Agenda and draft minutes

 

The Area Board held a minute’s silence to remember Cllr Tony Trotman, who had sadly passed away the previous week.

 

A number of tributes were paid to Cllr Trotman, including from Calne’s Mayor, Robert MacNaughton. The Chairman praised Cllr Trotman for his kind support and described him as man who you could ask any question to. Cllr Ashley O’Neill applauded Cllr Trotman as a fantastic community champion with a kind heart, who was often referred to as Mr Calne and said that he would miss his knowledge and encouragement.  Cllr Tom Rounds added that Cllr Trotman was a lovely man who was much loved around the town.

 

 

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from:

 

·       Cllr Ian Thorn

·       Inspector Pete Foster

·       Isabel McCord – Chairman of Bremhill Parish Council

·       Mark Cawley – Heddington Parish Council

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 5 September 2023.

The Chairman noted an error in the minutes of the previous meeting, raised by John Barnes from Calne Without Parish Council. The minutes had incorrectly recorded that improvement work had been carried out on the steps and drainage at their village hall, when actually the work had been undertaken on the steps linking Old Derry Hill with the main village.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Tom Rounds, seconded by Cllr Ashley O’Neill, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

 

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 September as a true and correct record, subject to the following amendment replacing:

 

He also reported that they had carried out improvement works on the steps and drainage at their village hall.

 

With:

 

He also reported that they had carried out improvement works on the steps linking Old Derry Hill with the main village.

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

 

In relation to the Calne Wordfest grant application under Item 11, the Chairman noted that he had received a dispensation from the Monitoring Officer for an Other Registerable Interest, being a Trustee of Calne Wordfest. The dispensation allowed him to chair the item and remain in the room in his capacity as a councillor and take part in debate. However, he would not vote on the item.

 

Cllr Tom Rounds declared that he was a member of Calne Town Council. Members of town councils had a standing dispensation to participate in and vote on applications from their councils unless there was any other valid reason not to do so.

The Chairman will give an update on outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board.

 

Consultation

 

·       Calne and Melksham Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) Consultation – Live until 22 December

 

Recent Events

 

·       The Big Dementia Day – 16 September

·       Local Plan – 16 October

·       Meet the Leader – 26 October

 

Grant News

 

·       The Rise Trust  was awarded £5,000 from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Action Fund, some of which will support youth clubs in Calne

The Chairman noted that a consultation was open on the Calne and Melksham Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) until 22 December. There would also be an opportunity to comment on the final report in early 2024. A member of the public, Celia, highlighted the importance of walking within the plan, noting that the majority of comments related to cycling. Glenis Ansell from Clane Town Council spoke about ensuring that all of the relevant footpaths were included in the plans, including to Marden Farm.

 

The Chairman thanked the public for attending the following events held in the area:

 

§  The Big Dementia Day – 16 September 2023

§  The Local Plan in person consultation – 16 October 2023

§  Ask the Leader – 26 October 2023

 

 

The Chairman also highlighted that the Rise Trust had been awarded £5,000 from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Action Fund, some of which would help go towards supporting activities in Calne.

·       Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal

·       Wiltshire Police Crime Figures Calne Town and Calne Rural

·       Wiltshire Council Information Items:

Ø  Independent Visitor Scheme

Ø  Cost of Living Update

Ø  Warm and Safe Wiltshire

Ø  Archaeology Service Newsletter

The Chairman noted the information items as set out in the agenda pack, these were:

 

·       The Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal was open.

·       Crime figures were available for Calne and the surrounding areas.

·       Independent Visitor Scheme, pg. 15

·       Cost of Living Update, pg. 17-18

·       Warm and Safe Wiltshire, pg.19-21

·       Archaeology Service Newsletter, pg. 23-29

 

The Chairman highlighted that page 24 of the agenda pack provided detail on the early history of Calne, including information from archaeological digs in 2016 and 2021.

To receive an update from Mel Grace from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSE) about the support on offer for vulnerable people during power cuts.

Mel Grace from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) explained that they were responsible for the maintenance of cables in the regional electricity network. They were not the company to which customers paid their bills but did receive a small part of the bill to maintain the network. She then referred the Area Board to information about grid capacity and power outages in Calne, available on page 39 of the agenda pack. This information had been requested following questions at the recent Ask the Leader session on 26 October. 

