Agenda and minutes

To welcome those present to the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed those present to the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Chris Saunders, Cllr Nigel Carter, Nikki Townshend and Becca Higgs.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2016.

Resolved:

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2016.

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

Cllrs Peter and Sue Evans declared that they were members of Devizes Town Council however would vote on the grant application from Devizes Town Council with an open mind.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman:

The Chairman thanked those present for their donations to Devizes foodbank and also thanked the community on behalf of Devizes Eisteddfod for their recent support. The Board also gave their thanks to Devizes School for its invitation to their Remembrance event.

The Chairman updated that work on Pine Walk was progressing well thanks to support from volunteers, Grists Environmental and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

Urchfont Parish Council updated there had been a major incident at ‘Hobbit House’ in the parish, leading residents to be extremely concerned about the impact the private care facility could have on the local community. In particular, the parish was concerned that only a ‘Certificate of Lawful Use’ was required to use the building as a care facility. Cllr Philip Whitehead explained that he had also been advised that only a Certificate was required, however he would enquire as to whether the process could be made more robust. The Councillor also advised that Ceri Williams, Head of Service- Public Protection, had offered to liaise between the parish and the manager of the care home over the issues of concern.

Cllr Mayes thanked the public for their response in donating gifts to care leavers after an appeal on Devizes Issue.

Cllr Sue Evans was pleased to announce that the Clean Up Roundway and Devizes (CURDs) group had found a shed to store their equipment.

To receive updates from the following partners:

a.     Community Policing Team

b.     Fire and Rescue Service

c.     Health Services

d.     Devizes Community Area Partnership

e.     Schools updates

f.      Town and Parish Councils

g.     Devizes Community Area Wellbeing Group

Inspector Nick Mawson updated that the service was now operating under a Community Policing Model and encouraged feedback on the arrangements. The meeting was pleased to be updated on recent progress against antisocial behaviour and drinking in Devizes town centre. In response to a question from residents of West Lavington, the Inspector advised that antisocial behaviour in the village was being investigated however was not a high priority and that the local co-ordinator would be in touch.

Jack Nicholson, Fire and Rescue, updated on a recent house fire in Chirton which had caused significant damage. The officer also advised that much of the fire service in Dorset and Wiltshire had been trained as Dementia Friends, 179 staff in total.

Devizes School updated on a successful Sixth Form open event and also a remembrance event which had brought over 100 visitors to the school.

Mike Challinor advised that the Devizes Community Area Wellbeing Group had recruited new members and was currently in discussions about progressing a ‘Mens Shed’.

Written updates were available in the agenda pack from the Police, Fire and Rescue Service, the CCG and HealthWatch Wiltshire.

The Chairman advised that the order of the agenda was to be changed to allow Cllr Whitehead to demonstrate the My Wiltshire App earlier in the meeting.

The Cabinet member proceeded to demonstrate how to report a highways issue on the App.

Peter Brearley, Chairman of Devizes Foodbank, will present on the support the foodbank provides in the community, and the charity’s current priorities and challenges.

Peter Brearley, Chairman of Devizes Foodbank, presented on the support the foodbank provided the in the community and the charity’s current priorities and challenges. It was noted that demand for the foodbank had risen in recent years and one of the key causes was delay or sanctions against release of Government benefits. The charity was currently well supported in terms of donations however was in need of a permanent store for its stock and new trustees to join the Board.

The Chairman thanked Mr Brearley for the presentation and encouraged anybody interested in becoming a trustee to get in touch.

To receive an update from Sarah MacLennan and Dr Richard Sandford-Hill about changes to the Minor Injury Unit opening times and progress of the Urgent Care Centre.

Sarah MacLennan (CCG) and Dr Richard Sandford-Hill updated on changes to the opening hours of Minor Injury Units (MIUs) in Trowbridge and Chippenham. It was explained that the MIUs would no longer be open throughout the night since they were infrequently used but also costly and difficult to staff. The new opening times and the impact on Accident and Emergency Services in nearby hospitals would be reviewed in 2017.

The Board heard that good progress had been made with the Devizes Urgent Care Centre following public consultation; an outline planning application was to be reviewed in November-December of that year. It was explained that it had taken a long time to get the development to this stage due to the number of partners involved. It was confirmed the NHS would work with the Council to create transport links to the new centre. In response to questions, it was confirmed that the services from the old hospital site would be moved into the Urgent Care Centre, therefore the hospital site could not be developed until the services had moved.

The Chairman thanked Ms MacLennan and Dr Sandford-Hill for their informative update.

To receive an update on the Extra Care Centre from Nikki Townshend (Commissioning Officer) and request your views on the possible names for the new centre.

Janet O’Brien (Head of Housing- Wiltshire Council) updated on the progress of the Extra Care Scheme for Devizes which would provide accommodation for the over-55s. The development was currently half way through and a show flat would be ready for December 2016, with the building due for completion in May 2017. The officer advised that the accommodation could be applied for through the Council’s housing register ‘Homes for Wiltshire’.

