Agenda and minutes

Melksham Area Board - Wednesday 14 December 2011 7.00 pm

Venue: Semington Village Hall, High Street, Semington, Trowbridge BA14 6JR

Contact: Kevin Fielding  (Democratic Services Officer)

Items
No. Item

1.

Chairman's Welcome, Introduction and Announcements

(reports in pack where appropriate)

 

  • Melksham Campus Update
  • Update on allocation of speed indication devices (SIDs)
  • Household Survey – What matters to you?

 

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to Semington village hall and then introduced the Wiltshire councillors who made up the area board, supporting Wiltshire Council officers and Cllr John Brady, (cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Risk), who was attending the meeting.

 

The Chairman thanked the various stake holders and parish representatives in attendance.

 

The following Chairman’s announcements contained in the pack were noted:

 

·         Melksham Campus Update

 

Wiltshire Council had approved the spend on the Melksham Campus, which had received good support from the Melksham community area.

 

The rugby and football clubs would be looking to re-locate with the town square receiving an enhancement as part of the Campus building process.

 

 

·         Update on allocation of speed indication devices (SIDs)

 

The list of potential SID sites had now been finalised by the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) and will be passed on to Wiltshire Council’s Highways Department for any action.

 

 

·         Household Survey – What matters to you?

 

The Council and its partners, Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Probation Service, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue and NHS Wiltshire are undertaking a large random survey to Wiltshire residents in order to understand local people’s priorities and needs.

 

The survey called “What matters to you” will be going out to 20,000 Wiltshire households at random, some 3,000 from the Council’s People’s Voice panel, as well as a large list of email addresses made up of council contacts and commercial lists. 

 

Wiltshire Council are also making available a large supply of the surveys through reception points in main offices, leisure centres and libraries so that any adult resident aged 16+ can partake if they want to. Naturally the survey will be available through the council’s own web site and that of our partners. Many local town and parish councils have also kindly offered to host the survey on their own websites.

 

 

2.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Cllr Mark Griffiths.

 

3.

Declarations of Interest

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

Minutes:

Agenda Item No.13 Cabinet Delegated Youth Funding – Extended Services

Cllr Jon Hubbard – Prejudicial  interest, Chairman of Extended Services (Melksham), would leave the room when this application was discussed and voted on.

 

Agenda Item No.13 Community Area Grant application – Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

Cllr Steve Petty – Personal interest, member of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, would leave the room when this application was discussed and voted on.

4.

Minutes

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2011.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Decision

 

That the minutes of the meeting on 26 October 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record, it was however noted that Cllr Richard Wood had been the Melksham Without parish council representative and not Cllr Jerry Wickham.

5.

Partner Updates

To receive updates from any of the following partners:

 

a.    Melksham CAYPIG

b.    Community Area Partnership Representative

c.    Wiltshire Police

d.    Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

e.    NHS Wiltshire

f.     Melksham Town Council

g.    Parish Council Nominated Representatives

h.    Melksham Chambers of Commerce

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

a.Melksham CAYPIG – not in attendance.

 

 

b.Community Area Partnership Representative. Colin Goodhind advised that:

 

  • A campus equalities meeting had been held, a follow up meeting was planned for February 2012 with Cllr Jane Scott, (Leader of Wiltshire Council) and Maggie Rae, (Corporate director, Health & Wellbeing).

 

  • The Melksham Energy day event that had been held at the town hall on Saturday 5 November had been well received and attended.

 

  • A Culture & Leisure theme group had now been established.

 

  • The Partnership were planning to hold an alcohol awareness event sometime during February 2012.

 

  • The Touch2id scheme was being actively pushed throughout Melksham.

 

  • Community plan – the document was now being finalised.

 

  • Good partnership working with Melksham Community Radio to get the

            community area partnership message out to the villages.

 

  • The Community Area Partnership AGM would be held on Tuesday 10 February at Melksham town hall.

 

 

c.Wiltshire Police

The written update distributed with the agenda was noted, Inspector David

Cullop also highlighted the importance of completing the household survey form.

 

 

d.Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The written update distributed with the agenda was noted.

 

 

e.NHS Wiltshire

The written update distributed with the agenda was noted.

 

 

f.Melksham Town Council

Cllr Chris Petty advised that he had nothing to report.

