Agenda item

To note the written reports and receive any updates from the following:

·       Wiltshire Police

·       Warminster Garrison

·       Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum

·       Warminster and Villages Community Partnership (WVCP)

·       Town and Parish Councils Nominated Representatives

Updates were received from the following partners:

·       Wiltshire Police

The Area Board noted written updates attached to the agenda. In addition, Sergeant Joe Sadowski provided a verbal update which covered the following points:

·       Over the next months Inspector Oakley has a number of commitments, therefore Sergeant Sadowski would be fulfilling her roles until the end of October.

·       An outline of the Warminster Neighbourhood Policing area was provided, with it noted that this was the largest area covered in Wiltshire including over 50 Parish Councils.

·       Clarity was provided that the Neighbourhood Policing Team do not respond to 999 calls but rather this is the Response Team based in Trowbridge who ensure that at least one response unit is based at Warminster Police Station for faster response times.

·       It was outlined that following the Uplift Programme, staffing levels had increased, however as funding levels begin to tighten recruitment pace would slow with new intakes who were due to start next year pushed further back.

·       Details of school visits and youth engagements were provided.

·       The Neighbourhood Policing Pillars of Engaging Communities, Solving Problems and Targeting Activity were discussed as well as the work which had taken place in each of these areas.

·       Local priorities for Warminster were discussed as per the report with the agenda pack, with a focus on shoplifting and youth anti-social behaviour. Other priority areas were also identified as burglaries and drugs.

·       A Cadet Unit in Warminster was set to be set up with it hoped that this would be running by November and would be held at the Garrison Community Centre for those 13-16 years on Tuesday evenings.

·       Detail was provided about new mobile Police stations which had been acquired and would allow the Police to be more visible and conduct drop-in sessions in the rural villages with such sessions set to take place in early October.

·       A Local Parish Forum had been set up by Chief Inspector James Brain which would run four times a year providing residents a chance to hold the Neighbourhood Policing Team to account.

After the verbal update, there was time for the following questions and points to be made:

·       A point was raised about the benefits of social media posts by the Police being shared by communities and how this wasn’t consistently possible on Facebook potentially due to permissions. It was highlighted that, when possible, this provided great community benefit.

·       Further detail was requested in relation to the Cadets, to which it was stated that there had been a meeting last week between the Police and Cadet Group which had been positive. It was suggested that this meeting was positive although there was potentially an issue identified with transport to and from, the outlying villages, though it was envisaged this wouldn’t be a problem to resolve for the military.

·       Warminster Garrison

The Area Board noted a written update attached to the agenda. In addition, Cllr Tony Jackson noted that the Health and Wellbeing event which was set to be ran by the Garrison did not take place in August as planned and this would be reconsidered to take place next year.

·       Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum

The Area Board received a verbal update from Caroline LeQuesne, Engagement and Partnership Lead which covered the following points:

·       The Health and Wellbeing Forum was looking to work with the NHS on a Neighbourhood Collaboratives Project.

·       An event is set to take place on 23 October from 10am-3pm at Warminster School as a follow up to the Volunteering Fayre.

·       At the last Forum meeting there was a talk from Bath Rugby who stated that they wanted to come to Warminster to work with both disabled and able-bodied people in a team together with Warminster Rugby Club.

·       Warminster and Villages Community Partnership (WVCP)

The Area Board received a verbal update from Len Turner, which covered the following points:

·       The Information Centre which had previously been in the Hub building of the Central Carpark had closed earlier in the year, with their work now taken on by a team of volunteers in the box office of the Athenaeum Theatre.

·       The Chairman and Len had met with Sergeant Sadowski to discuss anti-social behaviour in Grovelands with extra patrols set to take place.

·       Town and Parish Council Nominated Representative

The Area Board noted a written update Warminster Town Council which was attached to the agenda.

Cllr Phil Hollihead provided a verbal update on behalf of Chapmanslade Parish Council. The update covered the following points, including:

·       On 28 September from 3pm onwards an event was being held to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Chapmanslade Parish Hall.

The Area Board received the following verbal update from Cllr Neil Carpenter on behalf of Corsley Parish Council. The update covered the following points including:

·       There had been some problems with vandalism in Corsley over the summer, however the Police had been brilliant in helping to deal with matters.