Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Richard Clewer, welcomed everyone to the last meeting of the Salisbury Area Board under the present administration. Members of the Board were then invited to introduce themselves.

Apologies for absence had been received from:

·         Cllr Jo Broom – Salisbury City Council Chairman

·         Mike Franklin – Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

·         Cllr David Law – Laverstock & Ford Parish Council

Decision

Subject to the amendment below, the minutes of the meeting held on 10 January 2013 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

·         To be included under Chairman’s Announcements; that all plastic could now be taken to the recycling centres.

Matters Arising

·         The Board previously agreed to produce a rota of Board members to attend the CAYPIG meetings. This had not yet been carried out.

Action: CAM to produce a rota for the new cycle of CAYPIG meetings following the elections in May.

·         Salisbury Transport Strategy

Following the request at the last Area Board Cllr Scott has been invited to attend a meeting looking at Transport in the City.  The Salisbury Vision will be hosting a meeting looking at City Centre transport shortly.

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

In relation to item 10 – Proposed development on A36

Councillor Dalton informed the Board that he was a member of the Southern Area Planning Committee. If this proposal was submitted as a planning application to that Committee for decision, he would then look at it impartially with no predetermined judgements.

The Chairman will give an update on outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board, including:

·         Works to Marketplace and New Canal Street

·         Brown tourist roadsigns

New Canal

Works to New Canal were progressing with two-thirds of the pavements finished.

Market Place

The Market Place works had now officially been signed off, initial works had started, and these included the digging of small test pits, there were small numbers of utilities on site at present. Further digging would commence on 24 March 2013.

Cllr Douglas thanked Cllr Clewer for his efforts in this project, noting that he had worked very hard on behalf of the Board.

Brown Tourist Signs

Two signs had been approved for installation; Highways had advised that the signs would cost £2,000 to look at the site and a further £5,000 to install them.

The first sign would be installed along the London Road on 31 March and the second along Castle Road on 24 April 2013.

To note that information on the following consultations can be found via the following link:

http://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/portal

The Board noted the consultations listed on the agenda.

To view all current consultations listed online and to take part, click on the link: http://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/portal

a)    Salisbury City Council

City Councillor Cheryl Hill gave an update to the Board.

The two “Be a Councillor” evenings held by the City Council attracted 24 potential City Councillor candidates.

The Guildhall Wedding Fair on 3 February 2013 had over thirty exhibitors and over 500 visitors. The next wedding fair is scheduled for Sunday 1 September 2013.

#Salisburyhour - For followers of Twitter, we have recently started a #twitterhour with the support of Salisbury CCM. Every Wednesday from 8pm local businesses and event organisers take to Twitter to promote their business/event/charity etc. 

The Guildhall has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Marketing Excellence Award Category at the Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Business Excellence Awards 2013.

Work has started with the Crematorium project, the expected completion is 4 October 2013.

The Market / Guildhall Square project has commenced. 

The Camp Active programme delivered by our Sports Coaches during February half term was sold out.

Tenders have been sent out to improve the skate park facility at Churchill Gardens. 

Discussions were underway to identify the next steps for the Crematorium project.

A date for your diary – St George’s Day celebrations will be held on Sun 21 April 2013, further details could be found on the SCC website.

Cllr Brady added that at the Wiltshire Council Corporate Awards ceremony held on Tuesday 12 March, Reg Williams (SCC) received an award for Partnership Working. He also thanked City Council for the level of close working with Wiltshire Council at many events including the Hudson’s Field Event last summer.

b)    Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

The representative in attendance had nothing to report.

c)    Police

In addition to the written update attached to the agenda, Inspector Andy Noble gave an update on specific work in the city centre to tackle license premises serving alcohol to those under aged. Two 15 year old girls, working with Officers alongside, visited nine licensed premises in Salisbury; at seven of these venues they were refused service; however in the other two they were served alcohol.

The Police were working with these two venues to help them to make the necessary changes to prevent this happening again. In addition to this, over the forthcoming weekend, the Police would be carrying out overt work visiting premises to check for underage drinkers.

Over the last two weeks there had been a spike in non dwelling burglaries. An average weekly reported rate would be 6 to 7 incidents; however that had recently risen to 17.  Three locally known people had been arrested in connection to these burglaries.

