Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will welcome everyone to the meeting. 

The Chairman welcomed everyone to Calne Town Hall and introduced the councillors and officers present.  

Apologies were received from Councillor Berry, Sergeant Phil Connor, Geoff Dickerson (Heddington Parish Council), Mike Franklin (Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service), Inspector Martin Schorah (Wiltshire Police) and Councillor Tonge.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2011.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 December were approved and signed as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman will provide information about:

a.     The commissioning strategy for 11-19 year olds (attached)

b.     An update on help to live at home (attached)

c.     The Localism Act 2011 (attached)

d.     Service to the community award (attached)

e.     Air Quality Management Strategy in Calne (attached)

f.      Wiltshire Core Strategy (attached)

The Chairman drew attention to the written announcements included in the agenda pack.

This included information about the commissioning strategy for 11-19 year olds. In September 2011 Wiltshire Council approved the commissioning strategy for 11-19 year olds. Youth Advisory Groups would be set up in all community areas by June 2012 to help plan and shape local services. 

Wiltshire Council was continuing to put in place the new help to live at home service. The main priority was managing the movement of customers from existing providers to the new providers with as little disruption as possible.

The Localism Act received Royal Assent on 15 November 2011. Please find further information in the agenda pack.

The Chairman underlined there was a service to the community award. The Wiltshire Police Authority were seeking nominations for someone who has given exceptional service in the Neighbourhood Policing team. Nominations should be made by post or email to the Wiltshire Police Authority offices at: Golden House, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN or 01380 734 022.  

Regarding the Air Quality Management Strategy in Calne, the Environmental Protection team was in the process of gathering air quality data together for a report which would be submitted to DEFRA in April.  

A six week consultation period on the Wiltshire Core Strategy would commence on 20 February until 2 April 2012. The core strategy incorporated a strategy for each community area which identified specific development sites where appropriate and specific considerations in each area. All the consultation documents were available on the Council’s website and at the main Wiltshire Council offices. Comments could be submitted online via the Wiltshire Council website or in writing.

A final round of consultation on the Aggregate Minerals Site Allocations Development Plan Document would run from 30 January to 12 March 2012. The Chairman explained the only site remaining in the document in the Calne community area was land near Compton Bassett. Wiltshire Council encouraged anyone wishing to view and comment on the consultation documents to use the website. The documents could also be viewed at the main Wiltshire Council offices and local libraries.

Seven groups of young people will present their projects and request funding from the area board. People at the meeting will be asked to vote on the projects using the electronic handsets provided.   

Six groups of young people presented their projects and requested funding from the area board. Information was also provided on tables about each project. Councillor Marshall explained the area board had a budget of £4285 to fund a number of youth projects. He asked those at the meeting to vote on the projects using the electronic handsets provided. They were asked two questions regarding each project; whether it would attract young people who didn’t often access mainstream activities and opportunities and whether the project offered lasting benefits to those involved or provided more opportunities for others in the future. Councillor Marshall made clear there may be the potential to fund projects not successful under this item at a later stage in the meeting from the general area board budget, depending on how Community Area Grants were awarded.  

Decision

The area board would delegate the decision as to which of the young people’s projects received funding to the room. The decisions below were made on this basis.  

Decision

The Forum were awarded £860 towards an ‘Out on the Water’ project.

Decision

Calne Young Carers were awarded £780 towards a ‘Calne Past and Present’ project.

Decision

The Grove were awarded £970 towards a ‘Camping Adventure’.

Decision

Extended Schools Partnership were awarded £870 towards a ‘Splash Band’ project.

Decision

The Forum were not awarded £1300 towards a ‘Careers Advice Book’ project from the youth budget. 

Decision

The Extended Schools Partnership were not awarded £815 towards a ‘Wicked Wall’ from the youth budget.

