Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from:

Councillor Keith Humphries;

Councillor Christopher Newbury;

Karen Manfield, Chair of Longbridge Deverill Parish Council;

and Barry Pirie, Service Director for Human Resources.

Councillor Pip Ridout had apologised as she could not be there from the start of the meeting due to prior commitments.

The Chairman explained that because some apologies had been received shortly before the meeting it had not been possible to make alternative arrangements;  the running order of the agenda would have to be altered to allow for the meeting to be quorate when decisions would need to be taken.

The Chairman will introduce the Announcements included in the agenda and invite any questions.

The Chairman made the following announcements:

Wiltshire Council had been working with the NHS and residents of Wiltshire on a major review of the services, called ‘Help to live at Home’ aiming to improve the experiences of vulnerable adults and carers who require support, whilst ensuring that the changes were sustainable in the future.

The new Wiltshire Warm and Well scheme was open to all home owners and private tenants, and enabled residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes through installing loft and cavity wall insulation – saving money on bills and making homes warmer.

The scheme could be accessed by Freephone on 0800 512 012 or on http://www.warmandwell.co.uk.

Area Board partners were urged to get involved and could hold a special event to promote the scheme, or promote it as part of any event they were holding, the ‘Green Room’ van could be made available to help, (further details could be obtained on http://www.warmandwell.co.uk > The Green Room).  Leaflets could also be supplied by emailing a request to: warm&well@swea.co.uk.

Councillor de Rhé-Philipe encouraged everyone to take part as she had found the service of excellent quality.

Councillor Andrew Davis explained that the housing society and the Tenant and Resident Association (TARA) were discussing the project and considering applying for a grant if appropriate.

The project had been awarded a grant by the area board at the 10 March 2011 meeting and Councillor Davis was delighted to report that the opening of the new outdoor arena had taken place earlier in the day which he had been invited to attend.

An opportunity for updates and information sharing from the Town and Parish Councils representatives and from other partner organisations including:

Ø  Wiltshire Police

Ø  Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Ø  NHS Wiltshire

Ø  Warminster and Villages Community Partnership

Ø  Warminster Community Area Young People’s Issues Group

Ø  The Warminster and District Chamber of Commerce

Some written updates have been received and are included in this agenda.

Lindsey Winter, Area inspector for Warminster, Westbury, Tisbury and Mere highlighted some points from the report included in the agenda. She was pleased to confirm that overall there were less crimes than at the same time last year, however rural crime was still an issue people should remain aware of.

She explained that savings of £15M had to be realised and that the way in which the Police provided services would have to be reviewed, smarter ways of working would have to be found. For example it was likely that the Response Officer would be based in a Trowbridge Hub and would have slightly different shift patterns, however the service and delivery of that service to the Warminster area should not change.

She reminded everyone that 101 was the new telephone number for non emergencies.

Mr Digby Barker informed the board that Debra Lesley had been appointed as a part time administrator for the Warminster and Villages Community Partnership. Her work would initially be focused on updating the Community Area Plan, valid until 2015. She would also work with members of the community wishing to be involved with particular projects or issues.

Barry Mole, Station Director for Warminster Community Radio (WCR), was delighted to share some good news with the board as WCR had been awarded a community radio license! The license was full time and valid for five years and would be automatically renewable for another five years.

This was a great step forward for the station and would further enable the people of Warminster to have their say.

The renamed “Civic Centre Studios” were hoping to be on air on 1 April 2012 as there was still some amount of work to be done by Ofsted. The signal would have a 5 kilometres reach and the station would carry on broadcasting on the internet.

A Community Radio Advisory Board had been set up to design the schedule of programmes and their format. The board would invite community leaders, charities, schools, the Army and the public to discuss what they would like to hear.

WCR was planning an initial consultation and a launch party. Further details on how to get involved can be obtained by contacting WCR on 01985 846111or emailing: management@wcrfm.org.uk.

The Warminster Area Board congratulated the WCR for their tenacity and was glad to see their effort come to fruition.

The Chairman drew attention to updates which had been previously received, and included in the agenda, from:

-       Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service,

-       NHS Wiltshire,

-       Community Area Young People’s Issue Group (CAYPIG),

-       Horningsham Parish Council,

-       Maiden Bradley with Yarnfield,

-       Upper Deverills Parish Council.

To receive a short presentation from the Warminster Town Football Club.

Stands will have been available before the meeting promoting the activities on offer at the Warminster Sports Centre.

A summary of the Leisure service, as included in the Service Development Plan, together with the key priorities for the next four years is included in the agenda, as the Head of Service – Leisure regrets that he cannot be present at the meeting as he will be attending the Wiltshire and Swindon Sports Awards.

Stands had been available before the meeting promoting the activities on offer at the Warminster Sports Centre and other activities available in the Warminster area.

The Chairman reminded those present that some information about Wiltshire Council Leisure Service had been included in the agenda pack with some contact details should anyone have any queries.

Warminster & District Amateur Swimming Club

Sarah Jeffries informed the board that it was a First Stage swimming club with 180 members (children and adults), six volunteer coaches and one paid Head Coach who was also a swimming instructor for DC Leisure.

