Agenda item

To note the written reports and receive updates from any partners who wish to contribute:

      i.        Parish and Town Councils (attached)

    ii.        Wiltshire Police

   iii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (attached)

   iv.        NHS Wiltshire (attached)

    v.        Chippenham and Villages Area Partnership (ChAP)

   vi.        Chippenham Vision

  vii.        Chippenham Shadow Community Operations Board (attached)

viii.        Community Area Young People’s Issues Group (CAYPIG)

   ix.        Youth Strategy Update

    x.        Lyneham Steering Group

   xi.        Chippenham Partnership of Schools

  xii.        Skate Park Task Group

xiii.        Cherish Chippenham

xiv.        Wiltshire Involvement Network (attached).

The Vice Chairman drew attention to a number of partner update reports that were contained within the agenda pack. Further verbal updates were received as follows:

Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership (ChAP)

The fourth Chippenham River Festival had been held on the August bank holiday weekend and had been very successful, despite the mixed weather. A range of new attractions had been available, such as kayak taster sessions. Thanks were extended to Chippenham Town Council, Chippenham Borough Lands, Specsavers, Digiprint, Chippenham Hospital Radio and the many volunteers for their support.

The River Clean-Up project was ongoing and the next event would be taking place on 15 September. All volunteers were welcome. The next Parish Forum would be taking place on 19 September in Seagry.

Shadow Community Operations Board (COB)

A full update from the Shadow COB was included within the agenda, but the Vice Chairman highlighted that all Chippenham Community Area parish, town and unitary councillors were invited to a Campus Update presentation, which would be taking place in Chippenham Town Hall on Wednesday 26 September 2012, from 6pm.

There was a plea for the Shadow COB to keep the Area Board fully updated via progress reports, and also to ensure that an options paper was brought to the Area Board following the consultation phases.

Skate Park Task Group

The Vice Chairman provided a verbal update on the progress of the Skate Park Task Group.

It was reported that MACH Acoustics had completed the Noise Assessment and produced a report. The report would shortly appear on the Wiltshire Council website and would also be available in hard copy upon request and from reception at Monkton Park Offices.

A member of the public had requested some points of clarification and once these had been provided, a senior officer from Wiltshire Council’s Public Protection Team, together with the Chairman of the Area Board, would meet with the resident to address these points.

The next step would be to start the first phase of public consultation on the proposed site of River Island. An item would be included in the next edition of ‘Talk of the Town’ and an online survey would be set up to ask people to let us know whether they supported River Island as the proposed site.

Following the update, the following points and concerns arose:

·         There was some surprise that the proposed River Island site had come forward, seemingly without any prior notification.

·         One resident expressed concern that there was no written report on the matter

·         Concern was raised that some of the points in the Noise Assessment Report were unsupported, and could be challenged. One resident stated that they did not accept the findings of the report and that the residents would consider commissioning another report.

·         One resident also commented that they would get the skate park shut down if it went ahead.

·         A suggestion was made that perhaps Monkton Park was not, in fact, the most appropriate site for a skate park in the town if it transpired that the only suitable place for it would be River Island.

·         Placing the skate park on River Island could potentially have an adverse affect on the Folk Festival and River Festival, as both events made full use of River Island.

·         The possibility of an indoor skate park should be explored as the way forward, which could be the result of the planning development on Bath Road by ING.

·         There was no representation on the Skate Park Task Group of Monkton Park residents which was unfair and did not provide for residents’ views to be put forward.

·         It was felt to be too premature to go to consultation when the Area Board had received no formal report yet.

·         The Millennium Wall site was suggested as a potential alternative location for the skate park, but this site had already been examined and found to be unsuitable due to flooding.

·         A comment was made that it was a shame that no young people were here to put forward their representations into this matter.

·         Chippenham was a large town and the young people deserved to have a skate park.

·         Monkton Park was considered to be a park for everyone of the town, including the young people, and hence should be considered for a range of activities.

Councillor Hutton, member of the Skate Park Task Group, stated that a full planning application would have to be submitted, which would need to take into account all of these issues, and address them. Everyone would have the opportunity to submit their representations once the planning application was submitted.

Councillor Hutton also stated that the Skatepark Task Group was happy to provide a report for the next Area Board meeting and would discuss this possibility with the Chairman.