Agenda and minutes

The Chairman introduced Cathy Cooper, assistant head teacher at St Laurence School, who welcomed everyone to St Laurence School.

The Wiltshire councillors who made up the boardwere also introduced, including John Brady, (Wiltshire Council cabinet member) who was in attendance for this meeting.

The Community Area Manager and Democratic Services Officer were also introduced.

All town, parish and partner representatives in attendance were welcomed by the Chairman.

Chairman’s Announcements

• Flood Packs – proposed new flooding legislation had placed on Wiltshire Council the responsibility for putting in place local strategies for managing flood risk. Two flood working groups had been set up to cover the County, as part of this work Wiltshire Council was collating information on flooding and drainage issues and would like town and parish councils to gather information using the flood packs provided which could then be used to feed into the process.

Completed packs should be returned at the next Bradford on Avon Area Board meeting on the 19 May.

• Flood Fair – the first “Flood Fair” for town and parish councils would be held on the 14 April at the Olympiad Leisure Centre, Chippenham from 10am – 2pm. The purpose of the flood fair was to raise awareness of flooding and drainage issues.

• Consultation on the Review of Special Educational Needs Provision – over recent months Wiltshire Council officers had worked with schools, parent representatives and other people to review Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in the county.

The review relates to the whole of Wiltshire.

Any questions about the proposals or the consultation process can be sent in the first instance to Tracy Gates, SEN Project Officer either by phone, 01225 756170 or email, tracygates@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Decision

Cllr Bill Bailey (Limpley Stoke Parish Council) volunteered to take a particular interest in this consultation and the Chairman urged other people to get involved in way they could.

• Gypsy/Traveller Sites – Wiltshire Council are currently looking at possible locations for sites across the county.

• British Waterways Consultation on Local Mooring Strategy – Bradford on Avon Area Board had met with representatives of British Waterways and were pleased with the outcome of these talks, Wiltshire Council will now have the opportunity to comment on the process that British Waterways are proposing and the issue will come back to a future Bradford on Avon Area Board meeting.

• Kennet & Avon Canal Partnership – It is proposed that this partnership will link into the British Waterways consultation on local mooring strategy.

• Bradford on Avon Historic Core Zone – The Chairman had attended a workshop with local stakeholders, another workshop is planned for September 2010.

Apologies were received from Matthew Midlane (Monkton Farleigh Parish Council).

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

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 21 Jan 2010.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting on 21 January 2010 were approved and signed as a correct record.

Points members of the community would like to raise.

A question was asked regarding the Wiltshire Council budget for 20101/11 and how resources are used and why older people appear to be losing out.

Would the Bradford on Avon Area Board be able to explain why on the 2010/11 council tax statements there is a decrease in expenditure on elderly people and an increase in spending on council services.

At the 21 January Bradford on Avon Area Board meeting during the “Setting the Council’s Spending Priorities” item, the meeting had felt that older people were their top priority for increased spending for the Wiltshire Council’s budget  2010/11.

2010/11 council tax statements appear to indicate that Bradford on Avon residents views have been ignored on the matter of older people.

Cllr John Brady reported that he would ensure that a written response is obtained on this matter, and that he did not remember this being an issue when the 2010/11 budget was agreed by the Cabinet of Wiltshire Council.

The Chairman thanked the speaker for the question and advised that he would like to invite representatives from Wiltshire Council’s Adult Care Team and the Portfolio holder responsible for adult care to a future Bradford on Avon Area Board meeting.

Wiltshire Police

Inspector David Cullop briefly updated the meeting on current policing activities in the Bradford on Avon community area.

A report included in the agenda pack was noted.

Inspector Cullop then introduced Elizabeth Porter, (Wiltshire Police Protective Services) who gave a brief power point presentation based on agenda item No.6b which outlined the service’s work, co-ordinating with partners including Social Services, Schools and Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Mike Franklin, (Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service representative) advised that he would be attending future Bradford on Avon Area Board meetings, and that Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service had been working with the local boating community to highlight fire prevention on their boats.

