Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Jon Hubbard.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2024 were presented for consideration.

 

After which, it was;

 

Resolved:

 

To approve and sign as a true and correct record of the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2024.

To receive the following briefing notes and announcements through the Chairman:

 

·       Devolution to Wessex Update

·       Wiltshire Local Elections 2025

·       Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue - Service Update December 2024

·       Cost of Living Update

·       Community First Update

·       Family and Community Learning Impact Report 2023-24

·       Highways dashboard of completed defects from April 2025 to Jan 2025 and potholes reported and repaired Dec 2024 and Jan 2025

·       Completed Surfacing Schemes 2024/25 to end of December 2024

The Chairman made the following announcements as per the agenda pack and website:

• Devolution to Wessex Update
• Wiltshire Local Elections 2025
• Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue - Service Update
• Cost of Living Update
• Community First Update
• Family and Community Learning Impact Report 2023-24
• Highways dashboard of completed defects from April 2024 to Jan 2025 and potholes reported and repaired Dec 2024 and Jan 2025
• Completed Surfacing Schemes 2024/25 to end of December 2024

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee or Monitoring Officer.

 

The following dispensations were received regarding Item 7:

 

It was noted that Cllr Alford had received a dispensation from the Standards Committee in relation to an ORI by virtue of being a town councillor. The dispensation allowed them to remain in the room and to take part in the discussion and vote on the item.

 

It was noted that Cllr Oatley had received a dispensation from the Standards Committee in relation to an ORI by virtue of being a town councillor. The dispensation allowed them to remain in the room and to take part in the discussion and vote on the item.

To receive any written and verbal updates from representatives, including:

·       Wiltshire Police

·       Town and Parish Councils

Updates were received from the following partners:

 

• Wiltshire Police

The Area Board noted written updates attached to the agenda and supplement. In addition, Acting Inspector Gemma Rutter provided a verbal update which included, but was not limited to the following points:

• An overview of the Neighbourhood Policing Team was provided.
• Crime data over a 12-month period for Melksham was provided for 2023/24 was provided with the following comparisons drawn:
  • The number of burglaries had dropped down by 10 from 78 in 2023 to 68 in 2024.
  • Numbers of criminal damage and robberies had remained the same.
  • Drug offence numbers had dropped by 25 cases from 52 in 2023 to 27 in 2024.
  • Vehicular crime numbers had risen from 67 in 2023 to 110 in 2024 which had been due to an organised crime group operating across Wiltshire and neighbouring counties.
• Data was provided in relation to how Melksham compared to the rest of the county:
  • 177 anti-social behaviour reports in Melksham with 3,998 county-wide.
  • 68 burglary reports in Melksham with 1,648 county-wide.
  • 762 violence against person reports in Melksham with 16,328 county-wide.
• It was noted that over winter, focus had changed to enforcement with positive warrants enabling 6 people to have been arrested from 2 homes in Melksham, with the intent to supply drugs.
• Plain clothes patrols were set to take place to target offenders.
• Business as usual work had taken a positive turn with a step away from drop-in surgeries with work now taking place in schools to mark bikes as well as a number of successful youth groups and events having taken place.

 

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

• The Local Neighbourhood Policing Team were praised for their work and how the situation locally had improved over the past four years with proactive work taking place.

 

• Town and Parish Councils

The Area Board noted a written updates attached to the agenda.

 

• Spurgeon’s

The Area Board noted written update attached to the agenda.

To receive updates from Lead Councillors for the local Area Board priorities:

 

·       To improve opportunities for all children and young people (Cllr Hubbard)

·       To help tackle deprivation (Cllr Alford)

·       To create safer communities and improve transport (Cllr Sankey)

·       To support older and vulnerable people (Cllr Oatley)

·       To protect and enhance our heritage and environment (Cllr Seed)

The Chairman drew reference and noted a report attached to the agenda which outlined the work of the Area Board over the last four years.

