Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will welcome everyone to the meeting.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2012.

Councillors are requested to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

The Chairman will provide information about:

a.     Youth Service Update (attached)

b.     Wiltshire Online: Connectivity and Provision (attached)

c.     Legacy for Wiltshire (attached)

d.     Our Community Matters: Calne and Villages Blogsite.

There will be a presentation giving a review of Calne Area Board from 2009-13.

Jane Vaughan, the Community Area Manager, explained that she had been asked to reflect on what the area board had done since Wiltshire Council became a unitary council four years ago. The presentation covered:

·       Headline achievements – such as the 30 local meetings and events held

·       Community grants - £132,000 had been awarded to support over 60 local projects

·       Examples of the projects supported – including the Friends of Abberd Brook clean up day, CAYPIG kite boarding project and equipment for the Calne First Responders

·       Measures taken to improve local roads

·       Investments made in young people – for example through the Calne Bowl Project

·       Transfer of assets – including Castlefields Park to Calne Town Council

·       Community campus – a local campus board was looking at ways of bringing together local public and voluntary services 

·       Celebrations – the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympic Flame.  

All of the area board councillors thanked Jane profusely for her hard work in the community area. Looking forward, the area board would work to raise awareness and increase participation, provide new ways for everyone in the community to have a say, and help local people get more involved in the design and delivery of local services.  

To receive an update from the partners listed below:

a.     Wiltshire Police (attached)

b.     Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (attached)

c.     NHS Wiltshire (attached)

d.     Calne Community Area Partnership (attached)

e.     Town and Parish Councils.

In Calne, the Area Board meetings are scheduled around a ‘community conversation’ and the theme for this meeting is ‘Community Health’. Councillor Keith Humphries, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Protection Services, will introduce the subject and there will be an opportunity for discussion.  

Councillor Keith Humphries introduced the subject of this meeting’s community conversation, which was community health. He spoke briefly about his unusual portfolio and the move of public health from the NHS back to Wiltshire Council. Councillor Humphries explained that public health had been defined by Sir Donald Acheson, Chief Medical Officer, as ‘Public health is the multidisciplinary branch of medicine specialising in population health’.

Much of the work taking place was preventative work, with screening programmes offered from the antenatal stage onwards. Public health priority campaigns included concentration on fuel poverty (a home insulation scheme was about to start), falls prevention and obesity (child obesity in Year 6 pupils in Calne had been an issue, however Wiltshire was bucking the nationwide trend as one of two local authorities where obesity was going down). Public health was also responsible for pollution and vaccines for preventable diseases, including influenza. Overall aims of the service were to increase life expectancy and to reduce health inequalities.

This was followed by a question and answer session:

·       Information regarding air quality was available on the Wiltshire Council website. Air quality in Calne was not perfect, however in health terms only a few people with pre-existing conditions would be affected. Everybody needed to consider the journeys they were making in the community area.

·       A pilot scheme was taking place in the county in association with a babyfood company to help teach families to cook and to provide them with utensils.        

Kieran Kilgallen, Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon, will introduce a draft Police and Crime Plan.  

Angus Macpherson, Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, presented information about the future of policing in Wiltshire.

This included:

·       The role of the Commissioner – this was a commissioning role to ensure a policing service fit for purpose in Wiltshire.

·       Angus had a budget of £100 million and five support staff.

·       He was at present writing a five year Police and Crime Plan to set the strategic direction of policing in Wiltshire and Swindon.

·       The plan was available for comment from 18 February until 10 March, with the intention to publish the plan on 28 March. You can read and give views on the plan via the Police and Crime Commissioner’s website – www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk.

·       In short, the aim of the plan was for community-based policing, protecting the most vulnerable, putting victims and witnesses first, reducing reoffending, improving quality of life, customer service, ensuring a timely response and unlocking resources.

This was followed by a short question and answer session, which covered the points raised below:

·       Concern raised by an individual who had attended a workshop in Swindon regarding the disclosure team becoming less forthcoming with sharing information. Angus commented that more sharing information was being encouraged, for example a woman with a child could have a background check completed on a new partner.

·       Concern raised regarding losing the police station. The police station in Calne was a new model and there were no plans to close it. The Chippenham station was no longer a suitable building and the police would be moving into the Wiltshire Council Monkton Park office accordingly.       

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 Marshall

b.     CATG (highways working group) – Councillor Crisp

c.     Calne campus working group – Councillor Hill

d.     Sandpit Road working group – Councillor Trotman (attached)

e.     Air quality working group – to include ratification of Air Quality Management Area decision

f.      Section 106 report (attached).

