Agenda item

To receive updates from the following partners:

a)     Wiltshire Police

b)     Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (attached)

c)      NHS Wiltshire (attached)

d)     Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership (attached)

e)     Town and Parish Councils.

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 circulated at the meeting, please find attached to the minutes. The main issue in the Community Area was rural theft. Inspector Martin advised the meeting to secure property carefully and take details if suspicious behaviour had been noticed. 

b)    The written update from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was noted.

c)    The written update from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d)    The written update from Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership (M&VCAP) was noted. Sid Jevons emphasised that the Partnership were always looking for volunteers who would like to become involved in their work.

e)    Malcolm Carter from Ashton Keynes Parish Council introduced their new website. He described how the website was created to address people not knowing what was going on in the community, how it was designed using a website design template and the positive feedback it had received. The website could be accessed via the following link: www.akpc.org.uk.   

Ellen Blacker explained that Community Speed Watch had been a real success story in Dauntsey and a prime example of ‘The Big Society’ in action.

The group attended the risk assessed site most mornings and afternoons when they had the device and had seen a significant drop in traffic speeds. When the project was started, the group recorded approximately 30 vehicles exceeding the limit per hour. This had dropped to 15-20, however unfortunately the effect was short-lived and when not visible on duty the traffic sped up. An overall lowering of traffic speed through the village was still noted.

Dauntsey Parish Council had invested in the wheelie bin stickers offered by Advanced Printing Services (UK) Ltd.   The stickers helped to support the work of the Community Speedwatch scheme.  Approximately 50% of homes in the 30mph zone had the stickers, enough to have effect. On bin day, the number of vehicles recorded exceeding the speed limit reduced from 15-20 per hour to 3-4 per hour.

Ellen thoroughly recommended these stickers as a method of reminding motorists to slow down.

Roger Baker from Leigh Parish Council raised concern about the proposed HM Revenues and Customs requirement for parish clerks to register to pay tax and national insurance contributions, given their low earnings. John Marsh, clerk to Ashton Keynes Parish Council, offered to provide support free of charge to Leigh Parish Council. The Chairman expressed his support for this concern and advised parishes to write to their MP.

Wiltshire Council was talking to HM Revenues and Customs and the Wiltshire Association of Local Councils to see whether it would be possible for Wiltshire Council to run the payroll on behalf of Wiltshire Parish Councils. The Wiltshire Association of Local Councils could be contacted at:

Wyndhams, St Joseph’s Place, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1DD, on 01380 729549 or office@wiltshire-alc.org.uk.

Decision

The Chairman would write to the local MP to express concern about the requirement for all parish clerks to register to pay tax and national insurance contributions.