A report included in the agenda pack was noted.

The Chairman thanked all representatives for their respective updates.

Kevin Sweeny, Head of Operations for Development Services for Young People.

Dawn Froggatt, Youth Development Officer.

Kevin Sweeney, (Head of Operations for the Youth Development Service) was on hand to respond to a question from Martin Moyes, (Holt Parish Council) as to why the well supported Holt Youth Group were facing a 10% budget cut from Wiltshire Council in the front line service that it provided to the young people of Holt.

Points raised by Kevin Sweeney:

• The Youth Development Service aimed to enable young people to make a successful transition from child into dependent adult.

• To develop and understanding and enthusiasm for learning and to use this to realise their full potential.

• The service provides personal and social development learning opportunities through quality youth work.

• It was Wiltshire Council’s intention to allocate future youth provision across the county in a more farer way, taking into account, entitlement, population and depravation.

• Local youth workers had been fully consulted for their views as to how the funding should be allocated.

• It was vital that resources were allocated where they were most needed.

• Wiltshire Council had been open about what it was looking to achieve with the new allocation of funding.

Points raised from the floor:

• It felt like a budget cut however it was dressed up.

• Holt was being penalised for having a thriving youth set up.

• Wiltshire Council should be improving services, not cutting them.

Cllr John Brady advised that Wiltshire Council would be allocating a further £5000 for the Bradford on Avon Area Board to use on youth related issues.

Bill Bailey, (Limpley Stoke Parish Council) agreed to discuss with Kevin Sweeney his ideas for youth group activities, based in and around Holt.

The Chairman thanked Kevin Sweeney for attending the meeting.

Cllr Brady will give a brief update on the progress of the Local Development Framework and answer other questions relating to his portfolio area. Housing Officer Kathy Green will present information about levels of housing need in the Bradford on Avon Community Area.

Cllr John Brady gave a brief update on the progress of the Local Development Framework and his portfolio area.

Points made by Cllr Brady included:

Core Strategy

·        Wiltshire Council were looking at the Core Strategy with a view to bringing a paper to Cabinet in April 2010.

·        Wiltshire Council were keen to encourage each town or local area to formulate their own town/area plans which could then form part of the Core Strategy.

Economic Development

·        The Vision Boards were beginning to generate positive outcomes.

·        “Future Jobs Fund” – would bring around 4 million pounds worth of funds into Wiltshire to help long term unemployed 18-24 year olds into apprenticeships with local companies.

·        Wiltshire Council had set up “Action for Wiltshire”, a scheme that aimed to help keep local home owners in their homes when faced with mortgage repossessions from banks/building societies.

Planning

·        Wiltshire Council were currently undertaking a comprehensive review of it’s Planning services throughout Wiltshire, a paper would be going to Cabinet in April 2010 outlining the way forward.

·        Social housing stock is fairly static due to the current housing market.

·        A partnership scheme with Sarsen Housing could generate a possible two hundred and fifty new homes in West Wiltshire if it comes to fruition.

·        Wiltshire Council were striving to eliminate “bed & breakfast” type accommodation when dealing with homelessness issues.

Points made from the floor:

·        Bradford on Avon residents would like to see the outcomes from   their area after taking the time to get involved in the Core Strategy process.

·        Local people want to be able to live in any affordable/social housing built in the town.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Brady for his update and asked if anybody at the meeting was interested in looking at homelessness issues in the Bradford on Avon area.

Gerald Milward Oliver, Bradford on Avon Town Council

Presentation by Bradford on Avon Town Council’s Economic Development Consultation on the plans for Economic Development in Bradford on Avon.

Power Point Presentation by Gerald Milward Oliver on the plans for Economic Development in Bradford on Avon.

See attached Power Point Presentation.

Cllr John Brady advised that Wiltshire Council encouraged every town to produce their own supplementary planning document.

The Chairman thanked Mr Milward Oliver for his presentation.

Cllr Malcolm Hewson, Bradford on Avon Area Board Chair.

