Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Jenny Jones from Dilton Marsh Parish Council.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2023 were presented for consideration and it was;

 

Resolved:

 

To approve and sign as a true and correct record of the minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2023.

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

There were no declarations of disclosable interests.

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

There were no Chairman’s Announcements.

The Board is asked to note the following items:

 

·       Wiltshire AGE UK update

·       BSW Together update

·       Community First update

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire update

·       Police and Crime Commissioner Annual Report

·       Local Nature Recovery Strategy Public Engagement

The Chairman of the Area Board drew attention to the following information items, which were contained in the agenda pack:

 

·       Wiltshire AGE UK update

·       BSW Together update

·       Community First update

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire update

·       Police and Crime Commissioner Annual Report

·       Local Nature Recovery Strategy Public Engagement

Written and Verbal Updates:

 

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

 

·       Wiltshire Police

·       Town and Parish Councils Nominated Representatives

·       Westbury Foodbank

Updates were received from the following partners:

 

·       Wiltshire Police

The Area Board noted written updates attached to the agenda. In addition, Inspector Louise Oakley provided a verbal update which covered the following points:

·       An overview of the Neighbourhood Policing team was provided, with it noted that the Response and Neighbourhood teams had now been split up.

·       An advertisement for more PCs had recently been placed with new recruits set to join the force over the next couple of weeks.

·       The Wiltshire Police Community Commitment was outlined with it noted what the Chief Constable expected from a neighbourhood policing perspective. Further details of this could be found within the agenda pack.

·       The following priorities for the Westbury Area were outlined and discussed:

o   Anti-social behaviour in the parks, Leighton, Penleigh and the town centre.

o   Burglaries, with further ops set to be ran over the next couple of weeks.

o   Speeding, with reference made to the Road Safety unit report included within the agenda pack.

 

After the verbal update, there was time for the following questions and points to be made:

·       It was noted that a PC and PCSO had dropped into the Westbury Health and Wellbeing meeting last week and were very welcome.

·       Following on from the stabbing in Bristol, it was questioned whether there was a trend on the streets of Westbury for more knife carrying to which assurance was provided that there is no knife crime in Westbury at all.

·       Cllr Matt Dean stated that in relation to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Annual Report, it was a contentious report and was wrongly headed with its priorities. Reference was made to spending money to redevelop the Police Headquarters in Devizes and then further spending on an out-of-town Police station in Salisbury. Cllr Dean stated that it would be preferred that the manpower and capacity for officers to do their job was developed.

·       Feedback was provided that Cllr Dean was pleased to see anti-social behaviour and escooters and bikes included within the local priorities. It was suggested that there had potentially been consistency issues due to staffing and that Westbury had suffered because of this. It was outlined that there had been anti-social behaviour around the train station and that publicans did not feel supported with people visiting pubs under the influence of drugs. Assurance was provided by Inspector Oakley that time has been taken to go through the statistics and figure out how to deal with them, such as anti-social behaviour and burglaries. Furthermore, that staff would be recruited and want to work together to serve the community.

·       Clarity was provided regarding that a car which had been set fire to in Westbury was a stolen vehicle from Sussex and there was no connection to Westbury and that this was a one-off incident.

·       Clarity was provided that if someone shoplifts a shop, it was important not to confront the perpetrator as this could lead to further problems and assault. Those involved should rather call 999 if the incident  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive updates from Lead Councillors for the local Area Board priorities.

 

·       Combatting Social Isolation and Loneliness (Cllr Gordon King)

·       Wellbeing for Young People and Positive Activities (Cllr Carole King)

·       Local Environmental Action (Cllr Matt Dean)

·       Child Poverty (Cllr Suzanne Wickham)

The Area Board received updates from Lead Councillors in relation to the following local Area Board Priorities:

 

Combatting Social Isolation and Loneliness (Cllr Gordon King)

·       Last week Cllr King had met with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to discuss developing a Neighbourhood Collaborative, including what goes into a Collaborative, how it works, grows and can be relevant to a community.

·       Work will soon take place with the ICB to develop a Neighbourhood Collaborative in Westbury and groups will be contacted to explore what they can do as part of this to ensure that the local community is taken care of.

Wellbeing for Young People and Positive Activities (Cllr Carole King)

·       The Local Youth Network (LYN) met on Monday 12 February, consisting of voluntary organisations within the Westbury area.