Cllr Sample thanked Inspector Noble for the way in which the Police had responded to the Antisocial Behaviour in Wyndham Road and the Culver Street residents concerns over the misuse of the car park as a skate ramp over the past few months.

Cllr Douglas who also worked with the Street Pastors; gave thanks to the Police for their work with those who become very intoxicated in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Deborah Biggs gave an update to the Board, which included:

Education

·       The Community Plan had raised an issue that there was limited sixth form provision in the area. A bid to provide sixth form provision has now been received.

Science

·       Currently mapping the learning opportunities for all aged groups across the city.

·       Audit for disabled access.

·       Extended walking and cycling networks.

·       Cycle parking counts – to cycle liaison committee.

·       Developing and maintaining a viable network.

Economy & Tourism

·       Car parking

·       Rate relief www.allaboutsalisbury.co.uk

·       Group is also consulting with Stanhope regarding the Maltings.

·       Reduce the use of plastic bags, with help from Board funding, a project is due to start which will see every primary school aged child within the city, designing their own reusable bag.

·       The Art Studio Theatre put on a show in January which aimed to make £2,000.

·       Green space partnership was carrying out a preliminary audit of green spaces; this would be completed by the end of March.

·       A project aimed at reducing water usage and making use of rain water would include the assistance of Wessex Water in a public engagement exercise.

·       A green fair had been planned for 27 April 2013, where people could learn about the use of a thermal image camera to detect places in their homes where heat was escaping or where cold was coming in.

If anyone has any questions for the partnership they should contact Debrah at: sccap@wessexcommunityaction.org.uk

Opportunity to look back at the achievements of the Area Board over the last four years, including some feedback from recipients of grant funding.

Marianna Dodd, Community Area Manager presented information and statistics detailing work and projects supported by the Salisbury Area Board over the past four years. A copy of the slides are attached to  these minutes.

• £543,275 had been allocated by the Board to 99 local community projects.
• £62,228 of funding had been invested in projects for young people.

£81,758 had been invested in small scale local transport schemes, most recently towards a pedestrian puffin crossing in Harnham Funding awarded by Salisbury Area Board during the last four years had helped to leverage  in £2.7 million of external funding.

• 150 community issues referred to the Board with 75% resolved
• Over 2,720 people attended 43 public meetings/events to have their say

Responding to national events at a local level, the Area Board threw its full support behind the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations, The Olympics and the Paralympics.  A double jousting tent showcasing Salisbury’s Art, History and Cultural Heritage was centre stage in Salisbury Cathedral Close for the Queen’s visit, an event that attracted over 25,000 people.

Bemerton Heath Centre Extension Project

Edward Callaghan, Bemerton Heath Centre Manager, gave an update on the success of the Bemerton Heath Centre extension project 2012, as detailed on pages 23 – 26 of the agenda.

In May 2010, the Centre had submitted a bid to the Wiltshire Council Performance Reward Grant Scheme (PRGS) for funding of £129,035 to extend the current facilities at 58 – 60 Pinewood Way, Bemerton Heath, owned by Salisbury City Council.

In December 2010, the Salisbury Area Board supported the bid so that it could be considered by the PRGS Panel. The Panel then awarded the project full funding of £129.035, the project was completed in September 2011.

Edward thanked the Salisbury Area Board, adding that without their support, the project would never have happened.

Salisbury Campus Project

Work was underway behind the scenes on designs for the Campus project in Salisbury. The aim of the Campus is to bring many services together under one roof.Marianna summed up by saying that the Area Board had worked hard to listen to the views of local people across the community, particularly in tackling some of the big issues facing the area.  A major example of this was the consultation on the refurbishment of the Market Place.  Initially  responding to community concerns of plans to cut down trees as part of the Market Place refurbishment, the Board asked local people for their views on the issues.  

• Over 1,500  people responded to the first on-line survey covering trees, disabled parking & the war memorial
• Over 100 local people formed a working group which shaped a new Market Place design which was presented and approved at an Extra-ordinary Board meeting on 1 August, 2012
• Further on-line surveys took place on paving, seating & lighting.

As a result the Market Place design and refurbishment, currently underway, has been shaped by local people, something the Board is proud to have achieved. Future aims of the Board will include helping local people to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To receive a presentation from developers proposing a 65-bed hotel and drive-through restaurant on plot of land between the Tesco car park, and the A36 (Southampton Road), including an opportunity for questions and comments.

