Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Peter Doyle, welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked the councillors and officers present to introduce themselves. He also thanked the Head of Wootton Bassett School, George Croxford, for facilitating the use of the school hall.

The Chairman announced that there would be no debate on Item 8 on the agenda; Community Planning. Instead, any comments regarding this item should be made under Item 6; Partner Updates.

The Chairman also reminded people to complete their feedback forms and hand them in at the end of the meeting.

Apologies were received from Mike Mikefield (Wootton Bassett Town Council), Brian Atfield (Cricklade Town Council), and Paul Harrison (Wootton Bassett Sports Association).

To approve and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 14 July 2010.

The minutes of the previous meeting listed Councillor Bill Roberts’ name twice which needed to be amended. With this amendment, the minutes were agreed a true record.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 14 July 2010 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are requested to declare any personal or prejudicial interests, or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Councillor Peter Colmer declared a prejudicial interest in Item 9a on the agenda; Community Area Grants. Councillor Colmer stated that he would leave the room for the deliberation and decision of this item.

The Chairman referred the meeting to the Chairman’s Announcement summary in the agenda, which provided information on various consultations and announcements.

Further information was available from the Wiltshire Council website, or by signing up to the Community Area Network.

To note the written reports and receive any verbal updates from the following:

a.    Key Partners including Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Wiltshire, Community Area Partnership, Parishes, Community Area Young People’s Issues Group (CAYPIG), Chambers of Commerce and Westlea Housing Association

b.    Outside Bodies

c.    Community Groups.

The Chairman welcomed updates from partners, which were received as follows:

Wiltshire Police

The written update report from Wiltshire Police was noted. Inspector Steve Cox commented on the increase in domestic and non-domestic burglaries and announced that a male was arrested last week who had been linked to a number of local incidents. Inspector Cox reiterated the importance of ensuring that homes were kept as securely as possible.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The written update report from the Fire and Rescue Service was noted. Mike Franklin reiterated the advice within the report regarding chimney fires and the importance of having chimneys swept properly. Mike introduced his colleagues Peter Price and Perry Payne, who provided an update on the Cricklade Fire Cadets.

Fire Cadets

Since the Fire Authority announced in April that it intended to close both Cricklade and Ludgershall Fire Cadet units, the support to keep both the units going had been overwhelming. The Fire Authority met on 23 September and agreed a set of recommendations (attached at Appendix A).

Councillor Peter Colmer welcomed the statement from the Fire Authority and proposed the following:

      i.        That Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board works closely with Tidworth Area Board to ensure that a consistent approach to funding is achieved for the remainder of this year.

    ii.        That alternative sources of funding be investigated to sustain the Fire Cadets in subsequent years.

The Chairman asked for a show of hands in support of Councillor Colmer’s proposals; to which the large majority of the public present showed support. The proposals also received unanimous support from the Area Board.

Decision

The Area Board agreed:

      i.        That Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board works closely with Tidworth Area Board to ensure that a consistent approach to funding is achieved for the remainder of this year.

    ii.        That alternative sources of funding be investigated to sustain the Fire Cadets in subsequent years.

NHS Wiltshire

The written update report from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

Chambers of Commerce

Bob Jones, Chairman of the Cricklade Business Association, expressed disappointment that recent applications to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme were not successful, and also at the proposed car parking charges which posed a real threat to Cricklade, with the risk that local shoppers would choose to shop at West Swindon instead.

Bob also announced Cricklade’s success in being awarded Gold Standard at the Britain in Bloom finals, making Cricklade the top achieving town in Wiltshire in this competition.

Town and Parish Councils

Written updates were received and noted from Wootton Bassett Town Council and Cricklade Town Council Further verbal updates were received as follows:

Purton Parish Council – Mike Bell expressed concern at the amount of information being received through the Area Board, and particularly the very short notice that the councils were given to provide informed responses, and requested that consideration be given to this in the future. He also stated that he was pleased to see Cross Lanes in Purton being one of the preferred options  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

a.     Local Traffic and Highways Working Group - to note the written update and to approve the recommendations of the Working Group relating to the Local Transport Scheme selection referred to in the Notes (at 4).

b.     Rural Buffer Zone Task Group – to receive a verbal update and request the following:

The Rural Buffer Task Group is pleased to note that Wiltshire Council will be reverting to the joint Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan 2016 until our Core Strategy is complete (as indicated in Wiltshire Council Briefing Note No. 43) and confirms our request that the Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board support the retention of the Rural Buffer Zone as detailed in Policy DP13 but requires that the urban extension required in Policy DP10B should not be allowed to infringe on the effectiveness of that Rural Buffer Zone.  Further, the Rural Buffer Task Group calls for Rural Buffer Zones to be adopted in the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy to prevent further coalescence between major urban conurbations with smaller towns and villages and so preserve their ancient diverse and individual rural identities and cultures.

