Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chairman for 2019/20

Nominations were sought for the position of Chairman.

Decision

·         To appoint Cllr Jonathon Seed as Chairman for the forthcoming year.

To appoint a Vice Chairman for 2019/20

Nominations were sought for the position of Vice Chairman.

Decision

·         To appoint Cllr Pat Aves as Vice Chairman for the forthcoming year.

To note that appointments to outside bodies and working groups for

the forthcoming year:

·         Community Area Transport Group (CAT-G)

·         Melksham Wellbeing Group

·         Melksham Neighbourhood Plan

The following appointments to outside bodies and working groups were made for the forthcoming year:

·         Community Area Transport Group (CAT-G) – Cllr Roy While

·         Melksham Wellbeing Group – Cllr Pat Aves

·         Melksham Neighbourhood Plan – Cllr Phil Alford

·         Area Board to go single-use-plastic free

·         Melksham Young People’s Awards 2019

·         Melksham Campus – May 2019 newsletter

·         Winter weather

·         Highway improvements and traffic survey requests

·         North Wessex Downs walking festival

The Chairman welcomed everybody to the Seend Community Centre for the  meeting of the Melksham Area Board.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Jon Hubbard for his chairmanship of the Area Board during the previous year.

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

·         Area Board to go single-use-plastic free

·         Melksham Young People’s Awards 2019

·         Melksham Campus – May 2019 newsletter

·         Winter weather

·         Highway improvements and traffic survey requests

·         North Wessex Downs walking festival

·         Seend Lye Field children’s recreational facilities

Apologies were received from Cllr Roy While.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 24 April 2019.

Decision

·         The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 24 April 2019 was confirmed as the correct record.

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

Agenda item No:9 Seend Community Led Housing Project – Cllr Jonathon Seed. Seend Community Led Housing Project board member.

Inspector Andy Fee introduced the written report contained in the agenda pack.

The Area Board members are asked to consider applications to the Youth Grants scheme. Full details of all grant applications are contained in the agenda pack.

·         Youth Adventure Trust requesting £994 towards Vulnerable Young People from Melksham 2019 Activity Days

The Area Board members are asked to consider one application for Youth Grant funding:

Decision

·         Youth Adventure Trust awarded £994 towards Vulnerable Young People from Melksham 2019 Activity Days

Chairman

The Chairman gave a brief outline of the current situation re the campus tennis courts and the proposed public access to the tennis courts with bookings through the Melksham Tennis Club.

Points made included:

·         The tennis court construction was completed on 8 May 2019

• The surface is required to cure for at least four weeks before the final colour spraying.
• This is due to take place week commencing 10 June 2019 weather permitting
• During this time the court surface needs to be kept as clean as possible clean to avoid it needing to be power washed prior to the colour spray
• In order to limit the risk of this, Wiltshire Council agreed that play be limited to the tennis club until it is colour sprayed
• Following the colour spraying the courts cannot be played on for a further five days. The courts will be locked down to ensure no-one accesses them
• After this time the courts will be made available for public use
• The tennis club has been granted shared occupancy with Wiltshire Council for the period between completion and issuing them with a lease. The lease is being progressed.

The booking procedure outlined by the club will be as follows until Wiltshire Council formally agrees the lease arrangement.

• The gate furthest from Melksham House will be for public use
• The combination on the lock will be changed regularly
• A booking form has been produced and will be available on the club website and the club noticeboard
• The club is happy to take enquiries for bookings prior to them becoming available (following the colour spraying)
• Enquiries to the club secretary on 01225 704448 or melkshamtennis@talktalk.net

Area Board members were disappointed that representatives of Melksham Tennis Club members were not in attendance to discuss the issue, as their input would have been most welcomed.

Two former members of the Melksham Tennis Club were present. They stated that the actual number of members of the tennis club was low and many of them were now quite elderly. The facilities at the club were poor, there being no toilets or shelter from bad weather. They were concerned that the club would not act in the best interests of the town if granted a lease by Wiltshire Council. 

Area Board members discussed possible alternatives for court bookings, to be taken via the Town Council, Tourist Information Centre, or the Campus when this building is open.

Decision

·         That the Melksham Area Board requested that Wiltshire Council ensured that proper public access was granted to the Melksham Campus tennis courts, and that the Melksham Tennis Club should be members of the Lawn Tennis Association and operate an approved online booking system.

Vicky Bodman - Community Housing Project manager Strategic Assets, Wiltshire Council

George Clarke - Seend Community Led Housing Project

Vicky Bodman - Community Housing Project manager StrategicAssets, Wiltshire Council & George Clarke - Seend Community Led Housing Project

Points made included:

·         That the objects of the Community Interest Company were to carry on activities which benefitted the community and in particular (without limitation) to provide, manage and maintain affordable homes and other community assets for the benefit of the population of the parish of Seend in Wiltshire.

·         Formed 2018.

·         200+ members.

·         Working with the Neighbourhood Plan and Parish Council.

·         Rural Housing Needs Survey undertaken to highlight need.

·         White Horse Housing appointed.

·         Architect appointed.

·         Options agreement being signed for land.

The Chairman thanked Vicky Bodman and George Clarke for their presentation.

The Chairman also congratulated Seend Community Led Housing Project for their hard work.

Councillor Phil Alford - Mental Health Champion, Wiltshire Council

Jo Bowerbank - Commissioner, Mental Health Inclusion, Wiltshire Council

Susan Challis - Mental Health Commissioner, NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group

Matthew Billingham - Local Area Coordinator – Melksham,Public Health

Councillor Phil Alford - Mental Health Champion, Wiltshire Council advised the meeting that he had been appointed the Wiltshire Council Mental Health Champion, a role that he was looking to develop into a more strategic one as time progressed.

