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Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Melksham Assembly Hall, Market Place, Melksham

Contact: Kevin Fielding  (Democratic Services Officer)

Items
No. Item

104.

Chairman's Welcome, Introduction and Announcements

Announcements:

 

·       Melksham Community Campus update

·       Cleveland Bridge Bath – 18 tonne weight limit 

·       Removal of D3 bus from Melksham to Bath by First

·       Closure of St Damian’s Surgery

·       Families and Children Transformation (FACT) programme

·       Great British Spring Clean

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman introduced himself and welcomed everyone to the meeting. At the Chairman’s invitation the members of the Area Board introduced themselves to the meeting.

 

The Chairman gave the following announcements:

 

·         Melksham Community Campus update

The Chairman stated that a press release was available in agenda supplement 2. The project was moving forward, planning permission had been granted, a contractor had been appointed and the build should start later in the year. 

·         Cleveland Bridge Bath – 18 tonne weight limit

The Chairman explained that the 18 tonne weight limit had been imposed by the Local Authority for safety reasons to allow the bridge to be repaired. The diversions in place meant that over 200 extra lorries over 18 tonnes were going through Melksham a day. However, the works were short term.

·         Removal of D3 bus from Melksham to Bath by First

The Chairman referred the meeting to the announcement in agenda supplement 2.

·         Closure of St Damian’s Surgery

The Chairman had written to the CCG, however the surgery would still be closing on 31 March 2020. Cllr Pat Aves would be giving further details on this issue in her Health and Wellbeing update

·         Families and Children Transformation (FACT) programme

The Chairman referred the meeting to the announcement in agenda pack.

·         Great British Spring Clean

It was confirmed that Wiltshire Council would collect rubbish collected by volunteers. Parishes would need to contact Wiltshire Council to arrange a regular collection day.

 

For all the following announcements, the Chairman advised that there were details available in the agenda pack or supplements:

 

·         Residents encouraged to manage Council Tax Online

·         Changes to Kerbside Recycling Collections

·         Better Deal for Bus Users

·         Coronavirus Advice and Information

·         Community Governance Review

 

105.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

No apologies had been received from Wiltshire Councillors.

 

Apologies had been received from Kevin Fielding, the usual Democratic Services Officer for the meeting.

 

106.

Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 6 January 2019

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

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

 

Resolved:

 

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 6 January 2020 as a correct record.

 

107.

Declarations of Interest

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

 

Minutes:

Cllr Jon Hubbard declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6, the funding application from Cllr Alford for detached youth workers at the skate park, as he was Chair of Young Melksham. Even though the interest was non-pecuniary, in this instance he declared that he would not vote on that application.

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 10, the grant application from the Wiltshire Youth Canoe Club, because he was a member of the management committee. As it was a non-pecuniary interest he declared that he would consider and vote on the application with an open mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

108.

A350 Melksham Bypass

Parvis Khansari - Director Highways and Environment, Wiltshire Council

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman introduced Peter Binley, Head of Highways Assets and Commissioning and advised that the A350 Melksham bypass scheme had only recently been announced, therefore there was only a limited amount of information available at the present time.

 

Mr Binley stated that traffic had been growing on the A350 for many years and it needed upgrading as it was the primary north-south route between the M4 and the Dorset Coast. It also connected Wiltshire’s principal settlements of Trowbridge and Chippenham via Melksham. It was a key strategic corridor in Wiltshire Core Strategy and SWLEP’s Strategic Economic Plan and approximately 10,000 new homes were planned for the A350 corridor per decade. Sections of the A350 were subject to high traffic volumes, congestion and delays.

 

Slides were shown to the meeting detailing economic growth zones, commuter journeys in Wiltshire and traffic flows. Traffic flow through Melksham was remarkably high. For much of this traffic, Melksham was not their destination. It did not take much for the system to become overloaded. The traffic flow was expected to keep increasing.

 

A Melksham bypass scheme had been considered several times in the past and studies were undertaken in 1991, 2001 and 2016. In 2016 a funding bid was unsuccessful. In 2019 another bid was made to the Department for Transport’s Large Local Major Transport Schemes fund which was successful. The Government determined that there was a good business case to invest in the scheme and Wiltshire Council would receive £1.3 million from the Government to develop the scheme. The actual cost of developing and implementing the scheme could be up to £180 million.

 

There were several local constraints to any bypass route around Melksham, such as power lines, rail lines, rivers, flood zones, woodland and planned infrastructure. Other factors such as canal regeneration, archaeology, contamination and development opportunities would also be considered.

 

Many route options had been considered in the past. These were shown to the meeting and can be seen below.

 

Map showing bypass route options considered in the past. 10 possible routes are shown, some going to the East of Melksham and some to the West of Melksham.

 

The options to the East of Melksham were shown in more detail as shown below.

 

Map showing three possible bypass options of different lengths and routes to the East of Melksham.

 

 

The routes were of different lengths. Obviously the shorter routes would be cheaper. However, it would be worth investing in a more expensive scheme if it was more effective. It was emphasised that at the present time no decision on a route had been made. Very complicated and detailed assessments would need to be completed using the latest data.

