Agenda item

Expressions of interest have been received from:

St Aldhelm’s Mead, Malmesbury Play Area Enhancement Scheme.

Malmesbury Town Council is seeking to create a multi-use games area, including an all weather sports pitch at St Aldhelms Mead, for use by mainly older children and adults. Currently there is play equipment suitable for younger children at this site and the open space is used for ad hoc games of football. The multi-use games area will encourage involvement in a wide range of sport such as football, hockey, tennis, netball, volley ball and basketball.  Providing such a facility will fill a gap in the local provision which in recent years has concentrated on improving play facilities for younger children up to the age of eleven. While this facility would benefit residents of Malmesbury, it will also be accessible to everyone in the wider Community Area.

Malmesbury Boxing Club

Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club’s Headquarters are seeking £20,000 towards a £28,200 project to stop flood damage which results in club closures due to flooding damage. The project will raise their building by 1.3 metres in order to provide flooding protection and will replace/reinstall equipment and paint external walls.  The club was established in 1977, is a voluntary organisation charging no joining fees or subscriptions and caters for 20-30 members plus young people from across the Community Area. The objective of the club is to promote boxing as an alternative sport, which requires determination and discipline in young people and to provide a facility on an uninterrupted basis.

It was decided at the Malmesbury Area Board meeting on 7 July 2010 that Councillors would take up the offer to visit the Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club’s Headquarters before the September Area Board meeting. 

Eilmer Bridge

This project which comes from the Gloucester Road Community Group is to build a memorial bridge linking Brooky Lane with the Old Station Yard Car Park. This project will (primarily) provide easy access for local residents of the Westport area of Malmesbury to the available parking in the long stay car park in Old Station Yard so reducing the current car parking/congestion difficulties in the Westport area. Further benefits sighted in the application include increased revenue from car park season tickets, increased revenue for local businesses in the area, improved safety in the evening in the car park (associated with its increase in use), and a convenient and safe route for pedestrians and a lasting memorial to Eilmer’s 1000th year celebration.

Wiltshire Is Saving Energy (WISE) Initiative

Councillors will be asked to consider an expression of interest received by all 18 Area Boards from the Wiltshire Climate Change Officer seeking £12,566 towards energy monitors available for free hire in all libraries across Wiltshire.

The energy monitor allows the user to see clearly how much energy their appliances use and how their behaviour impacts on their energy use. The householder/user can then make simple changes to their behaviour to reduce their energy consumption. Reducing energy will save money off their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint.   

Wiltshire Voices Initiative

Councillors will be asked to approve a Wiltshire Voices initiative aiming to involve more of the hard to reach groups in the Malmesbury Area Board process. This is a county wide bid going to all 18 Area Boards.

The Area Board considered five applications to go forward under the Performance Reward Grant Scheme.

St Aldhelm’s Mead, Malmesbury Play Area Enhancement Scheme

Malmesbury Town Council were seeking £73,656 to create a multi-use games area, including an all weather sports pitch, at St Aldhelm’s Mead for use by mainly older children and adults. Councillors were supportive of the scheme, however expressed concern regarding the management and maintenance of the play area. They advised that the applicant contact the Community Area Manager to improve the application with regards to providing evidence that the application would meet certain Performance Reward Grant Scheme criteria.

Councillors suggested Malmesbury Town Council contributed some funding and suggested £30,000. Evidence needed to be provided to support the statements in their application. Questions were raised as to whether the facility was lockable and how it would be managed and maintained.   

Decision

To endorse the bid for Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding from Malmesbury Town Council for St Aldhelm’s Mead to go forward for consideration.    

Malmesbury Boxing Club

Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club’s Headquarters were seeking £20,000 towards a £28,200 project to stop flood damage which results in club closures due to flooding damage. The project would raise their building by 1.3 metres in order to provide flooding protection and would replace/reinstall equipment and paint external walls. After the Malmesbury Area Board meeting on 7 July 2010, the Councillors visited the Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club’s Headquarters. Councillor Soden commented that while the club was clearly doing good work, its facilities could be made more welcoming and inclusive, particularly to young females and disabled individuals looking to take up boxing. 

Councillors suggested that if they were to be fully inclusive and encourage young women to join the club, that toilet and showering facilities needed to be improved and disabled access should be considered. Since the Town Council owned the property, Councillors suggested that the applicant should also contact the Town Council for funding.

Decision

To endorse the bid for Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding from Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club to go forward for consideration.    

Eilmer Bridge

Gloucester Road Community Group were seeking £58,580 to build a memorial bridge linking Brooky Lane with the Old Station Yard Car Park. This project would (primarily) provide easy access for local residents of the Westport area of Malmesbury to the available parking in the long stay car park in Old Station Yard so reducing the current car parking/congestion difficulties in the Westport area. The Area Board expressed concern about the relatively high cost of lighting for the project and its maintenance. The meeting was assured the preferred local contractor had a type of build that would meet the requirement from highways for the bridge to have a 125 year maintenance free period to be adopted by Wiltshire Council.  

Councillors applauded the thoroughness of this community application. Concerns were expressed about the high costs of lighting and it was suggested that further discussion with the planning department might be helpful.

Decision

To endorse the bid for Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding from Gloucester Road Community Group to go forward for consideration.    

Wiltshire Is Saving Energy (WISE) Initiative

Councillors were asked to consider an expression of interest received by all 18 Area Boards from the Wiltshire Climate Change Officer seeking £12,566 towards energy monitors available for free hire in all libraries across Wiltshire.

The energy monitor allows the user to see clearly how much energy their appliances use and how their behaviour impacts on their energy use. The householder/user can then make simple changes to their behaviour to reduce their energy consumption. Reducing energy will save money off their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. 

 Decision

To endorse the bid for Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding from the Wiltshire Climate Change Officer for the Wiltshire Is Saving Energy (WISE) initiative to go forward for consideration.    

Wiltshire Voices Initiative

Councillors were asked to approve a Wiltshire Voices initiative aiming to involve more of the hard to reach groups in the Malmesbury Area Board process. This was a county wide bid going to all 18 Area Boards.

Decision

To endorse the bid for Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding for the Wiltshire Voices initiative.