Agenda item

Councillors will provide an update on community issues and progress on area board working groups. This will include:

a.    Highways working group (CATG)

b.    Calne campus working group

c.    Sandpit Road (Section 106) working group

d.    Air quality working group.

e.    Dementia Friends Working Group.

Councillors provided an update on community issues and progress on Calne Area Board working groups:

a.    CATG – There had been no meeting and there was no remaining funding for the 2014/15 financial year. The area board had previously decided that the 2015/16 year’s priorities would be the junction at Silver Street to increase traffic flow and pedestrian safety and road safety at Brewer Street / Anchor Road. Further potential priorities would be reported at future meetings.

b.    Campus Working Group – Although the Campus Working Group has not met since the last Area Board, Calne Campus continues to progress. The North Site (Beversbrook) would soon be getting the super new crossing of the main road and work had started in preparing the ground for the All Weather Pitch. The South Site (Leisure Centre) was now back in Wiltshire Council ownership and work was underway to carry out the transfer of those staff who requested a move to Wiltshire Council employment. Although the Hub was not officially part of Calne Campus, it carried out much of the work that would be undertaken in the future Centre Site and funding had been secured for 2015/16 would enable the Hub to carry on its good work. The Chairman highlighted the positive community contribution of the Hub.

c.    Sandpit Road S106 – A handout was circulated to attendees. A meeting had taken place on 1 April 2015 and the budget was examined. A pedestrian crossing was required and an informal pedestrian count was required. The Abberd Way road safety measures had been signed off. A legal challenge was discussed in regards to the temporary bollards / ‘dragon’s teeth’, as access through the restrictions had been requested by a member of the public. The enhancement of bus stops was also discussed. There was no future meeting currently set. Members noted the report and it would be included in the minutes.

d.    Air Quality – Cllr Hill opened the update on the Air Quality Working group, stating that the Air Quality working group were doing splendid work in many ways, such as the Beat the Street project and the recently released cycleway map for the Calne area but that there was no escaping the fact that vehicles cause the measured pollution of nitrogen dioxide and microscopic particles, both of which were potentially injurious to health. He referred to a Central Government website that HGVs were far more polluting than cars; a single lorry’s emissions equated to between 25 and 75 cars. He continued by urging the working group to consider the measures that may be taken to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads in the community area, with particular reference to HGVs in order to reduce the pollution levels at source as well as working to mitigate the pollution that is created. Members supported this statement.

Cllr Ansell discussed the remit of the working group and promoted the ‘Beat the Street’ scheme. Attendees heard how the scheme would operate and that local businesses would donate prices to winning teams. Teams would contain a minimum of 25 people but had no maximum number of members. Cllr Ansell set a target of walking the distance around the world. Team registration was now open and included an Area Board team. Feedback would be provided to the next meeting in regards to the frequency of diesel HGVs travelling through Calne.

e.    Dementia Working Group – The Dementia Friends working group met on 16th March. The Safe Places initiative was discussed and it was decided that the working group was not the right group to deal with this project, but that it should be managed by the Calne Community Safety Forum. Various other projects were put forward for consideration by the members, but in each case further information was required before decisions could be taken. Progress regarding the recruitment of Dementia Friends and Dementia Champions was encouraging and efforts would continue. The need to create more Dementia Champions was also raised, which would enable those individuals to provide sessions to increase the number of Dementia Friends.