The club was actively working towards a Swim21 accreditation.

Some of the children had been identified as possible future Olympic competitors, two 10-year old members of the club were competing in National Competitions, and a 70 and an 80 year old member had just won gold medals!

As there were only four lanes in the present pool the club was unable to host county competitions (six lanes were required). The club was hoping to be consulted when plans were developed for the proposed new sports centre and swimming pool as part of the Warminster Campus project.

More information on the club could be found on its website (http://www.warminsterswimming.com/home) and Sarah Jeffries encouraged everyone interested to get involved.

The Area Board thanked Sarah for her presentation, especially as she had been given very little notice, and congratulated her for her personal involvement with the club as a volunteer.

The Area Board recognised that in future volunteers, and the work they did for local clubs and associations, would probably be invaluable.

To receive a short presentation on projects relating to Heritage, Museum and Arts followed by an opportunity to ask questions.

The Warminster and Villages Development Trust and Warminster Art Society will also update the board on its community arts project "Go Bustards".

Museums

Victoria Barlow, Manager Conservation and Heritage, explained that Wiltshire Council did not run any museum but worked in partnership with volunteers in 16 museums. A full time officer was available to help museum get appropriate accreditation. Volunteer were also offered support, training and conservation advice such as remedial conservation (to help prolong the life of the object); which could amount to over £2,000 if they were charged for the service. As a result the collections were some of the best preserved in the country. She brought the board’s attention to the 621 volunteers’ dedication, their work manning museums, cataloguing collections, etc amounted to over 38 000 hours per year.

Future projects included:

·         All museums were being consulted to assess the services currently provided, find out the areas to target and improve where needed.

·         A grant had been awarded to allow for work on the museums’ website (most museums have websites, some even have blogs!).

·         A lot of work was also being done to ensure “sustainability” and succession planning as volunteering in museums could turn into a full time job.

Peter Tyas, Team Manager Arts and Archives, talked the board through the last 15 years of Arts in Warminster; an Art Scene to be proud of and a wealth of volunteers and amateur groups in Wiltshire were gladly highlighted!

In 2009 a single art service was created as part of Wiltshire Council, Peter Tyas had joined Wiltshire Council in 2010 and one of his main project had been a corporate strategy to be published later this year.  Part of the team’s role was to be an “enabling service”; working to help partners deliver the activities through advice, training and brokerage. Emphasis was put on training thanks to the Community Arts Training Scheme and focused on two fronts: how to deliver arts to the community and how to build strong networks.

The Arts Council was now looking at a new National Strategy and was challenging the nation to justify why they should receive funding. Thankfully five organisations in Wiltshire had been granted regular funding (from eight bids). The Government had merged the Museums, Libraries and Archive council into the Arts Council, which has created a single national agency distributing funds to the broader cultural sector.

Four community groups had successfully applied for different projects to the Participatory Art Work Scheme:

·         Wylie Valley Woman Institute;

·         Tumblewood Community Project (banners);

·         Warminster extended school (dance);

·         Senior Guide Group (Visual Art Project)

The Arts Team was also involved with Rural Arts Wiltshire and always looking for new villages to take part. If you are interested in staging a RAW event in your village hall, school, pub, church or other venue, or if you would like to see the current list of events, please visit the Rural Arts Wiltshire website, email info@ruralartswiltshire.org.uk or telephone 01249 701628 / 712618.

Lesley Fudge, secretary of the Warminster Arts Society, informed the board of all the on-going projects in and around Warminster which can be found on the Society’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To receive a short presentation on everything that is available from the Warminster Libraries as well as county-wide projects. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

To receive an update from the Community Area Manager and leaders of the groups working on existing local issues.

If you would like to raise an issue please contact the Community Area Manager whose details are available on the front page of this agenda or report the issue on the Wiltshire Council Website by using this link.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2011 (copy attached).

Once Councillor Pip Ridout had joined the meeting the Area Board was able to receive the minutes of the last meeting.

Decision

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed with the following amendments as a correct record and signed by the Chairman:

In Attendance:

Chapmanslade Parish Council – Francis Morland and Dennis Barnard

Area Board Funding - Community Area Grants – Warminster Town Council

Councillors Andrew Davis and Pip Ridout declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the grant application as Warminster Town Councillors.

Both Councillors Andrew Davis and Pip Ridout had been granted a dispensation by a Standard Dispensation Sub Committee on 17 June 2011.

The terms of the dispensation are as follows:

1. That the dispensation should allow the member to participate in the meeting and vote.

2. That the dispensation should apply to all future meetings of the Warminster Area Board in the respect of the consideration of grant applications from Warminster Town Council and community asset transfer.

3. That the dispensation in 1 and 2 above should be effective from present until 30 April 2013, but would be subject to review in the event of any material change of circumstances.

To consider any applications for funding from the Community Area Grants Scheme.

A decision has been made in 2010/2011 that paper copies of funding

applications no longer appear as part of the agenda in an attempt to reduce

volume of paper used. However, the application forms are available on the

Wiltshire Council web site and hard copies are available on request.