To note the remaining budgets and to consider any applications for funding, as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

 

Remaining Budgets:

 

Community Area Grant	Older & Vulnerable	Young People
£7,363.48	£5,600.28	£8,380.11

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG2258	Melksham Area Board - Summer activities for those young people with SEND	£1000.00

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG2119	Bowerhill Village Hall Trust - Bowerhill Village Hall car park flooding	£5000.00
ABG2138	Great Hinton Ladies Club - Gazebo for outdoor activities	£498.97
ABG2224	Friends of Giffords Surgery - Stay Well Stay Well Informed	£3400.00

 

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG2103	Man Down - Man Down Melksham	£500.00
ABG2146	Read Easy North and West Wiltshire - Ten out of Ten adult literacy project	£500.00
ABG2155	Bowerhill Ladies Group - Bowerhill Ladies Group Annual Coach Outing	£780.00
ABG2214	The Steeple Ashton Recreation and Community Development Group - Steeple Ashton St Marys playing field development Petanque Terrain	£2660.00
ABG2237	Meadowbrook Wiltshire CIC - Meadowbrook CIC Comfort Break Provisions	£500.00

 

Young People Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG2077	Keevil Village Foundation - Keevil Roots Festival	£5000.00
ABG2262	Melksham Town Council - Positive Summer activities for young people in Melksham and the surrounding villages	£2500.00

 

Further information on the Area Board Grant system can be found here.

The Area Board considered the following applications for funding:

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Melksham Area Board – £1,000 towards summer activities for those young people with SEND.

 

Decision

 

Melksham Area Board was awarded £1,000 towards summer activities for those young people with SEND. Subject to activities being open to all in the community area and not just those from the Canberra centre.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Nick Holder

 

Reason – The application met the Youth Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Bowerhill Village Hall Trust – £5,000 towards Bowerhill Village Hall car park flooding.

 

Decision

 

Bowerhill Village Hall Trust was awarded £3,624.51 towards Bowerhill Village Hall car park flooding.

 

Moved – Cllr Nick Holder

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Great Hinton Ladies Club - £498.97 towards Gazebo for outdoor activities.

 

Decision

 

Great Hinton Ladies Club was awarded £498.97 towards Gazebo for outdoor activities.

 

Moved – Cllr Nick Holder

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Friends of Giffords Surgery - £3,400 Stay Well Stay Well Informed.

 

Decision

 

Friends of Giffords Surgery was awarded £3,400 towards Stay Well Stay Well Informed with the funding to be split with £580 taken from the Community Area Grants balance and £2,820 taken from the Older and Vulnerable Grants balance.

 

Moved – Cllr Nick Holder

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

The Steeple Ashton Recreation and Community Development Group - £2,660 towards Steeple Ashton St Marys playing field development Pétanque Terrain.

 

Decision

 

The Steeple Ashton Recreation and Community Development Group was awarded £2,660 towards Steeple Ashton St Marys playing field development Pétanque Terrain.

 

Moved – Cllr Nick Holder

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

 

Man Down - £500 towards Man Down Melksham.

 

Decision

 

Man Down was awarded £500 towards Man Down Melksham.

 

Moved – Cllr Jonathon Seed

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Older & Vulnerable Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Read Easy North and West Wiltshire - £500 towards Ten out of Ten adult literacy project.

 

Decision

 

Read Easy North and West Wiltshire was awarded £500 towards Ten out of Ten adult literacy project.

 

Moved – Cllr Jonathon Seed

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Older & Vulnerable Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Bowerhill Ladies Group – £780 towards Bowerhill Ladies Group Annual Coach Outing.

 

Decision

 

Bowerhill Ladies Group was awarded £780 towards Bowerhill Ladies Group Annual Coach Outing.

 

Moved – Cllr Jonathon Seed

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Older & Vulnerable Grants Criteria 2024/25.

