Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

The Area Board held a minute’s silence to mark the passing of Howard Marshall, a former Calne Town Council and Wiltshire Councillor. Tributes were paid to highlight his work in the local community.

Apologies were received from:

·       Cllr Ian Thorn

·       Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson, OBE, MPhil

·       Inspector Pete Foster

·       Clare O’Farrell – Director of Locality Commissioning at BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board

·       Jo Cullen – Director of Primary Care - BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board

·       Alison Ingham – Practice Manager, Northlands Surgery

·       Dean Hoskins – Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

·       Louisa Young – Area Board Delivery Officer

·       Ali Robinson – Calne Town Council

·       Glenis Ansell – Calne Community Safety Forum

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 2023.

On the proposal of the Vice-Chairman, seconded by Cllr Ashley O’Neill, it was resolved totake the:

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 2023 as a true and correct record.

It was noted that there was an error in the minutes of the Area Board held on 7 March 2023. The grant of £5,000 awarded to Calne CleanUp Crewhad the nameof thewrong applicantlisted. The minutesshould have confirmedthat thedecision wasto awardCalne Clean Up Crew£5,000 towardsa towncentre planterproject.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

In relation to Calne Football Club’s proposed grant reallocation, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman noted that they had received dispensations to vote from the Standards Committee in relation to an Other Registerable Interest by virtue of being members of Calne Town Council. The football club had agreed to lease the building proposed for renovation from the town council.

The Chairman will give an update on forthcoming events taking place in the Area Board’s area.

1)    Big Dementia Day – 16 September, 10am at Calne Town Hall

2)    Local Plan Consultation – 16 October, 3pm at Calne Hub and Library

3)    Meet the Leader Session – 26 October, 5:30pm - 8pm at Calne Hub and Library

To note that the A4, from the A3102 roundabout to Lake View junction, will be closed for a fortnight from 11 September for resurfacing (9am-3:30pm). 

The Chairman reported that Calne would be holding a Big Dementia Day at Calne Town Hall on 16 September, more information was available on page 16 of the agenda pack.

It was stated that the A4, from the A3102 roundabout would be closed for a fortnight from 11 September for resurfacing. In response to queries about alternative proposals for scheduling the works, the Chairman confirmed that had had taken on the views of local residents, as well as contacting Wiltshire Council and the contractor. The option of carrying out works at night was not considered appropriate due to objections from neighbouring properties. It was not feasible to conduct the work one lane at a time due to the scale of the works.  The Vice-Chairman noted that gates would be in place to allow access for residents living on the road to be able to access their property.

The Area Board were informed that the Ask the Leader session advertised on the agenda front sheet was still to be confirmed and that further updates were available on Wiltshire Council’s website.

It was also noted that Wiltshire’s Local Plan set out the framework for housing infrastructure for employment for the next 15 years. Further information was on page 17 of the pack. Details of consultation events are listed below including one in Calne Hub and Library on 16 October starting at 3pm:

·       Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal

·       Wiltshire Police reported crime in Calne and the wider community area.

The Chairman highlighted that the Consultation Portal on Wiltshire Council’s website was available to allow residents to comment on local plans. He also observed that it was possible to access statistics about crime in the town and wider community area  on Wiltshire Police’s website.

To receive an update from Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson OBE, MPhil, Chief Constable Catherine Roper and Inspector Pete Foster about policing in the local area.

If you wish to submit a question in advance, please email matthew.hitch@wiltshire.gov.uk.

You can also take part in the Rural Crime Survey.

The Area Board received an update from Chief Constable Catherine Roper about her strategic priorities for the force across Wiltshire and Sergeant Nick Kelly about the work of the neighbourhood team. The Chief thanked the Area Board for inviting her back for a second time and stated that she was keen to hear the views of local residents. During the updates, points included:

·       In order to help bring Wiltshire Police out of special measures the Chief Constable was focussing on removing barriers to improvement by redesigning their operating model, to ensure that resources were employed in the most effective way, as well as undertaking an audit and inspection regime. 

·       There were three main priority areas, creating safer public spaces, tackling burglary and reducing violence.

·       Wiltshire Police were keen to improve transparency, so the Chief Constable wrote a fortnightly open letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner. Four mobile police stations were also visiting communities throughout Wiltshire.

·       The Chief Constable explained that she felt she had the best job in the world.

·       Sergeant Kelly was pleased to report that the Neighbourhood Police Team covering Chippenham Calne and Corsham, were getting two new Police Constables, with one focussing specifically on Calne.

·       Overall crime in Calne and Calne Without was below the Wiltshire Average.

·       142 engagement events had been undertaken by the Neighbourhood Police Team in 2023, including an appearance by Police Community Support Officer Mark Cook on the local BBC news to talk about speeding.

