Agenda item

Council and Partner Items

a. Update on the Future of Council Services in Melksham - Mark Stone, (Transformation Programme Director, Wiltshire Council) and Lucy Murray-Brown,

            (Leisure Partnerships Manager, Wiltshire Council).

 

Campus

 

·        Wiltshire Council campus consultation.

 

·        Receipt of the library petition.

 

 

      Leisure

 

·        Updates on any Campus/Christie Miller Sports Centre developments since the last meeting.

 

 

b. New approach to Face to Face Customer Access - Wayne Smith, (Customer Services Operations Manager, Wiltshire Council) will

    give a presentation on proposals for new ways of working.

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

a. Update on the Future of Council Services in Melksham

Leisure - updates on any Campus/Christie Miller Sports Centre developments since the last meeting - Lucy Murray-Brown (Leisure Partnerships Manager, Wiltshire Council).

 

Points made by Lucy Murray-Brown included:

 

  • Wiltshire Council Cabinet would look at the consultation conclusions at its meeting on the 13 December 2010 and then make a decision.

 

  • The consultation had shown that the majority of local people wanted a single campus with good access and free parking.

 

 

Questions raised from the floor:

 

  • Would a full breakdown of the consultation results be made available?

     Yes, after the Cabinet meeting the results and raw data would be  made available.

 

  • There seems to be consultation after consultation, when will there be a final outcome?

     The leisure review would be concluded on the13 December, the campus in the new year, this item will be discussed at a couple of “campus” themed area board meetings, the area board will then make its recommendations that will be feedback to the Wiltshire Council Cabinet.

 

  • With all services moving onto the campus you will kill the centre of Melksham.

     Central government were very keen that local government authorities start co-locating their services, this would perhaps be something that would be looked at as part of the discussions when the full plans were available in February 2011.

 

 

Cllr Roy While then spoke on behalf of the Christie Miller indoor bowlers who wished to keep an indoor bowling facility in Melksham and proposed that:

 

Decision

 

  • The Melksham Area Board requests that the Officer team (Wiltshire Council) act on the concerns of the Bowls Club and consider how indoor bowls can be included in the campus proposals currently being drawn up for consideration by the Cabinet and future Board meetings. Indoor bowls would make a significant contribution to the success of the campus.

 

 

 

Wiltshire Council campus consultation.

It was then proposed by the Chairman that:

 

Decision

 

  • Melksham Area Board, whilst recognising that decisions have not yet been made for the format of a future Melksham Campus, welcomes the prospect of that Campus for Wiltshire Council services to the Melksham Community Area.   As the only elected body representing the whole of the Melksham Community Area, the Area Board resolves to make itself and its meetings available as the formal consultation body on Campus development matters between Wiltshire Council and the Melksham Community Area.

 

 

Points raised from the floor included:

 

  • Community Area Partnership input would be vital in this process.

The Area Board would liaise with the Community Area Partnership to sort out a robust consultation process.

 

  • The Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council would want to be involved in any discussions on the campus project.

           Mark Stone, (Transformation Programme Director, Wiltshire Council)  advised that all parties were welcome to consult with Wiltshire Council, but that any reports would reflect that the area board was Wiltshire Council’s formal consultative body.

 

 

Receipt of the Library Petition

A petition with around two thousand signatures which requested that Melksham Library remains in the town centre was presented to Wiltshire Council at its 9 November 2010 full council meeting. The presentation has now been formally handed over to the Melksham Area Board.

 

Decision

 

  • That the Melksham Area Board formally receives and accepts the Melksham Library petition.

 

 

 

b. New approach to Face to Face Customer Access - Wayne Smith (Customer Services Operations Manager, Wiltshire Council) - presentation on proposals for new ways of working.

It was agreed to take this item as a Chairman’s announcement at the February 2011 area board meeting as Wayne Smith was unable to attend the meeting.