Jo Bowerbank - Commissioner, Mental Health Inclusion, WiltshireCouncil and

Susan Challis - Mental Health Commissioner, NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group gave an overview of their roles and of how Wiltshire Council, the NHS and Public Health worked together and with other agencies.

A fuller roundtable discussion would be held with partners at a later date to discuss these issues in more detail. 

The Chairman thanked Cllr Alford, Jo Bowerbank and Susan Challis for their presentation.

Nikki Foster - Healthier Communities Project Co-ordinator & Emily Edwards -  Community Health Trainer for Melksham and Corsham

Nikki Foster - Healthier Communities Project Co-ordinator & Emily Edwards - Community Health Trainer for Melksham and Corsham

Points made included:

·         That the Healthier Communities Project was a 3 year project funded by Sport England’s Tackling Inactivity in Areas of Economic Disadvantage programme.

• In Melksham the focus is the High Street/ Queensway/ Forest areas

·         Partnership funding had also been given by Selwood Housing, Places Leisure and Public Health colleagues.

·         Its aim was to increase levels of physical activity amongst inactive individuals in 10 communities in Wiltshire with high levels of disadvantage and where sport and physical activity levels were known to be low.

·         Local activities at venues such as the Riverside Club, Forest Community Centre and Scout Hut would include walking netball, walking football, a bootcamp, and This Girl Can activities aimed at young women.

·         Health Trainers work on a one to one basis to support behaviour change and improve health. They concentrate on behaviours associated with ill health including unhealthy eating often linked to obesity, stop or reduce smoking, sensible drinking, increasing physical activity, building confidence and motivation to change and boosting self-esteem

·         They also signpost and support clients to access other services and activities where appropriate.

·         The service is open to anyone over the age of 18 years of age and, can be accessed by appointment in a variety public venues in Wiltshire such as libraries and leisure centres. Health Trainers work with their clients for six sessions, building motivation and confidence to enable the client to help themselves and maintain the changes.

The Chairman thanked Nikki Foster and EmilyEdwards for their presentation.

Video film

A short film was shown highlighting Wiltshire Council’s Big Pledge 2019 Launch which Celebrated this year's ICC Cricket World Cup coming to the UK this summer.

Big Pledge was launched on 3 June and runs until 19 July 2019. In the spirit of the theme of the meeting - health, wellbeing and physical activity - all were encouraged to get involved.

Adrienne Westbrook - 800^th Anniversary Working Group 

Adrienne Westbrook - 800th Anniversary Working Group gave a short presentation that highlighted a proposed weekend of events to celebrate Melksham’s 800th Anniversary of it’s Market Charter.

Points made included:

That events over the weekend would include:

·         BBC Breakfast Show from Market Place.

·         Exhibition from local Schools and Melksham Remembers.

·         VIP Plaque unveiling.

·         Town Criers Competition to include Folk dancing all in the Market Place.

·         Medieval Banquet with entertainment paid for event.

·         Re-enactment in KGV Free event with squire training, archery, craft stalls and food.

The Chairman thanked Adrienne Westbrook for her presentation.

Melksham Wellbeing Group – Cllr Aves

Community Area Transport Group – Cllr While

·       To include recommendations to the Area Board

Melksham Wellbeing Group – Cllr Aves

·         No meeting held.

Community Area Transport Group – Cllr While

CATG recommendations approved by the Area Board:

CATG annual budget plus surplus carried forward totalling £17,025 in 2019/20:

·         Seend High Street crossing facility with coloured surfacing £795

·         Broughton Gifford – traffic management at Bishops Seat

·         Broughton Gifford – gateway features at 3 sites

·         Broughton Gifford - Mill Lane control of freight movement £3,300

·         Steeple Ashton – Acreshort Lane playground warning sign £300

·         Melksham Coronation Road - 20 mph limits £13-15,000

·         Melksham - Lowbourne Road and Church Lane bus shelter feasibility

·         Air Ambulance HQ – signing scheme to include directional and hazard warning signing 

·         Steeple Ashton – Newleaze dropped kerbs £2,500-£3,000

·         Pavement and Footway improvement schemes

To receive any written updates from the following partners:

·         Community Area Partnership

·         Wiltshire Police

·         Office of the Wiltshire Police and Crime commissioner

·         Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

·         NHS Wiltshire/Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire

·         Melksham Town Council

·         Parish Council Nominated Representatives

·         Melksham Chambers of Commerce

·         Melksham Senior People’s Forum

·         Older Persons Champion

·         Young Melksham

·         Trans Wilts Cic

Written updates contained in the agenda pack were received from the following partners:

·         Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

·         NHS Wiltshire/Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire

·         Melksham Shed

·         Melksham Seniors – That the group had now become a management group, and would be running in a different manner to what it had in the past. The group now had a new Chairman – Martin Pain.

The Chairman thanked all partners for their updates.

The Area Board members are asked to consider applications to the Community Area Grants scheme. Full details of all grant applications are contained in the agenda pack.

·         Councillor led bid from Jon Hubbard requesting £300 towards a Contact the Elderly boat trip

The Area Board members are asked to consider one application for Community Area Grant funding:

Decision

·         Councillor led bid from Jon Hubbard awarded £300 towards a Contact the Elderly boat trip

Members of the public are invited to ask questions relating to Area Board business.

Jonathan Osborn GP reported that the surgeries at Spa, Giffords and St Damian’s were now working together to provide extended hours and weekend access to primary care services. He is keen to have a dialogue with Cllr. Alford, the Health Trainer and Mens Shed as part of efforts to promote “social prescribing” outcomes.