Agenda item

Update on community issues and recommendations from area board working groups. This will include:

·         An update on Calne’s success stories from 2015/16 and priorities for the forthcoming 2016/17 year – Jane Vaughan, Community Engagement Manager

·         Highways Working Group (CATG) – Cllr Crisp

Ø  To formally approve the minutes of the February CATG meeting

Ø  To formally approve the minutes and the resolutions of the March CATG meeting

·         Calne Health and Wellbeing Programme – Cllr Hill

·         Sandpit Road (Section 106) Working Group – Cllr Trotman

·         Air Quality Working Group – Cllr Ansell

·         Dementia Friends Working Group – Cllr Crisp

·         Older People’s Champion – Cllr Crisp

Ø  To ratify the appointment of the Older People’s Carer and Champion

Jane Vaughan, Community Engagement Manager, presented a review of the Calne Area Board during 2015/16 and asked the area board to consider its priorities for the Calne community area for 2016/17. She outlined that there had been 7 Area Board meetings since the last election of a Chairman and that the average attendance was 45; which was rated as good. It was highlighted that in April 2015 a workshop on Older People had been held and that this had indirectly led to the creation of Older Person’s Carer and Champion posts. There had also been an Emergency Planning workshop, which had been very well attended by all the local parish councils. This workshop had promoted the review of local emergency plans, as well as better links with Wiltshire Council Officers in the event of an emergency situation.

It was explained that there had been a total of £30,760 Community Area grants awarded, which in turn had attracted an additional £110,125 of funding to local projects and that 27 young people had been awarded positive tickets. Ms Vaughan relayed that Wiltshire Police had recognised Calne’s positive ticket scheme as a huge success and the initiative was being explored for other areas too.

The meeting was informed that ‘Beat the Street’, ‘Billy the Melon and the Magna Carta’ and ‘Clean for the Queen’ had all been hugely successful events and had involved a wide range of individuals.

It was noted that the Calne Bowl Project had been able to open the new Calne Bowl, after many years of extensive work. It was relayed that this group had won an award from Britain in Bloom for their Salad Bowl project.

Cllr Crisp provided an update on the Highways Working Group (CATG) and explained that several traffic calming measures had been successfully implemented and others were still on-going. She also stated that the road safety scheme had been implemented and that the Springfield crossing and bus stop had now been completed too. Cllr Crisp detailed that the CATG had hoped to achieve more in 2015/16; however, the group was confident that the new highways contractor would be able to catch-up with any work that was running behind schedule. Cllr Crisp signalled that the priorities for 2016 concerned the feasibility study around the White Hart roundabout and the safety concerns of Anchor Road, however, she stressed that priorities could be subject to change, as new issues came through to the CATG.

Following Cllr Crisp’s update, the minutes of the February CATG meeting were presented. The minutes of the April CATG meeting were then presented and the recommendations were considered by the Area Board Cllrs.

The meeting’s attention was then drawn to the Local Highways Investment Fund document, included with the agenda, which detailed the areas that officers had prioritised for work on the highways.

Cllr Hill was then invited to provide an update on the Health and Wellbeing Programme and highlighted that the toucan crossing at the Beversbrook Sports Facility had been completed and also that the new all-weather pitch had been installed at Beversbrook. All in all, he noted that the Beversbrook project was faring well.

In terms of the leisure centre, Cllr Hill explained that work was on-going to move the Leisure Centre back into the ownership of Wiltshire Council and he stressed that the current staff at the Centre would continue to work at the Centre once it was returned to the ownership of Wiltshire Council. He highlighted that following this transfer; work would begin on planning the refurbishment of the centre. Indeed, Cllr Hill stated that, while this was a slow moving process, it was important to get it right and he assured those present that £5.5 million of funding for the project was available.

In response to questions it was confirmed that the pilot phase of the Open+ system, proposed for the Calne Library, would be managed by professional officers and that these officers would ensure that information would be reported back to the Calne Area Board. Cllr Hill noted that he would provide a confirmation of how the Open+ pilot scheme review would be undertaken by professional officers at the next Calne Area Board. Those present were further informed that it was expected that the Calne Community Hub would move into the Calne Library from 15 August 2016.