During the discussion, the following points were raised:

·       The Area Board thanked the Chief Constable for attending for a second time. Praise was given for the extra investment in efforts to reduce speeding. The importance of proactive partnership working in tackling the issue was highlighted.

·       Issues relating to some specific incidents were raised by the public and the Chief Constable stated that they were welcome to pass on the crime incident numbers via the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager. 

·       The importance of the relationship between mental health and police work was emphasised.

·       Diane Gooch invited the police to attend Calne’s Big Dementia Day on 16 September, so they could gain further insight about what it was like for people living with the condition.

More detailed information about the work of the Neighbourhood Police Team can be found on pages 19-26 of the agenda pack. Additional detail about road safety is available in Agenda Supplement 1.

To receive an update from the Deputy Director of BSW ICB, Clare O’Farrell, and Deputy Director of Primary Care for the ICB Tracey Strachan.

If you wish to submit a question in advance please email matthew.hitch@wiltshire.gov.uk.

A number of attendees expressed disappointment that the Integrated Care Board were unable to attend the meeting. Alan Hill from Calne Town Council, also wished for the town council’s disappointment to be recorded in the minutes, stating that they looked forward to receiving first-hand information regarding the development of the new medical centre.

Diane Gooch, the Area Board’s Older Person’s Champion, and Cllr Tom Rounds, reported that they had received an update at Wiltshire Council’s Health Select Committee about the success of the Primary Care Network in Devizes, highlighting that they would welcome progress towards establishing a Primary Care Network in the local area. They also felt that it was important for the Integrated Care Board to attend to help to educate the public about how the Integrated Care System operated.

It was highlighted that Calne had seen a significant increase in population in recent years and that there were potential logistical issues if patients were to be directed to Yatton Keynell or Sutton Benger. 

It was noted that it was planned for a representative from the Integrated Care Board to attend the Area Board’s next meeting on 5 December when they would be in a better position to provide more detailed information. Further queries could be passed to the Democratic Services Officer in advance of the next meeting matthew.hitch@wiltshire.gov.uk.

The Integrated Care Board provided the following written statement on the Patford House Partnership and the proposed new medical facility in Calne:

1.    Update on Calne and Yatton Keynell (CaYK) PCN and Patford House Partnership (PHP)

Unfortunately, we have no definitive update to provide to the Calne Area Board as to the progress on the Primary Care Network (PCN).

In April 2023, the ICB [Integrated Care Board] made the recommendation to proceed with an allocation of PHP to the Calne and Yatton Keynell (CaYK) PCN which was seen as the only justifiable and sensible outcome for patients and the local population of Calne. Since then, there have been discussions with the Partners of CaYK PCN and PHP; and it was proposed that the allocation was taken forward in a phased way, with the initial focus on repairing and building relationships. A mediation support offer was made, with a very experienced individual but this was since been declined by CaYK PCN as “non-viable” and the PCN position remains that the allocation of PHP back into CaYK PCN is not accepted.

The ICB has considered the situation very carefully with NHS England (both regional and National colleagues) and wrote formally on 24th July to both PHP and CaYK PCN. Several options were considered but discounted as a continued split for this geography is not justifiable and so to allow both parties a final opportunity to find a solution that supports effective delivery of Network services to their population, it was put forward that CaYK PCN remains as is and that PHP is approved as a separate PCN on the basis that certain conditions were met. NHSE are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 98.

To receive a presentation from Gordon Olson and Dave Maloney on the work of the trust including towpath and canal restoration.

Gordon Olsen and Dave Maloney from Wilts and Berks Canal Trust provided background information about their charity, which was founded in 1977, including the progress that they had made towards restoring the canal. 

It was clarified that the charity was known as the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust rather than the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust, as the name derived from the Acts of Parliament that had led to the construction and abandonment of the canal. The Area Board were interested to note that ice had been transported by barge down the canal from Norway in the 1850s to serve the Harris’ bacon factory.

The representatives explained that they were keen to engage with the local community. They had 2,350 members including around 200 active volunteers.

The Area Board thanked the volunteers for their valuable work in restoring the canal. The Vice-Chairman noted that he was a member of Calne Heritage Centre and that there was a possibility of further collaboration. Cllr Ashley O’Neill highlighted that he was one of the 833 members of the canal trust’s local branch and stated that the canal was a valuable resource for Calne.

Further information is available on pages 29-56 of the agenda pack.

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

a.    Calne Health and Social Care Forum and Older Person’s Champion – Diane Gooch

b.    Calne Community Safety Forum – Next meeting 13 September

c.     Town and Parish Councils.