 

The next steps would include:

·       Revisiting the options appraisal, including a review of route options and the do nothing option;

·       Updating traffic and economic data;

·       Developing and designing the scheme in more detail; developing proposals to enhance pedestrian / cyclist / bus facilities / green areas et cetera;

·       Assessing environmental factors, constraints and mitigation measures;

·       Undertaking public consultation;

·       Finalising the scheme;

·       Submitting a planning application and preparing the Outline Business Case.

 

It was stated that there was lots of work to do still to do but the Government grant would help them to achieve this which was a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 108.

109.

King George V Masterplan and Melksham Skate Park mini-ramp

Linda Roberts, Town Clerk

James Threlfall MBE

 

  • Councillor Seed requesting £5,000 towards a new mini-ramp at Melksham Skate Park

 

  • Councillor Alford requesting £5,000 from the youth budget towards the costs of a detached youth worker service at the Skate Park

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Linda Roberts, Town Clerk of Melksham Town Council and James Threlfall MBE, skateboarder, gave a presentation about the investment by the Town Council in facilities at King George V Playing Fields and plans for an extension to the skate park.

 

Linda Roberts explained that the Town Council was very committed to making the King George playing fields a central playing field for Melksham that everyone could enjoy and had set aside £500,000 for the project. A sensory garden was to be developed. Aspects of this would be carried out sequentially and volunteers would also be used. The fencing, footways and lights (electrical sources) were the first step. Play equipment in good order would be moved up to the splash pad and more equipment would be added. The toilets were to be improved and refurbished. The Town Council amenities team were moving to the park. At first, they would use the cricket pavilion and the maintenance shed would be improved or rebuilt. The amenities team now undertook all maintenance of the playing fields and took great pride in their work. 

 

James Threlfall explained that he had worked for about 6 years to get the new stake park built. He had used the old one and it had given him his career, so when he saw that it was no longer up to standard he wanted a new facility and worked to make that happen. He was very grateful for the funds received to build the park. The park had been very successful and as a result they wanted to install a new half pipe for beginners. Local businesses and organisations were helping to fund the new project which again he was very grateful for. A build scheme had been received from the contractors. The works would start in June and cost £25,000. The build would take approximately two weeks.  Skateboarding was to be included in the next Olympics which should mean an uplift in young people using the facility. 

 

A question was received regarding vandalism and bullying issues at the skate park. It was hoped that measures would be put in place to deal with this. 

 

The Chairman interjected that he had received comments recently that the skate park was in really good condition and stated that the skaters themselves maintained the skate park as it was a really important facility to them. He referred the issue of safeguarding to Cllr Jon Hubbard who agreed that there were challenges. The dedicated skaters were not the problem, however others in the vicinity could be an issue. Young Melksham had received funding from UK Youth for £5,000 to run a “Bullies Not Welcome” project with 3 detached youth workers visiting the park on 2 evenings per week until the end of May 2020. The Area Board funding would help to continue this detached youth worker service at the skate park until the end of October 2020 and, should it prove effective, will hopefully lead to further funding in future years. James Threlfall agreed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 109.

110.

Public Open Spaces Network - operational details

Cllr Phil Alford

 

  • Cllr Alford requesting £10,000 be ring-fenced from the capital budget for a Public Open Spaces Network Fund

 

Minutes:

Councillor Phil Alford explained the details of a fund to support community groups with resources to improve their public open spaces through the provision of shared machinery and small grants to buy equipment and materials

 

There were to be 2 funds:

·       Small Project Fund: £ 6,000 available in 12 capital grants of £ 500 each for small projects - such as buying shovels, strimmers, goggles, gloves, hi-viz jackets, plants 

·       Machinery Fund: £ 4,000 in larger capital grants available to buy and share larger kit needed for occasional use – such as a clipper or rotivator

 

The bidding process would be through the existing online community grants process. A website was to be established with a calendar for booking use of the kit. The kits would be stored securely at accessible locations around the community, including at the Canberra Centre on Spa Road. Groups would be responsible for transportation of the kit to and from the storage in their own vehicles or with the support of their parish council. Groups would be responsible for their own public liability insurance cover and their own risk 

 

The £10,000 funding for the project had been agreed at the last Melksham Area Board meeting in January. Therefore, the proposal this time was simply to agree the split of the allocated funds between the two funds.

 

The board considered the proposal and it was;

 

Resolved:

 

·       To approve that the £10,000 allocated to the Public Open Spaces Network be split between two funds. £6,000 for the small project fund and £4,000 for the machinery fund.

 

111.

Area Board sub groups

Melksham Health and Wellbeing Group – Cllr Pat Aves

 

Health & Wellbeing Funding

 

·       Independent Living Centre requesting £1,000 towards providing a benefits advice service for older and disabled people (deferred from last meeting)

 

·       Carer Support Wiltshire requesting £965 towards creative writing workshops for carers

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Melksham Health and Wellbeing Group – Cllr Pat Aves

 

The minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Group (HWBG) were published in agenda supplement 1, page 13.