 

 

g.Parish Council Nominated Representatives

Melksham Without – Cllr Mike Mills thanked the Area Board for the work that it had carried out during the last twelve months.

 

 

h.Melksham Chamber of Commerce – not in attendance

 

The Chairman thanked everyone for their updates.

6.

Do you have the X Factor?

A 20 minute film will be shown about becoming a Councillor. 

 

Copies will be available for parish council representatives.

 

Minutes:

A DVD film was shown which was aimed at encouraging people to consider becoming councillors or getting more involved in the democratic process.

7.

Feedback from Melksham Forward Event

Overview of the priorities identified for action at this special event held on 3 November and next steps.

 

Minutes:

The Community Area Manager updated the Area Board on the feedback received from the Melksham Forward event that had been held on the 14 December 2011.

 

Over 100 people attended the event which encouraged lively discussion on eight key themes:

 

  • Children & Young people.
  • Community Safety.
  • Housing.
  • Transport.
  • Environment.
  • Arts, Culture & Leisure.
  • Economy, Jobs & Skills.
  • Health & Wellbeing.

 

Priorities identified from the themes included:

 

  • Reducing night time disorderly behaviour in the town centre.
  • Improving communication about activities and opportunities available in Melksham.
  • Improving men’s health.
  • Re-timetabling First and FareSaver buses to allow half-hourly bus services.
  • The skate park development project.
  • Celebrating the town and strengthening its identity to improve the local economy.
  • Reducing our carbon footprint.
  • Providing more affordable housing, especially in the surrounding villages.

 

Melksham Community Area Partnership were now working with local people to form work groups to drive forward action on the priorities that had been raised.

 

 

8.

Save our Snooker Club (Melksham House) Petition

Minutes:

The Chairman had received a petition from members of the Melksham house snooker section who were concerned that snooker facilities would be lost from Melksham house when the campus plans were finalised.

 

Resolved:

 

That it was agreed by the Area board members that the petition would be passed to the Shadow campus operations board, who were looking at the leisure facilities that would be incorporated in the new campus.

9.

Extended Services Update

Cllr Hubbard will update on Extended Services (Melksham), a newly established charity set up by education providers to further support children and young people in the area.

 

Minutes:

Cllr Jon Hubbard gave an update on Extended Services (Melksham), a newly established charity set up by education providers in the Melksham area to further support children and young people now that the central government funded Extended Services scheme had been phased out in Wiltshire.

 

The charity would be run as a not for profit company, and were looking to recruit four new directors to join, and work along side four existing directors.

 

Cllr Hubbard advised that he looked forward to reporting back to the Area Board on the progress of this new project.

 

The Chairman thanked Cllr Hubbard for his update.

 

10.

Update from Shadow Campus Operations Board (Melksham Campus)

Cllr Roy While.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Roy While advised that:

 

  • The campus project would change the face of Melksham, with many challenges ahead.

 

  • The SCOB had held an equalities workshop and were now looking at the leisure specifications for the campus facilities.

 

  • The SCOB were talking to the town council about the Assembly hall and the future of Melksham swimming pool.

 

  • MCAP were organising a young people’s campus survey, a dedicated action plan and web site.

 

Questions raised included:

 

  • Can the campus have good coach parking?

a)    Yes, coach parking has been flagged up as a requirement.

 

  • There are concerns that the bowls club will be lost.

a)    The bowls club will remain in its present location.

 

  • Will the Assembly hall be demolished as part of the campus proposals?

a)    It is not thought that the Assembly hall would be demolished.

 

·         Can the SCOB look into partnership working with a view to try and keep ten pin bowling in Melksham?

a)    Yes, we will look into this.

 

The Chairman thanked Cllr While for his update.

11.

Any other items of public concern?

Minutes:

There were none.

12.

Cabinet Member Questions

Cllr John Brady, Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance & Risk to introduce his portfolio and answer any questions.

 

Minutes:

Cllr John Brady, Cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Risk gave a brief overview of his portfolio.

 

Points made included:

 

·         Role – ensuring public confidence in the way that Wiltshire Council uses its finances, and identifying any risks to the council at an early stage.

 

·         Ensuring that council departments stick to their budgets.

 

·         Working closely with Wiltshire Council’s auditor, (KPMG), who were happy with the manner that the council is using its finances.

