Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Salisbury Area Board, and invited the members of the Board to introduce themselves.

Apologies for absence had been received from:

·         Councillor John Brady

·         Councillor Bill Moss

·         Stephanie Denovan, Service Director

·         Bev Flanagan of Wiltshire College

·         Jo Howes of NHS Wiltshire.

a.    Local Transport Plan (LTP) Scheme Funding Allocation

b.    Community Payback – Call for “Grot Spots”

c.    Parking Strategy Consultation

d.    Reducing Street Lighting

The Chairman referred the meeting to the Community Asset Transfer scheme.  Flowcharts were available which set out the process for the scheme, which included an opportunity for input from the Area Board.  More information would be available soon and anyone interested should contact Marianna Dodd, Salisbury Community Area Manager.

The meeting was referred to the following announcements as set out in the agenda:

a.            Local Transport Plan (LTP) Scheme Funding Allocation – The Chairman announced that a Community Area Transport Group (CATG) would be set up to consider and prioritise transport schemes in the area.  This would be informed by a half-day workshop to be held on 13 September.  The CATG would then make recommendations to the Area Board on how to allocate a discretionary budget of £14,758.  The Chairman proposed that the CATG would consist of four Councillors from across the city, including City Councillors, and also representatives from cycling and walking groups, bus users groups, environmental groups, and Salisbury Community Area Partnership.  The Area Board agreed to this and it was noted that the exact membership of the CATG and the timescale for their work would be confirmed at the 30 September meeting.

b.            Community Payback – Call for “Grot Spots” – Following a successful funding bid to the Performance Reward Grant panel, the Community Payback scheme would now be available over a wider area.  Nominations were invited for potential projects for the scheme.  The Chairman commented that a query had been received over whether the Community Payback project could be used to remove graffiti from privately owned buildings.  This was currently being investigated.

c.            Parking Strategy Consultation – Information regarding this consultation was available at page 7 of the agenda.

d.            Reducing Street Lighting – Information regarding this project was available at page 9 of the agenda.  The Chairman commented that Councillor Richard Clewer had volunteered to coordinate this project, which sought to replace a number of street lights with new low energy units, reducing energy use and also minimising light pollution.  The Area Board agreed that Councillor Clewer should act as project leader.

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

The Chairman, Councillor Mary Douglas, declared a personal interest in Item 13 (Community Area Grants) specifically in relation to the application from Circular Arts.  Councillor Douglas explained that her church was a financial supporter of the project.  However, the interest was not prejudicial and she would remain in the room and vote on the application.

(Note – During item 13, Councillor Paul Sample declared a prejudicial interest in the application from Wessex Community Action – see minute 13.)

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2010 and the minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2010.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2010 and those of the meeting held on 20 May 2010 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman noted that an application for the Taxi Marshal Scheme had been due to be submitted to this meeting.  However, it was not yet ready and would come to the next meeting of the Board.

In addition, a full evaluation of grants awarded in 2009/10 had been due to come to this meeting.  This would also now come to the following meeting.

The Chairman will feedback on proposed actions arising from the discussion on Families, held at the previous meeting of the Salisbury Area Board on 20May.

At the previous meeting of the Area Board on 20 May 2010 there had been a presentation from Linda Cantillon-Guyatt from the Advice Service for Kids (ASK) on services and support available for families.  This had been followed by a roundtable discussion on potential solutions to the problems facing families.

A list of the issues raised and solutions suggestion was tabled and a summary had been included in the minutes of the meeting. 

The Chairman reported that some of the ideas proposed were already being done:

·         Young people’s access to alcohol – Wiltshire Council had set up a task group which used intelligence from the police and other enforcement agencies to focus on the ten licensed premises across the county which caused the most concern.  Supermarkets in Salisbury had also been targeted recently in joint late night enforcement exercises against under-age drinking.

·         Debt – Wiltshire Money had been set up by the Wiltshire Assembly earlier this year to help people be in control of their money.  The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) had also received extra funding for their debt advice service.  Also, funds were currently being sought for the Money Talk project as discussed recently at the Area Board.

·         Publicity for ASK – Many of the organisations represented at the previous meeting of the Board had agreed to help publicise the services available through ASK.

However, there were still other issues which needed further consideration and action, such as:

·         Lack of male role models for many young people

·         Low level of parent’s education.

It was noted that the Young Foundation was running a pilot project in Bemerton Heath, to seek a better way to help vulnerable families, by tackling the root causes of problems, rather than just addressing the symptoms.