Written Updates

The Board is asked to note the following written and online updates attached to the agenda:

d.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

e.    Healthwatch Wiltshire

f.      Calne Town Council

g.    Hilmarton Parish Council

h.    Wiltshire Age UK Newsletter

The Area Board noted the written updates attached to the agenda and received the following verbal updates:

Calne Health and Social Care Forum

Diane Gooch, the Area Board’s Older People’s Champion, thanked the Chairman for visiting their reconnecting group. She highlighted that a silent disco event had recently been held. Future plans included running more memory walks for people with dementia and investigating whether they could establish a community information hub based on the model used in Chippenham and Corsham. The Older Person’s Champion also reminded the Area Board about Calne’s Big Dementia Day starting at 10:00am on 16 September at Calne Town Hall.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

Watch Manager Tom Burns invited questions about the written update on pages 57-62 of the agenda pack.

Bremhill Parish Council

Isabel McCord reported that she was now the Chair of Bremhill Parish Council. The parish council were in the process of purchasing two speed indicator devices (SIDs). She thanked Wiltshire Council’s Highways Team for resurfacing work over the summer and for installing No Heavy goods vehicle signs. A full written update is attached to the minutes.

The Chair of Bremhill Parish Council also took the opportunity to ask for updates on Calne Area Parish Forum.

Heddington Parish Council

Mark Cawley reminded the Area Board that their annual village scarecrow trail would be taking place on 23-24 September.

Cherhill Parish Council

Dave Grafton reported that their local Scout group would be weeding Cherhill White Horse to restore its colour. It was noted that it was not possible to cut further down as the underlying chalk was grey.

Calne Town Council

Alan Hill was pleased to report that Calne Bike Meet had been very successful, with approximately 11,000 bikes attending. He praised the volunteers and organisational committee for running a safe event. He also expressed his disappointment about two potential sites being allocated for housing development in the Local Plan.

Calne Without

John Barnes promoted the Energy Saving and Local Environment Day being held at Lansdowne Hall in Derry Hill between 10am and 2:30pm on 16 September. He also reported that they had carried out improvement works on the steps linking Old Derry Hill with the main village. Furthermore, they had liaised with Wiltshire Council’s Rights of Way Team to obtain a list of the footpath issues listed on the MyWilts App. Work was also underway to agree a fair distribution of assets with successor councils when the Calne Without Parish Council split up in 2025.

Hilmarton Parish Council

Shawn Warren-Wilcox referred the Area Board to the update on page 67 of the agenda pack.

To note the remaining budgets and to consider any applications for funding, as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

Remaining Budgets:

Community Area Grant Update:

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

Young People Grant:

Further information on the Area Board Grant system can be found here.

The Board noted the budgets remaining for allocation at the meeting and heard from representatives in attendance who gave a brief overview of their project followed by any questions by the Board.

Community Area Grant Update:

The Chairman reminded the Area Board that they had awarded a grant of £5,000 to Calne Town Football Club towards the refurbishment of their clubhouse. However, it was now planned to use the funding to go towards the refurbishment of a different building, Bremhill Social Club, as the football club had managed to agree a long-term lease on it from Calne Town Council. Simon Gardener from the football club gave a brief update about the changes before the Area Board discussed whether it was happy for the funding to go towards the scheme as amended.

On the proposal of Cllr Ashley O’Neill, seconded by the Vice-Chairman, it was agreed to make the:

Decision

To note the change in the £5,000 grant awarded to Calne Town Football Club towards the refurbishment of their clubhouse would be used to refurbish the Bremhill Social Club building for the same purpose (subject to seeing the revised quotations for the work).

Reason

To note the changed intended use of the funding. The application met Community Area Grant criteria.

Older and Vulnerable People’s Grants:

Wiltshire Music Centre requesting £1,500 towards Celebrating Age Wiltshire

 On the proposal of Cllr O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Tom Rounds, it was agreed to make the:

Decision

To award Wiltshire Music Centre £1,500 towards Celebrating Age Wiltshire.

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant criteria.

Calne Seniors’ Reconnecting Group requesting £711.50 towards Calne’s Big Dementia Day

On the proposal of Cllr O’Neill, seconded by the Vice-Chairman, it was agreed to make the:

Decision

Calne Seniors’ Reconnecting Group were awarded £711.50 towards Calne’s Big Dementia Day.

Reason

The application met the 2023/24 Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant criteria.

Young People’s Grants:

Youth Success Academy Community Interest Company (CIC) requesting £5,000 towards a Mental Health and Entrepreneurship Programme for Disadvantaged Young People. 

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager noted that the application had been withdrawn by the applicant as they had decided to focus on crowd funding. In addition, as the Area Board had a total of £2,663 of funding in the Young People’s Grant budget for the remainder of the 2023/24 financial year, they would have been unable to award the requested amount in full.

To receive updates from the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager and Lead Councillors about the Area Board’s priorities:

·       Young People – Cllr Sam Pearce-Kearney

·       Older People – Cllr Tom Rounds

·       Environment – Cllr Ian Thorn

·       Economy – Cllr Tony Trotman

·       Transport – Cllr Ashley O’Neill

Young People

The Chairman and the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager (SEPM) reported that they were planning a meeting at Kingsbury Green Academy. 