 

She explained that the Priority Services Register allowed vulnerable people to sign up to be contacted during prolonged power outages. The most vulnerable customers would, where appropriate, be eligible to receive further assistance and a welfare van would travel to their home to ensure that they were receiving the right support. For security, it was also optional to set a password that the support assistant would provide on arrival. It was noted that it was possible to report a power outage anywhere in the country by ringing 105. Further information could be obtained by contacting melanie.grace@sse.com.

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

 

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

c.     Calne Community Safety Forum

d.    Calne Health and Social Care Forum and Older Person’s Champion (Diane Gooch)

e.    Town and Parish Councils

 

 

Written Updates

The Board is asked to note the following written and online updates attached to the agenda:

 

f.      Community First

g.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

h.    Healthwatch Wiltshire

i.      Age UK

j.      The PCC’s Annual Report

k.     PCC News Feed

l.      Hilmarton Parish Council

m.   Calne Town Council

n.    Calne Without Parish Council (to follow)

o.    Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan (to follow)

p.    Wiltshire Police (to follow)

 

Written updates were available in the agenda pack from the following partners:

 

·       Community First, pg. 41-47

·       Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, pg. 49-53

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire, pg. 55

·       Age UK, pg. 57-58

·       Hilmarton Parish Council, pg. 59

·       Calne Town Council, pg. 61

·       Calne Without Parish Council, Agenda Supplement pg. 1

·       Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan, Agenda Supplement 1 pg. 3-4

·       Wiltshire Police, Agenda Supplement 1 pg. 5-14

·       Wiltshire Police Road Safety, Agenda Supplement 1 pg. 15-26

 

A written update from Bremhill Parish Council is attached to these minutes.

 

The following partners also provided verbal updates:

 

Calne Community Safety Forum

 

Glenis Ansell reported that the group was planning to reinstate the Safe Spaces Scheme. Information was requested by Alan Hill from Calne Town Council about the involvement of Wiltshire Council in the Safe Spaces Scheme. The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager, Ros Griffiths, noted that a response would be co-ordinated and provided to Cllr Hill and the Community Safety Forum directly.

 

Calne Health and Social Care Forum

 

Diane Gooch, the Area Board’s Older Person’s Champion, reported that they were running reconnecting sessions on Tuesday mornings which were attended by 50 people. She also noted that the Area Board had funded forthcoming Celebrating Age projects, including a pantomime in February and an opera in March 2024.

 

The Older Person’s Champion also highlighted that Calne Health and Social Care Forum had been contributing to Wiltshire Council’s dementia strategy and that Calne was the first dementia friendly town in Wiltshire. Alison Ingham, Practice Manager at Northlands Surgery, added that Christmas party for carers would be held in Calne Town Hall and that Calne Health and Social Care Forum wanted to hear local views about dementia service needs.

 

Calne Town Council

 

Alan Hill gave an overview of recent updates from Calne Town Council, including:

 

·       The town council had agreed its budget for 2024-25, including a five percent increase for a Band D property. He noted that although the precept would increase in the forthcoming financial year, the budget had not gone up for the previous seven years. Calne Town Council had previously had the highest Band D precept of any town in Wiltshire but, due to financial control in recent years, it was currently down to eleventh.

·       He was pleased to report that Calne had been approved to be the location of a new banking hub and that this step was supported by the town council.

·       It was important to have a footpath from Marden Farm to Kingsbury Green Academy to allow pupils to get safely to school.

·       He noted that he would welcome more information about newly painted survey markings in the town.

·       Concerns were raised about the closure of the A3102 in Royal Wootton Bassett on 25 November, as the diversion was through the A4 in Calne, which had been closed on 24 November.

 

The Chairman noted that he been assured by Wiltshire Council’s Highways Team that they would consider the timing of every set of road works when approving the schedule.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 113.

To receive an update including and overview of the Integrated Care System, as well as an update on the local Primary Care Network and proposals for a new medical practice.

Fiona Slevin-Brown, Place Director for Wiltshire at the Integrated Care Board and Jo Cullen, Director of Primary Care, from the Integrated Care Board delivered a wide-ranging presentation about health provision in the local area. They gave a brief overview of the Integrated Care System, explaining that it was established to better join up health and care services. 

 

During the discussion, points included:

 

·       The Area Board thanked the directors for their update.

·       They were informed that a Primary Care Network was a group of GP practices working together with other health and social care organisations to provide integrated services to the local population.