To receive an update from the partners listed below:

a.     Wiltshire Police (attached)

b.     Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service – to include information on the Integrated Risk Management Plan for 2012-15 (attached)

c.     NHS Wiltshire (attached)

d.     Calne Community Area Partnership (attached)

e.     Calne CAYPIG (Community Area Young People’s Issues Group)

f.      Town and Parish Councils.

a.     The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. Wiltshire Police Authority would conclude their business at the end of the year. A fuller report would be provided at the next area board meeting. A question was raised about a weight restriction at Lyneham Banks. When the area board had researched the issue, it had been stated that Wiltshire Police were unwilling to introduce a weight restricition, because this was the only alternative route in the event the M4 motorway was closed between junctions 16 and 17, as often seemed to be the case. Sergeant Connor would respond directly to the interested individual. This route had to be used by HGVs as the only alternative (the B4042 via Malmesbury/Wootton Bassett) had a height restriction. 

b.     The written update from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was noted. The area board would send a message to Group Manager Mike Franklin, who usually attended area board meetings, to get well soon. 

c.     The written update from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d.     The written update from the Calne Community Area Partnership was noted. Trevor Jenkins introduced himself as the new Chairman of the Partnership, having taken over from David Evans. A lot of work had been undertaken on the Partnership website and this would show information about new courses that were soon to be launched and the many events happening at the community hub. The annual cycle event would take place on the 23 June alongside a Green Day for Calne and ongoing initiatives to support Fairtrade in the town. Volunteers were being sought for the Partnership’s education and culture sub-groups.    

e.     Calne Community Area Young People’s Issues Group (CAYPIG) – the group reported they were exploring the shift from a CAYPIG to becoming a Youth Advisory Group.   

f.      Town and Parish Councils – Ed Jones from Focus on Five stated he was waiting for lights to be installed at Studley Crossroads. He emphasised that Chinese lanterns were a concern in rural areas and urged people to think about the hurt they could cause to animals when they land in the countryside.

David Evans noted that Cherhill Parish Council was organising celebration events for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and when the Olympic Torch was in the local area. Mud on the road at Yatesbury was being addressed.

Calne Town Council raised an issue about road safety on Abberd Way where four injuries had occurred over recent years with young children running out of lanes. Christine Crisp informed the meeting that the area board had already received a formal issues sheet related to this and the highways working group was looking into the issue and improvements could perhaps be made as a part of the work being undertaken by the Sandpit Road (S106) working group. A site visit had been arranged with a principal engineer from Wiltshire Council. The speed of traffic near the bridleway would be highlighted at the visit by Councillor Trotman.      

The Calne campus working group will present their proposal. The area board will be asked to confirm if they are happy with the progress of the working group so far and the report produced to go to Cabinet.  

Trevor Jenkins and Nick Cooper from the Calne campus working group gave a presentation about the proposal for a campus in Calne. This included the following main points:

·       A campus was a physical site or multiple sites which could be existing or new

·       The purpose of a campus was the delivery of public services to meet the needs of local people

·       A key element was the input of local people in deciding how and where services would be delivered

·       A working group had been established to find out what the community wanted

·       A 1^st phase of consultation had taken place in August 2011, with online and paper surveys completed (this found 78% support for the campus initiative)

·       A proposal was developed from the consultation based on a multi-site campus in Calne

·       A 2^nd phase of consultation had taken place in November/December 2011 to seek feedback on the proposal (this found 90% of respondents in favour of the proposal).

The presentation was followed by an opportunity to ask questions. Youth provision had been identified as the fourth priority for the community. Will Kay, Youth Development Co-ordinator was reassured that he would be spoken to later in the consultation period, to help find out more about what local young people would like to have provided.

To consider seven applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

1.     Friends of Abberd Brook – seeking £1,414 towards an interpretation board at Doctors Pond.

2.     Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust – seeking £596 to improve the footpath along the Marden Valley.

3.     Calne Environmental Network – seeking £720 towards creating and promoting a new community group to address environmental issues in the Calne community area.

4.     Derry Hill and Studley Safety Watch Association – seeking £1,104 towards traffic calming white gates at Studley/Derry Hill.

5.     Calne Area Transport – seeking £4,800 towards the design and production of a series of boards promoting safer cycling/pedestrian routes in the town.

6.     Calne Partnership of Churches – seeking £3,000 towards the hire of blue bus for youth drop in sessions.

7.     Calne Area Young People’s Issues Group (skate sub group) seeking £5,000 towards the extension and renovation of the Calne skate bowl.

The area board will also be asked to approve an area board project from the highways working group – seeking £11,970 towards construction of an extension to the footpath on the Lake View side of the A4 at Quemerford.  

Consideration was given to the seven applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme.

Decision

Friends of Abberd Brook were awarded £1,414 towards an interpretation board at Doctors Pond, conditional upon the balance of funding being in place and relevant permissions granted.

Reason

The application meets the 2011/12 grant criteria and the group had made excellent progress in the local area.

Decision

Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust were awarded £596 to improve the footpath along the Marden Valley.