(It should be noted that this item is being presented to the Area Board for information and consultation only.  A planning application is expected to be submitted regarding this site in the near future. The Area Board has no powers to determine planning applications; this authority rests with the Southern Area Planning Committee.)

The Board received a presentation from developers proposing a 65-bed Premier Inn hotel and a two storey drive-through McDonalds restaurant on the plot of land between the Tesco car park, and the A36 (Southampton Road).

This slither of land had been identified as a Gateway site by the Vision. The Core Strategy looks to increase hotel provision by 24% by 2015. Part of the development would include improvements to the footpath and cycle route around the site and increased landscaping.

The hotel and restaurant would produce 90 – 100 full and part time jobs, it was hoped that these jobs would be filled by local people who would be able to use sustainable travel to access the site.

Questions and Comments were then taken, these included:

• Although the connection has been made that the Vision identified this piece of land as a Gateway to the City which could be developed, this is not a Vision project.
• With regards to the 24% increase to hotel bed spaces, what was the base date for that? Answer: The figure came from the South Wiltshire Tourism Strategy in approximately 2003/4.
• It was felt that the cycle path and park and ride would not be used by people staying at the hotel.
• Current hotel owners in the City noted that their beds were not currently filled on a regular basis.
• The traffic on the Southampton Road was always congested; any additional businesses would increase the traffic flow problems.
• There are often flood issues along this road, would further development increase the flooding issue. Answer: The land level is lower than the river flood plain. The water occurs due to a combination of the level and the condition of the ditch. It is actually standing water, not flood water. The development would be raised up and any excess water would go into the ditch.
• A development of this type would bring additional traffic through Milford Hill Road which already suffers badly with people using it as a cut through.
• Is Tesco the owner of the site? Answer: No.
• Have Planning Officers accepted that some sort of development on the site would be approved? Answer: Yes.
• How many people would be employed by the hotel and drive through restaurant? Answer: 65 
• Another hotel in Salisbury would destroy the livelihood of the smaller Bed & Breakfast establishments around the City.
• Would there be any R2 funding from the development? Answer: Only Housing developments trigger R2 Developer payments. No Planning gain had been arranged yet.

To receive a presentation from the Salisbury Vision on the Maltings, and a brief update on Churchfields.

Richard Walters, Head of Service for Major Projects, gave an update and explained that the Vision had played an important role as a soundboard to the Council for the Central Car Park and the Maltings projects. The Vision Board had provided regular input into key decision on both projects; however the decisions clearly rest with Wiltshire Council and Cabinet.

Maltings and Central Car Park

• Central Car Park and the Maltings were included within policies in the Core Strategy for Wiltshire.
• The appointment of Stanhope; the preferred development partner had been made.
• Terms had been agreed and put to Cabinet for decision.
• A development agreement would be signed within the next two weeks.
• Stanhope continues to consult with local organisations and local people.
• Information would continue to be provided via local media.
• The exact timing of the planning application was not yet known.
• Liaison with Salisbury Area Board would continue as the project moves forward.

Churchfields

The 32 acre Churchfields site had been identified in the Core Strategy for mixed use development. The site had also been identified by Salisbury Vision as a key site for development. The Vision undertook discussion with business owners on Churchfields and received feedback from 50% of them. Future development could now consider the needs, requirements and concerns of those businesses.

A draft report detailing the broad proposals of the next steps for development had been produced. Once finalised the report would be published online.

The next Salisbury Vision meeting would be held on 23 May 2013 at the Guildhall, Salisbury.

The Chairman added that Stanhope were welcoming comments, he urged people to feed into the project, as this would be a chance to mould how this development was formed.

