Agenda and minutes

To receive nominations for Chairman for 2013/14.

The Community Area Manager opened the meeting and called for nominations for Chairman for 2013/14.

Decision

Councillor Ricky Rogers was elected as Chairman of the Salisbury Area Board for 2013/14.

To receive nominations for Vice-Chairman for 2013-14.

The Chairman, Councillor Ricky Rogers called for nominations for Vice-Chairman for 2013/14.

Decision

Councillor Brian Dalton was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Salisbury Area Board for 2013/2014.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Salisbury Area Board under the new Council. He hoped that the Area Board would continue to work together as one on future achievements for the Salisbury Community Area.

Apologies were received from:

·         Councillor Dr Helena McKeown – Salisbury Area Board Member

·         Marianna Dodd – Community Area Manager

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

Board members declared the following interests:

Item 7c Sainsbury’s A36 Consultation

Councillors Dalton, Clewer & Tomes declared a non-pecuniary interest in the above item as they are Members of the Southern Planning Committee. As this Item was for information only no action was required.

Item 12 – Salisbury Market Place Refurbishment Update

Councillor Ian Tomes declared a pecuniary interest in the above item as he is a Salisbury Market Trader. As this item was an update of information no action was required.

Item 16 – Release of R2 Funding to Salisbury City Council

Councillors Dalton and Tomes declared a non-pecuniary interest in the above item as they are Members of the Salisbury City Council. This item was to note a decision which had taken place outside of a Board meeting, therefore no action was required.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 14 March 2013.

Decision

The minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 14 March 2013 we approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Matters Arising

·        The decision made by the 2012/13 members of the Salisbury Area Board to produce a rota of Board members to attend CAYPIG (Young Peoples Issue Group) meetings had not yet been carried out.

Note: As new Councillors had now been elected to the Salisbury Area Board, the former decision to produce a rota no longer applied. Under Item 15 – Representatives to Outside Bodies, the Board nominated Cllr Dalton to act as the representative on the Youth Advisory Group (YAG, which had taken over from the CAYPIG).

·        Feedback had not yet been received regarding the Salisbury Transport Strategy meeting to look at city centre transport.

Cllr Clewer informed the board that there had been a meeting of the Vision Board and that an update would be brought to the next Area Board meeting.

Action: Community Area Manager to liaise with Vision Board to produce an update for the next Area Board meeting.

·        When would the CATG submit bids to the Substantive Scheme as detailed on page 12 of the minutes?

Action: CAM to check on the progress of the bids to the Substantive Scheme and feed back at the next Area Boardmeeting.

To note the following items for information, attached to the agenda:

a.     Safeguarding Thresholds

b.     Proposed reduction to the X3 - Salisbury to Bournemouth bus service

c.     Sainsbury A36 Consultation – Consultation Invite attached

d.     Update on the Maltings and Central Car Park Development

The Chairman drew attention to the following information items which had been attached to the agenda.

a)     Safeguarding Thresholds

b)     Proposed reduction to the X3 – Salisbury to Bournemouth bus service.

c)     Sainsbury’s A36 Consultation – Consultation Invite attached

d)     Update on the Maltings and Central Car Park Development

To note the current consultations listed on the attached table.

To keep up to date with Wiltshire Council consultations click on the link: http://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/portal

The Board noted the information listed in the table of Consultations attached at page 25 of the agenda.

To note written updates attached to the agenda and to receive verbal updates from representatives of partner organisations present:

a)    Youth Advisory Group (YAG)

b)    Salisbury City Community Area Partnership (SCCAP)

c)    Salisbury City Council

d)    Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

e)    Police

f)     Fire

g)    NHS

h)   Community Area Transport Group (CATG)

i)     Salisbury Area Board Issues – For up-to-date information and to log an Issue online, follow the link below.

https://forms.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/report_issue.php?area_board=South%20West%20Wiltshire

Youth Advisory Group (YAG)

Several young people were in attendance to speak about issues which affected them. These included:

Mark; a young carer explained that he helped to cared for his brother. He had recently started a course which gave him the opportunity to take time out from his caring duties to take part in activity days. During the school holidays in August he would be taking part in a mountain camping event, in May the following year there would be a Coastal camp and in September 2014 there would be a forest camp.

Dan was staying in accommodation at the Foyer in Salisbury. He and other young people renting rooms there were concerned about the high rent costs they were subjected to. He explained that the rooms were charged at £500 per month for people in full time employment, but lower for people in part time employment. This meant that most of the young people staying there could not afford to work full time as the rent was too high.