The meeting was invited to vote on their preferred name for the centre between the following: Lawrence House, Needham House and Southfields Extra Care. It was also suggested that a room at the centre be named after former Mayor Pete Smith who had recently passed away.

Resolved:

To recommend that the centre be called Needham House after the 18^th century surgeon, Joseph Needham, who lived and worked in Devizes.

To recommend that a communal room at the centre be named after former Mayor Pete Smith.

To hear from Becca Higgs (Sports Development Officer- Devizes) about ‘This Girl Can’, which aims to encourage women to engage in sport.

Becca Higgs was unable to attend to present on this item.

The opportunity to ask questions of your local councillors.

The Chairman opened the open floor session during which a question was raised as to whether agricultural vehicles were able to drive and park on verges. The Cabinet member advised that most verges were classed as highways therefore legally they could be used by vehicles. In response to a question about air quality reports, Cllr Anna Cuthbert advised that the reports on air quality in Devizes would soon be published online.

Following further questions from the floor, Cllr Laura Mayes advised that the number of looked-after children in Wiltshire had doubled over the last 10 years and foster carers were urgently needed. It was confirmed that Wiltshire Council paid care providers in the county at a competitive rate and the recent termination of a contract with a provider had been a business decision. A question was asked of the Fire Service representative who advised that in care homes was the responsibility of the owner to establish the appropriate response to a fire alarm.

To hear the latest news from the Local Youth Network.

To consider the following applications for youth grant (revenue) funding:

·         Bromham Youth Club- £4,514

·         Devizes Youthy- £4,998

·         Lavington School - £6,103

The Board considered funding applications as detailed in the agenda pack.

The Deputy Head of Lavington School spoke in support of their application for funding to support students to participate in the 3 peaks challenge. The challenge would directly benefit the 32 students currently involved, as well as the community through the students volunteering. Helen Bradley explained that the LYN recommended that the Board grant the full application, which was above the usual £5,000 limit for grants, due to the wider benefit of this project to the community. The Deputy Head also gave an update on the school, describing recent exam successes.

It was explained that the application for funding from Bromham Youth Club would allow the club to continue for another year, to the benefit of its 37 members. The application from Devizes Youthy would also allow that club to continue with its growing membership. It was explained that the LYN had recommended that the Area Board grant additional funds to both applicants, beyond their original applications, as Devizes Youthy had since requested an additional £500 to allow for trips to be arranged for young people. The group then looked at the breakdown of both grants and recommended awarding an additional amount to Bromham Youth Club to make the grants equitable.

Bromham Parish Council expressed support for the youth club application and Cllr Richard Gamble thanked Helen Bradley for her work in engaging with the clubs.

Resolved:

For the reasons set out above and in the report:

To grant Lavington School £6,103 to enable students to participate in the 3 peaks challenge.

To grant Bromham Youth Club £5,000 towards the ongoing costs of the club and trips for young people.

To grant Devizes Youthy £5,498 towards the ongoing costs of the club and trips for young people.

To consider the following applications for capital funding to the Community Area Grants Scheme:

·         Devizes Town Council - £5,000

·         Fairway Defibrillator Fund - £500

·         Devizes Pre School- £1,415

·         Devizes Cricket Club- £3,297

The Area Board considered applications for Community Area Grant funding.

Devizes Town Council spoke in support of its application for funding towards new Christmas lights as they brought more people into the town. Residents from the Fairway had applied for funding for a defibrillator which would a community resource available 24/7. Cllrs Peter and Sue Evans spoke in support of the application from Devizes Pre-School. A representative from Devizes Cricket Club spoke to its application for funding towards a new scoreboard which would benefit the 70 juniors and 8 senior teams which used the club.

Resolved:

·       To grant Devizes Town Council £5,000 for Christmas lights;

·       To grant Fairway residents £500 for a community defibrillator;

·       To grant Devizes Pre School £1,415 for new play area equipment;

·       To grant Devizes Cricket Club £3,297 towards an electronic scoreboard.

To consider the update and any recommendations arising from the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) meeting held on 26 October.

Cllr Philip Whitehead to give a brief demonstration of the My Wiltshire App.

Cllr Philip Whitehead advised that there were no recommendations for the Board arising from the CATG meeting on 26 October 2016. The CATG was currently looking into various 20mph speed limit zones and the Devizes to Potterne footpath was currently in the design phase.

Resolved:

To note the update from the CATG.

To receive a brief update from the Air Quality and Transport Strategy Working Group.

Cllr Anna Cuthbert advised that recently the monitoring equipment for air quality in Devizes had not been working, however new equipment would be installed within the next few weeks and so the latest data would soon be accessible. The councillors indicated that a more detailed update on air quality would be available for the next meeting.

Resolved:

To note the update.

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

Following a question from the floor, residents of Potterne were advised to contact their parish council if they were concerned about traffic/speed limits, the parish council would discuss the matter with the CATG as appropriate.

There were no urgent items.

The next meeting will be held on 23 January 2017 at Devizes Sports Club.

The next meeting was to be held on 23 January 2017.