Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

No apologies for absence were received from Area Board Cllrs.

Apologies were received from:

·       Wiltshire Police Chief Constable, Catherine Roper.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 16 September 2024.

The minutes of the last meeting were presented for consideration, and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting on 16 September 2024 as a true and correct record.

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

The Chairman stated that he had an Other Registerable Interest (ORI) in agenda item 11, the Area Board Grants, in particular the grant application from Devizes Opendoors, as he was a trustee of the organisation. As set out in the constitution, he would withdraw from the meeting in his capacity as a Cllr for that grant but could remain in the room. He could speak as a member of the public but would not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter.

The Chairman will give any updates, including any outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board.

·       Update on Devizes Gateway Station

·       Update on Devizes Gateway Station

At the Chairman’s invitation, Cllr Tamara Reay as Cabinet Member for Transport gave the update, stating that Network Rail had published the Wiltshire Rail Strategic Study which set out the basis of strategic rail planning in Wiltshire. It was noted that previous pieces of work such as the Devizes Gateway Restore Your Railway project under the previous government had fed into this. The Network Rail study recommended a number of interventions, such as enhancements to tracks and signalling in Westbury and Melksham, enhancing local services on the TransWilts route (via Melksham), building new stations at Devizes and Corsham, and developing direct rail services between Wiltshire and key hubs. This was positive news, as it was an industry document which was supportive of the Devizes Gateway station. However, it was early days, and things were likely to change, with renationalisation on the horizon. Wiltshire Council would engage with the Department for Transport (DfT) to try to progress matters. Further details could be seen online here:  https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/news/council-welcomes-wiltshire-rail-strategic-study.

Simon Fisher, clerk to Devizes Town Council (DTC) also added that DTC had committed some funding to support some of the work. Their previous rail expert had been commissioned again to work with DTC and ensure that Devizes was involved in the process. In response to a question, it was stated that all villages, parishes and stakeholders would be kept up to speed.

Cllr Reay thanked everyone for their hard work on the project.

·       Fire in Northgate Street, Devizes

The Chairman announced that there had been a fire about a week previously at a takeaway in Northgate Street. It was highlighted that no one had been hurt and that a number of people living above the shop and to either side had been evacuated. The building had been deemed structurally unsafe, and those evacuated who needed accommodation had been accommodated now. Thanks were given to everyone who had helped, in particular the emergency services, council officers (Highways and Social Services) and to those that had donated to fundraising to assist those affected who had lost their belongings. It was noted that road closures were in place, and building control were assessing the building and would make a decision on what was safe to do. It was hoped that at least 1 lane could be opened, and traffic could be traffic light controlled. The public were asked to avoid driving up Snuff Street as this was a pedestrian zone. In response to questions, it was noted that the building was listed, so this could delay matters and safety was the main consideration.

Not related to the fire, but Members queried when the traffic lights on Bath Road might be removed, the Chairman thought that this would be on 12 December but would confirm outside of the meeting.  

The Chairman stated that Wessex Water would be finished with their works in Station Road by the end of the week.   

The Area Board is asked to note the following Information items:

·       Community First

·       BSW Together (Integrated Care System)

·       Wiltshire Council Information Items:

o   Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal

o   Cost of Living Update

o   Public Health Annual Report

The Board noted the Information Items as set out in the agenda pack and supplement 2, these were:

·       Community First (pages 13 – 27 and supplement 2)

·       BSW Together (Integrated Care System) (pages 29 – 30 and supplement 2)

·       Vaccine Confidence Training Sessions (supplement 2)

·       Wiltshire Council Information Items:

o   Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal (website link)

o   Cost of Living Update (pages 31 – 32 and supplement 2)

o   Public Health Annual Report (pages 33 – 35)

To receive updates from the following, with a chance to give feedback or ask questions:

·       Wiltshire Police Chief Constable – Catherine Roper

·       Devizes Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) – Inspector Simon Garrett

The Chairman highlighted that Chief Constable Catherine Roper had sent apologies for the meeting.

The Chairman invited Inspector Simon Garret of the Devizes Neighbourhood Policing Team to give an update. The inspector announced that it was his first ever Area Board meeting and that he was the new inspector for Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey. Sergeant Chris Wickham was also in attendance.