The Area Board considered three applications seeking 2011/12 Community Area Grant funding as follows:

A request for £4,410 towards replacing two bus shelters and a new Bus Shelter.

Although the Grant Report included in the agenda recommended that funding be sought from the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) in the first instance, members of the board were concerned that the CATG report also included in the agenda implied that funds were limited and that it was unlikely the CATG would be able to fund this application. On the other hand the Area Board could not be satisfied that funds could not be raised elsewhere to replace / restore the existing bus shelters on the approach to the Warminster Garrison Camp.

Decision:

To award £2,901 towards the St Andrews Road bus shelter.

Reason:

The application does not meet the grant criteria 2011/12 but funds are unlikely to be available from the Community Area Transport Group as stated in the notes of the Warminster Community Area Transport Group meeting on 19 July 2011.

ACTION: Jacqui Abbott.

A request for £1,000 towards replacing the community’s cricket nets.

Dr Neil Carpenter was delighted to inform the Area Board that around 40 to 50 children had been playing cricket on Thursdays since the new wicket had been installed, however as the children were often playing on their own at the weekend it was crucial for the net to be replaced.

Decision:

To award £1,000 towards replacing the community’s cricket net.

Reason:

The application meets the grant criteria 2011/12 and the project is linked to the Warminster and Villages Community Plan as it supports leisure, environment and access to facilities for young people.

ACTION: Jacqui Abbott.

A request for £233 towards hosting a national 5 a side football competition to raise the participation of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender people in football.

A member of the football club attended and explained that 90% of the players were heterosexual but that this was a pioneering team fighting homophobia in football. It had been an honour for the club to have its hard work acknowledged by being asked to host the Justin Fashanu Cup in 2011.

He also explained that more than 50% of the club players were from Warminster and that a lot of the activities outside of the tournament would be hosted in Warminster.

Decision:

To award £233 towards hosting a national 5-a-side football competition to raise the participation of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender people in football.

Reason:

The application meets the grant criteria 2011/12 and demonstrates a link to the Warminster and Villages Community Area Plan through theme 5: Sports and Active leisure as well as links to the Local Agreement for Wiltshire ambition “Building Resilient Communities.

ACTION: Jacqui Abbott.

To consider and prioritise requests for highways schemes in the Warminster Community Area

The Area Board considered a report from the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) seeking to prioritise requests for highways schemes in the Warminster Community Area.

The Warminster CATG had met on 19 July 2011, the notes of the meeting were included in the agenda, and had proposed for two highways projects to be prioritised.

Decision:

1. The Warminster Area Board prioritised the following local highways projects in line with CATG findings:

            Priority 1 – Chitterne Traffic Calming (carried over from 2010/11).

Priority 2 – Copheap Lane (combined with Imber Road) Pedestrian Crossing and Traffic Calming.

2. To instruct the highways department to investigate the feasibility and commencement of these two projects, in priority order, within the available budget.

ACTION: Jacqui Abbott.

Have your say on how your council works by viewing the current consultations. The information in the attached document is available on the Wiltshire Council website under: Council and Democracy / Consultations.

Consultation Strategy

Wiltshire Council has a consultation strategy which helps improve consultation process. To support the consultation strategy, Wiltshire Council has devised a number of methods to specifically target the aspects of co-ordination, information sharing and resident understanding. These methods have been put in place in order to help reach Wiltshire Council’s goal of an open honest decision making processes.

Wiltshire and Swindon Intelligence Network

If you are interested in viewing research reports, results or additional information about Wiltshire, please visit the Wiltshire and Swindon Intelligence Network (http://www.intelligencenetwork.org.uk/).

The Chairman invited those present to take part in the current consultations, as detailed in the agenda, if they could.

The board will consider the existing Forward Work Plan for the Warminster Area Board at which point the Chairman will invite those present to suggest topics to be considered at future meetings.

If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to suggest topics please contact the Democratic Services Officer whose details are available on the front page of the agenda.

Members of the public made the following suggestions:

·         Personally invite representatives from the Armed Forces to attend the Area Board meeting;

·         Limit the presentations to three minutes and have between three to five presentations at a meeting;

·         Invite the new Headteacher of Kingdown School to attend a meeting when the agenda would be focused on young people and / or education.

ACTION: Jacqui Abbott / Marie Gondlach

The Chairman will invite those attending to raise any urgent items of public concerns and will also invite any remaining questions from the floor.

There were no urgent items of public concern or questions.

The next meetings of the Warminster Area Board will be on:

·         10 November 2011 – Christ Church Hall

·         12 January 2012 – Codford Village Hall

·         8 March 2012 – Warminster Assembly Rooms

·         10 May 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         5 July 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         6 September 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         8 November 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         10 January 2013 – venue to be confirmed

·         7 March 2013 – venue to be confirmed

The dates for future meetings were confirmed as follows:

·         10 November 2011 – Christ Church Hall

·         12 January 2012 – Codford Village Hall

·         8 March 2012 – Warminster Assembly Rooms

·         10 May 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         5 July 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         6 September 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         8 November 2012 – venue to be confirmed

·         10 January 2013 – venue to be confirmed

·         7 March 2013 – venue to be confirmed

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and brought the meeting to a close.