Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Linda Packard, welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the councillors and officers present.

The Board were made aware that at Item 7 of the agenda (‘What Matters to You’) attendees would be invited to take part in an electronic voting exercise before debate was opened to the Board members.

Apologies for absence were received from:

Cllr Jane Scott OBE

Cllr Nina Phillips

Cllr Desna Allen

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 6 January 2014.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 January were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

There were no declarations of interest received.

To receive the following announcements:

i)             Salamander stand

ii)            Lyneham MOD Development

iii)           Dementia Strategy Consultation

iv)           Library Memory Groups

v)            New Housing Allocations Policy

vi)           One Stop Shop for Your Heart

vii)         West of England Bus Fair Consultation

The Chairman drew the Boards attention to the Announcements as detailed on the agenda front sheet as follows:

·         Salamander stand – The fire authority were unable to provide a stand at the meeting but details were made available via leaflets distributed on all tables.

·         Lyneham MOD – There were currently 300 vehicles from Afghanistan stored at Lyneham which would be sent to Warminster by road for repair.

Hercules, a joint venture between Balfour Beaty and Kier, had been appointed as the main contractors for the development of Lyneham.  There were currently 20 personnel on site with the main works expected to begin after the Easter period when personnel was expected to increase.

By December as many as 700 to 800 personnel (mostly sub contractors) were expected to be on site with the site itself ready for occupation in early 2015.  The accommodation provided would be mostly modular and brought in by road via HGV on designated routes.

·         Dementia Strategy Consultation – The strategy outlined plans for how organisations would work together.  The consultation period would end on 19 May.   The authority’s desire was for dementia friendly communities across the county and it was noted that the Royal Wootton Basset and Cricklade area was a pilot area to test the dementia friendly toolkit which it was hoped would be made available to all across the County.

·         Library Memory Group – Four new library groups had started in January for those with memory loss and dementia and their carers in Pewsey, Purton, Warminster and Mere.  Sessions were run weekly and were free of charge.

Wiltshire Libraries were keen to speak to anyone who may be interested in volunteering at these groups.

·         New Housing Allocations – The revised allocations policy arose following the review undertaken last year and was expected to be implemented during the summer.

What came out of the review was primarily:

o   Local homes for local people

o   Honesty in terms of expected housing options

o   Best use of housing stock

o   Rewards for good tenants

These would be taken into account by giving priority for those with a local connection, changes to the banding system, adopting the national bedroom standard and the introduction of a qualifying persons criteria.

·         One Stop Shop for Your Heart – The event would take place on 15 May between 10am and 3pm at Stanley Park in Chippenham.  It was open to all community representatives and organisations who would be interested in seeking further details on defibrillators.  Leaflets were also available on each of the tables.

·         West of England Bus Fair Consultation – This was a major consultation exercise being undertaken by the bus company.  Further details were provided in the agenda pack which highlighted the relevant webpage.  The consultation finished on 16 March.

·         Middlefield Site in Chippenham – Copies of this update were circulated at the meeting.  The Working Group were working with the adult care and housing team to deliver a range of accommodation to help deliver identified needs for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To note the written updates provided and answer any questions arising from the floor:

      i.        Parish and Town Councils

    ii.        Wiltshire Police

   iii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

   iv.        Chippenham and Villages Area Partnership (ChAP)

    v.        Chippenham Partnership of Schools

Updates from partners were received as follows:

i.        Parish and Town Councils

The written reports from the following Councils were noted:

Chippenham Town Council

Christian Malford Parish Council

Grittleton Parish Council

Kington Langley Parish Council

Kington St Michael Parish Council

Seagry Parish Council

Sutton Benger Parish Council

ii.        Wiltshire Police

The written report was noted.

iii.        Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

Hard copies of the update were circulated at the meeting and noted.  A copy can be found attached to these minutes.

iv.        Chippenham and Village Area Partnership (ChAP)

The written report was noted.

v.        Chippenham Partnership of Schools

The written report was noted.

Although not included in the agenda, Mark Dunleavy from Balfour Beaty was welcomed to the meeting.  Details of the work undertaken by the team were circulated on each of the tables.  A copy can be found attached to these minutes.

