Agenda item

To note the attached Partner updates and receive any further information partners wish to share:

·         Wiltshire Police

·         Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

·         NHS Wiltshire

·         MADT (Marlborough Area Development Trust)

·         Youth Advisory Group (YAG)

·         Transition Marlborough

·         Parish Forum

·         Town / Parish Councils

1. Wiltshire Police  Chief Inspector Roger Bull presented a report from which it was noted that during the past month the team had been carrying out high visibility patrols to deter theft and other crimes in line with their priorities. However, there had been a slight increase in vehicle crime along the A4 corridor but known places would continue to be targeted. 

He also reported that Operation Banning had been producing some good results and had resulted in a number of people being dealt with under the restorative justice process for possession of cannabis; where juveniles had been involved some very positive response had been received from some of the parents of the youths involved.  

It was noted that the levels of violent crime showed a slight increase in the rolling 12 months, the majority being committed in private space and were domestic related.  Public space assaults were rare and usually an argument between friends.

2. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue  Mike Franklin introduced his report and drew attention to the importance of fire safety measures. 

3. NHS Wiltshire  There was no update.

4. MADT (Marlborough Area Development Trust)  The following updates were provided:-

·                 Community WiFi: Further roll-out was being planned and a grant application had been submitted to be heard later in the meeting.

·                MADT was providing administrative support to a new “Tourism Development Group” that had recently been formed.

·                MADT was developing a “Distributed TIC” project which it would ask the “Tourism Development Group” to adopt/support.

·                 Directory Services was available to view at www.marlborougharea.org  A new Parishes directory was being added to the MADT Directory Services.

·                 The Places to Eat & Drink and Places to Stay Directories had now been substantially populated – please let MADT know if there is something that should be added.

e.     Youth Advisory Group (YAG)  The Community Apple Juicing Scheme was explained, it being noted that this was a community based project that could deliver a surprisingly wide range of benefits.
It could be of interest to: a school, a charity, a church, a youth club, a sports team, a community orchard and have a positive impact along the way.

Community Apple Juicing  presented a tremendous community-wide opportunity to raise funds, and at the same time, potentially:

·             educate people, especially children, about how food is grown, manufactured and delivered;

·             open people’s eyes to the range of nature’s harvest that is all around;

·             link-up people from all corners of a community, especially draw in those with trees in their gardens who may live lonely;

·             build and bind a project team through shared vision, exercise, delivery and achievements;

·             turn something that would otherwise rot and waste away – into a delicious, nutritional, local – ’5-a-day’ drink;

·             save thousands of food miles, and £££,  vs buying alternative juices & fizzy drinks;

·             start other conversations about possible local environmental, social and health benefits.

f.    Transition Marlborough  It was reported that hundreds of timetable leaflets had been produced by Transition Marlborough to help Marlborough residents to take advantage of the new £1-each-way commuter bus links with fasts trains from Bedwyn to and from Reading and London Paddington.

It was noted that following an on-line survey there was 100% support for more cycle racks in Marlborough High Street.  Much had been done to improve these facilities but, in order to make Marlborough more cycle friendly, the following initiatives were planned:-

·       Implement cycle signing strategy, currently work-in- progress by Wiltshire Council

·       Improve cycle path surface at Treacle Bolly, this community issue was raised in early 2013

·       Continue provision of cycle racks i.e. at medical practices

·       Encourage local bus companies to allow bicycles on board

·       Support extension of cycle route to include Marlborough business park and the adjacent area for new housing, with a link to St John's School

·       Pilot 20 mph speed limit in Marlborough

7. Parish Forum  It was noted that the Forum had been considering local traffic plans which had resulted in recommendations to the Area Board from the Community Area Transport Group. (See Minute No 51 below)

8. Town / Parish Councils  Cllr Nic Coome, Chairman of Chilton Foliat Parish Council, reported that The Wheatsheaf public house in that village had very recently been registered by Wiltshire Council as a community asset.  He explained that the registering process was very easy, simply by downloading an application form from the Wiltshire Council website.