Craft Group were awarded £620 for a visit and transport to Gifford’s Circus.

Decision

Somewhere In Between were awarded £1,236 for group members to attend six lessons at a snowboard and ski centre and complete a recreational certificate.

Decision

A Malmesbury skating group were awarded £713 for a trip to Truro Plaza with adult accompaniment to camp and take part in a different skating experience.

Decision

Malmesbury Bridging Project Group were awarded £1,009 for a group of local 13-19 year olds with disabilities or special needs to visit Oakwood theme park.

The Chairman explained that on the basis of one group of young people withdrawing, the Area Board had decided to award prizes to the top three projects as voted by the room.

Decision

Sherston Craft Group were awarded £100 as first prize.

Decision

Malmesbury Bridging Project Group were awarded £75 as second prize.

Decision

Somewhere In Between were awarded £50 as third prize.

Information will be provided about a YMCA project in Malmesbury.

Kim Power and Mike Fairbeard provided information about a YMCA project in Malmesbury. Approximately £90,000 funding was available for a youth project in the town from proceeds from the sale of a venue. This was highlighted as a fantastic opportunity for the town to perhaps invest in a long term asset. 

A survey had been conducted through a town consultation group to find out what young people in the Community Area would like to do in their free time. The survey was distributed through schools, local groups, shops, businesses, pubs and street surveys. In total 722 surveys had been completed. The results of the survey had been presented to the YMCA in Bath.

The key finding, which was currently not being addressed by any other project or group in the toen, was the desire for a place for young people to simply meet up.

Decision

The Area Board would set up a task and finish group to deliver a YMCA project in Malmesbury. Councillor Killane and Mike Fairbeard would look into appropriate membership for the group and report back to the next Area Board meeting. 

Councillor Lionel Grundy will provide an update about his Cabinet responsibilities for Children’s Services in the Community Area. There will then be the opportunity to ask Councillor Lionel Grundy questions.

Councillor Lionel Grundy provided an update about his Cabinet responsibilities for Children’s Services in the Community Area. Children’s Services had had a positive year and this was reflected in the department being noted as performing well in the report from Ofsted in 2010.

There were 30 children’s centres in Wiltshire and one in Malmesbury. The services had been reconfigured to help to provide support to vulnerable families. Wiltshire Council was attempting to improve school facilities, such as at the new Melksham Oak Community School. GCSE results had been the best ever recorded in the county, though it had been identified that more could be done in order to reduce the gap between vulnerable pupils and other pupils.

In Malmesbury, two schools had been rated by Ofsted as outstanding. Malmesbury Secondary School was judged as ‘good with outstanding features’. As results were consistently excellent, the school had been passed over by Ofsted, who had deemed it unnecessary to reinspect in line with their four year cycle. An inspection next year to prove the school was outstanding was hoped for.

Seven schools had been rated as good and the remainder were satisfactory. Councillor Grundy confirmed that Malmesbury had been taken off the list of special learning centres to be closed. The centre would be left as it is for two years and then a review and consultation would be conducted. Malmesbury Secondary School had been accepted for academy status and Malmesbury Primary School was considering academy status. This was being discussed directly with the Department of Education.    

The Community Area Manager will provide a summary of current community issues and the Area Board will agree those to be closed.  

The Community Area Manager drew attention to the summary of current community issues that had been included in the agenda pack and the Area Board agreed those to be closed.

Decision

The Area Board would close the following issues:

Issues 1559, 1572 and 1475 related to maintenance of open space and highways on the Filands estate, Malmesbury. These remained the responsibility of the developer until the estate was adopted, which would take place later this year. Officers had been asked to inform the Area Board when the estate had been adopted and provide a six monthly update on the situation.

Issue 1484 had been resolved as littering by the river at the rear of Malmesbury Youth Development Centre had been cleared.

Decision

The Area Board would consider a further four parking issues (issues 406, 655, 1074 and 1226) and speed bumps (issue 438) in depth at the 29 June Area Board meeting when Councillor Tonge and relevant officers would attend.

Decision

The Area Board would refer a further two issues (issues 1497 and 1499) to the Malmesbury Community Area Transport Group. 

A review of the Community Area Grants awarded in 2010/11 will be provided.

The criteria and dates for applications to the Community Area Grant Scheme for 2011/12 will then be set out.

No applications had been received to the Community Area Grants Scheme for this meeting. The Community Area Manager pointed out the review of the Community Area Grants awarded in 2010/11 included in the agenda pack.

The criteria for the scheme had altered slightly for the forthcoming year. This was to emphasise voluntary and community groups, though applications from town and parish councils would still be considered if the application was thought to be of wider community benefit. The Charity Information Bureau was highlighted as another source of funding advice.

The Area Board had a total budget of just over £50,000 for the coming year. The deadline for applications to the scheme to be considered at the next Area Board meeting was 13 May.   

The Chairman thanked everyone and asked for those present to complete an electronic evaluation of the meeting. The meeting overall was deemed to be very good. The next Area Board meeting would take place on Wednesday 29 June 2011 at 7.00 pm, with refreshments available from 6.30 pm, at Malmesbury Town Hall.