To receive updates from the Salisbury City Council representative and the Laverstock and Ford Parish Council representative, in addition to other partner agencies.

In the absence of Su Thorpe, Cheryl Hill (Deputy Leader of Salisbury City Council) gave an update on behalf of the City Council:

·         The redevelopment of the Guildhall was progressing well and the hoardings were due up the following week.

·         The recent “Music in the Park” event had been very well attended.

·         Similarly the Armed Forced Day celebrations had been a big success.

·         The Britain in Bloom judging had taken place a fortnight previously, and the results would be available in six weeks’ time.

·         The Hudson’s field project was due to be completed in just over one week.

Liz Dore of Laverstock and Ford Parish Council reported that the Parish Council had purchased a number of biodegradable dog mess bags which were being distributed in a number of ways.  In addition, stickers were being printed for bins to encourage dog owners to clear up after their dogs, although the Parish Council acknowledged that the problem was caused by a small minority of irresponsible dog owners.

Marianna Dodd (Salisbury Community Area Manager) will report on the progress of the issues recently raised by local people.

Detailed information on the progress of individual issues is available on the council’s website.  Go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboards and click on “Track your community issues”.

Marianna Dodd, Salisbury Community Area Manager, reported that a total of 55 issues had been received, of which 35 had been closed.  It was reiterated that issues could be reopened if required.

Three new issues had been received recently in relation to the closure of the toilets at the bus station.  It had been suggestion that this was inconvenient for bus users and tourists.  These toilets had formerly been maintained by the former Salisbury District Council, but the issue was complicated as the land was owned by the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company.  Concern had also been raised over the poor condition of the public toilets in the coach park.  The next stage would be to get an appropriate group of people together to scope the issue.

A written update on current live issues had been circulated and spare copies were available at the entrance to the meeting.

There will be an opportunity for everyone to give their views in a roundtable discussion on how to address various cycling issues which have been brought to the Area Board’s attention.

The Chairman reported that several issues had been raised in relation to cycling and the cycle network.  The meeting was invited to break into small groups and discuss the following questions:

·         Question 1 - How can school children safely walk or cycle from Coombe Road to Harnham Junior School?

·         Question 2 - Cyclists using the main footpath from Coach Park to St Thomas Square is a hazard for pedestrians.  How would you solve this?

·         Question 3 - Should cyclists ride on pavements and footpaths? Your answer might vary for a) children b) adults c) certain locations.

Each group was then invited to feedback ideas and comments on the issues.  A full summary of the points made, including those submitted in writing after the meeting, is attached as Appendix A to these minutes.  Any resulting actions would be reported to the next meeting of the Area Board.

To receive a presentation from Tracy Carter (Service Director – Waste Management) regarding the on-going consultation on the Waste and Recycling Collection Service.

Tracy Carter (Service Director – Waste Management) gave a presentation regarding the on-going consultation on the waste and recycling collection service.

Changes to the provision of this service within Wiltshire were required to ensure that the same service was provided to all residents.  In addition to this, the need to meet tougher recycling targets and minimise landfill required a new approach to waste collection across the county.

The proposal was for household rubbish and black box recycling (i.e. tins, glass and paper) to be collected on alternate weeks.  There would also be a fortnightly collection of plastic bottles and cardboard recycling.  In addition, the current fortnightly collection of garden waste would continue, although this would now be free to all residents, rather than being charged as at present.

This proposal sought to balance the best service with maximising the opportunities for recycling and minimising costs.  A consultation was underway to seek support for this proposal from Wiltshire residents.  Leaflets were available at the meeting summarising the proposals and with detachable freepost slip, on which residents could record their support or opposition to the proposals.

The Chairman then invited questions and comments:

·         A view was expressed that the Council should be targeting the source of large quantities of waste (i.e. supermarkets).  Tracy responded that the Council’s statutory duty was to deal with the collection and disposal of waste.  Measures to control the supermarkets would require primary legislation, and the Council would continue to lobby central government for this.

·         It was noted that the current landfill tax of £48 per ton was due to rise as £8 per ton per year, until it reached £80 per ton.  This was specifically designed to encourage other options such as waste reduction, recycling, and anaerobic digestion.

·         It was noted that considerably more commercial waste went to landfill, although this was discouraged through the same level of landfill tax imposed on local authorities.

·         Concern was raised in relation to the collection of bins from terraced properties with little or no pavement which could cause an obstacle for pedestrians and/or vehicles. Tracy commented that the current consultation was merely to ascertain the frequency of the future service.  Detailed arrangements for flats and terraced housing would be considered as a key element of service if the proposals were agreed.