Environment

The SEPM reported that they had shared a consultation on air quality in Calne.

Economy

The Vice-Chairman noted that he was involved with Calne Town Council’s Crisis Fund. An area of focus was on white goods to ensure that people had the equipment to be able to cook. He noted that grant funding was still available.

Transport

Cllr Ashley O’Neill was pleased to report that the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) budget had increased and that they expected that they would spend the full budget for the financial year. Areas of focus included looking at whether it might be possible to better co-ordinate traffic lights in the town centre to improve the flow of traffic. He explained that he felt that the ‘All Things Roads’ event held by the Area Board had been a fantastic event as they had received lots of useful feedback. When questioned about the clearing of paving along the A4, he reported that work was underway on a stretch between Chippenham and Yatesbury. It was noted that work had commenced near Pewsham, Studley and Old Derry Hill.

Ioan Rees from Calne Without Parish Council thanked Cllr O’Neill for his work with the LHFIG. He then sought further information on why the proposed housing allocation in Derry Hill and Studley Wiltshire’s draft Local Plan when the numbers had decreased in Wiltshire overall. In response, Cllr O’Neill reported that the proposals were over a longer time period and reflected the completion of new houses from 2020, therefore the housing completed in 2017/18 may not have been included. Fewer houses were being proposed in settlements with greater constrains on new housing. The Monitoring Officer reminded the Area Board that they had two more opportunities to comment on the Local Plan during the consultation period, online on 10 October and at Calne Hub and Library on 16 October.

Alan Hill from Calne Town Council praised the work done by the Chairman to improve the 55 bus service.

To receive an update from Cllr Tony Trotman about the S106 Working Group meeting on Thursday 3 August 2023.

The Vice-Chairman referred the Area Board to the written update included on pages 79 and 80 of the agenda pack and gave an update from the last meeting of the S106 Working Group on 3 August 2023. Key points included:

·       Calne was the only town in Wiltshire to have a S106 Working Group, which allowed councillors and residents to discuss with officers how the money was to be spent.

·       Progress had been made towards the first phase of the Abberd Brook route between the Knapp dual use path and town centre, including safety measures such as widening the path.

·       Bids had been considered for funding the second phase of the project, from the Knapp towards Sandpit Road, with preliminary design work underway. 

·       Discussions had been held about a cycle route between Whitehorse Way and Wenhill Lane.

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the latest LHFIG meeting held on 4 August 2023 as set out in the attached report.

Recommendations:

To close the following Issues:

·       3-21-11 Goatacre Speed Limit Review

·       3-21-14 Calne Proclamation Steps

·       3-22-8 C50 Blacklands Warning Signs

·       3-22-4 Cherhill Marsh Lane

·       3-22-18 Calne Tern Close

·       3-23-13 Calne Churchill Close

To allocate funding to Issues already on the Priority Schemes List:

·       3-21-8 Compton Bassett Speed Limit Review (£4,200)

·       3-21-4 A4 (Studley) Speed Limit Review (£7,000)

·       3-22-16 Compton Bassett Edge Lines (£420)

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

The Area Board considered the recommendations of the LHFIG meeting held on 4 August 2023. John Barnes from Calne Without Parish Council welcomed the inclusion of the speed limit review in Studley amongst the proposals, stating that he would wish to see a 50mph limit from Calne to Chippenham, reducing to 40mph in the more hazardous sections.

On the proposal of Cllr Ashley O’Neill, seconded by Cllr Tom Rounds, it was resolved to take the:

Decision

To close the following Issues:

·       3-21-11 Goatacre Speed Limit Review

·       3-21-14 Calne Proclamation Steps

·       3-22-8 C50 Blacklands Warning Signs

·       3-22-4 Cherhill Marsh Lane

·       3-22-18 Calne Tern Close

·       3-23-13 Calne Churchill Close

To allocate funding to Issues already on the Priority Schemes List:

·       3-21-8 Compton Bassett Speed Limit Review (£4,200)

·       3-21-4 A4 (Studley) Speed Limit Review (£7,000)

·       3-22-16 Compton Bassett Edge Lines (£420)

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.

Future Meeting Dates (6:30-8:30pm):

·       Tuesday 5 December 2023

·       Tuesday 6 February 2024

·       Tuesday 28 May 2024

For information on applying for a grant or grant application deadlines for these meetings, contact the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager ros.griffiths@wiltshire.gov.uk or the Area Board Delivery Officer louisa.young@wiltshire.gov.uk

Future Meeting Dates (6:30-8:30pm):

• Tuesday 5 December 2023

• Tuesday 6 February 2024

• Tuesday 28 May 2024

Meeting details, agendas and minutes can be viewed here.