Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will welcome Councillor John Thomson, Deputy Leader.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to Calne Area Board and introduced the Councillors and Officers present. The Chairman welcomed Councillor John Thomson, Deputy Leader. He thanked those who had set up the Fairtrade promotion stand available to view before the meeting and explained that Calne Community Area Partnership would be interested in developing fair trade in the Community Area. 

Apologies were received from Geoff Dickerson (Heddington Parish Council).

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2010.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2010 were approved and signed as a correct record.

Councillors are requested to declare any personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman will provide information about the results of the waste consultation, a proposed new Council-wide street trading scheme, Fairtrade fortnight, consultation on the Wiltshire childcare sufficiency assessment and the results of the leisure consultation.   

The Chairman drew attention to the written announcements included in the agenda pack. This included information on the results of the waste consultation, a proposed new Council-wide street trading scheme, fair trade fortnight, consultation on the Wiltshire childcare sufficiency assessment and the results of the leisure consultation. The Chairman also explained the new Chairman’s announcements folder, with more detailed information, that was available to view at the meeting.

To receive an update from the partners listed below:

a.    Wiltshire Police – to include an update from Councillor Chris Caswill regarding the Wiltshire Police Authority

2. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (attached)
3. NHS Wiltshire (attached)
4. Calne Community Area Partnership
5. Calne CAYPIG (Community Area Young People’s Issues Group) – to include a youth project proposal (attached)
6. Town and Parish Councils.

1. Councillor Chris Caswill spoke about proposed spending cuts to Wiltshire Police Authority. £15 million of savings were needed over the next four years (the current total budget for policing in Wiltshire was £107 million). Planned savings at present include nearly £4 million savings on general expenditure and £11 million from staff savings. There were no plans to change frontline numbers, there would be 11 Inspector led areas as now and Swindon and the County divisions were to be merged to give one Force wide service delivery.

Councillor Caswill asked the meeting to take part in the consultation by completing the questionnaire cards that were available, visiting the Wiltshire Police Authority website to complete the survey there: www.wiltshire-pa.gov.uk, or calling 01380 734022 for a hard copy of the plans and questionnaire.

The written update from Wiltshire Police was circulated at the meeting (attached). The Chairman welcomed Inspector Steve Cox to the Calne Community Area and thanked Inspector Kate Pain for all her excellent work. Inspector Cox explained that detection rates appeared to fall in the report because local resolutions had been made. Progress had taken place on repeat offenders with one young male given a suspended sentence and directed to not enter a public house in Britain for a year. The reaction to the website www.police.uk, where a person could look up information on local crime and policing, had been largely positive. Inspector Cox demonstrated the electronic devices that had recently been issued to officers and explained what they could do to improve efficiency by allowing beat officers to spend less time on paperwork in the office.

b.    The written update from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was noted.

c.    The written update from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d.    The written update from Calne Community Area Partnership was circulated at the meeting (attached). The Chairman congratulated the new Vice Chairman of the Partnership, Emmy Butcher, on being elected to the post.

e.    Four young people from Calne Community Area Young People’s Issues Group attended the Area Board meeting to report that the CAYPIG had held a dedicated Open Space meeting to discuss ideas for activities and events if they received funding and identified a suitable project. The Chairman and Councillor Marshall thanked the young people for their excellent presentation. The Chairman drew attention to the written report submitted by CAYPIG included in the agenda pack and the background to the available funding. At the Council meeting on 23 February 2010, Councillor Scott announced that it was intended to allocate approximately £100,000 across the eighteen Area Boards to allow for additional grants by each Area Board specifically for children and young people’s projects or activities. The sum of money allocated to Calne Area Board as a result of this initiative was £4,285. 

Decision

That the Area Board commits a budget of £4,285 to a project that provides ‘things to do, places to go’ for young people from the Calne Community Area.

Decision

That the Area Board delegates to the CAYPIG,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Nicholas Bate, Emergency Planning Officer, will give a short presentation about local emergency plans.  

Nick Bate, Emergency Planning Officer, gave a presentation on town and parish emergency plans. Given the recent bad weather, particularly rain and snow, the production of emergency plans was very relevant, and Town and Parish Councils were being asked to assist with this initiative.

The plans were compiled using national ‘at risk’ data, as well as local risk information from the individual parishes, and a nominated person would take responsibility for preparing the plan and ensuring that it was kept up to date.

The Government had produced a template to assist with the production of emergency plans, which would be circulated to Town and Parish Councils via their clerks.

The Chairman thanked Nick for attending the meeting to highlight this issue.

Decision

The Area Board would endorse the production of emergency plans by Town and Parish Councils.

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

a.    Skate board park working group

b.    Cycle network working group

c.    Highways working group

d.    Turn off the lights update.

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

a.    Councillor Marshall explained that the skate board park working group had a meeting with experts to look at designs and costings.  

b.    Councillor Berry provided an update on the cycle network. The cycle path at Prince Charles Drive had been completed and dual use cycle path signs were in place at White Horse Way. There had been no movement yet on the Quemerford to Cherhill path or the Beversbrook Way path. The Calne Area Transport project to survey the town was underway and Councillor Berry would be arranging the next working group meeting shortly. Please contact Councillor Berry, on 01666 577765 or chuck.berry@wiltshire.gov.uk, if you would like to become involved in the working group.  

c.    Councillor Crisp reported on the highways working group. This group had met with Wiltshire Council officers since the last Area Board meeting in order to progress the use of the Calne Area Board highways budget of £12,465 in the current financial year.