The inspector detailed some of the crime statistics in his presentation (available in the agenda pack) crime rates were fairly stable, with a modest increase of 6 crimes. There had been a drop in theft, which could possibly be attributed to some of the known, frequent shoplifters being in prison. There had been 11 sexual offences, for all bar one, the suspect was known to the victim. For the other, enquiries were ongoing to identify the suspect.

There had been a rise in burglary compared to the same period last year. FAT rates (percentage of crimes solved) were detailed, Wiltshire was above average when compared to similar forces. There had been a crime series where 5 properties were burgled in one series. 2 juveniles had been arrested in relation to this, 1 had been remanded into custody and the other was on bail. Burglary was a crime priority for the team.

In the community the team had been working on Safer Business action week, targeting shoplifting. There was a focus on rural crime, with officers providing prevention advice and targeting hare coursing. The team had been working on the Fatal 5 prevention to educate people to reduce Road Traffic Collisions.

The team had also been looking at the night time economy, undertaking licensing checks and targeting Anti Social Behaviour (ASB). Plenty of speeding enforcement had been undertaken, at locations including Caen Hill, Long Street, Victoria Road and Brickley Lane. Theft from vans was a priority, as organised criminals had been targeting work vans and stealing high value tools.

It was announced that the Devizes Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) went live on 15 November 2024, following a 2 year journey. It covered the town centre and surrounding areas, and police could confiscate open alcohol containers and disperse groups of 2 or more who were acting antisocially. Educational work and signposting with street drinkers was also being undertaken.

In relation to response times when calling 101, call rates were high, with 49,500 calls being received by the contact centre in October 2024. The call centre tried to deal with calls promptly and professionally and was in a much better place when compared to a year ago. Staff had been recruited, and training provided, however it took time for staff to gain experience, so things should keep improving.

In response to an earlier question regarding traffic in Devizes, it was highlighted that as a result of the fire and other roadworks there were a number of road closures in place, so traffic was being diverted. Members highlighted Whistley Road, where there was no formal diversion route, it was simply a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

·       Town and Parish Councils

Town and Parish Council Updates

·       West Lavington Village Hall thanked the Board for the grant awarded at the last meeting for radiant heating, which was now being installed.

·       Devices Town Council (DTC) – Simon Fisher, DTC clerk gave an update to the meeting. In relation to The Shambles, which was one of the projects consulted upon during the summer, lots of feedback had been received, and some concerns had been raised. DTC would do a follow up response, and there was impetus to get the project moving. A fuller update could be given in the new year. 

There had been complaints received regarding the path at Quakers Walk between the 2 estates, DTC were trying to resolve issues.

Works were being undertaken on the Town Hall with scaffolding in place, DTC were confident that this was not affecting traffic flows. Works would continue until March 2025 and the building would then be watertight.

The Christmas lights switch on was planned for 29 November 2024. This year there would not be fireworks, however, something exciting was planned in its place, so people were encouraged to come along see.

DTC was working on a tourism strategy for Devizes, highlighting that Devizes was a very special place to visit. A successful session had been held with Wiltshire Council and other stakeholders.

Members announced that on 6 December 2024 twinning would be relaunched for Devizes. 

Simon announced that he was retiring so DTC were recruiting to his position. This would be his last area board as DTC clerk. Members thanked Simon for all his hard work over the years and he received a round of applause.

To receive any updates on the Area Board priorities:

·       Addressing climate change and protecting the environment (Lead councillor - Cllr Tamara Reay)

·       Improve opportunities for children and young people (Lead councillor – Cllr Dominic Muns)

·       Valuing and supporting our vulnerable and older people (Lead councillor – Cllr Simon Jacobs)

·       Increasing the safety of our community (Lead councillor – Cllr Kelvin Nash)

·       Support those in greatest need and improve their resilience (Lead councillor – Cllr Iain Wallis)

Lead councillors gave updates about the progress that had been made towards their priority areas:

·       Improve opportunities for children and young people.

Cllr Dominic Muns highlighted that both West Lavington Youth Club, and Bromham Youth Club, which the Area Board had supported in the past, were doing well. West Lavington had also secured funding from other streams.

