Agenda item

To note the written updates attached to the agenda and to receive any verbal updates from representatives present.

a)    Local Youth Network (LYN)

b)    Salisbury City Council (SCC)

c)     Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

d)    Police

e)    Fire

f)      Community Engagement Manager – Karen Linaker

g)    Salisbury BID

h)    Air Quality Group – Cllr Clewer

i)       Market Square Bins – Cllr Clewer

Note: Speakers are reminded that they each have a 3 minutes slot, unless they have previously discussed alternative arrangements with the Community Area Manager.

The Board noted the written updates attached to the agenda and to receive the following verbal updates:

Local Youth Network (LYN)

The Board welcomed the newly appointed Chairman of the LYN, Kirstie Stage, who explained the remit of the LYN to the Board.

Winnie Manning, Community Youth Officer then explained that no youth funding applications had been received at the time of the last LYN management group meeting;  however one had been received a week later.

This was too late to make the deadline for the SAB meeting  and would be considered with others on the 28 October.

The group had discussed several project ideas and the role of the LYN commissioning new projects at the Campus. Ideas included fitness for 16-18 year olds and textile workshops. These projects  would also  be informed by the responses received from the questionnaire. To date 312 responses had been received out of the total 400 sent out with only another 2 weeks to go.

The South  ‘Youth News’  had gone out to encourage more take up of funding opportunities and to signpost organisations to safeguarding training and invite groups to write in.

The CYO also noted that the LYN wanted to ensure a good range of opportunities and spread of activities  across the whole of the community area so that  there would be some sustainability for the future. This would  leave a legacy unlike one-off events.

Some other areas of work the group would be looking at included:

• Activities available to young people who had been excluded from school.

• Responding to the issues in the JSA.

• Responding to the challenges presented in the child poverty strategy.

Salisbury City Council (SCC)

City Clerk, Reg Williams gave an update to the Board, this included:

·         There would be a meeting to consider the Asset Transfer proposals of Wiltshire Council to SCC.

·         The Mayor had recently enjoyed a visit to Salisbury’s twinned city Zanten.

·         On Sunday 18 October the Fair moves into Market Square.

·         The Salisbury Carnival would take place on Friday 23 October. Everyone was encouraged to go along and support the event.

·         The first Bemerton Heath fun run had attracted 54 runners, feedback had indicated that people wanted this to become a regular event.

Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

Chris Burnell gave an update to the Board:

·         David Burton had been elected as the new Chairman of the parish council.

·         The second planning application for Riverdown Park was still on hold as spoil was still being dumped on the back area of the site. Talks were ongoing with Barratt Homes to resolve this.

Community Engagement Manager

Karen Linaker presented a number of slides to mark the transformation from Community Area Manager to her new role as Community Engagement Manager (CEM) and to detail what it meant for the area.

The Five Rivers Campus in Salisbury would be a vibrant community space, it was important that it met the needs of the community.

All of the Area Boards had been asked to shine a light on older people, the Salisbury Area board held an event on 1^st September at City Hall which was well attended and received.

Some other areas of work Karen was involved with included the Air Quality Working Group and the Refugee Crisis.

Salisbury BID

Steve Godwin, Business Manager of Salisbury Business Improvement District

(BID) gave an update to the Board. The BID had been voted in by local businesses within the ring road around Salisbury, and was 18 months into a 5 year term.

The BID supported events around Salisbury such as the recent intensive street cleaning initiative which had been jointly funded by the Salisbury Area Board and Salisbury City Council.

The BID had two Rangers who had recently visited 550 levy payers in the city to gather information on any issues which could then be reported back to WC and SCC.

As part of the process to retain the Purple Flag status, Steve had conducted a Saturday evening ‘walk around’ from 5.00pm to 5.00am, he gave thanks to all who had joined him.

The Salisbury Christmas market was under the management of the BID, the aim this year was to make the event bigger, with over 100 chalets already booked to take part, he hoped to extend the coverage out into the city. The Christmas market would open on 26 November until 20 December 2015.

Six volunteers and a manager had been trained to work as CCTV operatives. People interested in becoming a volunteer could contact Steve for further information. A new digital system would be installed and WC had allocated £500,000 towards this.

Air Quality Group – Cllr Clewer

The Group had met that week and discussed promoting walking and cycling to improve air quality and to investigate where connectivity could be improved between developments. The Spatial Planning Manager had attended the meeting and had agreed that all future master planning meetings would include a member of the Air Quality Group.

There was the option to put together a Non Vehicular Strategy specific to Salisbury and its environment, which could then become a Statutory Planning document.

The Group would meet again in the New Year where they would be looking at walking routes. Cllr Clewer urged anyone with suggestions for walking routes, including new routes and cut troughs where they did not currently exist to contact the Group.

Cllr Helena McKeown added three suggestions relating to cycling:

·         A combination of pot holes and low light was a huge problem for cyclists.

·         A bike subsidy could be offered to children to encourage cycling rather than using buses.

·         Salisbury should invest in a similar scheme to the ‘Boris Bike’ scheme in London.

Market Square Bins – Cllr Clewer

Tasked by Cabinet as part of the Executive, Cllr Clewer had been involved with works to the Market Place. An update was given on three issues which arose following completion of the works:

1.    Lighting – This had now been fixed, with wiring being replaced at no additional cost to WC.

2.    Heritage Trail – A Planning Application had been submitted and artists had been tasked to design the signs.

3.    Bins – The Salisbury Journal had published complaints relating to the appearance of the overflowing bins. This was found to be due to people dumping their rubbish here when not entitled to and because the bins were higher than the bin wall due to structural limitations. The decision had been taken to remove the bins and offer alternative solutions to those involved. The bins would be removed on 16 October 2015.