Updates were received from the Area Board’s task groups as follows:

a)    Local Traffic and Highways Working Group

The Chairman introduced the report in the agenda which consisted of the notes and recommendations from the Working Group’s meeting held on 21 September 2010.

The Area Board had been allocated the sum of £12,000 that was specifically for the use of small local transport schemes. Following consideration of 32 schemes, the Working Group recommended that five be put forward for further evaluation by Highways Officers, full details of which were contained in the notes of the meeting.

Decision

The Area Board agreed that the following five Local Transport Schemes should be put forward for further evaluation by Highways Officers:

                      i.        A3102, Lyneham – Improvements.

                    ii.        Common Hill, Cricklade – Improve pedestrian safety.

                   iii.        The Sun Inn, Lydiard Millicent – Pedestrian crossing.

                   iv.        One scheme out of a possible three in Wootton Bassett (New Road crossing, traffic calming at Longleaze or Gainsborough Avenue) – to be confirmed by Wootton Bassett Town Council.

                    v.        Cross Lanes, Purton – Junction improvement.

b)   Rural Buffer Zone Task Group

Councillor Mollie Groom provided an update from the Rural Buffer Zone Task Group, which she stated was pleased that Wiltshire Council would be reverting to the joint Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan 2016 until the Wiltshire Core Strategy was complete. A meeting had been held recently in West Swindon, where there was the same level of support from councillors and the public to preserve the rural buffer zone.

The Area Board was supportive of the recommendations made by the Task Group, as detailed in the agenda. The Chairman also asked for a show of hands from the floor, which indicated majority support.

Decision

The Area Board agreed:

                      i.        To support the retention of the Rural Buffer Zone as detailed in Policy DP13.

                    ii.        To require that the urban extension required in Policy DP10B should not be allowed to infringe on the effectiveness of that Rural Buffer Zone.

                   iii.        That the Rural Buffer Zone should be adopted in the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy to prevent further coalescence between major urban conurbations with smaller towns and villages.

To receive a written report prepared by Julia Stacey, Community Partnerships Support Officer, detailing four options (Options 1-4) for Community Planning together with a fifth option proposed by Cricklade Town Council during the consultation period.

The fifth option proposed reads as follows:

'That a further option (Option 5) should be considered that would take away the centralised community area planning approach thereby cutting costs, negating the need for a Community Area Partnership and draw on town and parish community led plans which could also feed into the strategic planning of Wiltshire Council and other agencies. This was more in line with the localism agenda and new Big Society approach and would make more funding available to the Area Board for use as grants or other investment into the wider community.'

The Area Board, having regard to the feedback and recommendations contained in the Community Partnerships Support Officer's report, will be asked to adopt one of the five possible options suggested for future Community Planning purposes.

The Chairman introduced the report in the agenda, which contained the background to the item listing four options for moving the matter forward. A fifth option, which had emerged during consultation and which was also described in the report, had been listed separately on the agenda for clarity.

The Chairman reiterated his earlier comment that there would be no debate under this item, as the purpose of this was to make a decision to set the future direction of community planning. The Chairman did, however, call for a show of hands from the floor to indicate indicative levels of support for each option so as to inform the unitary councillors. The show of hands indicated no support for Options 1, 2 or 3, limited support for Option 4 (approximately five hands) and majority support for Option 5 (approximately 14 hands).

Prior to the Area Board taking a vote on the options, the Chairman explained that the implications of adopting Option 5 would be that:

1. The Area Board would redirect funding away from the Northern Community Area Partnership (NCAP).
2. The Area Board would no longer look to NCAP to provide or update the Community Plan.