Simon Fisher, Devizes Town Council (DTC) clerk, highlighted that DTC also had an aspiration to support young people. There were 3 strands to their work, increased engagement with young people, acknowledging and regarding young people, and to develop a safe space for them. Quite a lot of work had gone into this, but it was acknowledged that they were struggling. The Mayor of DTC added that DTC wanted to use a vacant property in Devizes, and within this building the idea was on the ground floor to create a youth hub/youth café/meeting service, on the middle floor to create a space for youth providers such as health services and mentors, and on the top floor a space for education facilitators for young people in Alternative Provision (AP) so that those young people could be educated in Devizes, rather than having to travel far and wide. This was proving difficult, despite willingness from the various providers, as many of these organisations were already working at full capacity. The challenge was to see how DTC could lead on the project and also fund the project. This project was to be discussed by the DTC Commercial Committee the following evening. It was hoped that DTC could open the building for young people and youth services for an open day soon, to refresh research and consultation.

In response to a question on whether Area Board funding had changed and that some projects, such as youth work, could be funded over a 3 year period, Richard Rogers, Strategic Engagement & Partnerships Manager (SEPM), stated that Area Boards could only commit funding to the financial year in which they were operating. Area Boards could state that they wished to fund projects in the future but could not commit to it as funding was dependent on budgets received (which were unknown until awarded), and these were awarded each financial year. In some areas they had started using Wiltshire Council leisure centres for youth cafés as they did not have to pay for use and were looking at working with other groups such as Community First. They were open to new ideas but were constrained by budgets and criteria. Having said that the Area Board model was being looked at again, and this review would presumably include funding. 

Attendees expressed that they wanted the Devizes youth hub to be successful, and with Simon retiring they were concerned that this might not happen, and that planning for the open day should take place as soon as possible with the aim to get the project off the ground early next year. Simon confirmed that he had identified a member of DTC staff to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107.

Residents are invited to ask questions of their Area Board councillors.

There were no questions.

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the last LHFIG meeting held on 22 October 2024, as set out in the attached notes.

Recommendations:

·       £3,100 for a 20mph speed limit assessment in Potterne.

·       £14,000 for traffic calming works in Worton High Street.

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

Cllr Kelvin Nash as Chairman of the LHFIG gave a brief update to the meeting. It was highlighted that more work was to be done within the urban area and that safety improvements were planned at Black Dog crossroad.

On the proposal of Cllr Nash, seconded by Cllr Laura Mayes, it was:

Resolved:

·       To note the discussions from the LHFIG meeting of 22 October 2024.

·       To approve £3,100 for a 20mph speed limit assessment in Potterne.

·       To approve £14,000 for traffic calming works in Worton High Street.

To receive any updates and consider any recommendations from the Devizes Air Quality and Sustainable Transport (AQST) Group.

Cllr Tamara Reay gave an update on the latest AQST meeting which had taken place on 15 November. Key headlines were included in the slides, which are appended to these minutes. Thanks were given to all representatives who had attended the meeting.

Regarding London Road, as part of the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) data had been collected and options were to be drawn up in December which would then go out to consultation in January/February 2025. 

It was good news that Devizes Air Quality had continued to improve; increasingly efficient vehicles were thought to be the reason for this. This may mean that the Devizes Air Quality Management Area may be revoked by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Wiltshire Connect, which was a demand responsive transport service, had improved patronage. Improvements were being made to the service which already covered Devizes, Pewsey Vale and Tidworth.

Walking and Cycling - in relation to bike security which had been discussed at the AQST meeting and earlier in this meeting, bike lockers were being looked at. Data would be checked with the police as data given at the meeting seemed to show a significant problem with bike theft in the Devizes area. 

The draft Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) would discussed by Cabinet on 19 November 2024 and if approved would go out for an 8 week consultation soon.

To receive an update on the Health and Wellbeing Network.

Caroline LeQuesne, Engagement and Partnerships Lead gave an update on the Devizes Health and Wellbeing (HWB) Network meeting which had taken place on 5 November 2024. The slides used are appended to these minutes.

The officer gave details on the Neighbourhood Collaboratives which had been set up by Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Together (BSW Together) Integrated Care System (ICS). The aim was to be more collaborative, work together to improve health inequalities, discourage silo working and connect the NHS and communities.

