Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chairman for the forthcoming year.

Resolved:

To appoint Cllr Ross Henning as Chairman of the Chippenham and Villages Area Board for the forthcoming Year.

To elect a Vice-Chairman for the forthcoming year.

Resolved:

To appoint Cllr Dr Nick Murry as Vice-Chairman of the Chippenham and Villages Area Board for the forthcoming Year.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Howard Greenman.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2022

The Chairman commented further on the Jubilee events, the Old College planning application, the Swindon and Wiltshire Youth Commission – youth ambassadors, the community conference in October 2022 and the river festival.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2022 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive the following announcements through the Chairman:

·       Updates to Area Board arrangements

·       Changes to Community Area Transport Groups (CATGs) into Local Highways and Footway Improvement Groups (LHFIGs)

·       Taxi Drivers

·       Solar Together

The Chairman made the following announcements:

·       Updates to Area Board Arrangements

It was noted that following a review by Overview and Scrutiny, the Leader of the Council had implemented a number of changes to Area Board arrangements, including producing a new Area Board handbook and changes to grants criteria.

The Community Engagement Manager commented further on the grant funding changes and the role of the Grant Assessment Panel.

·       Changes to Community Area Transport Groups (CATGs) into Local Highways and Footway Improvement Groups (LHFIGs)

Details of the changes were included in the agenda pack and it was noted that the key difference is the new groups will be able to improve or repair existing infrastructure such as highways and footways, in addition to investing in new infrastructure.

It was suggested that potentially the complete LHFIG budget allocated to this Area Board could be assigned to footway issues.

·       Taxi Drivers

It was noted that the council is seeking to encourage people to become taxi drivers, in particular to help the council fulfil its SENS school and social care contracts.

·       Solar Together

It was noted that Wiltshire Council is working with Swindon Borough Council and independent experts iChoosr to give homeowners the opportunity to invest in renewables through a group buying scheme for solar panels and battery storage.

To appoint Area Board representatives to Outside Bodies and Non-Priority Working Groups.

The Area Board considered a report requesting appointments of Councillor representatives to outside bodies, the reconstitution of and appointment to non-priority working groups for the Year 2022/23.

Resolved:

1.    To make appointments to outside bodies for 2022/23 as detailed below:

2.    To reconstitute and appoint the following Councillors to Area Board Non-Priority Working Groups as detailed below:

3.    To note the LHFIG Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix C

4.    To agree the Terms of Reference for any non-priority Working Groups as set out in Appendix D.

To appoint Area Board representatives to Priority Working Groups.

The Community Engagement Manager (CEM) reminded the Area Board that data from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for the Chippenham area was combined with other sources of data along with local intelligence to produce the Community Area Status report. This information in turn informed the Area Board which priority areas it should focus its energy and resources on.

The CEM explained that the Area Board had focused its attention on themed priority areas during the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted a number of key achievements from these areas.

The Area Board then considered potential priorities for 2022/23, taking into account evidence and themes that would make a positive impact on the Chippenham area. The CEM highlighted three priorities for each 2022/23 theme along with a lead Councillor taking responsibility for overseeing its delivery and reporting back to the Area Board on progress, with appropriate support from the CEM. The five themes are:

·       Young People – Cllr Ross Henning / Cllr Kathryn Macdermid / Cllr Adrian Foster

·       Older People – Cllr Clare Cape / Cllr Adrian Foster

·       Environment – Cllr Nick Murry

·       Economy – Cllr Nick Murry / Cllr Howard Greenman

·       Anti-Social Behaviour – Cllr Liz Alstrom / Cllr Clare Cape

The members thanked those groups that had partnered with the Area Board during the year and specific mention was made of the work of the Food Bank in providing help to many families during the year.

The Area Board noted the need to recognise the future challenges for each themed area,  and an understanding of how to ‘fill the gaps’ as these are highlighted during the coming year.

Resolved:

a.    To acknowledge the progress update from the 2021/22 local priorities work.

b.    To agree the priorities to focus on in the coming year, as detailed in the report and summarised below along with the Lead Councillor:

·       Young People – Cllr Ross Henning / Cllr Kathryn Macdermid / Cllr Adrian Foster

·       Older People – Cllr Clare Cape / Cllr Adrian Foster

·       Environment – Cllr Nick Murry

·       Economy – Cllr Nick Murry / Cllr Howard Greenman

·       Anti-Social Behaviour – Cllr Liz Alstrom / Cllr Clare Cape

c.    To acknowledge and note the existing externally operated groups in place for the priorities detailed above.

To note the written or verbal updates provided and answer any questions

arising:

i. Wiltshire Police

ii. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

iii. Parish and Town Councils

iv. BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning

Group (CCG)

v. Healthwatch Wiltshire

vi. Older People/Carers Champion

vii. Other Community Groups

To receive updates from the partners listed below:

a.    Wiltshire Police

The Area Board received and noted the written report attached to the agenda pack. The report provided an update on the performance of the Police over the previous 12 months, local priorities including the rise in anti-social behaviour, drugs supply and community speed watch.

Cllr Puntis referred to his comment at the previous Area Board meeting about parking issues along Old Hardenhuish Lane during drop off and pick up times for the school. Cllr Puntis highlighted that he had not received a response and asked for an update.