·       In response to queries about the impact of an increasing population on service provision, the directors explained that GP surgeries were funded according to their registered population. The role of the Integrated Care Board was to understand the views of the local population about how they accessed services and to co-ordinate service provision across the area.

·       It was noted that were economies of scale that could be achieved within a Primary Care Network by working closely together.

·       In response to reservations from Cllr O’Neill about whether Patford House Partnership joining the proposed Primary Care Network would help to improve services, given previous challenges, the directors stressed that the focus would be on patient outcomes across the network and bringing professionals together. 

·       When asked by representatives from Calne Town Council about the timeline for the proposed new medical practice in Calne, the Director of Primary Care stated that she hoped to bring some positive news soon. She noted that plans for the new centre needed to be assessed in the context of service provision across the area and were therefore related to plans for the Primary Care Network.

·       Alan Hill from Calne Town Council said he would welcome further collaboration between the Patford House Partnership and the Integrated Care Board in delivering the new medical centre.

·       The Place Director emphasised that forming a Primary Care Network would help to unlock funding from central government and support the business case for a new premises.

·       Emmy Butcher, the Managing Partner at Patford House Partnership, explained that the original business case for the proposed centre was approved before the Covid-19 pandemic and that projected costs had increased by 40 percent since then. It would be necessary for Patford House Partnership to bring a revised business case to the Integrated Care Board.

·       Huw, from Northlands Surgery Patient Participation Group, expressed concerns about the direction of the project to deliver the new medical centre. The Manging Partner at Patford House Partnership reassured the Area Board the Patford House were working closely with their builder to submit a revised business case to the Integrated Care Board and that a project manager was in place.

·       It was noted that Patford House had submitted two business cases to the Integrated Care Board, but they had not met the criteria required by NHS England. The Place Director emphasised that the business case was not being delayed pending a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 114.

To receive updates from Lead Councillors about the Area Board’s priorities.

 

·       Young People – Cllr Sam Pearce-Kearney

·       Older People – Cllr Tom Rounds

·       Environment – Cllr Ian Thorn

·       Economy – Cllr Tony Trotman

·       Transport – Cllr Ashley O’Neill

Young People

 

The Chairman reported that he had visited Kingsbury Green Academy to receive presentations from students. He stated that it was amazing to hear their perspective and noted that it was important to think about how best to communicate with young people.

 

Older People

 

Cllr Tom Rounds praised the successful Dementia Day held on 16 September 2023. He noted that the Dementia Dome had been a useful experience and that they would look to hold events in 2024.

 

Environment

 

Area Board Delivery Officer, Louisa Young, explained that Calne Without Parish Council had held a fantastic eco-day, which had been attended by councillors. She also highlighted that a report on Wiltshire Council’s response to the climate emergency had been considered by Cabinet in October. Another successful event was when Wiltshire Wildlife delivered a presentation about community energy in Hilmarton. Furthermore, she noted that Sustainable Calne were now lending out their thermal imaging camera, funded by the Area Board, to identify areas of heat loss.

 

Economy

 

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager, Ros Griffiths, stated that she had been holding conversations with Calne Food Bank and Citizens Advice about support for food bank users. She also reported that Calne Leisure Centre had run FUEL events for children from lower income families over the holidays and that they would be offering support again over the Christmas break. She encouraged eligible families that were interested to register by 8 December.

 

Transport

 

Cllr Ashley O’Neill was pleased to report that there had been progress following up on the actions from the recent Highways Matters event, including speed reductions in Studley and tackling accessibility issues in Quarr Barton. He also reiterated that, although the budget of the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group has doubled since the previous financial year, the group had managed to spend its full budget.

To receive an update from Cllr Tony Trotman about the S106 Working Group meeting on 2 November 2023.

The Area Board noted the written update from the last meeting of the S106 Working Group on 2 November 2023.

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
£14,242.50	£5,488.50	£2,663

 

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1408	Calne Wordfest - Calne Book Swap	£1,488.20
ABG1422	1st Calne Scout Hall - toilet refurbishment	£5,000
ABG1443	Goatacre Cricket Club – pitch cover project	£2,397

 

Older & Vulnerable People’s Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1388	Wiltshire Community Care User Involvement Network (WSUN) – administrative support for Calne Health, Social Care and Wellbeing meetings	£500
ABG1389	WSUN – administrative support for Calne Voices meetings	£500
ABG1431	Calne Reconnecting Senior’s Group	£2,000
ABG1433	Avon Needs Trees – Health and Wellbeing at Hazeland and Pudding Brook Wood	£4,178

 

 

 

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

The Area Board noted the budgets remaining for allocation at the meeting.