One young person felt that the Bemerton Heath half pipe skate ramp should be developed to include more ramps to enable greater use by both skaters and BMX riders, as at present it was too cramped.

Bea explained that there were too few ways for young people to display their art in public and had the idea of having a public art exhibition in the city centre.

A young dance student explained that dance classes were too expensive; she had recently had to drop one of her dance classes due to the high costs. She would like to see more affordable dance classes around the Salisbury area for young people.

Winnie Manning the Youth Coordinator thanked all of the young people for sharing their issues with the Board. The Chairman thanked them for coming to share their concerns and ideas.

Salisbury City Community Area Partnership (SCCAP)

Debrah Biggs provided an update to the Board, a written copy of this is attached to these minutes.

Salisbury City Council (SCC)

Cllr Andrew Roberts gave an update to the Board, this included:

·         Following the elections in May 2013, 15 new members had taken seats on the SCC.

·         Cllr Penny Brown would be Mayor of Salisbury for 2013/14.

·         Some members of SCC were currently on a trip to Salisbury’s twin city in Germany.

·         The redevelopment project in Queen Elizabeth Gardens was coming to the end; once the gardens had been fully planted they would be very impressive.

·         A review of the processes would be carried out to establish if improvements could be made for future projects.

·         Work on the skate park project would commence soon following a consultation on the design.

·         Work on the crematorium was going ahead without any problems, thanks were given to all at Holy Redeema Church and the City Council for their assistance.

·         Grass cutting schedule had been planned to allow wild flowers to grow.

·         The Armed Forces day would take place on Saturday 29 June 2013, starting with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Board will receive a presentation on the new Highway and Streetscene contract with Balfour Beatty.

The Board received a presentation from Tim Woolford, Local Highways and Streetscene Area Manager for the South, detailing the recent contractual changes from Ringway to Balfour Beatty which was implemented on 1 June 2013.

The new contract had reduced service providers down to just one. There would be a community team for each community area across Wiltshire. Within this team, there is a Community Coordinator, for Salisbury this would be Steve Pooler. An Engineer provides support to two coordinators, for Salisbury and the Southern Wiltshire community areas this would be Graham Axtell, both officers are based at the Wilton depot.

Comments and questions were then taken, these included:

·         Why has the grass along the London Road not been cut for 3 months? Answer: There had been a few problems with the grass cutting during the contractual transition. However by the coming weekend the grass cutting should have been completed.

·         Why was the contract started from 1^st June when the grass grows so high during this season? Answer: Whilst grass cutting has been an issue, it actually only forms a small part of the contract.

·         Will there be any improvements to the potholes along the bus route from West Harnham to the city? Answer: There is a programme of major maintenance issues, Tim agreed to check this following the meeting and feedback: The only one that may get treated which was on the list is Hadrian’s Close. However, there may be others to be done if there is more budget available. The Major Maintenance Section would review this.

·         Why was traffic being rerouted through the City and Elizabeth Gardens?Answer: Tim agreed to check this following the meeting and feedback: The reason why they use this route is that there are no height restrictions in the guise of bridges. This is why it is signed as the main route for high vehicles into Church fields.

·         There are a lot of HGV’s around the city at present, the developers should be charged for repairs to the roads. Answer: Tim agreed to take the comments back to Traffic Management.

·         Is it the case that if one person reports a pothole, nothing is done until several reports have been logged? Answer: No, this is not the case. Once a report has been made, someone will go and inspect the hole to establish whether it meets certain criteria, if so then the hole is filled. The number to report potholes to Clarence is 0800 232323.

Several of the Board members felt that the Wiltshire budget for potholes was not being spent fairly across the county, with only £500,000 out of a total £14 million being spent on repairing potholes in Salisbury last year.

The chairman thanked Tim for his presentation and gave thanks to the contractors operatives who had worked late on several evenings on a second-cut to try and bring the grass cutting to an acceptable standard.

To provide an update on the proposed closure of the Salisbury Bus Station.

Officer: Parvis Khansari, Service Director for Strategic Service’s

The Board received an update on the proposed closure of the Salisbury Bus Station from the Service Director for Strategic Service’s; Parvis Khansari.

Wilts & Dorset Bus Company informed Wiltshire Council (WC) several months ago of their intention to close  Salisbury Bus Station. The Council started to look at options to introduce bus stops, in order to support existing timetables and services.

The work involves looking at possible sites for additional bus stops and bus layover locations around the city. There are currently locations under consideration for new bus stops in Milford Street, Castle Street and Endless Street.