Questions and Comments were then taken, these included:

• In a recent publication in the Journal, there was mention of a hotel on the Maltings development. Answer: A hotel is part of the consideration for the final mix.
• Car park usage data is different than car park ticket sales, as blue badge holders do not need to purchase a ticket to park. A study on actual usage which includes disabled users needs to be carried out. Answer: We have asked for occupancy data and not ticket sales data.
• Why has the public consultation been left in the hands of the developer? Answer: The consultation undertaken by Stanhope was supported by Wiltshire Council Officer’s, Stanhope is a development partner with the Council, and they are required to carry out consultations at various stages. Part of the consultation process is about trying to shape what Stanhope include in their planning application.
• Is information available detailing how much land is owned or leased by Wiltshire Council? Answer: By law the council has drawn up a register of land ownership. The details are available online, or can be requested in writing.
• What feedback has been received through the public consultation regarding the relocation of the library? Answer: Initial feedback received indicates that the public are quite  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To receive an update on the actions arising from the Purple Flag Award initiative.

Salisbury was awarded Purple Flag status in October 2012.  It has been recognised nationally as a safe place to live and visit.  As part of the Assessment, the Assessors picked up a number of key points worthy of note including:

·         Excellent Pub watch and Street Pastor schemes in place are of great credit to all who participate and run these ventures.

·         Salisbury is a fantastic City with so much history and old buildings that have been kept fresh and appropriate for its inhabitants and tourists, there is a good night time economy that needs a little more focus on the early evening offer and perhaps consideration should be given to include the leisure centre and bowling alley in the submission area.

·         The Art and Youth offer at both the Playhouse Art centre and at the Skate park are exceptional and well worthy of note.

·         Both Assessors felt that the coming together of the various councils to form the Purple Flag working group and to focus so determinedly on achieving status is of great credit to them all.

They also fed back some key recommendations that they would like to see developed and improved over the next 12 months in time for the follow up assessment.

·         The NHS drop in clinic is excellent but the city would benefit even more if it were open longer at the weekend - working with Jo Broom to address this, main issue is funding.

·         Concerns over the pedestrian versus traffic outside some bars along Fisherton Street near to Moloko Bar – working with Licensees to address this through the new late night economy group. Situation has greatly improved.

·         Street cleaning along Fish Row needs to be looked at after 10pm as litter was very evident in some streets in the centre of the city – schedule has been reviewed and this will be re-assessed with the new Contractors Balfour and Beatty.

·         The transport hub is very central, but extra services late at night could be reviewed – Wilts and Dorset are reviewing this. 

·         Some areas need better lighting as combined with a lack of visible police presence can certainly have an adverse effect on people's perceptions – the steering group plan their next overnight assessment for the 13^th April 2013, lighting will be looked at as part of the assessment. 

The Group have a robust action plan in place made up of short, medium and longer term action points, in compassing the above actions.  Work is underway to address these issues. 

Other points to note:

·         The implementation of the safe places initiative – a night cafe will be piloted for a period of 6 months this will be managed by the Street Pastors and will offer a safe place for people to go late at night. 

·         Purple Flag Charter - where businesses from both Daytime and Nigh time economies are being asked to sign up to show their support for the Purple flag initiative.  The Charter seeks to promote and build on the links  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

To receive an update on the work of the Community Area Transport Group, including any recommendations for the Area Board to consider.

The Board members noted the update and considered the recommendations as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board agreed to approve the following CATG recommendations:

·       To approve the allocation of £7,000 from the 2012/13 CATG budget towards footpath works on Stratford Road. The location of the footpath would depend on the outcome of a local residents’ consultation to establish the preferred option.

That CATG would submit bids to the Highways Substantive Scheme to support:

·        Roman Road/Pembroke Road Junction – To remove the parking bay and to put in a layby construction by the shop leaving the central reservation intact. This would be on the proviso that the shop was willing to part with a strip of land to enable the shared used cycle footpath to be retained.

And, dependent on the outcome of the residents’ consultation:

·       Footpath works adjacent to Orchard House if preferred by local residents.

Councillor Dalton had attended the last CATG meeting and noted that some of the schemes which had been submitted had not been discussed. He asked what would happen to those schemes.

Answer: A new system was now in place. All submitted schemes would be sent to a Highways Officer for evaluation,   and then forwarded to the Salisbury City Council for discussion at their Planning & Transportation Committee  meeting. If supported, these schemes would then be considered at the CATG meeting.

A request was made for an update on the progress of the implementation of new dropped kerbs around the City. Answer: Funding had been approved, so that work could now begin.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and noted that the next meeting of the Salisbury Area Board would be held on Thursday 27 June 2013, 7.00pm at Salisbury Methodist Church.