Agenda and minutes

Councillor Ody explained that he would be Chairman for the meeting since Councillor Mayes was absent. He welcomed those present, including Councillor John Brady, cabinet member for Economic Development, Planning and Housing.

The Chairman drew attention to the Chairman’s announcements, as included in the agenda pack. He highlighted there would be a seminar on the implications of the Coalition Government’s Big Society proposals (as set out in the Localism Bill before Parliament) and what this was likely to mean in the Devizes Community Area. The seminar would take place on 7 April 2011 at 6.30 pm, with refreshments available from 6.00 pm, at the Corn Exchange in Devizes.

Councillor Gamble provided additional information about changes to the local bus service. Adjustments would be made because of the Wiltshire Council budget and for commercial reasons by the bus operators. Please find a list of proposed changes to bus services in Devizes and Melksham attached. 

The Chairman was confident that approximately £5,500 would be available for Devizes Community Area Partnership’s transport working group to improve cycle routes in Devizes, with further funding to be authorised in the near future.

The Area Board was also seeking separate locations for a permanent skate park and BMX facility in Devizes. A mobile skate park would be in place at the Wharf on 10 April 2011. Please contact the Community Area Manager, Richard Rogers, with any suggestions for suitable locations for use in the longer term, on richard.rogers@wiltshire.gov.uk or 07771 547522.      

Apologies had been received from Councillor Laura Mayes, Jo Partt (Bromham Parish Council) and Lynda Wearn (Cheverell Magna Parish Council).

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2011.  

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.

Councillors are requested to declare any personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Councillors Burton and Grundy declared a prejudicial interest in item 12a, the Devizes and District Twinning Association application to the Community Area Grants Scheme. Councillors Burton and Grundy did not vote on this application.  

To receive updates from the following partners:

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c.    NHS Wiltshire

d.    The Traffic Working Party

e.    Devizes Community Area Partnership

f.     CAYPIG

g.    Town and Parish Councils.

a)     The written update from Wiltshire Police was noted. The Chairman explained that it would be Inspector Noble’s last Devizes Area Board meeting and thanked him for his hard work in the Community Area.

Inspector Noble added that boundary changes were taking place to Neighbourhood Policing Teams to reduce bureaucracy and make teams coterminous with Area Board arrangements. There would not be a net reduction in resources.

Inspector Peach would be taking over from Inspector Noble at the next Area Board meeting.       

b)     The written update from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was noted.

c)      The written update for March from NHS Wiltshire was noted.

d)     Councillor Gamble went through the prioritised Devizes area traffic schemes schedule, as included in the agenda pack. Councillor Gamble added that the Traffic Working Party were also looking into cycle routes in the Devizes Community Area and improving the lighting on the new crossing at the Market Square.

Concerns were raised about the ecological implications of work to improve  bridges in the Southgate area. These would be raised before the work was started.     

e)     The written update from Devizes Community Area Partnership was noted. Paula Winchcombe stated that the Partnership could be contacted at the following email address: admin@dcap.org.uk.

f)       Richard Harris explained that he was the full time youth worker in the Devizes Community Area for 13 to 19 year olds. CAYPIG (the Community Area Young People’s Issues Group) meet six times a year and had discussed local issues such as cycle routes, the skate park and activities. There would be a CAYPIG presentation at the next Area Board meeting regarding activities available for young people in the Devizes Community Area. Please find a written report attached to the minutes.     

g)     There were no updates from the Town and Parish Councils, however a parish forum was running successfully and updates would be available.

A question was asked of the Area Board members by Mr Tony Duck, regarding the direction in which each member had voted in Full Council on the new parking strategy. 

Great Western Hospital has been awarded the contract to run the community services currently run by the PCT (health clinics, community hospitals, maternity services and neighbourhood teams). A presentation will be followed by a short question and answer session.  

Lyn Hill-Tout, Chief Executive, provided information about the Great Western Hospital contract to run the community services currently run by the Primary Care Trust.

The presentation covered the main subjects below:

·         Background to the changing landscape of the NHS

• The composition of the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• The services currently provided
• The record of providing good patient care
• Key facts about the new services that the Trust would be responsible for – providing healthcare in over 30 locations from Malmesbury in the north down to Salisbury in the south and across towards Bath and beyond into Somerset
• Why the Trust bid for these services – a unique opportunity to improve care for patients across the region
• What this meant for local people.

Please find a structure chart for the NHS attached in response to a question raised at the meeting.

Please email Kevin McNamara, Head of Marketing and Communications, with any other questions: kevin.mcnamara@gwh.nhs.uk.

Jeff James, Chief Executive, will provide information about changes to the Primary Care Trust. This will be followed by a question and answer session.

Tony Barron and Jeff James provided an update on the Primary Care Trust. Having a single campus for three GPs and the services provided by the community clinic and the hospital would not be possible in the short term because developer input was not forthcoming.  

Services provided in the community would continue while services would be moved from the community clinic to the hospital site. £330,000 would be spent on improving the hospital site and making the clinic site good for future use once vacated. The site at Green Lane would remain designated for health care use.