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Calne Wordfest requesting £1,488.20 towards Calne Book Swap

 

On the proposal of Cllr Ashley O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Tom Rounds, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

Calne Wordfest were awarded £1,488.20 to Calne Book Swap.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria.

 

1^st Calne Scout Group requesting £5,000 towards refurbishing the toilets in their hall.

 

On the proposal of Cllr O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Rounds, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

1^st Calne Scout Group were awarded £5,000 to refurbish the toilets in their hall.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria.

 

Goatacre Cricket Club requesting £2,379 towards their pitch cover project.

 

On the proposal of Cllr O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Rounds, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

Goatacre Cricket Club were awarded £2,379 for their pitch cover project.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria.

 

 

Older and Vulnerable People’s Grants:

 

Wiltshire Community Care User Involvement Network requesting £500 towards administrative support for Calne Health, Social Care and Wellbeing meetings.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Rounds, seconded by the Chairman, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

Wiltshire Community Care User Involvement Network were awarded £500 to provide administrative support for their Calne Health, Social Care and Wellbeing meetings.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria.

 

Wiltshire Community Care User Involvement Network requesting £500 towards administrative support for Calne Voices meetings.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Rounds, seconded by Cllr O’Neill, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

Wiltshire Community Care User Involvement Network were awarded £500 to provide administrative support for their Calne Voices meetings.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria.

 

Calne Reconnecting Senior’s Group requesting £2,000.

 

On the proposal of Cllr O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Rounds, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

Calne Reconnecting Senior’s Group were awarded £2,000.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria.

 

Avon Needs Trees requesting £4,178 towards Health and Wellbeing at Hazeland and Pudding Brook Wood.

 

The Chairman noted that there was insufficient Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant Funding to award the application in full. 

 

On the proposal of Cllr O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Rounds, it was agreed to make the:

 

Decision

Avon Needs Trees were awarded £3,921 towards Health and Wellbeing at Hazeland and Pudding Brook Wood.

 

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 grant criteria but there was insufficient Older and Vulnerable People’s funding remaining to award the grant in full. £2,488 would come from the Older and Vulnerable People’s budget and £1,433 from the Community Area Grant budget.

 

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the latest LHFIG meeting held on 13 October 2023, as set out in the attached report.

 

Recommendations:

 

To allocate funding to the below issue on the Priority Schemes List:

 

·       Issue 3-23-6 - A342 Derry Hill Speed limit repeater signs £2,100

 

To add the following issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding:

 

·       Issue 3-22-40 - A4 Cherhill dropped kerbs £7,700

·       Issue 3-22-25 - Quarr Barton Footway £7,000

 

To add the following issue to the Priority Schemes List without funding:

 

·       Issue 3-33-21 - A4 Cherhill Closure of lay-by

 

 

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

 

The Area Board considered the recommendations of the LHFIG meeting held on 13 October 2023.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Ashley O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Tom Rounds, it was resolved:

 

To allocate funding to the below issue on the Priority Schemes List:

 

·       Issue 3-23-6 - A342 Derry Hill Speed limit repeater signs £2,100

 

To add the following issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding:

 

·       Issue 3-22-40 - A4 Cherhill dropped kerbs £7,700

·       Issue 3-22-25 - Quarr Barton Footway £7,000

 

To add the following issue to the Priority Schemes List without funding:

 

·       Issue 3-33-21 - A4 Cherhill Closure of lay-by

 

 

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

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

As 2024 would mark the 250th anniversary of the discovery of oxygen by Joseph Priestley, when he was living in Calne, residents were invited to email ideas for how to celebrate the anniversary to matthew.hitch@wiltshire.gov.uk. 

Future Meeting Dates (6:30-8:30pm):

 

·       6 February 2024

·       28 May 2024

·       10 September 2024

·       12 November 2024

 

For information on applying for a grant or grant application deadlines for these meetings, contact the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager ros.griffiths@wiltshire.gov.uk or the Area Board Delivery Officer louisa.young@wiltshire.gov.uk

 

The date of the next Area Board was confirmed as 6 February 2024, at 6:30pm in Calne Hub and Library.