Following a proposal from Councillor Colmer to adopt Option 5, a vote was taken by unitary councillors and Option 5 (as set out on the agenda paper) was unanimously adopted to set the general direction for future community planning as follows:

Decision

That Option 5 be adopted, that would take away the centralised community planning approach thereby cutting costs, negating the need for a Community Area Partnership and draw upon town and parish community led plans which could also feed into the strategic planning of Wiltshire Council and other agencies.

This Option was more in line with the localism agenda and new Big Society approach and would make more funding available to the Area Board for use as grants or other investment into the wider community.

Following this decision, the Area Board went on to consider each of the six individual recommendations contained on page 42 of the report and voted as follows (in each case unanimously):

Decision

1.    Recommendation 1: Not voted upon (The Chairman explained that NCAP would need to decide upon its own actions based on decisions made by the Area Board).

2.    Recommendation 2: Not supported.

3.    Recommendation 3: Not supported.

4.    Recommendation 4: That the Area Board actively supports and encourages the development of individual parish and town community plans, and that these plans are integrated into the overall community plan for the area – Supported.

5.    Recommendation 5: That the Area Board continues its focus on working groups and task groups, e.g. Rural Buffer Zones Task Group, Future of RAF Lyneham, Local Traffic and Highways Working Group, and the proposed parish and town group – Supported.

6.    Recommendation 6: That the formation of a new Community Area Partnership for the area should not be undertaken at this time – Supported.

Following interventions from the floor, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

a.    Community Area Grants Scheme

The Wiltshire Councillors will consider two applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme 2010/11 as follows:

i.              Marston Meysey Village Hall Association seeks £1,750 to provide equipment to refurbish small kitchen in the village hall

ii.            Cricklade Town Council seeks £2,494 to erect a fence around the skate park

Total requested = £4244

Allocation of Grant Funding to date:

·         1^st Purton and Lydiard Beavers Pack awarded £943 for equipment

·         Cricklade Town Festival awarded £1,240 for street entertainers for annual community event

·         Thames Pre School awarded £555 for metal tool shed to securely house garden tools to maintain newly created garden area

·         Lyneham Youth Club awarded £2,752 towards summer activity programme for young people.

·         Broad Town Village Show awarded £2,241 to provide all weather blow-up stage cover for the bands at the local annual community event.

To date, £7731 in Community Area Grants has been awarded from the Area Board budget of £51,962.  Cricklade Leisure Centre was awarded £5000 from the 2009/10 Community Area Grants budget and has now been paid.  This leaves a remainder of £39,231for allocation.

Grant application packs for the Community Area Grants Scheme are available from the Community Area Manager or electronically at

www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboardscommunitygrantsscheme.htm

b.    Performance Reward Grant Scheme

To consider two expressions of interest to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme, as follows:

i.              Wiltshire Voices

ii.             Wiltshire is Saving Energy.

Councillors considered applications for funding from the following grant schemes:

a)    Community Area Grants Scheme

Note: Councillor Colmer left the meeting for the discussion and decision relating to this item.

                      i.        Marston Meysey Village Hall Association

This application sought a grant of £1,750 to provide equipment to refurbish the small kitchen in the village hall.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £1,750 to Marston Meysey Village Hall Association.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2010/11 and would enable the community to use the enhanced facility.

                    ii.        Cricklade Town Council

This application sought a grant of £2,494 to erect a fence around the skate park.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £2,494 to Cricklade Town Council.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2010/11 and would enable young people to play safely in the local community.

            Councillor Colmer returned to the meeting.

b)   Performance Reward Grant Scheme

                      i.        Wiltshire Voices

The application sought £3,000 for each Area Board to encourage participation of selected hard to reach groups in their Community Areas.

Decision

The Area Board supported the application from Wiltshire Voices and recommended that it be approved by the Performance Reward Grant Panel.

                    ii.        Wiltshire is Saving Energy

The application sought £12,566 to provide energy monitors in all libraries across Wiltshire that could be hired for free by local households. The energy monitors provided the households with information on energy usage; helping to reduce carbon emissions and save on energy bills.

Some concern arose from the floor regarding the cost of this project and it was suggested that such energy monitors could be obtained from many of the major energy suppliers.