Cllr Malcolm Hewson, (Bradford on Avon Area Board Chairman) requested that all parties present at the meeting gave feedback on the way that the Bradford on Avon Area Board was working as it ended its first year of operation.

Attendees were asked to come up with two positive things and two negative things about how they viewed the Bradford on Avon Area Board.

Positive points made included:

·        The meetings were well chaired with good officer support.

·        A good opportunity for overlooked people in the community to have their voice heard.

·        The meetings were very welcoming.

Negative points made included:

·        Non voting members have no part to play at the meetings.

·        The usual suspects in attendance.

·        Should more inclusion and have less on the agendas.

·        The Meeting process should be clearer.

The Chairman thanked everybody for participating and advised that everyone needed to spread the word, if they wanted to get more members of the public to attend future meetings.

A question was raised by representatives from Westwood Parish Council as to how they could get a community road safety campaign highlighted at the Bradford on Avon Area board. It was suggested by the Chairman that Martin Moyes, (Holt Parish Council) and Gerald Milward Oliver, (Bradford on Avon Town Council) might like to meet with the Westwood representatives to discuss how they had developed similar campaigns in their own areas.

·        Bradford on Avon Community Farm - £4,100 requested to set up a Community Farm Initiative. The group are seeking funding for infrastructure and technical expertise to aid start-up of a Community Farm initiative.

·        Priority for People - £996.85 requested to run a public engagement event as a follow –up to the Taming the Traffic Workshop run in 2008 and Priority for People initiative launched in Spring 2009.

·        Castle Pre-school - £815 requested to purchase ICT equipment to improve the running of the nursery, specifically in the areas of record maintenance and publicity/ communications.

To ask Councillors to consider three applications seeking 2009/10 Community Area Grant Funding:

Louise Veissel addressed the Area Board on behalf of the Bradford on Avon Community Agriculture Cooperative.

Cathy Hearn addressed the Area Board on behalf of the Castle Gardens Nursery School.

David Moss addressed the Area Board on behalf of Priority for People.

1.      Bradford on Avon Community Agriculture Cooperative – awarded £4,100 to set up a Community Farm Initiative.

Reason 

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2009/10.

2.      Castle Gardens Nursery School - awarded £815 to purchase ICT equipment to improve the running of the nursery, specifically in the areas of record maintenance and publicity/ communications.

Reason 

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2009/10.

3.      Priority for People – awarded £996.85, to run a public engagement event as a follow–up to the Taming the Traffic Workshop run in 2008 and Priority for People initiative launched in Spring 2009.

Reason 

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2009/10.

·        Community Payback - Community Payback enables offenders to repay their debt to society through the contribution of time and labour to help local communities tackle a wide range of issues from graffiti and chewing gum removal to litter picking, ground clearance and other environmental improvement projects.

·        Bradford on Avon Footbridge – to provide a safe pedestrian access to the new Bradford on Avon town centre.

Performance Reward Grant Scheme

The Chairman advised that there were two applications seeking Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding.

The two applications were:

Decision

That the Bradford on Avon Area Board endorses the Performance Reward Grant application for Community Payback of £73,000.

Note

Cllr Hewson left the meeting room after declaring a prejudicial interest on the Bradford on Avon foot bridge application, Cllr Rosemary Brown is now chairing the meeting.

·        Bradford on Avon footbridge – to provide a safe pedestrian access to the new Bradford on Avon town centre.

Decision

That the Bradford on Avon Area Board endorses the Performance Reward Grant application from Bradford on Avon Town Council of £100,000.

Wednesday 19 May 2010 – St Margaret’s Hall.

Wednesday 21 July 2010 – Westwood Social Club.

Wednesday 22 September 2010 – venue to be confirmed.

Wednesday 24 November 2010 – venue to be confirmed.

The dates of the future Bradford on Avon Area Board would be:

Wednesday 19 May 2010 – St Margaret’s Hall.

Wednesday 21 July 2010 – Westwood Social Club.

Please complete the pink evaluation sheet in your packs.

Attendees were asked to complete the pink evaluation sheets that were included in their agenda packs.