An update was provided on community issues and progress on Calne Area Board working groups.

a.     Jordan reported that since Christmas the skate board park working group had concentrated on submitting grant applications to Viridor and Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation. Councillor Marshall added that the group had worked hard and raised nearly £1,000. Please get in touch if you have ideas for other potential sources of funding.

b.     Councillor Crisp provided an update for the Community Area Transport Group. The Goatacre refuge had been started and the group were now seeking new priorities. They had a new programme of work for the Speed Indicator Devices and more information would be provided about the group’s budget when this was available at the next area board meeting.

c.     Councillor Hill reported on the Calne campus working group. An architect had been selected and appointed. A meeting had taken place on 30 January and a 12 week schedule of meetings had been arranged. Planning applications would then be started with opportunities for community consultation. Work could start at the end of 2013 and by the end of 2014 community facilities should be much improved, including enhanced provision for youth services across the three campus sites.

d.     Councillor Trotman reported on the Sandpit Road working group. The written report included in the agenda pack had been superseded and please find attached. Councillor Trotman asked the area board to consider recommendations from the working group, as below:

Decision

The area board would endorse consultation with local residents regarding Woodhill Rise/Oxford Road link for cycle/pedestrian dual use provision to and from Sandpit Road development to schools and workplaces.

Decision

The area board accepted the plan for the development of safer routes from the Sandpit Road development through Abberd Way and a safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists across Prince Charles Drive at the Honeymead junction, through consultation to detailed design stage.

e.     Councillor Hill asked the area board to ratify the Air Quality Management Area decision so that work could continue through the legal procedure. The larger of the two options put forward (Option 2) was preferred by over 90% of respondents to the consultation.

Decision

The area board meeting ratified Option 2, as per the results of the air quality consultation carried out.

f.      Brad Fleet, Service Director, went through the Section 106 report included in the agenda pack. Wiltshire Council had inherited a hotchpotch of systems from the county and district councils. One of the first tasks for the planning department when the council had gone unitary had been the creation of a database showing the Section 106 funding agreed and what had been collected. A summary for the Calne community area was available to view at the meeting. Section 106 agreements were to be replaced by a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) later in the Spring. Councillor Trotman explained that he now chaired the CIL task group and he thanked Brad for all his help.                

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

a.     Calne Community Area Partnership - seeking £994 to pump prime a project that will encourage and promote Calne as a Fairtrade Community Area.

b.    Friends of Abberd Brook - seeking £1,750 towards a community art project to produce a mosaic at the Prince Charles Drive Underpass.

c.     Derry Hill & Studley Village Hall Trust - seeking £4,940 towards the refurbishment of kitchen facilities.

d.    SPLASH - seeking £4,600 towards ‘Calne … Get Out There’ project offering sports, outdoor and residential activities for young people living in the Calne Community Area.

e.     Derry Hill Defibrillator Project - seeking £1,000 towards the purchase of a defibrillator for the village hall.

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

Decision

Calne Community Area Partnership were awarded £994 to pump prime a project that would encourage and promote Calne as a Fairtrade community area.

Reason

The application meets the 2012/13 grant criteria and the project linked to Partnership issues around the economy and the environment.  

Decision

Friends of Abberd Brook were awarded £1,750 towards a community art project to produce a mosaic at the Prince Charles Drive Underpass, conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason

The application meets the 2012/13 grant criteria and the project would promote a sense of pride and wellbeing and activities that encouraged children and young people to take a constructive role in the community.  

Decision

Derry Hill and Studley Village Hall Trust were awarded £4,940 towards the refurbishment of kitchen facilities, conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason

The application meets the 2012/13 grant criteria and the project addresses aspirations in the community plan to increase facilities in the Calne community area.

Decision

SPLASH were awarded £4,600 towards ‘Calne … Get Out There’ project offering sports, outdoor and residential activities for young people living in the Calne Community Area, conditional upon the balance of funding being in place and the applicant liaising with the Calne Youth Development Co-ordinator to assess where savings could be made and extra activity be included in the project plan.

Reason

The application meets the 2012/13 grant criteria and communities needed positive activities to engage young people during school holidays to reduce boredom which often leads to anti social behaviour.

Decision

The Derry Hill Defibrillator Project were awarded £1,000 towards the purchase of a defibrillator for the village hall.

Reason

The application meets the 2012/13 grant criteria and it was felt by the area board councillors to be of wider community benefit.