·         Responding to a comment, Tracy noted that the Council would like to be able to recycle a wider range of plastics.  However, the basic plastic bottle recycling service needed to be introduced in those parts of the county where it was not currently available before the service could be expanded to include other types of plastics.

The Chairman thanked everyone for their comments and urged everyone to fill in the forms and to send questions, comments and concerns to the contact details on the back of the leaflet.

The Area Board will receive the following presentations followed by a brief opportunity for questions and comments:

·         Arianne Crampton (Head of Climate Change, Wiltshire Council) will set out how the Council is currently responding to Climate Change, including support available to individuals who wish to take action.

·         Tony Langham of Salisbury City Residents Against Packaging (SCRAP) will talk about work currently being done to minimise waste caused by excess packaging and use of plastic bags.

·         Margaret Wilmot will present a summary of the discussion on Climate Change at the recent meeting of “Our Salisbury” (Salisbury City Community Area Partnership – SCCAP)

The Chairman introduced Ariane Crampton (Head of Climate Change) and Vincent Albano (Climate Change Project Officer) who were in attendance to give a presentation on what Wiltshire Council was doing to combat climate change, and what action residents could take themselves.

The Climate Change Act 2008 committed the UK to a 34% cut in carbon emissions by 2020 and an 80% cut by 2050.  In addition, the Renewable Energy Strategy sought to achieve 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.

To help achieve these goals, the Council had established a Climate Change Board involving various partner agencies, with the following objectives:

·         To reduce the Council’s Carbon Footprint

·         To reduce the county of Wiltshire’s carbon footprint

·         To ensure that Wiltshire was prepared for the consequences of unavoidable climate change

·         To prepare the Council for the implementation of the statutory Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC).

The Council was seeking to lead by example and had invested £261,000 in low-carbon technology in Salisbury, including pool covers, voltage reduction and upgraded boilers at the Five Rivers Leisure Centre, and energy efficient lighting at Salisbury City Hall.

Vincent set out some of the possible options for residents to make their properties more energy efficient.  This included energy efficiency measures such as:

·         Loft insulation

·         Boiler jacket and pipe insulation

·         Wall insulation

·         Energy efficient products.

Residents could also install renewable energy and renewable heat generation, such as solar panels, ground/air source heat pumps, and wind turbines.

Another project being supported by the Council was CAVE (Chippenham and Villages Environmentalists).  This initiative had used funding from the local Area Board to purchase a thermal imaging camera which was used to identify properties with poor insulation.  This information was then made available to residents, along with a drop in evening at a local community building, where information was made available about the Energy Saving Trust and grants available from Wiltshire Council’s Private Sector Housing Team.

The Chairman thanked Ariane and Vincent for their presentation, and invited Tony Langham of SCRAP (Salisbury City Residents Against Plastic) to speak about the work of the group.

Tony explained that he had originally raised concern through the Area Board issues system in relation to the proliferation of plastic bags.  SCRAP was now aware of and supporting a number of initiatives:

·         A number of schools in the county were undertaking experiments on how quickly plastic bags would biodegrade.

·         A Plastic Bag Free Day had been held on 12 September 2009, with over 220 groups participating across the country.  In Salisbury, SCRAP had set up a stall in the Old George Mall and had handed out reusable cotton bags.

·         Further to correspondence between SCRAP and the management of Holland & Barrett and Julian Graves health food chain, all shops within that company were now plastic bag free.

·         Another SCRAP success was the increased cardboard recycling from Salisbury’s twice-weekly markets.  This was as a direct result of representations made to Wiltshire Council’s waste department.

·         A meeting had been held with Salisbury City Council and with Salisbury  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To receive an update from the Community Area Partnership.

In addition, to consider a request from SCCAP for the first tranche of core funding 2010/11.

In the absence of Debrah Biggs and Maria Bota, John Potter gave an update on the activities of SCCAP.

The Partnership wished to offer its thanks to the Chairman of the Area Board for the welcome and accessibility to their meetings for Debrah as Chairman of SCCAP.  It was considered that SCCAP and the Area Board had worked very well together so far.

SCCAP had now held meetings focussing on young people, families, and climate change.  The partnership now planned to establish theme groups to take these various topics forward and seek actions to address the issues identified.

Referring to the new coalition government’s recent announcements about the “Big Society”, John considered that SCCAP would have a role to play in these challenging and ambitious plans.