The Primary Care Trust was due to be abolished in 2013, with a transfer to GP commissioning consortia. There would be three commissioning consortia in Wiltshire, commencing 1 April 2011.

The presentation was followed by a short question and answer session, which included the following main points:

• Little money had been spent on investigating the option of a single campus. The costs involved in looking into the Quakers Walk site had been met by the developer on speculation.
• A wide sweep of potential funding organisations, including charities, had been made with the help of GPs to find another development partner. This had proven to be unsuccessful.
• The hospital site had room for expansion in order to address additional pressures on health care in the longer term.
• Careful consideration would be needed for community use of the clinic site once vacant.
• The costs associated with patients getting to and from services would be taken into account in future planning.            

James Young from British Waterways will introduce the Caen Hill project, to redevelop 78 acres of low grade farmland, and a bid made to the Jubilee  People’s Millions Fund.

James Young from British Waterways introduced the Caen Hill project, to redevelop almost eighty acres of low grade local farmland for leisure purposes.

British Waterways was a QUANGO (a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation) due to be abolished in 2012. The Caen Hill site was a community project with a bid in place to the Jubilee People’s Millions Fund to improve the local facility (there was the need for the bid to be match funded). This would involve an enhanced cafeteria experience, provision for picnics, a range of activities for people of all ages, wildlife walks, educational opportunities and a possible BMX trail.

The Chairman asked for a show of hands for those in support of the project, which was unanimously in favour.   

To raise awareness of the forthcoming consultation. There will be the opportunity to view a small display at the meeting from 6.30 pm.

Carolyn Gibson, Principal Planning Officer, spoke to raise awareness of forthcoming consultation about the Wharf. The consultation would be open in May and run for a six week period. It would supplement work already undertaken with local stakeholders which had identified the features that people valued and those they would like to change. The desired outcome was a brief to be adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance for future development. Events would be advertised locally and through the Community Area Network.    

There was the opportunity to view a small display at the meeting.  

Councillor John Brady will provide a short overview of his role as Cabinet member for Economic Development, Planning and Housing.

Councillor John Brady provided a short overview of his role as cabinet member for Economic Development, Planning and Housing. Youth unemployment was at a record high in this difficult economic time and was being tackled with success, for example through the challenge to create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days. Wiltshire Council would continue to encourage economic development and Greggs Bakery were moving their headquarters to the county. Planning would be affected by the Localism Bill, however it was envisaged that the change to the existing system would not be great. Wiltshire Council remained one of the most successful local authorities in the south west in providing social housing.    

The Community Area Manager will report on highlights and

unresolved issues in the Community Area. A log of the community

issues submitted is available to view online at:

http://portal.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/areaboard_issues_search.php?issue_location_in=Devizes

The Community Area Manager drew attention to the community issues log that was included in the agenda pack. He explained that issues were considered closed once they had been solved or when they were taken on by a partner organisation or a working group, for example the issue of rat runs had been taken on by the traffic working group. A comment raised about the suitability of the closing process for issues would be taken into account when the issues system was reviewed.

A question was asked regarding whether a resolution made at the Devizes Area Board meeting on 4 October 2010 had been fed into the Cabinet for the consultation on initial site options for the aggregate minerals site allocations. The Community Area Manager assured the room that it had been and the issue would be considered by cabinet at their meeting on 22 March 2011.  

The log of the community issues submitted was available to view online at: http://portal.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/areaboard_issues_search.php?issue_location_in=Devizes

Councillors will be asked to consider three applications made to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

1. Devizes and District Twinning Association, seeking £500 for the provision of a marquee and toilets during the conference celebration on the Green
2. Bishop Cannings Cricket Club, seeking £3,415 towards the purchase of sight screens and a mobile practice net as well as to re-surface the worn artificial playing surface on the pitch
3. Marston Parish Council, seeking £2,067 towards the refurbishment of the village bus shelter.

Councillors were asked to consider the Community Area Grants Report and make recommendations on the applications received:

Decision

Devizes and District Twinning Association were awarded £500 for the provision of a marquee and toilets during the conference celebration on the Green, on the condition that Devizes and District Twinning Association does not return for a similar grant in the future.

Reason

The application meets the 2010/11 grant criteria and would encourage community involvement and supporting the voluntary sector without continuing to aid revenue costs.  

Decision

Bishop Cannings Cricket Club were awarded £3,415 towards the purchase of sight screens and a mobile practice net as well as to re-surface the work artificial playing surface on the pitch.

Reason

The application meets the 2010/11 grant criteria and the club has an ambition to focus upon the development of youth cricket. 

Decision

Marston Parish Council were awarded £2,067 towards the refurbishment of the village bus shelter.

Reason

The application meets the 2010/11 grant criteria and it addresses rural transport.

Councillor Grundy commented that he would like representation by grant applicants at future Area Board meetings, for the opportunity to have any questions about the application answered, without which the application should be rejected.   

The Chairman thanked those at the meeting and asked for evaluation forms to be completed. The next Area Board meeting would take place on Monday 23 May 2011 at 7.00 pm at Devizes Sports Club.