The Board will be asked to:

·         Consider the outcomes from the ‘What Matters to You’ event on 18 February; and

·         Select priorities for 2014/15

The Community Area Manager for Chippenham, Vicky Welsh, introduced the report on pages 47 to 62 of the agenda.  This provided details of the event held at the Neeld Hall on Tuesday 18 February where attendees were asked to use the data set out in the Community Area Joint Strategic Assessment 2014-16 (JSA) to help identify local priorities.

Appendix 1 of the report detailed the top priorities identified within each theme (of which there were 10) with project ideas to support the themes detailed in Appendix 2.

The top 10 priorities identified at the event where shown on screen and members of the public were asked to consider and vote on what they felt to be the top 3 community priorities.

These were identified as follows:

·         Making greater use of outdoor spaces including Butter Cross area and the river for events/festivals (15% of votes)

·         Maintenance of roads not keeping up with the level of road use, HGVs and weather damage and associated safety issues (17% of votes)

·         Improved engagement with the wider community when making important decisions, particularly the under-represented/deprived/hard to reach (13% of votes)

The Chairman thanked all for their suggestions and, noting the priorities identified, asked that a further vote should be undertaken with thought given to what could be achieved locally within the community itself to develop priorities. 

The results of this vote highlighted the following as the top 3 priorities:

·         Making greater use of outdoor spaces including Butter Cross area and the river for events/festivals (13% of votes)

·         Better use, management and access to green spaces including the river (13% of votes)

·         Maintenance of roads not keeping up with the level of road use, HGVs and weather damage and associated safety issues (13% of votes)

In opening up discussion the following concerns were raised:

·         Chippenham common slip (to the river) was often blocked by vehicles and therefore did not allow boats to use the slip to access the river.

·         The apparent lack of quality control on utilities companies undertaking repair work on public access routes.

·         The road condition within the Chippenham community was considered to have deteriorated over the last few months.

The Chairman then welcomed comments from the Board members which included the following:

·         The agreed priorities should reflect those that can be achieved by the Board.

·         Although not clearly outlined within the identified issues at the event, the deprivation of children within the community should be considered as a priority of the Board.  Cllr Caswill was working with a number of organisations with the possibility of establishing a child poverty forum. 

·         Community safety should also remain a priority, noting the positive work undertaken to date. 

·         Two of the issues should be combined into one priority, namely:

·         Making greater use of outdoor spaces including Butter Cross area and the river for events/festivals

·         Better use, management and access to green spaces including the river

The Board, upon vote, agreed to the following 3 priorities for 2014/15:

·         Outdoor spaces (making better use of outdoor spaces, including management  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Campus Development Team will provide a presentation which will include a recommendation for the Board to give approval to fully test the feasibility of a Monkton Park/Olympiad site proposal.

The Chairman welcomed Ian Bridges, Chairman of the Campus Team, to the meeting where a presentation on the work undertaken to date was given.  This included:

A consultation had taken place from 7 October to 29 November 2013.  This included questionnaires, online surveys and static information displays.

The team also publicised public participation via newspapers, radio, direct e-mailing and presentations.  Face to face visits to various locations, including Emery Gate, Chippenham College and the Olympiad Leisure Centre, were also undertaken.

Over 1300 responses were received, 1014 of which were completed questionnaires.  In response to the question ‘Do you agree with the proposal?’ the results were as follows:

Yes – 59.2%

No – 40.6%

The majority of residents were in favour of the proposal for a Monkton Park/Olympiad site.  All questionnaire return locations were overwhelmingly in favour except for the Library returns box, which accounted for approximately half of the 40.6% against the site.  Once explanation of what the campus team were hoping to achieve was given however many of those against the campus subsequently changed their views.

300 responses were received from schools following a presentation by the Team to the Children’s Parliament.

The two areas of question in relation to the proposed integration of the Library were access to the site and its future provision, i.e. what it would look like.

