Agenda item

Councillors and representatives gave an update on community issues and progress on Calne Area Board working groups.

a.     The Chairman thanked Andrea Pellegram, Technical Services Manager from the Hills Group and Andy Conn, Head of Waste Management, for coming to the Area Board to present information about the Lower Compton application by Hills Group. Councillor Crisp explained that as she and Councillor Trotman sat on the Strategic Planning Committee, they were unable to comment on this issue.

Andrea set out that an application had been submitted in August and representations on this should be made to Wiltshire Council planning services by 25 November 2011 in an extension to the consultation.

Andy Conn stated that Hills had been a Wiltshire Council contractor since 1996. The Lower Compton site would be used to manage changes to the waste collection services and the need to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill, which was taxed heavily under European legislation. There would be increased space for black box and blue lidded bin recycling and a more efficient waste transfer facility.

This was followed by a short question and answer session. Common questions raised and their answers were available to view on the Wiltshire Council planning portal. The main issues below were addressed:

·       There would be a small increase in job numbers linked to the application and all jobs would be retained in a climate where jobs related to landfill would otherwise be lost.

·       A traffic assessment had been undertaken and predicted that the increase in traffic linked to the application was small (a ten per cent increase in traffic from traffic at present was approximated). The Hills Group were taking measures to reduce concerns about traffic, for example by introducing a good driver’s scheme.    

·       An environmental and ecological assessment had found no grounds for refusal of the application.

·       Composting provision at Lower Compton would change; while household composting would move to Purton, the composting of other material, such as park sweepings, would be retained at Lower Compton. This material was not suitable for sale and was used to cap landfill.   

·       The proportion of waste dealt with at the site from outside Wiltshire was raised. Andrea would look into and answer via the planning portal.

Decision

Andrea Pellegram would find out the proportion of waste dealt with at the Lower Compton site from outside Wiltshire.    

b.     Skate board park working group. The young people involved in the skate board park working group had committed to raise £10,000 for the project themselves.  

c.     The cycle network working group would no longer meet regularly as projects identified would be passed to the highways working group. 

d.     Anne Henshaw presented a Calne Area Strategic Transport Plan on behalf of Calne Area Transport. The desired outcomes of the plan were to reduce the carbon footprint, improve air quality, provide safer travel facilities and quality travel information. An action plan was outlined that involved a transport hub, improved use of the web, transport information boards and comprehensive travel routes. Anne then suggested the set up of a working group and this was agreed by the Area Board.  

e.     The Chairman reported about highways working group priorities for 2010/12. Priorities one to three for the Area Board had been completed. The project for a pedestrian refuge at Hilmarton would go forward for completion hopefully in this financial year. The lighting scheme for one refuge on the A4 had been agreed following a parish consultation and should be completed this financial year. A grant application for white gates was likely to come to the Area Board later in the year. The signage scheme to direct through traffic away from Curzon Street/Wood Street had been in place for some weeks. A survey of traffic movements found that a pleasing 62% of traffic was recorded turning onto the bypass compared with a previous 40%.

The remaining two priorities at Goatacre and Quemerford/Lake View would be reassessed in January when further funding might be available. A survey and feasibility study had been completed for the A3102 Goatacre project, however funding was not available. A feasibility study had been completed too regarding the A4 Quemerford/Lake View, but this had not produced an achievable project at present. Quemerford would be put forward for the Community Speed Watch scheme in order to help to control traffic speeds.

A potential project to reduce traffic in Back Lane/Sandy Lane and halt the erosion of the sides of the road would be added to the list of issues to be discussed.

The Chairman thanked Ed Jones, Richard Broadhead and Charles Boase especially for their work.

A question was then raised from the floor regarding the traffic lights in Calne town centre outside the Town Hall not beeping. An officer explained that the beeping had been deliberately removed and tactile rotating cones underneath the push button had instead been installed for the visually impaired as part of a national programme. Concern was raised about the timing of the crossroads and people not having enough time to cross the road safely. 

Decision

Martin Rose, Principal Highway Engineer, would investigate whether beeping could be reinstalled at the crossroads in Calne town centre.  

Decision

Martin Rose would investigate timing on the crossroads in Calne town centre.    

f.      Councillor Hill gave an update about the Calne campus working group. The first phase of consultation had been completed with eighty per cent of respondents in favour of a campus. The results of the initial phase of consultation were available to view on the Calne campus website: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityandliving/communitycampuses/calnecommunitycampus.htm. Councillor Hill sought approval from the Area Board to move to the second phase of consultation, related to how services should best be provided.

Decision

Calne Area Board were in support of the Calne campus working group moving into the second phase of their consultation. 

g.     An initial meeting had been held for the Sandpits Lane (section 106) working group. This group was an exciting first for Wiltshire Council; enabling local people to have a say in how developer contributions would be spent in their community. Councillor Trotman was looking for interested people to join the working group  and a meeting would take place on 9 November 2011 at 4.00 pm in the community hub.

A question was asked about potential funding from central Government for a New Homes Bonus scheme.

Decision

Brad Fleet, Service Director, would investigate potential funding from a New Homes Bonus scheme.