A presentation will be given by members of the Community Operations Board and Wiltshire Council officers about the background to the campus project and the options on offer.
Minutes:
The Chairman introduced and welcomed Mike Parker and Tara Huntley, members of the Community Operations Board (COB), together with Lucy Murray-Brown and Ros Griffiths from Wiltshire Council who were attending to make a presentation about the background to the campus project and the options on offer; they would then answer questions.
The Area Board was informed that following on from the first round of consultations the COB had identified which services/facilities should be included in the scope for the campus and following on from this three distinct options had been developed as follows:-
· Option 1 - a three site campus, based at Leighton Recreation Centre, Westbury Library and the Swimming Pool.
· Option 2 - a two site campus, based at Leighton Recreation Centre and the Library.
· Option 3 – a single site, new build campus, site yet to be identified.
Full details of the results of the first round of consultations are available to view on the Westbury Campus page of the Wiltshire Council website at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/westburycommunitycampus
A second round of consultations had been launched with a closing date of 29 November 2013 and everyone was encouraged to complete a consultation form online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/westburycommunitycampusphase2.htm
This consultation would also include information sessions at the library, a roadshow, stalls and information in magazines.
During the ensuing debate, which lasted just over an hour, the following points were made in answer to questions:-
· The total number of responses received to the first round of consultations was a little over 500, which was rather disappointing bearing in mind that copies of the consultation form were circulated to all households.
· If eventually, following further consultation, there was clear evidence that the people of Westbury favoured either Option 2 or Option 3, thus resulting in the swimming pool being surplus to requirements, then every effort would be made to find an alternative use for the building as a community asset. It was pointed out that the swimming pool was provided as a gift to the people of Westbury and thus the building could not be rendered surplus to community requirements unless there was 75% agreement following a referendum.
· Lucy Murray-Brown and Ros Griffiths explained that any proposal put forward would have to be fully costed including taking into account the capital receipts received from the sale of any building. A business plan would be produced for consideration by Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet, but it would take very much into account the views of the local people before reaching a final decision. Thus community consultation was of paramount importance and everyone was urged to complete a consultation form.
· It was generally considered that campus facilities should be situated as close to the centre of Westbury as possible and certainly within easy access. A suggestion was made that consideration be given to the use of High Street, Westbury but it was pointed out that properties in that location were owned by a considerable number of people and it would be a major and expensive exercise to identify all of them in addition to the cost of purchase of the properties and their subsequent redevelopment.
· The meeting agreed that the Area Board would endorse the Option selected by the Westbury Community as a result of the consultation process being carried out and that it would be forwarded to Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet as being the recommendation of the Area Board.
At the conclusion of the debate, a straw poll was taken on the three options proposed, the results being as follows:-
Option 1 – 63%
Option 2 – 12%
Option 3 – 24%
The Chairman thanked the representatives from COB for their presentation and also Officers from Wiltshire Council for attending to answer questions.
A further report would be made to the Area Board after the second round of consultations had been completed and the results were available.