Mark Stansby, Senior Traffic Management Engineer, had delivered an assessment of the top five priority areas identified by Community Area residents and prioritised by the working group. These were:

1.         A3102 Hilmarton, pedestrian crossing                                                                  

2.         CurzonStreet/Wood Street, signing review

3.         A4 Studley Crossroads, pedestrian crossing/lighting

4.         A3102 Goatacre, pedestrian crossing

5.         A4 Quemerford/Lake View, pedestrian crossing.

On the basis of the assessment, the working group asked the Area Board to endorse its recommendations regarding progressing schemes in the 2011/12 financial year.

Questions and comments raised from the floor included:

·         Curzon Street traffic was caused by the decisions of local people in their vehicles

·         Estimated costings were high

·         Concern over the use of the consultant Mouchel

Decision

Councillor Thomson requested a breakdown of estimated costings from the highways team.

            Decision

The Area Board would endorse the recommendations of the highways working group, as below:

1. Commission a topographical survey at Hilmarton and ask HAGGIS to carry out pedestrian count (estimated cost £2,500).

2. Implement a new signing scheme to relieve Curzon Street (estimated cost £6,500).             

3. Prepare lighting scheme for pedestrian refuges at Studley (estimated cost £1,500).

4. Request HAGGIS to carry out pedestrian count at Goatacre (no cost).

5. Complete feasibility study/pedestrian counts at Quemerford/Lake View (estimated cost £2,000).         

The total cost to the Area Board would therefore be                                    £12,500.

This included £6,000 of survey work, which was more than the working group would like, but surveys were required before alterations to the highways could be made. It was due to the generous offer of HAGGIS that Calne was able to keep these costs much lower than in most areas. The recommendations secured one complete project, new signage to attempt to reduce the Curzon Street congestion, and the necessary preparation for three others, which the group would hope to progress in future years. This would begin to address the highest priority road safety and traffic issues in the Community Area that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

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

a.    Calne Twinning Association – seeking £918 towards the production of a promotional leaflet to extend the reach of the twinning association out to a wider range of people in the Calne Community Area

b.    Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust – seeking £1,783 towards the repair and refurbishment of Chaveywell Wharf.

Councillors will also be asked to consider a proposal to submit a request to Cabinet that £5,344 is ring-fenced and carried over to 2011/12 to be used by the Area Board Highways working group to supplement the implementation of locally prioritised highways schemes in 2011/12.   

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

Decision

Calne Twinning Association were awarded £918 towards the production of a promotional leaflet to extend the reach of the twinning association out to a wider range of people in the Calne Community Area.  

Reason

The application meets the 2010/11 grant criteria and it promotes a sense of community identity, pride and cohesion.  

Decision

Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust were awarded £1,783 towards the repair and refurbishment of Chaveywell Wharf, conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.  

Reason

The application meets the 2010/11 grant criteria and it addresses ambitions in the Calne Community Area Plan to increase recreation land and facilities in the area.   

The meeting will be asked how best to receive feedback from organisations that had received Community Area Grants.

The meeting was asked to consider how best to receive feedback from organisations that had received Community Area Grants. Councillor Thomson commented that in Malmesbury a light touch approach was taken. Organisations who had received funding were not required to give a presentation at an Area Board meeting, but to submit a one page summary outlining the success of the project.

Decision

Community Area Grant Scheme feedback would be considered further by Area Board members at the next Area Board Coordinating (ABC) meeting.     

Councillor John Thomson will give a short overview of his role as Deputy Leader and as Cabinet member for Adult Care, Communities and Libraries.  

Councillor John Thomson provided an overview of his role as Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Adult Care, Community Services and Libraries. He explained this encompassed Area Boards.

Wiltshire Council was committed to retaining libraries and the mobile library service. Opening hours would be reassessed in the context of neighbouring local authorities closing libraries. Input from volunteers and partnership working would be needed in small communities to keep their libraries open. Funding for libraries was in place and there was a budget of £750,000 for new books a year. Investment had been made in new technology, such as scanning systems, and more electronic books.

Wiltshire was set to face a big increase in the number of older people in the county and had a ten year plan to improve services. Wiltshire Council was investing in keeping people in their homes with support for as long as possible, the next stage would be extra care in home and the final stage if needed would be residential care.

The Chairman will set out arrangements for the next meeting.

The Chairman asked if there were any outstanding items from the floor. Councillor Charles Boase of Calne Town Council advised that gas works were due to affect The Green and Church Street for over three weeks. Since parking was already difficult in this area, he asked if Wiltshire Council could arrange for residents who would be affected by this work to be allowed to park free in the Church Street car park. Councillor Thomson advised Councillor Boase to contact Councillor Richard Tonge, Cabinet member for Highways and Transport. The next Area Board meeting would be held at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 19 April at Beversbrook Sports Facility, with refreshments available from 6.30 pm.