Agenda item

The Chairman will provide an update on community issues and progress on Area Board working groups. This will include:

a)    Community Speed Watch

b)    The Community Hub

c)    The Abberd Brook Project

d)    Participatory Budgeting – ‘Make a Stand for Cycling’.

The Chairman announced that feedback on the previous Area Board meeting had been positive and outreach venues would continue to be used on an alternate basis to town venues. Suggestions for suitable venues were invited, please contact Alexa Smith on: 01249 706612 or e-mail: alexa.smith@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Following the recent weather, Wiltshire Council’s highways team was working round the clock to repair damaged roads in the county. The meeting was encouraged to report serious potholes to CLARENCE on 0800 232323 and they would be filled in as soon as possible.

a)    Calne Community Area Board had received a number of issues that may be appropriate for putting forward to the Community Speed Watch initiative that Wiltshire Council was developing with Wiltshire Police and the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership.

The initial process designed for the Community Speed Watch scheme was based on assumptions of high numbers of speeding issues being received and so it involved a lengthy process of assessing and prioritising sites. However in the Calne Community Area, although a number of issues had been received, they were not in the numbers initially expected. As such it was proposed that appropriate sites would be sent forward as they emerged, rather than in prioritised groups, and that the Chairman would inform the Area Board through this update at subsequent meetings. If volumes of speeding issues should start to arrive in large numbers, the Area Board would revert to its original process.

Decision

To forward 3 sites to Community Speed Watch:

·         A3102 at Hilmarton/Goatacre – issue number 585

·         A4 at Derry Hill – issue number 653

·         Church Road at Derry Hill – issue number 500.

Decision

To forward future appropriate sites for Community Speed Watch without prioritisation (unless/until there was a significant increase in numbers).

b)    Cllr Crisp provided an update on the Community Hub in Calne. Please find a written report regarding the Community Hub attached.

Decision

That the Community Hub Building - 27 High Street, Calne - would be made available to the Community Partnership for use as a Community Hub, providing that the Partnership ensured that the relevant change of use planning consents were in place.

That for the first year of this tenancy agreement Wiltshire Council would waive the entire rental value. In return the Partnership would maintain and improve the fabric of the building wherever possible and ensure that it was open to the community for a minimum period of 4 days per week, including a Saturday whenever possible.

The Partnership would also undertake continued, rigorous evaluation of the project throughout the pilot phase, identify ways to ensure that the project plans become more sustainable in future years, and adopt a robust exit strategy.

c)    Please find a written report regarding the Abberd Brook Project attached. The Friends of Abberd Brook invited anyone who was interested in becoming involved to get in touch with Francis Bosworth: 01249 824722 or e-mail: fbosworth1@hotmail.com or Frank Rumble: grandpafrank@talktalk.co.uk.   

d)    Cllr Berry provided an update on ‘Make a Stand for Cycling’. Local people had said they wanted to be able to cycle around the Community Area and park their bikes in convenient places more easily.

The Community Partnership/Area Board had identified a list of 14 potential places where cycle stands could be sited and then the community voted for their top priorities. 157 people had returned forms at Bank House, at the Community Hub or by mail.

The top 5 sites were:

* Heddington Primary School

* Beversbrook Sports Ground

* John Bentley School

* Calne Leisure Centre

* Calne Town Centre.

Original investigations made in preparation for the project were based upon installing 4 units onto existing hard standings. Site proposals put forward by the top 5 sites have included 2 which are not on an existing surface (Heddington Primary School and Beversbrook Sports Ground) and so, would need additional resource in order to achieve implementation. In addition to the top 4 sites, Wiltshire Council Highways department had committed to install stands at the Town Hall and Bank House location funded from within their budget.

As such, and as there is no further opportunity to consider Area Board Community Grants within the current financial year, it was proposed that the outstanding Area Boards budget would be committed towards the implementation of a new surface at Heddington Primary School and that implementation of the stand at Beversbrook was delayed until after the 1st April 2010.

Decision

5 cycle stands would be implemented (1 more than was initially planned for), as detailed above.

Decision

The outstanding Area Boards budget would be committed towards the implementation of a new surface at Heddington Primary School and that implementation of the stand at Beversbrook was delayed until after the 1st April 2010.

Councillor Trotman provided an update on Marden House. Trustees would like to continue with signing the lease. Attached to the House was the Mill Race Centre, for those with mental health, learning or physical disability. Marden House relied to an extent on rent from the Mill Race Centre and Officers were working to make sure this funding stream remained in place.