·       Wiltshire Youth Council are set to have a conference at County Hall on 7 March from 10am-4pm with lunch provided and all invited.

·       The Public Affairs Office have recently produced new research from Centre Point about the barriers faced by young people in social housing, with an urge for local authorities to prioritise young people on the social housing waiting list.

·       There is set to be a new consultation of the JSNA, which is a short survey involving ten areas of concern. For those interested, this should be completed by 5 March 2024.

Local Environmental Action (Cllr Matt Dean)

·       Cllr Dean noted that he had picked up a well established workstream of pollination work from Cllr Wickham and that Westbury Town Council would be involved in extra sites this year across the town.

·       There was a focus to arrange a major environmental event in the town in 2024, with several commercial sponsors concerning environmentally friendly cars, insulation and glazing, heat pumps and recycling.

·       There was a desire to involve young people, through the inclusion of environmentally food tents and music, with the event to be hosted in one of the Council parks with discussions ongoing.

·       The event would hopefully take place in June with work taking place to secure sponsorship.

Child Poverty (Cllr Suzanne Wickham)

·       In reference to the Pollinator Programme, Cllr Wickham noted that more wildflower seeds had been ordered for sites in Edington, Bratton, Westbury, Heywood and Dilton with the objective remaining the same.

·       Work is being conducted regarding the provision of vouchers for existing members of the public who go to the Westbury Area Network for them to be able to buy additional produce. This would be linked with other services to encourage a return to independence.

·       Work is being investigated regarding the potential of having cookery lessons for parents and children with it known that some schools are currently offering this provision with the potential for other schools to linked with Abraham’s Kitchen.

To receive an update on Special School Developments in the local area.

The Area Board received a presentation from Matthew Look, from the SEND & Inclusion team (Wiltshire Council). The update covered the following matters:

·       An overview of the increasing demand for SEN was outlined, with it noted that the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) had risen by 15% in Wiltshire from January 2023 to January 2024.

·       It was noted that the High Needs Place Plan projects demand for 100 additional special school places per annum for the period 2023 – 2027 and that 90% of the new demand is for places with a primary need of Autism, Communication Needs, or Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH). There is demand for primary and secondary specialist SEMH provision in West Wiltshire.

·       An overview of the Westbury School Age Population was explained, with it noted that Westbury was a medium sized community area.

·       The current provision in Westbury and the surrounding areas was outlined, with Westbury having a 20 place Resource Base at Westbury Infants and a 15 place Resource Base at Westbury Juniors (both Complex Needs).

·       An explanation of what SEMH was provided for context as well as the current SEMH market within in Wiltshire.

·       A successful bid had been made to the DfE to create a new Special Free School for SEMH in Westbury, which would deliver a new special school for 130 pupils, age 4-19, with a SEMH primary designation and would have a valued investment of £15-25million.

·       The location of the future SEMH Free School was outlined as being at Gas House Farm, Bitham Park, Westbury with a timescale for completion provided and a completion date of autumn 2026 anticipated.

 

After the verbal update, there was time for the following questions and points to be made:

·       Wiltshire Council was congratulated for the programme, with it noted that SEND is a growing situation in the education area and that this early intervention would allow for children to be educated within the county. The officer, agreed that there was a big financial incentive to get this right as well as for the experience of children and that the Council were trying to maximise provisions for children through improving the mainstream offer as well as the graduated offer of resource bases and special schools.

·       Clarity was provided that Wiltshire Council doesn’t have any residential places for children and that there is a desire for children to remain in the community as much as possible.

·       It was questioned what provision was available for young people leaving school and for them to live independently in the community under limited supervision, such as Fairfield College. The officer noted that whilst he was not involved directly, colleagues in other teams were working on provisions moving into adult services and looking to strengthen opportunities within the post 16 offer.

·       It was clarified that the building of the Special Free School in Westbury would not impact on Westbury Infant and Junior School places and that it would mean a stronger selection of local high needs provision.

·       The potential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the last LHFIG meeting held on 18 January 2024, as set out in the attached report.

 

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

The Chairman introduced the minutes and recommendations from the LHFIG meeting held on 18 January 2024.

 

After which, it was;

 

Resolved:

 

The minutes of the Local Highways and Footway Improvement Group meeting held on 18 January 2024 were agreed as a correct record as well as approving the spending recommendations within.

