Agenda item

a)    Salisbury City Council

City Councillor Cheryl Hill gave an update to the Board.

The two “Be a Councillor” evenings held by the City Council attracted 24 potential City Councillor candidates.

The Guildhall Wedding Fair on 3 February 2013 had over thirty exhibitors and over 500 visitors. The next wedding fair is scheduled for Sunday 1 September 2013.

#Salisburyhour - For followers of Twitter, we have recently started a #twitterhour with the support of Salisbury CCM. Every Wednesday from 8pm local businesses and event organisers take to Twitter to promote their business/event/charity etc. 

The Guildhall has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Marketing Excellence Award Category at the Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Business Excellence Awards 2013.

Work has started with the Crematorium project, the expected completion is 4 October 2013.

The Market / Guildhall Square project has commenced. 

The Camp Active programme delivered by our Sports Coaches during February half term was sold out.

Tenders have been sent out to improve the skate park facility at Churchill Gardens. 

Discussions were underway to identify the next steps for the Crematorium project.

A date for your diary – St George’s Day celebrations will be held on Sun 21 April 2013, further details could be found on the SCC website.

Cllr Brady added that at the Wiltshire Council Corporate Awards ceremony held on Tuesday 12 March, Reg Williams (SCC) received an award for Partnership Working. He also thanked City Council for the level of close working with Wiltshire Council at many events including the Hudson’s Field Event last summer.

b)    Laverstock and Ford Parish Council

The representative in attendance had nothing to report.

c)    Police

In addition to the written update attached to the agenda, Inspector Andy Noble gave an update on specific work in the city centre to tackle license premises serving alcohol to those under aged. Two 15 year old girls, working with Officers alongside, visited nine licensed premises in Salisbury; at seven of these venues they were refused service; however in the other two they were served alcohol.

The Police were working with these two venues to help them to make the necessary changes to prevent this happening again. In addition to this, over the forthcoming weekend, the Police would be carrying out overt work visiting premises to check for underage drinkers.

Over the last two weeks there had been a spike in non dwelling burglaries. An average weekly reported rate would be 6 to 7 incidents; however that had recently risen to 17.  Three locally known people had been arrested in connection to these burglaries.

Cllr Sample thanked Inspector Noble for the way in which the Police had responded to the Antisocial Behaviour in Wyndham Road and the Culver Street residents concerns over the misuse of the car park as a skate ramp over the past few months.

Cllr Douglas who also worked with the Street Pastors; gave thanks to the Police for their work with those who become very intoxicated in the city centre late at night during the weekend.

The Chairman thanked Inspector Noble for the detail contained in his reports.

d)    Fire

A written update for February was attached to the agenda.

e)    NHS

Tony Barron (Chairman of NHS Wiltshire) gave a verbal update. The final written report of the PCT was included in the agenda pack; as the PCT would cease to exist after the 31 March 2013.

·         Financial debts inherited by the PCT had all been paid off.

·         Out of the 2500 members of staff, almost all had been transferred to other areas, with only four members of staff being made redundant.

·         There would be some local staff transferring to the new organisation, to provide some continuity. 

·         Five bids had been received for the Manor Hospital Site, all of which fulfilled the set aspirations for the site.

·         Negotiations were underway with Planning and Development Officer’s to ensure that all of the proposals received; were actually possible.

Tony Barron mentioned that he had written to the Chairman following the Board meeting on 16 January regarding remarks that had been made about PCT staff at that meeting.  The Chairman confirmed, he had not received the email and asked Mr Barron to resend it so that he could respond to it.

Several Board Councillors then wished Tony Barron luck in his retirement and gave thanks to him for his work and achievements over the past years, adding that he had always been a completely dedicated and honest person to work with.