The Area Board noted that there were concerns locally about the number of Police Officers ‘on the ground’ and the help that can be provided by the public in reporting crime and providing information to the local force. The Chairman reported that he was a member of the Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel and explained that the recently elected Police and Crime Commissioner was very aware of the issues being raised and challenges being encountered by the public. He also commented on the training being received by new officer recruits. 

b.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The Area Board noted the written report and received a presentation from Tim Elliott, District Commander, who commented on the three strands of the Service - prevention, protection and on-call recruitment. The District Commander responded to questions in relation to the availability of Spectre courses, Fire Service cadets, and the Biker Down national safety campaign.  

c.     Parish Councils

·       Chippenham Town Council

Had appointed a climate officer and were progressing with white ribbon status.

·       General

The Area Board commented on the consultation of the Neighbourhood Plan, the White Paper and inclusion of environmental enhancements requiring a further consultation; the re-establishment of the Parish Forum; .

d.    Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

The Area Board received and noted the written report attached in the agenda pack. Members expressed their concern about non-attendance at Area Board meetings of a CCG representative and asked that the CCG attend a future meeting in order to provide an update on the future of Chippenham Hospital.  

e.    Healthwatch

The Area Board received and noted the written report attached in the agenda pack.

f.      Older People/Carers Champion

The Area Board raised the issue of the lack of community volunteers and funding challenges being faced by small organisations in the current economic climate. They suggested a number of funding opportunities that organisation could explore. The Chairman highlighted the importance of local co-ordination in order to avoid duplication of effort between organisations.

The Community Engagement Manager highlighted the work of Chippenham Borough Lands and the potential for individual and community funding within Chippenham. He also referred to the work of Tempo Time Credits and their role in building local and national networks of organisations, bringing people together in their local communities to carry out valued and important voluntary work.

To receive a presentation from Scout Patrol Leader, Ben Tong.

The Area Board received a presentation from Ben Tong about the 25^th World Scout Jamboree being held in South Korea between 1-12 August 2023. Ben explained the selection process and that four scouts from the Chippenham area had been chosen to attend the jamboree.

Members congratulated the scouts on their success in representing the UK at the Jamboree and asked to be kept updated on the events being held to raise funds for the trip and provide feedback following their attendance at the Jamboree.

To receive a presentation from Kinship and Fostering Manager, Jay Williams.

The Area Board received a presentation from Jay Williams, Kinship and Fostering Manager, who gave a overview of fostering in Wiltshire.

The Kinship and Fostering Manager provided information about the Service, an overview of children in care, common fostering myths, who makes a good foster carer, fostering in Chippenham, the local campaign to raise awareness of fostering in Chippenham and the promotion of fostering in the local community.

The Area Board thanked the Kinship and Fostering Manager for his presentation. The Ara Board noted that a number of Councillors were involved with the Foster Working Group and expressed their appreciation for the work undertaken by the Working Group.

Cllr Hutton, Portfolio Holder for Safeguarding, highlighted the importance of Councillors being involved in fostering.

In response to comments raised during the presentation, the Kinship and Fostering Manager confirmed that two new foster carers were appointed in the last year, safe and stable placements would ideally be made in Wiltshire and assessments to become a foster carer may take up to six months to complete.

The Chairman thanked the Kinship and Fostering Manager for his presentation.

To receive a presentation from the Prevention and Wellbeing Team.

The Area Board received a presentation from Katie Brown, Senior Prevention and Wellbeing Officer, who provided details about the Prevention and Wellbeing Team.

The Area Board were informed that the Prevention and Wellbeing Team is a new Adult Social Care Team which follows that Team’s geographical boundaries for the county, with teams covering the North, West and South.

It was noted that Prevention and Wellbeing is a fundamental component of the Care Act 2014 for adults with needs and for carers in England, alongside other support services.

The presentation covered the Teams vision and values and the categories of people requiring support. Residents were encouraged to contact the Team via the Advice and Contact Team on 0300 4560111 who will then pass on details to the Prevention and Wellbeing Team. An online referral link may be useful for professional and other organisations.

The Area Board noted that the Team provided a comprehensive service with engagement and support to parent’s and young adults. 

The Chair thanked Katie for her informative presentation.

To determine the following grant applications:

Community Area Grants:

To consider the following applications for Community Area Grant funding:

·       Chippenham Art Trail - £500, towards the Chippenham Art Trail project.

Youth Grants:

·       The RISE Trust Youth - £5,770, towards RISE youth sessions.

·       The RISE Trust Youth - £5,050, towards RISE school holiday sessions.

The Area Board considered the following applications for a Community Area Grant and Youth Grants as detailed in the report.

Resolved:

Community Area Grant Funding:

1)    To grant £500 towards Chippenham Art Trail.

Youth Grants

1)    To grant The RISE Youth Trust £5,000 towards RISE youth sessions, with an additional £770 requested by the RISE Youth Trust being considered by the Grant Assessment Panel

(Note – The Area Board asked the Chairman to support the additional £770 requested by the Trust when it is considered by the Assessment Panel).

2)    To grant The RISE Youth Trust £5,000 towards RISE school holiday sessions.

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

There were no urgent items.