 

Meadowbrook Wiltshire CIC - £500 Meadowbrook CIC Comfort Break Provisions

 

Decision

 

Meadowbrook Wiltshire CIC was awarded £500 towards Meadowbrook CIC Comfort Break Provisions.

 

Moved – Cllr Jonathon Seed

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Reason – The application met the Older & Vulnerable Grants Criteria 2024/25.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

i)               Melksham Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group

 

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the last LHFIG meeting held on 6 February 2025, as set out in the attached report.

 

Recommendations:

 

To add the following Issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding (where indicated):

·       Highfield Road to Pound Lane Semington – Supply and install Solar bollards – Allocate £5,000.00 with a 25% contribution (£1,250) from

·       Semington PC - Sandpits Lane Steeple Ashton - Alternate access to recreation field - Topo Survey – Allocate £1800.00 with a 25% contribution (£450.00) from Steeple Ashton PC

·       Giffords Surgery Melksham Local Signing – Allocate £600.00 with a 50% contribution (£300.00) from Gifford Surgery

 

To Note:

·       Great Hinton 20mph speed limit implementation – Reduce previously agreed allocation of £5,500.00 to £3,500.00 due to projected savings in legal costs. Great Hinton PC contribution to reduce accordingly to £875.00.

 

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

 

ii)             Melksham Health & Wellbeing Group

 

To receive an update from the Melksham Health & Wellbeing Group.

i)               Melksham Local Highways and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG)

 

The minutes of the Local Highways and Footway Improvement Group meeting held on 6 February 2025 were agreed as a correct record as well as approving the following spending recommendations within:

 

Recommendations:

To add the following Issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding (where indicated):

• Highfield Road to Pound Lane Semington – Supply and install Solar bollards – Allocate £5,000.00 with a 25%contribution (£1,250) from
• Semington PC - Sandpits Lane Steeple Ashton – Alternate access to recreation field - Topo Survey – Allocate £1800.00with a 25% contribution (£450.00) from Steeple Ashton PC
• Giffords Surgery Melksham Local Signing – Allocate £600.00 with a 50% contribution (£300.00) from Gifford Surgery

 

To Note:

• Great Hinton 20mph speed limit implementation – Reduce previously agreed allocation of £5,500.00 to £3,500.00 due to projected savings in legal costs. Great Hinton PC contribution to reduce accordingly to £875.00.

 

Moved – Cllr Mike Sankey

Seconded – Cllr Jack Oatley

 

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene, and Flooding abstained from the vote.

 

The Chairman outlined that there was a significant amount of funding left within the LHFIG funding pot, however a significant part of this had been earmarked for a project. It was stated that there had been delays caused by matched funding and that though it looked as though there was a significant amount left to spend, this was not the case. It was stressed that if the Area Board was not being seen to spend then it might not receive as much funding in the subsequent year.

 

ii)             Melksham Health & Wellbeing Group

 

The Area Board noted the written update attached to the agenda supplement 2 and received the following verbal update from Richard Rogers, Strategic Engagement & Partnerships Manager (SEPM):

• The Health and Wellbeing Group had met four times in the last year, however there had been a lot of work in between these meetings.
• Over the past year there had been a focus on mental health, which had led to considerable progress in the Melksham Area in terms of support available.
• It was outlined that there had been a particular focus on men’s mental health, with Man Down thanked for their work.
• Attendees were encouraged to contact Richard Rogers if they wanted to be part of the Health and Wellbeing Group.
• The next meeting was potentially set to take place after the elections in June/July.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.

Future Meeting Dates:

 

• 20 May 2025
• 4 June 2025
• 3 September 2025
• 12 November 2025
• 18 March 2026

 

For information on applying for a grant or grant application deadlines for these meetings, contact the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Lead: Caroline.LeQuesne@wiltshire.gov.uk

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 20 May 2025, which would be an extraordinary meeting on the rising of Full Council.

 

The Chairman thanked officers for their work in supporting the Area Board over the past four years as well as the members of the public for their support and ideas which had breathed life into the Area Board.