 

 

The Chairman thanked Cllr Brady for his overview.

13.

Grants and Funding

Community Grants Scheme

 

·         Wilts & Berks Canal Trust have applied for £497 towards renewing the signs of the ‘Lost Waterways of Melksham’ walk which indicates the historic route of the canal through the town.

 

·         Beanacre Cricket Club have applied for £1500 towards a roller to prepare the wicket at their new ground in Beanacre.

 

·         Keevil Parochial Church Council have applied for £5000 towards the conservation of table tombs in St Leonard’s churchyard.

 

 

Area Board Projects

 

·         Up to £10,000 for Melksham Town Centre CCTV proposed by Cllr Hubbard. 

 

 

Cabinet Delegated Youth Funding

 

·         £4976 has been delegated by Wiltshire Council cabinet to Melksham area board for 2011/12.  Recommendation is to allocate £366.33 for a litter bin to be placed by the youth shelter in King George V playing fields, Melksham, as requested by Melksham CAYPIG.  

 

·         To allocate the remaining funding to Extended Services (Melksham) to run a participatory budgeting event in 2012/13.

 

 

Melksham Community Area Partnership

 

·         Application for second tranche of core funding -  £4708 (papers attached)

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Community Area Grants Scheme

 

 

The Wiltshire Councillors considered three applications seeking 2011/2012 Community Area Grant Funding:

 

Cllr Steve Petty leaves the hall.

 

Decision:

 

Wilts & Berks Canal Trust were awarded £497 towards renewing the signs of the “Lost Waterways of Melksham” walk which indicates the historic route of the canal through the town.

Reason

This application demonstrates a link to the Melksham community plan in terms of encouraging tourism.

 

Cllr Steve Petty returns to the hall.

 

Beanacre Cricket Club were awarded £1,500 towards the purchase of a roller to prepare the wicket at their new ground in Beanacre. 

Reason

This application demonstrates a link to the Melksham community plan by benefiting local people’s health and well-being.

 

 

Keevil Parochial Church Council applied for £5,000 toward the renovation of 27 listed table tombs. The application was refused as members felt that the wider community would not benefit from the renovations, and that the £5,000 could be better used.

 

 

Area Board Projects

 

Melksham town centre CCTV – proposed by Cllr Jon Hubbard.

 

Decision:

 

It was agreed to fund up to £10,000 for this project and that Colin Goodhind, (Melksham Community Area Partnership) would act as the project manager.

 

 

Cabinet Delegated Youth Funding

 

Decision:

 

It was agreed that £4,976 which had  been delegated by the Wiltshire Council cabinet to the Melksham Area Board for 2011/12 would be used as listed below:

 

£366.33 would be allocated for a litter bin to be placed by the youth shelter in King George V playing fields, Melksham, as requested by Melksham CAYPIG.  

 

Note:

Cllr Jon Hubbard leaves the hall, the Chairman and Democratic  Services Officer both felt that he should not speak on the allocation of funding to Extended Services (Melksham) as had declared a prejudicial interest as the Chairman of Extended Services (Melksham), Cllr Hubbard felt that he should have been given the opportunity to speak but left the hall when the funding was discussed and agreed by the remaining members.

 

Decision:

 

The remaining funding of £4,609.67 would be allocated  to Extended Services (Melksham) to run a participatory budgeting event.

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard returns to the hall.

 

 

Melksham Community Area Partnership

 

Decision:

 

It was agreed to allocate £4,708 for the second tranche of core funding to MCAP.

 

 

14.

Future Meeting Dates

  • Weds 8 February 2012 – Melksham Oak School.

 

  • Weds 4 April 2012 – Melksham United Church (Older People’s Special 2-4pm).

 

Minutes:

Wednesday 8 February 2012 – Melksham Oak School.

 

Wednesday 4 April 2012 – Melksham United Church (Older People’s Special 2-4pm).

 

15.

Evaluation & Close

Area Board Issues Process:

Please see our online issues tracker for progress on all issues submitted to the Melksham area board to date.  

 

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityandliving/areaboards/areaboardsissuestracking.htm . 

 

You can also submit issues online for the area board to consider, or fill in an issues sheet by hand.  https://forms.wiltshire.gov.uk/area_board/areaboards.php

 

Minutes:

The Chairman thanked everybody for attending the meeting.