Agenda item

To note the attached Partner updates and receive any further information partners wish to share:

 

1. Wiltshire Police
2. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue
3. Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
4. Healthwatch Wiltshire
5. MADT (Marlborough Area Development Trust)
6. Transition Marlborough
7. Marlborough Community Operations Board (COB)
8. Positive Activities for Young People
9. Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)
10. Town / Parish Councils

1. Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

 

Dr Jonathon Rayner, Dr Ted Wilson, and Sarah MacLennan were in attendance to provide an update from the CCG. The written update was included in the Wiltshire CCG Chairman’s announcement.

 

Most of the data in the update was from November 2014, and had not yet taken into account any Christmas pressures. There had been increasing demand for services, and the use of out-of-area business had doubled.

 

Measures had been put in place through working with partners and Wiltshire Council to reduce pressure. Particular attention was paid to social and mental health workers, and individuals located in isolated areas.

 

National waiting time targets were still being successfully met, and more investment was being placed into community nurses and therapists. It was noted that the new NHS Chief Executive had written a five year forward review which mirrored Wiltshire Council’s five year strategy.

 

In response to questions it was heard that there was no easy explanation to the waiting times experienced at Great Western Hospital (GWH) over Christmas. Increases in demand were said to be a result of a longer living population. People were being admitted to hospitals when they would be better suited to being cared for at home; this was stated as being one area of improvement.

 

In response to a question on ambulance response time to rural areas it was explained that performance was still at an acceptable level. Accessibility issues made the 8minute response time challenging in rural areas, and performance was impacted by call outs to non-life threatening incidents.

 

2. Wiltshire Police

 

A written update was provided.

 

A total of 208 drivers had been caught speeding. Some of these had been stopped, while others had been reported or received warnings.

 

The community messaging had sent out a message in the light of three recent burglaries reminding people to keep their jewellery out of sight, and to lock up their properties.

 

3. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

 

A written report was circulated at the meeting.

 

The Combination Order to bring together Wiltshire and Swindon Combined Fire Authority and Dorset Fire Authority had been submitted to the Secretary of State. Subject to no need being found for an enquiry it was expected that the Combination Order would be made February 2015.

 

Following this the required legislation could be passed by the end of March 2015, which would allow the new Fire Authority to come into being on 1 April 2016. It was noted that the new name for the body would be “Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority”.

 

4. Healthwatch Wiltshire (HWW)

 

Paul Lefever was in attendance to provide an update on the work of HWW. The written update was included as a part of the Chairman’s announcements.

 

A few public meetings had taken place, but the consultation would be open until early March.

 

HWW would monitor Wiltshire Council and the CCG’s dementia strategy through the “100 Group” workshops.

 

5. Marlborough Area Development Trust (MADT)

 

There were currently twenty one community WiFi nodes up and running, seven were in Avebury. No plans for any new nodes were currently underway. Content filtering had been implemented however. More details were available on the community website.

 

The tourism information kiosk funded by the development trust would be improved to prevent the electronic tablets from being inappropriately used. This would be done in time for the next tourist season.

 

Future plans included an upgrade of the density and resilience of its infrastructure in order to make it more widely available.

 

6. Transition Marlborough

 

A written update was circulated at the meeting.

 

Transition Marlborough had created a video on reducing fuel poverty in rural areas. The video would be played at the next meeting and was available on Youtube.

 

The transport group was continuing to upgrade cycle tracks, racks, and signage in Marlborough. The permaculture group was continuing to meet to learn from and teach each other, and to share seeds and seedlings.

 

Jo Ripley and Judy Hindley from the Climate group were working on the Carbon Fee and Dividend Campaign. This was gathering support in Britain, Europe, and the United States.

 

Support from Wiltshire Council was stated as being needed in order to help the return of the railway to Marlborough.

 

7. Marlborough Community Operations Board (COB)

 

There were no updates.

 

8. Positive Activities for Young People

 

Jan Bowra was in attendance to provide an update.

 

The wider Local Youth Network (LYN) was going well in terms of membership. The network was a group of stakeholders who would come together to decide what was needed in the community for young people.

 

A strategic plan was being shaped regarding what young people said they needed. Some priorities were coming out of the Joint Strategic Assessment (JSA), such as mental health.

 

A LYN event would be held in March to pull in more groups and network.

 

9. Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)

 

Kieran Kilgallen was in attendance to give an update. A written update was circulated at the meeting.

 

A 1.9% increase in the police and crime precept of the council tax was being proposed, which would result in an average annual increase of £3.09.

 

Wiltshire was stated to have the lowest annual precept in the South West. This would not give the police any extra money, but would instead reduce the amount of savings they would need to make.

 

10. Town and Parish Councils

 

Marlborough Town Council –

Elizabeth Marian Hannaford Dobson, the Mayor for Marlborough, was in attendance to give a short presentation on the work of Marlborough Town Council.

 

There had been a successful Christmas lunch at the Town Hall. A benchmarking report had been introduced as a tool to map what needed to be done with the town to move forward with projects. The old Victorian cemetary had fallen into disrepair, it was hoped that in the future it could be restored. S106 projects included Marlborough Common, which would be improved for football and rugby teams. Local groups were urged to take advantage and apply for the Town Council Small Grant Scheme.