There are also some bus layover locations being considered at Chipper Lane, Brown Street and possibly in Rollstone Street. All the locations will be designed to ensure safety of passengers and other road users.

All businesses and residents directly affected by the final proposals will be consulted, most probably in September 2013.

Comments and Questions were then taken, these included:

·         The residents of Chipper Lane would not welcome buses parked up there.

·         One regular user of the bus station noted that it was also regularly used by many children on their way to and from school. He felt that the children should have a safe place to wait.

·         Would the consultation include people who come in to Salisbury on one bus but then catch another to get to their destination? Answer:  No, but the new arrangement will consider how changeovers would be achieved in the centre.

·         Is WC obliged to pay for the bus stops? Answer: WC is funded for and aims to encourage people to use the public transport or walk instead of using the car.

·         A Better Bus Area grant was awarded last year, would this money be used as intended to improve the interchange experience? Answer: Parvis was unsure whether the funding was specifically for that. He agreed to find out and feedback to the CAM. The BBA grant is tied to specific projects that were put forward in the bid for funding. However, two of these relate to improving city centre waiting facilities (including the bus station) and the funding attached to these (£52,500 in total) could be used to help fund the necessary improvements to city centre stops, providing it is spent by 31 March 2014.

·         Could WC take on the service and make a profit? Answer: Legally Councils are not permitted to run commercial bus services.

·         It seems wrong that Wilts & Dorset are able to take the profit from the site but are not expected to pay for the new infrastructure.

·         If Salisbury is to lose the Coach Park soon, then there could be even more problems ahead. Answer: WC is aware of possible changes to the Coach Park and will act on that in due course.

·         There were plans for new Sixth Form provision in Salisbury by 2014, this may alleviate some of the problems surrounding the numbers of young people using transport to access education out of the county.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Board will receive an update on the Salisbury Market Place Refurbishment Project.

Officer: Parvis Khansari, Service Director for Strategic Service’s

andMildren’s Managing Director,  Chris Wingham (Contractors for the Market Place Project)

On the chairman request a sample of the granite blocks was displayed at the meeting. This was the surface block chosen by Wiltshire Council following the rejection of the Three Market Square sample panels at the Special Area Board meeting in August 2012.

The block was larger and smoother than the previous samples and would ease the mobility issues raised. Area Board members had viewed and approved these blocks last February, this was the first public viewing of the blocks which come from China.

The Board received an update on the Salisbury Market Place Refurbishment Project from  Parvis Khansari, Service Director for Strategic Service’s and Mildren’s Managing Director,  Chris Wingham.

Mildrens and Wiltshire Council were working in partnership to reduce the impact of the development to local traders. Comments had been taken on board and phased work schedules had been implemented to aid businesses in continuing with their day to day lives.

The work would be undertaken in three phases, the first phase had now been completed , the second phase would see work taking place in the southern half of the market place. A sample of the York stone was on display at the meeting. There were different shades of stone for the different areas of development.

The ground works included a complete new set of electrical units and upgraded drainage before the concrete and stone was laid.

Thanks were given to the city council, traders and businesses for their cooperation during the works.

Phase 2 was hoped to be completed towards the end of July 2013 and the completion of phase 3 was planned for mid September, this would be dependent on weather conditions.

Comments and Questions were then taken, these included:

·         Would materials be available for future repairs? Answer: A supply would be kept and the suppliers would be asked to keep a supply for years ahead.

·         The completed work along New Canal does not include the cycle racks and seats what has happened to these? Answer: The cycle rack, planters, plaque, benches and lighting are all coming but we are waiting to install all of these pieces at the same time as those in the market square.

·         Ox Row has a number of businesses which require HGV deliveries, will they be using Fish Row and Ox Row? Answer: There are painted delivery bays outside Subway which are to be used for deliveries.

·         Have any tests been carried out on the removal of chewing gum from these stones? Answer: No tests have been carried out, however we have the maintenance in place to tackle this.

·         Will the diagonal path be kept in the new design? Answer: Yes and it will be highlighted with lighting either side.

The Chairman thanked Parvis and Chris for the presentation and asked for them to keep the Board informed on future progress, adding that the Market Square and the Guildhall were much loved by the people of Salisbury.

To receive an update on the progress of the Salisbury Campus Project and to raise awareness of the Campus consultation.

A copy of the proposed plans and a model of the Campus will be available to view at the meeting.

Cllr: Richard Clewer

The Chairman of the Salisbury Campus Project; Patricia Fagan was unable to attend so group member Cllr Richard Clewer gave the update. A copy of the proposed plans and a model of the Campus was available to view at the meeting.

·         A public consultation had just been completed.

