Agenda item

Councillors will provide an update on community issues and progress on area board working groups. This will include:

1.    Highways working group (CATG)

2.    Calne campus working group

3.    Sandpit Road (Section 106) working group

4.    Air quality working group.

5.    Dementia Friends working group.

6.    ‘Our Place’ project working group.

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

Highways Working Group (CATG) – The Board received a report with recommendations, which endorsed the Beversbrook Surgery signage request, suggested the deferral of progressing the speed limit on the C50 route and to further agree further priority issues, namely the 20mph schemes for School Road, Calne and Cherhill Village.  The C50 route (Quemerford – Blackland Crossroads) was discussed and speed checks had shown that no one was breaking the speed limit. Members agreed that it was not necessary to defer this decision as a decision could be made immediately.

Decision:

To decline the recommendation to defer the progression of the speed limit on the C50 route and to ask the CATG to take no further action on this matter.

Decision:

To agree further priority issues for 2015/16 as 20mph schemes around school road (conditional upon a Town Council contribution) and Cherhill Village (conditional upon a Parish Council contribution).

Decision:

To note actions laid out in the meeting notes.

Members also discussed potential dangers on Anchor Road.

It was stated that the contribution requested from Town and Parish Councils would be in the region of 25%/30% of the total cost.

Calne Campus Working Group – Cllr Hill discussed a review of the campus project by the Transformation team. The all-weather pitch was discussed and it was hoped that work would be complete by the end of 2016 but that there was the potential for delays. The leisure centre site was over the approved budget and the responsible Trust had been asked how the investment could be best spent to increase usage. Transfer should be completed by the end of 2015.

            Cllr Hill stated that the campus project had been in a state of change. There would be significant investment into Calne (an estimated £4-5M) as one of seven planned campuses; some of which would be modelled on Calne’s Community Hub. The need to be proud of the Hub and its work was emphasised.

Sandpit Road (Section 106) Working Group – Cllr Short had resigned and there would be a replacement in due time. Legal challenges to the closure of Woodhill Rise to Oxford Road footpath to wheeled vehicles were expected.

Air Quality Working Group – ‘Love Calne, Love Clean Air’. ‘Beat the Street’ had been a great success and there was a need to perpetuate the scheme if possible. Attendees were encouraged to attend ‘Calne Fest’ on Saturday 6^th June and to bring along their ‘Beat the Street’ card. Fynamore School has been a key target in the ‘Beat the Street’ project and were currently top of the leader board.

            Pollution from diesel engines was discussed and there should be more pressure to make the centre of Calne car free where possible. Slower traffic caused more extreme levels of pollution. It was stated that more people died from pollution related illnesses (and their associated problems) than from road incidents. It was stated that Calne’s pollution levels had been 50% above the government guidelines, and at its peak, had reached 800mg of carbon monoxide per cubic metre.

Dementia Friends Working Group – All three local surgeries have committed to the Dementia Friends project. Shops had been signing up in number to take the dementia course. The group had positive news to share, as Leonard Cheshire Disability homecare staff (Wiltshire Council contractors) would train to become dementia friends after a Calne Area Board Member request.

Our Place Project Working Group – Bob Marshall reported that this project had received ‘Our Place’ government funding. The group was focussing on promoting tourism to the town in new ways. The need to encourage tourism into the town was discussed. It was hoped that visitor spending could be increased, which would increase the retail offering locally. There was a team of volunteers, including local businesses and residents, working on this project. The Calne ‘Home of the Wiltshire Cure’ branding would start to be used around the town to promote the area as the place where this means of curing local meat was first invented. A heritage quarter would also be created using signage and the rich scientific history of the town would be highlighted.