The Team understood the importance of access to any campus and the proposal aimed to address these concerns by:

·         Improved pedestrian access from the town (including offering a river level entrance)

·         Good transport links to the site

·         A library across one level on the ground floor (the existing Library was currently across two levels)

·         A review of parking options

The Team were also working with the library and arts services to develop a proposal that would offer a more prominent library that would offer cultural, information and educational resources and facilities for all.

In concluding his presentation Ian Bridges requested the Board to give approval for the team to fully test the feasibility of a Monkton Park/Olympiad site proposal.

Following questions received in relation to the potential of a mobile facility, it was confirmed that this did not fall within the remit of the Campus team but that would be the decision of Library Services.

Reference was also made to Sutton which was considered to have one of the best libraries in London and would perhaps benefit the Board members to visit, noting the mission statement submitted by Library Services.

The Chairman asked the Board members to vote on the recommendation and all were in favour.

Decision:

Chippenham Area Board approved the request for the Campus Development Team to fully test the feasibility of a Monkton Park/Olympiad site proposal.

Communities across Wiltshire are being consulted on what youth activities they would like in their local communities as part of a wide-ranging review.  Cllr Richard Gamble, Portfolio Holder for Education, Skills and Youth, will present details of the review being undertaken.

Cllr Richard Gamble, Portfolio Holder Education, Skills and Youth at Wiltshire Council, gave a presentation on the youth activity review currently taking place.

Cllr Gamble confirmed that the Council were keen to have the involvement of as many people as possible.

In order to address the changing needs of young people a report was submitted to Cabinet on 21 January.

This was also in line with Campus proposals which it was noted would provide new opportunities and would affect the way in which services were currently provided.  The first campus was due to open in Corsham in June 2014.

The budget for 2014/15 had been set at Council on 25 February and included a need for Integrated Youth Services to make savings of £191,000.

The authority had a statutory duty to secure access to leisure time activities for young people.  The Department of Education changed the guidance approximately 18 months ago that authorities should ‘enable’ services and not just ‘provide’ with an enhanced role for the voluntary sector in the community.

There were approximately 4,179 young people in the Chippenham community area.  In 2012/13 £6,900 had been allocated to young people initiatives with support from several organisations, such as Chippenham Rugby Football Club, Chippenham Netball Club, Splash, Kandu Arts and 10^th Chippenham Scout Group representing just a small selection. It was important that the large number of voluntary groups were linked in a more effective way to maximise the services offered.

The 4 options being consulted were:

·         Retain the current in-house service but reduce the cost

·         Outsource the service

·         Encourage and support staff to form a Public Service Mutual

·         Develop a community led approach

Cabinet at its meeting held on 21 January had expressed an interest in Option 4.

The consultation process started on Friday 31 January and a final report with recommendations for future provision was expected to be presented to Cabinet on 22 April.

Feedback received to date as part of the consultation emphasised two main points:

·         The public wanted to have a say on future delivery 

·         A wide range of activities was wanted

The outcome of the consultation should:

·         Provide a better service for young people

·         Give greater influence to young people on local provision

·         Target resources and funding to those who needed it most

·         Protect the vulnerable with safeguarding a top priority

·         Deliver youth services in a different way

·         Provide value for money and use of resources

·         Improve the future environment (the Campus programme would provide this)

·         Reflect the revised government guidance

All were encouraged to submit their views via the following websites:

voiceandinfluenceteam@wiltshire.gov.uk

Further information could also be found at:

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations/consultationypactivitiesreview.htm

Comments received included that the voluntary sector was key in ensuring future youth services were provided in a way best suited to meet the changing needs of young people.

Cllr Gamble confirmed that he was aware of at least 43 voluntary groups and that sign-posting to these would be key in delivering youth services.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Gamble for the presentation and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

In 2013, Wiltshire built on the legacy of the 2012 Olympics with a range of community activities and new initiatives.  As we enter 2014, it is time to look forward to see how the Area Boards can build upon the good work delivered so far to create a lasting legacy for Wiltshire.  Cllr Jane Scott OBE, Leader of Wiltshire Council will outline some of the new opportunities available to the Area Board in 2014.

Peter Tyas, Team Leader Arts & Archives Wiltshire Council, was welcomed to the meeting to give a presentation on the legacy for Wiltshire following the 2012 Olympics.