Reason

The application meets the 2011/12 grant criteria and it would encourage a sense of community cohesion, pride and well being.

Decision

Calne Environmental Network were awarded £720 towards creating and promoting a new community group to address environmental issues in the Calne community area.

Reason

The application meets the 2011/12 grant criteria and the group would take a broad focus on environmental issues and engage with the community to promote awareness and action.  

Decision

Derry Hill and Studley Safety Watch Association were awarded £1,104 towards traffic calming white gates at Studley/Derry Hill.

Reason

The application meets the 2011/12 grant criteria and the project represented the local community taking action on an issue that had been a high priority for the Calne Area Board highways working group (CATG).

Decision

Calne Area Transport were awarded £4,800 towards the design and production of a series of boards promoting safer cycling/pedestrian routes in the town, conditional upon the balance of funding being in place, relevant permissions granted and the design being approved by the CATG working group.

Reason

The application meets the 2011/12 grant criteria and information on the boards could reflect findings of the longer term Calne Area Transport project to identify safer routes in the town.

Decision

Calne Partnership of Churches were not awarded £3,000 towards the hire of a blue bus for youth drop in sessions.

Reason

The application did not meet the 2011/12 grant criteria, as it represented provision of running costs for an existing project.  

Decision

Calne Area Young People’s Issues Group (skate sub group) were awarded £5,000 towards the extension and renovation of the Calne skate bowl.  

Reason

The application meets the 2011/12 grant criteria and the issue of the skate bowl was identified as significant for the area by the CAYPIG in 2010.

Decision

The area board awarded £11,970 towards a project from the highways working group to extend the footpath on the Lake View side of the A4 in Quemerford.

Councillor Marshall set out that as the area board had £1,441.83 remaining in the general budget and £805 from the youth budget, the monies would be put together to fund the youth projects that were unsuccessful earlier in the meeting.    

Decision

The Forum were awarded £1300 towards a ‘Careers Advice Book’ project. 

Decision

The Extended Schools Partnership were awarded £815 towards a ‘Wicked Wall’.

Councillors will provide an update on community issues and progress on Area Board working groups. This will include:

a.     Skate board park working group – Councillor Howard Marshall

b.     (CATG) Highways working group – Councillor Christine Crisp – to include report on the allocation of sites for speed indicator devices (SIDs) (attached)

c.     Sandpits Lane (section 106) working group – Councillor Tony Trotman.

Councillors provided an update on community issues and progress on Calne Area Board working groups.

a.     Councillor Marshall thanked the area board for the funding towards the skate board park. He commented it was good to hear how the young people were raising money for the project.

b.     Councillor Crisp gave a report about the Calne Community Area Transport Group (CATG). The group last met on 18 January 2012. Sites at East Tytherton and Quemerford had been referred for assessment in the community speedwatch scheme and the group had been looking at sites for a speed indicator device (SID). The Hilmarton refuge scheme had a provisional start date of 12 March and should take approximately 2 weeks to complete. The lighting scheme at Studley Crossroads was due to commence on 20 February and to take 10 days. With regards to remaining issues, in spite of the signage at Curzon Street/Wood Street, air quality did not seem to have improved at the site. The group agreed to review work that had already been undertaken, in particular on making it a single way route. Councillor Crisp also asked the area board to consider a report relating to SID deployment in the community area and it was agreed that 7 sites should be put forward for assessment and inclusion in the deployment rota.

Decision

Future decisions made regarding recommendations from the Calne Community Area Transport Group would be delegated to the Community Area Manager, in consultation with the Community Area Transport Group.     

c.     Councillor Trotman gave an update about the Sandpits Lane (section 106) working group. This was a new innovation to get local people involved in how developer contributions would be spent in the community. The last meeting of the working group had been held on 24 January. A site meeting was planned with Stephen Hind, Principal Engineer, later in February. The next stage would be for a design to be drawn up and costed. Councillor Hill underlined his concern that a zebra crossing should be installed before houses were constructed. Councillor Trotman confirmed this matter had been included in discussions so far. A written update would be provided by the section 106 working group for the next area board meeting.

The Chairman will ask those present to evaluate the meeting and set out arrangements for the next meeting.

The Chairman thanked all those who came to the meeting. In light of the time, the room chose not to complete an evaluation of the evening. The next area board meeting would be held at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 10 April at Lansdowne Hall in Derry Hill, with refreshments available from 6.30 pm.