Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the on-line meeting and introduced the councillors and officers present

There were no apologies for absence

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 21 January 2021

Decision

·         The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 21 January 2021  were approved as the correct record

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

Cllr Phil Whalley declared interests in the following grant applications, Cllr Whalley would debate but not vote on the applications

·         Corsham Cricket Club coaching

·         Pound Arts Thrive project

·         Pound Arts Trust Ltd Community Arts Centre Improvements

Chairman’s announcements:

·         Foster Caring

·         Wiltshire Independent Visitor Scheme

·         Become a Councillor

The Chairman outlined the following chairman’s announcements contained in the agenda pack:

·         Foster Caring

·         Wiltshire Independent Visitor Scheme

·         Become a Councillor

To receive any updates from the following partners:

·         Wiltshire Police

·         Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

·         Transcoco

·         Town & Parish Councils

·         Healthwatch & CCG

To receive any updates from the following partners:

Wiltshire Police – written update contained in the agenda pack was noted

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service – written update contained in the agenda pack was noted

Transcoco – Adam Walton

Points made included:

·         That Corsham continued to be a Fairvtrade town

·         Currently working with Pound Arts re carbon reduction project

·         Still trying to get the Corsham Community garden project green lit

·         Working with Corsham Town Council re car sharing electric cars

·         Working with Wiltshire Climate Alliance - sharing ideas with similar climate friendly groups

·         Hope to re-start community litter picking picks after 12/4, re the covid legislation

·         Community Drinking water scheme – up and running, when covid regs ease up. Hope to refresh the scheme with businesses that had signed up to the scheme

Town & Parish Councils

Corsham TC – written update contained in the agenda pack was noted

Box PC – written update contained in the agenda pack was noted

Colerne PC – written update contained in the agenda pack was noted

Healthwatch & CCG – written update contained in the agenda pack was noted

The Chairman thanked everyone for their updates

Presentation from Tony Clarke - Pickwick Association

Tony Clarke – Pickwick Association gave a short presentation outlining the Pickwick Conservation Area

Points made included:

·         That Wiltshire Council was very heavily committed elsewhere at the present time

·         That planning applications continue to flood in and are judged, in part, by a substantially outdated Conservation Area Appraisal

·         That the Pickwick Associationhad offered – and the Council has supported the offer to prepare an up-to- date and comprehensive Appraisal

·         That the Town Council had been immensely helpful in providing funds for research and access to their mappingcontractor

Why the need for an Appraisal

·         That It had been clear since Gladman that Pickwick was vulnerable to speculative planning applications unless our defences are in order

·         That the key part was to have in place a systematic and properly argued plan which could be adopted by Wilts Council as a supplementary planning tool

·         That an up to date Appraisal of the Pickwick Conservation Area was such a plan

Decision

That the Area Board commended the Pickwick Conservation Area project

Note: that a letter would be sent to Wiltshire Council advising this

The Chairman thanked Tony Clarke for his presentation and felt that Wiltshire Council needed to support the project, as did the Area Board

·         Health and Wellbeing – Kevin Gaskin, Health and Wellbeing Champion

·         Local Youth Network – Cllr Phil Whalley

·         Community Area Transport Group – Cllr Ruth Hopkinson

Health and Wellbeing – Kevin Gaskin, Health and Wellbeing Champion  

Points made included:

·         Pleased to have continued to meet online over the past 12 months forging stronger links across and into the community area

·         Fewer calls for volunteer support but links to volunteers remain as do their links to those that had needed help

·         That while group meetings were on hold there had been very positive and innovative move to online activities – Pound Arts, Wiltshire CIL, Carers Support among them

·         That Pound Arts Feel Good Pack continues to be an excellent resource, well received and the subject of BBC Radio Wiltshire attention

·         That practical support continued through the likes of Food Bank, LINK and Corsham Baptist’s Souper Friday

·         Ongoing work with Celebrating Age including – Online Concerts, Outdoor Concerts, Creative Conversations

·         That the group were fully supportive of the Corsham Town Council initiative to set up a Health and Wellbeing Working Group as a focus for activities and support in the Town

Decision

Noticing Nature for Celebrating Age awarded £1,500 with matched funding from Corsham Town Council

Local Youth Network – Cllr Phil Whalley

Points made included:

·         That the LYN was re-launched November 2020

·         That the second meeting had been held March 2021

·         That over 15 organisations were now involved including Pound Arts, Springfield Campus, Corsham Library, Corsham Youth Zone, The Green Room Box, Town Council, MOD, Corsham School, Co-op and the Area Board

·         Good collaborative working and emerging projects – Music Therapy, Portable Wellbeing Studio, Cygnets Cycle Group

·         Priority for 2021 – Youth Needs Assessment

Decision

Pound Arts Thrive project awarded £4,250

Note: That a questionnaire element was included as part of the project

Decision

Stay Safe Initiative / Corsham School awarded £3,389

Decision

Corsham Cricket Club coaching awarded £895

Community Area Transport Group – Cllr Ruth Hopkinson

That the CATG report dated Thursday 4 March 2021 contained in the agenda pack were noted

The Wiltshire Councillors will consider applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme

The Wiltshire Councillors considered the following applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme:

Decision

Lane Playing Fields Ltd awarded £3,145 for Replacement External doors

Decision

Colerne Village Hall Association awarded £3,500 for Replacement Windows

(Note; that the Area Board would discuss the way forward for Town & Parish Council match funding at the June Area Board meeting)

Decision

Pound Arts Trust Ltd awarded £5,000 for Community Arts Centre Improvements

Decision

FC Colerne Colts awarded £1,870.50 for FC Colerne Colts U11 New team goals

Decision

Springboard Chippenham awarded £1,254.55 for Outdoor safe space

Cllr Phil Whalley & Cllr Ben Anderson were thanked for their hard work and dedication as members of the Corsham Area Board

Cllr Phil Whalley thanked everyone and felt that it had been a real privilege to be involved in the Corsham community area

Cllr Ben Anderson thanked everyone and was proud that the Corsham Area Board had always found a way to work cross party to improve the Corsham community area