The core task of the partnership was to shape and publish the Community Plan, which would help inform future activities and priorities for the area.  The partnership had developed a detailed questionnaire which would be circulated to around 22,000 homes in Salisbury.  This would cost around £10,000 and £5,000 was sought from the Area Board.

The Chairman commented that the £5,000 funding request relating to the questionnaire would need to be requested through a Community Area Grant application. 

The meeting was referred to the report at pages 27-33 of the agenda, seeking the Area Board’s approval to the first tranche of funding to SCCAP for 2010/11.  The Chairman noted that a first draft of the Workplan had been received but the final WorkPlan was still awaited.

It was noted that some other community area partnerships in Wiltshire received substantial core funding from town/parish councils and “in kind” support from their local Chamber of Commerce. 

Decision

The Area Board approved the release of the first tranche of core funding (£7,825) to the Salisbury City Community Area Partnership, subject to the receipt and approval of a Workplan as specified in the officer’s report.

To consider community grants with the opportunity for questions from the public.

It was noted that the Area Board had a budget of just over £78,000 for the 2010/11 municipal year.

The Chairman invited a representative from each of the grant applicants to give a brief overview of their project to the Board.  After each of the applicants had spoken the Chairman invited questions and discussion, then asked for a show of hands from those present to reflect public opinion. The Board members then voted on each application.

In relation to the application from Circular Arts it was confirmed that the project had received emergency funding in 2009/10 from the Arts Council, and that the size of the project was dependent on the funding available at the time.

It was moved and seconded that the application from Circular Arts be approved, subject to condition 2 as set out on page 35 of the agenda. An amendment was moved that points 4, 5 and 6 (as set out on page 35) be added to the decision as informatives, setting out the context of the decision and advising that Area Boards could not fund running costs, nor support events on an annual basis.  Upon being put to the vote, the amendment to the original motion was agreed.  However, upon being put to the vote, the amended motion was NOT CARRIED.

A view was expressed that the issues set out in points 4, 5 and 6 should apply to all applications for grant funding and should be included on all decision correspondence to applicants.

Decision

Circular Arts was awarded £5,000 towards Lanterns for Salisbury 2010, to cover the cost of materials (£2,700) and a contribution of £2,300 towards professional fees.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants criteria 2010/11 and would allow this well-established and well-supported community event to take place in 2010.

(Note – In relation to the above decision, Councillor Richard Clewer requested under Council Procedure Rule 92 that his vote against the motion be recorded in the minutes).

Decision

Casa de Samba was awarded £3,800 to set up a Salisbury community samba band open to people of all ages.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants criteria 2010/11 and would allow this community project to proceed.

Decision

The application from Salisbury Baroque Concert Society for £1,000 towards an educational Baroque Weekend was REFUSED.

Reason – It was not considered that the application demonstrated sufficiently widespread community benefit.

Decision

YMN Creative Juice was awarded £874 towards a free day of arts workshops and performances for young people.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants criteria 2010/11 and would allow the event to take place at no cost to participants.

In relation to the application from Bemerton Heath Resident’s Association, the applicant advised that there were revised figures relating to the annual accounts, as set out in the application form on page 69 of the agenda.  These would be confirmed in detail with the Community Area Manager.

Decision

Bemerton Heath Residents’ Association was awarded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider whether the Area Board wishes to support any expressions of interest received in relation to this scheme.

The Chairman emphasised that applications for Performance Reward Grant were not for determination by the Area Board, but sought approval for referral to the Performance Reward Grant Panel, who would make a final decision.

(a)          Bemerton Scout Community Hall Project

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board supported the bid from Bemerton Scout Hall to go forward for consideration by the Performance Reward Grant Panel.

(b)          Wessex Community Action

It was noted that this bid would duplicate services already provided by the Council under contract with another organisation.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board did not agree that the bid for funding from Wessex Community Action for the Trustee and Leadership Network should go forward for consideration.

Reason

The project would duplicate services already being provided by the Council under contract to another organisation.

(Note: In relation to the vote on the above decision, Councillor Chris Cochrane requested under Council Procedure Rule 92 that his abstention from the vote be recorded in the minutes).

(c)          Action for Children

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board wholeheartedly supported the bid from Action for Children to go forward for consideration by the Performance Reward Grant Panel.

To note the Board’s Forward Plan, including details of future agenda items.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 30 September 2010, 7pm at South Wiltshire Grammar School for Girls, Stratford Road, Salisbury.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and encouraged people to complete the evaluation forms.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Salisbury Area Board would be held at South Wiltshire Grammar School for Girls on Thursday 30 September 2010 at 7.00pm.