Agenda item

The Chairman will give an update on outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board. The following written updates are also provided:

·       Community Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

·       Local Nature Recovery Strategy

·       Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition

·       Wiltshire Cultural Strategy 2024-30

·       Community Safety Forum Notes

·       Community Care Group Notes

·       Youth Forum Notes

·       FUEL Programme – Easter Holiday Activities

The Chairman then referred the Area Board to the following updates available in the agenda pack:

• Community Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, pg. 13-14

• Local Nature Recovery Strategy, pg. 15-16

• Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition, pg. 17

• Wiltshire Cultural Strategy 2024-30, pg. 19

• Community Safety Forum Notes, pg. 21

• Community Care Group Notes, pg. 23-25

• Youth Forum Notes, pg. 27-28

• FUEL Programme (for eligible children) – Easter Holiday Activities, pg. 29

She highlighted that the Community Area Joint Strategic Needs Assessment was an interesting bit of research and would be used to help inform the Area Board’s priorities.

Cllr Jacqui Lay reported that the Royal Wootton Bassett Banking Hub was now open and the official ribbon cutting ceremony would be held the following week. She noted that lots of work had gone on behind the scenes and wanted to publicly thank the Postmaster, the participating banks and Cllr Steve Bucknell for their efforts. The Chairman explained that there were named bank days with a community banker for a particular bank visiting on one day per week. The cash desk was not affiliated with a single bank. Cllr Steve Bucknell observed that it was the responsibility of each individual bank to send a representative to the hub, so if a member of the public found that their bank was not participating and wanted them to attend, they should raise this with their bank directly. 

Jason Cook from Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust stated that he would have welcomed greater publicity ahead of the consultation on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy drop-in session on 5 March. The Chairman said she would provide feedback to officers.

An online survey was available for those that had been unable to attend the Local Nature Recovery Strategy drop-in session. More public sessions to discuss the mapping of priorities would be held in the summer, by which time a communications database would have been established.

Cllr Lay encouraged people to volunteer to be a judge in the forthcoming Best Kept Village competition.