·         The park and ride and a shuttle bus would be used to tackle concerns raised around parking and transport.

·         Once complete there would be a Hopper bus running from the Campus to the city centre.

·         Congestion could be experienced during peak times at the Castle Road and Butts Road junction, Highways were looking into this.

·         There would be a climbing wall within the Campus.

·         The planning application would go for approval in July.

·         Completion was planned for 2015.

Community Area Grants

The Board will consider an application for funding from the Community Area Grants Scheme for 2013/14 as detailed in the attached report.

Area Board Project/Councillor Bid

The Board will consider one application under the Area Board/Councillor bid scheme for 2013/14 as detailed in the attached report.

Community Area Partnership Funding

The Board will consider a bid from Salisbury City Community Area Partnership (SCCAP) for funding for 2013/14 as detailed in the attached report (SCCAP budget plan for 2013/14 is also attached).

Community Area Grants

The Board considered an application for funding from the Community Area Grants Scheme for 2013/14 from Harnham Memorial Hall, to replace 6 double glazed UPVC windows at the hall. Following discussion the board members voted on the application.

Decision

Harnham Memorial Hall was awarded £897 towards their window replacement project at the hall.

Reason – The application is for a capital project and meets the Community Area Grants Criteria for 2013/14.  

Area Board Project/Councillor Bid

The Board considered one application under the Area Board/Councillor bid scheme for 2013/14. This was for £10,000 to purchase and install two brown tourist signs on entrance roads into Salisbury.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board awarded £10,000 to the Area Board Project/Councillor Bid to purchase and install two brown tourist information signs on entrance roads into Salisbury.

Community Area Partnership Funding

The Board considered the bid from Salisbury City Community Area Partnership (SCCAP) for funding for 2013/14 as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

As it was the first meeting of the new Salisbury Area Board, the Chairman Cllr Ricky Rogers moved a motion to review the work of the Salisbury City Community Area Partnership and to investigate how other Area Board’s carry out their Partnership work.

Following discussion the Board members voted on the motion.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board agreed:

1.     That a Review of the Partnership would be undertaken with a Task & Finish Group set up to include 3 Councillors, Community Area Manager and other Officer support. This Group would look at past and present Partnership activity, initiatives undertaken by other Wiltshire Community Area Partnerships and how Community work was managed by other Area Boards which do not have a Partnership.

2.     That an initial Tranche of funding of £3,759.50 (3 month tranche) was awarded to the Partnership, so that it could continue with its work.

3.     That a report would be produced for the next Area Board meeting on 12 September 2013, outlining the findings and recommendations of the Review Group.

The Salisbury Area Board will consider the recommendation to:

1.     Approve the Nominations of Representatives to Outside Bodies and Working Groups for 2013/14 (as detailed in the attached list).

2. Agree to re-constitute the Salisbury Shadow Community Operations Board (COB) and the membership for 2013/14 (as detailed on the attached list).

3. Agree the Area Board Representative of the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) for 2013/14, as Councillor Brian Dalton.

Note: Further membership and vacant positions of the CATG will be decided at the first meeting, and reported back to the Board in due course.

The Salisbury Area Board considered the recommendations for Outside Bodies and Working Groups as set out in the agenda. With the addition of the Air Quality Action Group to the list, the Councillors then voted.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board:

1.    Approved the Nominations of Representatives to Outside Bodies and Working Groups for 2013/14 (as detailed in the list attached to the agenda).

2. Agreed to re-constitute the Salisbury Shadow Community Operations Board (COB) and the membership for 2013/14 (as detailed on the list attached to the agenda).

3. Agreed that the Area Board Representative for the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) for 2013/14, would be Councillor Brian Dalton.

Further membership and vacant positions of the CATG will be decided at the first CATG meeting, and be reported back to the Board in due course.

The Area Board representative for the SCCAP would be appointed at the next meeting in September, once the review had been carried out.

To note a delegate decision to release £95,000 of R2 Funding to Salisbury City Council, for use on the Churchill Gardens Skate Park project, which was  made following the last Area Board meeting on 14 March 2013, as detailed in the attached report.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board noted the delegate decision to release £95,000 of R2 Funding to Salisbury City Council, which was  made following the last Area Board meeting on 14 March 2013. This money was for use on the Churchill Gardens Skate Park project, as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

An opportunity for you to meet and share ideas with the Salisbury Area Board Members elected in May 2013.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 12 September 2013, 7pm at South Wilts Grammar School, Salisbury.

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and invited those interested to stay for the Wilton Road Police Station update, which took place directly after the close of the meeting.