After some discussion, Councillor Bucknell proposed that the pilot scheme should be extended, and that efforts should be made to source the energy monitors free of charge before committing the funds to this project.

Decision

The Area Board recommended that the pilot phase of the Wiltshire is Saving Energy project be extended, and that efforts should be made to source the energy monitors free of charge before committing the funds to this project.

To receive an update on issues raised and progress made.

Alison Sullivan, Community Area Manager, provided an update on issues raised via the Community Issues System.

Four new issues had been raised; of which three were regarding speeding issues and had been referred to the Community Speedwatch Scheme. The one other new issue was regarding parking, and the relevant enforcement officers had been notified.

Alison reminded the meeting that any new proposals for transport schemes needed to be logged as an issue via the Community Issues System before they could be considered by the Local Traffic and Highways Working Group.

A comment arose from the floor regarding the ineffective road strips that tended to wear down quite rapidly. This issue could be taken to the next meeting of the Local Traffic and Highways Working Group.

a.    Stuart Wheeler, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture will give a presentation on the review of leisure facilities in Wiltshire.

b.    Councillor Wheeler will follow the above item with an overview of his wider cabinet role and respond to any questions.

a) Leisure Facilities Review

Councillor Stuart Wheeler, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture, gave a presentation on the Council’s proposals for leisure provision in the county over the next 25 years.

Wiltshire Council had inherited some form of financial responsibility for 23 leisure facilities on 1 April 2009 and it was considered that the present indoor leisure facility stock was broadly outdated, inefficient and unsustainable. £93 million would be required over the next 25 years to sustain the existing buildings, and this did not include any service or building enhancements, which were much required in some of the centres.

Councillor Wheeler explained that the proposals included the Council retaining management responsibilities for some of the existing leisure facilities, developing four brand new facilities within campuses, and devolving the remaining facilities to local communities.

Councillor Wheeler outlined the Council’s proposals specific to the Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Area:

•         Cricklade Leisure Centre – the Council planned to work with the Cricklade & District Community Association to arrange for agreed investment leading to the devolvement of the facility to the community.

•         Lime Kiln Leisure Centre – refurbishments to be undertaken leading to the devolvement of the facility to the community.

•         Devolvement could be to a single or a variety of different groups. In other parts of the county interest had been forthcoming from community groups, town/parish councils, schools, existing trusts, etc.

•         The Council had commissioned a report on the community trust options to help assist with the proposal.

•         Community groups would be given support and advice to set up the organisation.

•         Calne and Cricklade, which both already had community-managed facilities, had volunteered to give advice and support where requested.

Following Councillor Wheeler’s presentation, a number of questions and comments arose, as summarised below:

·         Currently the Calne and Cricklade community-owned facilities received approximately £70,000 per year from Wiltshire Council which was considered vital to the survival of the facilities. The question was asked whether this funding would be available for Lime Kiln. Councillor Wheeler stated that he was not able to make guarantees at this stage, as he was currently looking for expressions of interest, and issues such as phased financial support would be discussed with interested parties as part of the negotiations.

·         In response to Councillor Wheeler’s comment that any devolved facilities would be passed on in a good state of repair, a question arose regarding what ‘good state of repair’ meant. Councillor Wheeler informed the meeting that full conditions surveys had been carried out for all facilities, and the specific work to be done prior to handover would form part of the negotiations with interested parties.

·         A comment was made regarding the local schools and the possibility for schools to take responsibility for the devolved facilities. Councillor Wheeler commented that discussions were taking place with the school and that there could potentially be good financial benefits for a school to take on indoor leisure facilities.

·         In response to a question regarding what would happen if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Chairman will invite any remaining questions from the floor.

The meeting is asked to note the future meeting dates below and is reminded to complete the evaluation forms in the packs.

7.00pm Wednesday 1 December 2010, Hook Village Hall, Hook Street, Wootton Bassett, SN4 8EF

7.00pm Wednesday 2 February 2010, Cricklade Town Hall, High Street, Cricklade, SN6 6AE.

The Forward Plan is attached for information.

An evaluation of the evening’s meeting was conducted using the live handheld voting system. The results would be used to improve future meetings where necessary.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting and announced that the next meeting of Wootton Basset and Cricklade Area Board would be held on Wednesday 1 December 2010, 7.00 pm at Hook Village Hall.