Cllr Trotman had sent his apologies for the meeting and therefore an update on the Sandpit Road (Section 106) working group was not provided at the meeting.

Cllr Ansell provided an update on the Air Quality working group (AQWG) and informed the meeting that the group’s tree planting scheme had been deemed to have been successful and that there were 2 phases of the initiative left to be undertaken. Cllr Ansell informed those present that she was seeking to ensure that there was a county-wide AQWG forum and that the group had been instrumental in over-turning several larger planning applications; as a result of their objective to reduce the amount of traffic and pollution within the town.

It was highlighted that there was a nitrogen dioxide monitor in a secret location along the A4 road; which recorded the levels of the gas and then posted the information on the website. Indeed, it was stated that the group was seeking to ensure that more people took advantage of alternative forms of transport and that there were alternative routes for HGVs, as opposed to the A4 route.

In response to questions, Cllr Ansell confirmed that the location of the nitrogen dioxide monitor was in the best location that the group could find, after a range of locations had been explored. She informed the meeting that a pump was used to sample the air from the A4 road to the monitor, as this was deemed the most effective manner in which to measure the air quality of the A4 road. Cllr Ansell signalled her appreciation for the work that the Calne Labour Party had undertaken on air quality, which had echoed some of the work already being done by the Air Quality Working Group.

Cllr Crisp provided an update on the Dementia Friends Working Group and outlined that the group had become the first dementia action alliance in Wiltshire and that the first Wiltshire dementia conference had been held in Calne Town Hall. Those present were informed that a ‘Dementia Duck’ had been entered in the Calne Duck Race and that a stall manned by the group at the same event, had promoted dementia awareness week accordingly. Cllr Crisp further detailed that the dementia action alliance had held its launch event during Dementia Awareness week. 15 new dementia friends had been made at this public friends’ session, 3 of which were young people; who had signalled that they would attempt to create a dementia awareness group of their own, to help promote dementia awareness to young people. The meeting was informed that a total of 35 new dementia friends were made during dementia awareness week and there were now a total of 331 dementia friends within the Calne community area.

Diane Gooch was then congratulated and applauded as an inspiration for encouraging people to become dementia friends and Cllr Crisp noted that the working group were proud of what they had achieved and for Diane’s help in this process.

Cllr Crisp also provided an update on the Older People’s Champion and detailed that Diane Gooch and David Evans had been appointed as the Calne Area Board’s Older People’s/Carers Champions. It was explained that these 2 individuals would act as the Champions of older people and their carers for the programme and would feed into the Calne health and social forum; which would act as the Calne community area’s Health and Wellbeing group. This group would then provide feedback on the group’s progress to future Area Board meetings.

David Evans was invited to speak and relayed that he was seeking to recruit local volunteers to the scheme and encouraged those present to come forward, should they be interested.

Diane Gooch outlined that she was appreciative that both older people and their carers had been included within the Champion’s remit and reminded the meeting of the benefit that could come from the input from carers themselves. Several Members reiterated Diane’s sentiments.

In conclusion, the Chairman highlighted that the priorities of the Calne Area Board for 2016/17 were to ensure that poverty and obesity were reduced and that more visitors were attracted to the Calne community area; through its positive reputation.

The point was raised that employment opportunities had improved for young people in the area in 2015/16 and that it could be beneficial for the Area Board to consider how to support young people who were struggling to find employment through the development of their skills for 2016/17. It was decided that this should be further discussed at the next Area Board Co-ordinating group (ABC) and be reported back to the next Area Board.

Having been put to the meeting, it was

Resolved:

i.          To note the minutes of the February CATG meeting

ii.         To note the minutes and resolutions of the April CATG meeting

iii.        To ratify the appointment of Diane Gooch and David Evans as the Calne Area Board Older People’s Champion and Carer respectively

iv.       To discuss the details of the Calne Area Board’s 2016/17 priorities at the ABC meeting on 5 July 2016