To note the remaining budgets and to consider any applications for funding, as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

 

Remaining Budgets:

 

Community Area Grant	Older & Vulnerable	Young People
£4,889.00	£5,468.46	£2,375.00

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1571	Westbury Area Board - Westbury Public Living Room	£1000.00
ABG1572	Westbury Area Board - Dementia Friendly Westbury	£500.00

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1480	West Wilts Ramblers Work Party - Work Party Equipment	£678.80
ABG1558	Bratton Recreation Ground Management Committee - Bratton Recreation Ground New Storerooms	£5000.00
ABG1559	Westbury Shed - Westbury Workshop facility repair and upgrade	£3448.00
ABG1561	Westbury Youth FC - Westbury Youth FC equipment and facilities improvement	£4450.00
ABG1565	Blue Circle Bowls Club -  Blue Circle Bowls Club new external seating area	£2000.00
ABG1573	White Horse Short Mat Bowls Club – New Short Mat Bowls carpet for White Horse Short Mat Bowls club	£550.00
ABG1575	Westbury Leigh community project - Westbury Leigh community project improvements	£3000.00

 

Young People Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1320	Leigh Park Community Centre - Skills for personal development and employment 2023	£5000.00
ABG1525	Westbury Parochial Church Council All Saints Church - Youth Cafe Westbury	£1820.00
ABG1569	Westbury Town Council - Soapbox Derby Workshops Wind turbines	£500.00

 

Further information on the Area Board Grant system can be found here.

The Chairman informed the Area Board of the opening balances for grant funding. The Area Board considered the following applications for funding:

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Westbury Area Board – £1,000 towards Westbury Public Living Room.

 

Decision

 

Westbury Area Board was awarded an amended amount of £500 towards Westbury Public Living Room.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Carole King

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Westbury Area Board – £500 towards Dementia Friendly Westbury.

 

Decision

 

Westbury Area Board agreed to defer making a decision on awarding the application until the next financial year.

 

Community Area Grants:

 

West Wilts Ramblers Work Party - £678.80 towards Work Party Equipment.

 

Decision

 

Westbury Area Board agreed to defer making a decision on awarding the application from theWest Wilts Ramblers Work Party until the next financial year.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Suzanne Wickham

 

It was then proposed that this grant be awarded in between via SEPM delegated powers for the full amount of £678.80.

 

Moved – Cllr Suzanne Wickham

Seconded – Cllr Matt Dean

 

Bratton Recreation Ground Management Committee - £5,000 towards Bratton Recreation Ground New Storerooms.

 

Decision

 

Westbury Area Board agreed to defer making a decision on awarding the application from theBratton Recreation Ground Management Committee until the next financial year.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Suzanne Wickham

 

Westbury Shed - £3,448 towards Westbury Workshop facility repair and upgrade.

 

Decision

 

Westbury Shed was awarded £2,418 towards Westbury Workshop facility repair and upgrade and the Area Board agreed to defer making a decision on the awarding of a further £1,030 pounds until the next financial year.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Matt Dean

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Westbury Youth FC - £4,4450 towards Westbury Youth FC equipment and facilities improvement.

 

Decision

 

Westbury Youth FC was awarded £2150 towards Westbury Youth FC equipment and facilities improvement and the Area Board agreed to defer making a decision on the awarding of a further £2,300 pounds until the next financial year.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Suzanne Wickham

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Blue Circle Bowls Club - £2,000 towards Blue Circle Bowls Club new external seating area.

 

Decision

 

Blue Circle Bowls Club was awarded £2,000 towards Blue Circle Bowls Club new external seating area from the Health and Wellbeing Fund.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Carole King

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

White Horse Short Mat Bowls Club – £550 towards New Short Mat Bowls carpet for White Horse Short Mat Bowls club.

 

Decision

 

White Horse Short Mat Bowls Club was awarded £550 towards New Short Mat Bowls carpet for White Horse Short Mat Bowls club from the Health and Wellbeing Fund.

 

Moved – Cllr Gordon King

Seconded – Cllr Matt Dean

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.

Future Meeting Dates (7-9pm):

 

·       19 June 2024

 

For information on applying for a grant or grant application deadlines for these meetings, contact the Area Board Delivery Officer: Karlene.Jammeh@wiltshire.gov.uk

The date of the next meeting was 19 June 2024.