Following this success a Legacy Board had been established with three key objectives; to grow the economy, to keep Wiltshire healthy and to build on stronger communities.

Local Economy

Since 2012 there had been a number of strands of activity to encourage a stronger local economy including EXPOs, Wealth of Wiltshire Fayres, business breakfasts, Big Business events and sponsorship of the Salisbury Christmas market, which had proved a huge success.

In 2014 the authority would build on these events to promote what local businesses bring to the County as well as supporting businesses to sell locally with future Wealth of Wiltshire Fayres.

A further Big Business Event would be held in Salisbury in April and a large EXPO event in Chippenham was due to take place in June.  A link to the website with further details can be found is provided below.

http://wiltshirebusiness-expo.co.uk/

Healthy Wiltshire

Since 2012 the authority had build on the desire for Wiltshire residents to get active.  This included organised health fairs and checks across Wiltshire and support for the ‘schools games’ project (Chippenham).

In order to build on the successes of 2012 and 2013 health fairs would continue to take place which it was hoped would continue to empower the public to take charge of their health and lifestyle choices.

Communities were being encouraged to make a pledge that would make a difference in their community.  This was being officially launched on 2 April but communities were being asked to think of ideas at this stage.  An example included that arising from the Royal Wootton Basset and Cricklade Area Board for the community area to become dementia friendly.

In May 2014 a major national cycling event would be taking place within the county.  In addition to the professional race (100 mile road race) event several fun cycling events would be taking place of which all were encouraged to participate.  Further details would be available on the Council’s website in due course.

Stronger Communities

It was recognised that in 2012 the combination of the Jubilee celebrations and that of the Olympics had played a significant part in bringing communities closer together resulting in stronger, healthier and more resilient communities.

Each community within Wiltshire was asked to consider what they felt appropriate to commemorate the centenary of WW1, recognising the links that the county of Wiltshire had with the forces.

A countywide centenary event, in conjunction with the military forces, was planned for 30 July.  Ideas were currently being developed and further details would be announced in due course.

To establish what events were taking place all were encouraged to visit the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre website:

http://heritageinwiltshire.wordpress.com/

The website provided information, news and opportunities about heritage activity within Wiltshire.

Other activities

The Council continued to help support local Olympians and Paralympians.  Business Dinners had been arranged to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The Board will be asked to consider the following funding applications:

·         Chippenham Sailing and Canoeing Club – £20,000 towards new hygiene facilities

·         Wiltshire MIND – £494 for the purchase of a laptop, software and a broadband dongle

·         The Nature of It – £3,009 towards the creation of Chippenham Community Garden

·         Biddestone Cricket Club – £4,990 towards the provision of new toilet and shower facilities

·         BCHA (Unity House) – £500 for the provision of a ‘Living Communities’ art therapy project

·         CLOGS Musical Theatre – £1,899 towards the purchase of a radio microphone system

·         Kauri Centre – £3,365 towards the virtual baby project

·         Chippenham Rugby Football Club – £4,000 for the upgrade of flood-lighting

·         ASCEND – £500 for the purchase of promotional banners and a storage cupboard

·         Councillor-led Initiative - £20,000 towards the purchase of a CCTV vehicle

The Area Board were asked to consider the funding applications details of which were provided within the report on pages 73-84 of the agenda with the following amendment:

Page 76 – paragraph 8.1.1 – the recommended award related to the installation of new hygiene facilities and was conditional upon appropriate planning permission being obtained.

       i.        Chippenham Sailing and Canoeing Club

The sum of £20,000 was requested for new hygiene facilities.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £20,000 to Chippenham Sailing and Canoeing Club conditional upon the balance of funding being in place and appropriate planning permissions being obtained.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

NOTE: Chippenham Sailing and Canoeing Club confirmed that they would be making a ‘Big Pledge’ to work with local primary schools to help reduce obesity figures in children. 

      ii.        Wiltshire MIND

The sum of £494 was requested for the purchase of a laptop, software and a broadband dongle.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £494 to Wiltshire MIND.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

    iii.        The Nature of It

The sum of £3,009 was requested for the creation of a Chippenham Community Garden.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £3,009 to The Nature of It conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

    iv.        Biddestone Cricket Club

The sum of £4,990 was requested towards the provision of new toilet and shower facilities.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £4,990 to Biddestone Cricket Club conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

      v.        BCHA (Unity House)

The sum of £500 was requested for the provision of a ‘Living Communities’ art therapy project.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £500 to BCHA (Unity House).

