Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed those present to the meeting and invited Councillors and Officers to introduce themselves.

There were no apologies for absence.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 19 July 2016 and 9 August 2016.

Resolved:

To confirm the minutes of the last ordinary meeting held on 19 July 2016 and special meeting held on 9 August 2016.

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

To note the following items for information – written briefing notes are available in the full agenda pack, or online: 

·         Mental Health Awareness.

·         Helping Wiltshire Council meet the challenges ahead.

·         Marlborough Medical Practice Carers’ Fair.

·         Marlborough Disability Forum first meeting.

·         Licensed Trade Event.

If you would like the Area Board to consider or discuss any of these items in more detail, please speak to the Community Engagement Manager, or the Democratic Services Officer.

The Chairman drew attention to the written announcements available in the agenda pack in respect of mental health awareness workshops and public meetings Wiltshire Council was hosting to discuss budget pressures. It was noted that a budget meeting was scheduled for Marlborough on 5 October. Dates of free workshops for Wiltshire businesses to receive advice on licensed trade events were also planned for October.

The Chairman highlighted Marlborough Medical Practice Carers Fair and also a meeting of Marlborough Disability Forum.

To note the attached Partner updates and receive any further information partners wish to share:

·       Wiltshire Police.

·       Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue.

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire.

·       Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

·       MADT (Marlborough Area Development Trust).

·       Transition Marlborough.

·       Town / Parish Councils.

The Chairman drew attention to written updates available in the agenda pack and invited Inspector Nick Mawson, Wiltshire Police, to update the meeting.

The Inspector advised that a new policing model was to be implemented from 17 October 2016, the model should realise efficiencies and was designed to improve service for victims of crime by providing them with one point of contact within the police.

The Chairman explained the CATG was currently working on a significant number of issues and introduced recommendations arising from the Community Area Transport Group meeting held on 15 September 2016.

The issue of road surface in the Parade was raised and the Chairman advised he would look into resurfacing. 

Resolved:

·         To grant £3,750 from the CATG budget for work on the C189

·         To grant £8,250 from the CATG budget for a 20mph speed limit on Lockeridge

·         To grant £600 from the CATG budget for deer warning signs on the A4.

To consider an updated delegation to the CEM to provide for urgent funding decisions to be taken between meetings of the Area Board.

The Chairman introduced a report within the agenda pack which recommended delegating authority to the Community Engagement Manager to determine funding decisions when required urgently between meetings. Members considered this would help them to make urgent decisions quickly, without the need for holding a public meeting, however stressed that this would only occur in exceptional circumstances.

Resolved:

That in order to expedite the work of the Area Board and to deal with urgent matters that may arise between meetings, the Community Engagement Manager, in consultation with the Chairman (or in their absence, the Vice-Chairman) of the Area Board, may authorise expenditure to support community projects from the delegated community grants budget of up to £5,000 in total, youth projects of up to £5,000 in total, and health and wellbeing projects of up to £1,000 in total, between meetings of the Area Board.

Decisions taken between meetings will be reported to the next meeting of the Area Board explaining why the matter was considered urgent or necessary to expedite the work of the Board and the Cabinet Member for Communities, Campuses, Area Boards and Broadband will also be kept informed of any such decisions.

To receive an update on the Local Youth Network (LYN) and for the Area Board to consider Youth Grant(s).

Helen Bradley, Locality Youth Facilitator, updated the meeting on recent progress with the Local Youth Network. Andrew Jack, Community Engagement Manager, advised that the LYN had put on a music festival for young people in the town over the preceding weekend. It was considered that the event had ran smoothly with live bands, cookery, sports demonstrations and feedback from young people had been very positive. Despite this however the event had not been well attended, one reason for this was thought to be the difficulty young people had in travelling to the event.

The Chairman thanked the officers for their hard work in supporting the event.

The Wiltshire Councillors will consider one application to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

·       U3A in Kennet requesting £500 for U3A in Kennet Art and Art History Group Projector.

Copies of the completed application forms and grant application packs for the

Community Area Grants Scheme are available from the Community Area

Manager or electronically at

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboardscommunitygrantsscheme.htm

The Board considered an application to the Community Area Grants scheme from Kennet Art and History Group for £500 for the purchase of a new projector. Members commented that they were in support of the application, provided the resource could be made available to others in the community.

Resolved:

To grant Kennet and Art History Group £500 for the purchase of a new projector to facilitate presentations, on the condition that the projector be made available as a community resource.

A question was raised by Marlborough Town Council about whether the Board had reached a decision on their funding application for new Christmas lights. The Town Council was concerned that the Area Board had not taken a decision publicly and that the application may be rejected on the grounds of it not meeting the grants criteria, despite similar applications having been granted in other community areas.

The Chairman advised that a decision on the application had not yet been made and was to be addressed under the urgent items provision on the agenda. It was noted that a decision was required urgently to allow an order for lights to be made in time for the Christmas period.  

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

The Chairman advised that the aforementioned application from Marlborough Town Council for funding towards Christmas lighting for the town was to be tabled on the agenda as an urgent item.

In response to questions it was confirmed that the Area Board had discussed the application outside of the public meeting with officers, as was usual practice, to allow the opportunity for officers to look into questions members may have had about the application before it was determined. At that meeting it was unclear whether the application met the grants criteria and so it had not been tabled for that evening’s meeting in the printed agenda whilst the query was investigated by officers. The Area Board had since received guidance that the application did meet the criteria and so could be considered, as such the Chairman was happy to consider this as a matter of urgency given the timescales involved.

The application in question was for £5,000 towards the cost of new Christmas lighting. The Community Engagement Manager detailed the breakdown of costs.

In response to questions, the Town Council confirmed that due to much expense during the financial year it was unable to fund the project itself. A discussion was held as to whether traders could be asked to contribute towards the cost of the lights. Members of the public and councillors expressed disappointment that the advice as to the eligibility of the application had initially not been clear.

The Chairman asked the meeting for a show of hands to indicate its view on whether the Board should support the project, and to what amount. On seeking the views of the meeting, members agreed to support the majority of the application, that which applied to new equipment.

Resolved:

To grant Marlborough Town Council, £4,720 towards new equipment for Christmas lights.

The next meeting of the Marlborough Area Board will be held on Tuesday 22

November 2016.

The formal meeting of the Area Board was closed and attendees were invited to attend a training session on planning issues and neighbourhood plans which immediately followed the meeting.

A session on Neighbourhood Planning presented Mike Wilmott – Head of Development Management, Wiltshire Council.

Mike Wilmot, Development Manager for Wiltshire Council, gave a presentation on planning matters relevant to town and parish councils. This was followed by a presentation Marlborough Town Council on the Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan and emerging issues.