In order to reduce healthcare inequalities, the Core 20 plus 5 approach was being used. This targeted the most deprived 20% of the population as identified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation and some ICS chosen groups who experienced poorer than average health access, experience or outcomes, who might not be captured by the Core 20 alone. These were Gypsy Roma Travellers and Boater groups and Manual workers (specifically those in minority groups). The Plus 5 was the key clinical areas of health inequalities, which for adults were:

·       Maternity

·       Sever mental illness

·       Chronic respiratory disease

·       Early cancer diagnosis

·       Hypertension

The Plus 5 key clinical areas of health inequalities for children and young people were:

·       Asthma

·       Diabetes

·       Epilepsy

·       Oral health

·       Mental health

The BSW steering group would interact with neighbourhood collaboratives with 6 core principles:

·       Partnership working

·       Co-production

·       Whole community approach to addressing equality gaps in health and wellbeing

·       Integration to create the community led vision

·       Enabling volunteers and staff to thrive

·       Creating a movement for change

The Devizes Collaborative had completed their readiness review and a launch programme, and their first project would be ‘Improving Emotional Resilience in Young People’.

The project was in its early stages and a BSW Together representative would attend a meeting when the project was further progressed.

The Devizes HWB Network was a small group although anyone with an interest was welcome to attend. People could contact Caroline.LeQuesne@wiltshire.gov.uk for more information.

In response to a question regarding whether the Neighbourhood Collaborative could be aligned with the Devizes youth hub project discussed earlier in the meeting, the officer explained that Neighbourhood Collaboratives did not come with any funding. How the groups overlapped would need to be assessed. A lot of the same groups were already involved in the youth hub project and the Neighbourhood Collaborative. 

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

Remaining Budgets:

Balance if all grants are agreed based on recommendations:

Area Board Initiatives:

Community Area Grants:

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

Young People Grants:

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

The Chairman presided over the item and the Area Board noted the budgets remaining for allocation at the meeting and in noted what the remaining budgets would be if all grants were awarded in full at the meeting.

The Area Board heard from grant applicants in attendance who gave a brief overview of, and were questioned about, their project. The applications were taken in a slightly different order to that published in the agenda due to the Chairman’s declaration of interest.

Community Area Grants:

·       Devizes and District PHAB requested £200.00 towards minibus seating cushions.

Representatives of Devizes and District PHAB explained the project and spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Philip Whitehead proposed a motion to award the grant in full, this was seconded by Cllr Simon Jacobs.

Decision:

Devizes and District PHAB was awarded £200.00 towards minibus seating cushions.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2024/25.

Young People Grants:

·       Bromham Youth Club requested £3,230.20 towards running costs for Bromham Youth Club.

Representatives of Bromham Youth Club explained the project and spoke in support of the application.

Cllr Laura Mayes proposed a motion to award the grant in full, this was seconded by Cllr Dominic Muns.

Decision:

Bromham Youth Club was awarded £3,230.20 towards running costs for Bromham Youth Club.

Reason – The application met the Youth Grants Criteria 2024/25.

·       Omnes ad Unum requested £2,500.00 towards their organ scholarship and teaching programme.

Representatives of Omnes ad Unum explained the project and spoke in support of the application. It was explained that the project would start in March 2025 and that the scheme would be open to all schools in the area. The main organ at St John’s Church was being reconstructed after a fire. Transport or assistance for transport would be provided. The programme was open to all regardless of faith or religion.

In response to questions from the Board, it was explained that the project would start using the existing working organ, and it was hoped that work on the main organ would be completed by May 2025, so at that point they would swap to using the repaired main organ.

The Chairman proposed that the grant be awarded in full, and this was seconded by Cllr Simon Jacobs.

Decision:

Omnes ad Unum was awarded £2,500.00 towards their organ scholarship and teaching programme

Reason – The application met the Youth Grants Criteria 2024/25.

Area Board Initiatives

·       Devizes Area Board Initiative requested £500 towards the Devizes Area Board Christmas Evening (from Older & Vulnerable budget).

Cllr Kelvin Nash explained the project, stating that it would take place on the last Friday before Christmas and was aimed at the elderly and vulnerable. The event was supported by St James’s Church and would involve the town band and the military wives choir.

The Chairman proposed a motion to award the grant in full, which was seconded by Cllr Philip Whitehead.

Decision:

The Devizes Area Board Initiative was awarded £500 towards the Devizes Area Board Christmas Evening

Reason –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112.

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

There were no urgent items.

The Chairman announced future meeting dates as listed on the agenda, thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.