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

    vi.        CLOGS Musical Theatre

The sum of £1,899 was requested towards the purchase of a radio microphone system.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £1,899 to CLOGS Musical Theatre conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

   vii.        Kauri Centre

The sum of £3,365 was requested towards a virtual baby project.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £3,365 to Kauri Centre conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

  viii.        Chippenham Rugby Football Club

The sum of £4,000 was requested for the upgrade of flood lighting.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £4,000 to Chippenham Rugby Football Club conditional upon the balance of funding being in place.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2013/14

    ix.        ASCEND

The sum of £500 was requested for the purchase of promotional banners and a storage cupboard.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £500 to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Board will be asked to consider the request for the Community Asset Transfer of Malford Meadows to Christian Malford Parish Council.

The Board considered the Community Asset Transfer request for the transfer of Malford Meadows to Christian Malford Parish Council.

Decision:

The Area Board authorises the Solicitor of the Council to executive all documentation needed to implement the transfer of Malford Meadows to Christian Malford Parish Council subject to the following conditions:

·         The land is maintained for the benefit of the community and residents will be encouraged to enjoy the amenity.

·         A standard ‘reverter’ clause is included in the title, which will ensure that if the land stops being used for the benefit of the community, Wiltshire Council will have the option to repurchase the land for the sum of £1.

·         An additional measure is put in place (legal mechanism to be agreed) in respect of the land identified for potential affordable housing use to ensure that this land can be made available to Wiltshire Council at nil cost if planning permission is granted.  The Parish Council is not to undertake any activity which may prejudice the use of the land for this purpose.

The Board will be asked to consider the report arising from the last meeting of the CATG held on 27 January 2014 and approve any recommendations within.

The Board were asked to consider the report arising from the last meeting of the CATG held on 27 January 2014 and agree the recommendations as outlined on page 97 of the agenda.

Decision:

The Chippenham Area Board:

·         Notes the latest information (Appendix 2 of the report) on schemes in progress;

·         Approves the list of schemes recommended for prioritisation and allocate funding (Appendix 3 of the report);

·         Approves the list of schemes recommended for retention and further consideration ( Appendix 4 of the report);

·         Approves the list of requests recommended for removal (Appendix 5 of the report);

·         Approves the recommendation that in future the CATG shall seek a contribution of up to 25% of the cost of specified Highways Schemes from the Town or Parish Council where the proposed scheme is located; and

·         Delegates authority to the Chairman of the Board, in consultation with the Chairman of CATG and Community Area Manager, to approve CATG funding towards works (not consultation) of up to a value of £1,000 where it is needed urgently and the matter cannot wait until the next Area Board meeting.  Any such decisions taken to be reported to the next Area Board meeting.

The Chairman will invite any remaining questions from the floor and will welcome the submission of new Community Issues.

The next agenda planning meeting will take place Wednesday 26 March at Monkton Park, Chippenham. Any parish or town council representative interested in attending should contact the Community Area Manager or the Chairman.

The meeting is asked to note the future meeting dates below.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting and requested that attendees take part in the electronic survey of the evening’s meeting.

The next meeting of the Chippenham Area Board would take place on Monday 28 April 2014 at 2:30pm in the Neeld Hall.  The meeting would be themed for the older community.

The next meeting thereafter would take place on 30 June at the usual time of 7:00pm in Kington Langley Village Hall.  The theme of this meeting would be on rural and parish communities.  Suggestions on possible items were welcomed.

The next agenda planning meeting was scheduled to take place on Wednesday 26 March at Monkton Park offices.  Any parish or town council representative interested in attending was requested to contact the Community Area Manager or the Chairman.