Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to a special meeting of the Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade Area Board which incorporated the first Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Fair.

The Chairman introduced the councillors and officers present.

The Chairman thanked Cate Watson and the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group for working with the area board to put on the first Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Fair.

Cllr Richard Clewer - Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Heritage, Arts, Tourism, Housing, Climate Change and Military-Civilian Integration, Wiltshire Council gave a short presentation highlighting how Wiltshire Council was trying to be a greener organisation and promote green issues.

Points made included:

That it was important to make Wiltshire as environmentally friendly as possible. 

There were many small changes that Wiltshire residents could make in their everyday life that could have a big positive impact on the environment

Such as:

•         Leaving the car at home and walk more

•         Taking shorter showers and turning off taps when brushing teeth

•         Trying to use as little single-use plastic as possible

•         Using a reusable cup

•         Using bags for life

•         Recycling as much as possible

•         Turning off lights when not using them

•         Installing a smart meter to help manage energy use

That Climate change and its repercussions were an acknowledged global problem. Wiltshire Council would be doing all it could to tackle this issue locally.

In February 2019, at a meeting of full council, Wiltshire Council had resolved to:

• Acknowledge that there was a climate emergency

• Seek to make the county of Wiltshire carbon neutral by 2030

·        In July 2019 Wiltshire Council's cabinet also pledged to make Wiltshire Council carbon neutral by 2030. 

Cllr Clewer announced the launch of the Wiltshire Green Pledge with

Wiltshire Council encouraging local people to think about actions they could take and to make a Green Pledge.

For more information visit http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/green-economy-climate-emergency

The Chairman thanked Cllr Clewer for his presentation and attending the meeting.

Representatives of the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group outlined the importance of protecting and cutting of verges throughout the community area. Approximately 55 people joined the ‘ Re-wilding our verges’ discussion

Points made included:

·       That Bio-diversity was threatened by the climate emergency, with bird life declining.

·       That the world faced an extinction of experience – with people no longer enjoying country walks etc.

·       The increasing dangers of our throwaway society.

·       The importance of re-wilding the verges of our community area and giving them protected status.

Adrian Hampton - Head Local Highways and Streetscene – South, Wiltshire Council advised that Wiltshire Council were happy to work with the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group to ensure that rural and urban verge cutting is carried out in an ecologically friendly manner throughout the community area.

Decision

·       That Wiltshire Council works with the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group to identify appropriate rural and urban verges to trial ‘ Re-wilding’, where maintenance and mowing is carried out in an ecologically friendly manner throughout the community area.

The Chairman thanked all the speakers for their contributions to the discussion.

Representatives of several local environmentally friendly businesses gave their views and experiences of encouraging and promoting environmentally friendly businesses in our Community Area.

Approximately 50 people joined the ‘Encouraging and Promoting environmentally friendly businesses in our Community Area’ discussion.

Points made included:

·       That sustainable businesses were good for both community and environment.

·       That Wiltshire Council should be encouraging the start up and on-going support of local environmentally friendly businesses.

·       That an eco-networking event would be beneficial and raise awareness.

·       That Royal Wootton Bassett was fortunate to have a diverse range of environmentally friendly businesses including organic farmers, eco-friendly beauty salons and cleaning services.

The Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group was encouraged to speak to the Community Engagement  Manager about applying for funding to help create and launch an Eco-directory/website for the local area to help promote local environmentally friendly businesses.

The Chairman thanked all the speakers for their contributions to the discussion.

Approximately 55 people joined the ‘Reducing our carbon emissions’ discussion.

Dave Knight gave a short presentation outlining the benefits of cycling, attendees present were able to give both the positives and negatives of being a cyclist using the roads of the local area.

The Deputy Chair of the ‘Calne – Our Place’ project gave a brief overview of how the Calne community area had looked to improve how it could try and play its part in reducing carbon emissions and make residents more healthy with the Calne transport Strategy.

Laura Gosling - Senior Transport Planner Sustainable Transport, Wiltshire Council provided a report which outlined how Wiltshire Council was trying improve and enhance cycling throughout Royal Wootton Bassett and Wiltshire.

It was hoped that the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group and Wiltshire Council Strategic Transport Planning officers would work together to develop a joined up cycle network.

The Chairman thanked all the speakers for their contributions to the discussion.

Grant Funding Applications

Community Area Grants

Decision

·       Purton & Cricklade Young Farmers Club awarded £5,000 for New Club Hut Roof

Decision

·       Pips community café awarded £60 for Wi-Fi at Pips community cafe

Youth Grants

Decision

·       Cricklade Local Youth Network awarded £4,200 for Sports Activities Development Project with the condition that the capital element of the grant would be withheld until the Chairman was confident that the project was sustainable.

Health & Wellbeing Grants

Decision

·        To allocate £2,600 from the Health & Wellbeing budget to enable the Health and Wellbeing Forum to commission a Creative Mental Health and Wellbeing project.

To note that a new Health and Wellbeing Forum which met for the first time on 29^th October 2019, and the discussions held as laid out in the meeting notes included in the agenda pack

Cllr Initiative Funding (Cllr Bob Jones)

Decision

·       To Allocate £100 to the Health and Wellbeing group to facilitate the ongoing running of the Forum in 2019/20

RWB&C Community Area Transport Group – 18 December 6:30pm at Cricklade Town Council offices

The next meeting of the Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade Area Board would be held on Wednesday 25 March at Cricklade Town Hall.

Cllr Allison Bucknell thanked everybody for attending an interesting and informative meeting, and that the Area Board looked forward to future collaborations, working with the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group.