 

Cllr Pat Aves as Chair of the HWBG gave an update to the meeting. The HWBG was aiming to expand its remit from just dealing with grants to tackling local health issues.  

 

The group received an update from Dr Jonathon Osborn on the closure of St Damian’s Surgery. Dr Osborn reassured the HWBG that the other surgeries would be able to cope. The other surgeries had employed healthcare professionals such as mental health specialists, physiotherapists and pharmacists to complement their team of doctors. Patients did not always need to see a doctor and could instead see one of the healthcare professionals if that was more appropriate. It was stated that “over-capacity” had been built in to deal with the growth in population. Cllr Aves stated that she would keep an eye on the situation.    

 

Cllr Pat Aves introduced the Health and Wellbeing funding applications. A representative of Carer Support Wiltshire spoke in support of their application. The applications were considered by the board and it was;

 

Resolved:

 

·       To refuse to grant the Independent Living Centre, £1,000 towards providing a benefits advice service for older and disabled people.

·       To grant Carer Support Wiltshire, £965 towards creative writing workshops for carers.

 

 

112.

Written Partner Updates

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

 

Minutes:

There were no written reports from partners.

 

During the Chairman’s Announcements, Cllr Seed requested that Police Inspector Andy Fee give a verbal update to the meeting.

 

Inspector Fee stated that Neighbourhood Policing Teams had been re-established which was good as the teams understood the concerns of the community.

 

The Police were trying to increase engagement through social media and so far were getting a good response. The meeting was encouraged to follow Melksham Police on Facebook, https://en-gb.facebook.com/MelkshamPolice/.

 

People were also encouraged to sign up to the Community Messaging system. This system allows people to receive alerts by email, text or voicemail from the Police, Fire Service, Neighbourhood Watch, Farm Watch, Horse Watch and Get Safe Online. After signing up to the service you could choose which organisations to receive messages from.  Examples of messages that people may receive included community alerts, other policing news and events, details of area crime trends, appeals for information, consultations, crime prevention advice and outcomes of court cases relating to incidents in your area. Go to https://www.wiltsmessaging.co.uk/pages/2756/1/Home.html to sign up.

 

In response to a question from the audience regarding the number of tractors and trailers parked on the Bowerhill Industrial Estate making it difficult to get through the estate, it was stated that Highways issues such as this were usually dealt with by the Local Authority. The Police could intervene if there was an access or safety issue. However, Police intervention would only be a short term solution, the Highways Department would need to look at a longer term solution.

 

The Chairman stated that from Wiltshire Council’s point of view one would need to see if the parking was illegal. If it was not they would need to make the case to change the traffic regulations to the Highways Department.  

 

The Chairman thanked Inspector Fee for his update.

 

113.

Grant Funding

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.

 

 

  • Melksham Without Parish Council requesting £5,000 towards Shurnhold Fields Car Park

 

  • Poulshot Cricket Club requesting £2,000 towards a new mower

 

  • Transwilts CIC requesting £5,000 towards Melksham Station Community Hub Car Park and Café

 

  • Wiltshire Youth Canoe Club requesting £2,485 towards the Melksham Adventure Centre Floor Renewal

 

  • Strange Old Things - The Mobile Museum - requesting £701 towards “A Short History of Change” touring exhibition of local schools

 

  • Bulkington Parish Council requesting £1,618 towards a parish council storage facility

 

  • Community Emergency Group Shaw & Whitley (CAWS) requesting £745 towards a generator for use at the Whitley Reading Rooms

 

  • Chippenham and District Sunday Football League requesting

           £1,960 towards grassroots football for young people

 

  • Seend United Football Club requesting £678 towards Seend Lye Field floodlights

 

  • Primrose Nature Area requesting £5,000 towards an accessible pathway project

 

  • Melksham Town Council requesting £1,599 towards gazebos for Market Place events

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Nick Holder left the meeting at 8.25pm.

 

The Chairman explained that the board would not be able to fund all of the grant applications as there was not enough money left in the budget to cover them all, as it was the end of the financial year.

 

Representatives of the organisations applying for grants spoke in support of their applications.

 

Cllr Hubbard proposed that the Melksham Without Parish Council application was considered last. This was because the application was from a parish council who had the option to increase their precept to pay for the project. If there were funds left after the other grants had been considered, then the board could decide whether or not to fund the proposal. It was;

 

Resolved:

 

To consider the Melksham Without Parish Council application last. 

 

The grant applications as detailed in the agenda were presented for consideration and it was;

 

Resolved:

 

·       To grant Poulshot Cricket Club, £2,000 towards a new mower

 

·       To grant Transwilts CIC, £5,000 towards Melksham Station Community Hub Car Park and Café

 

·       To grant Wiltshire Youth Canoe Club, £2,485 towards the Melksham Adventure Centre Floor Renewal

 

·       To refuse to grant Strange Old Things - The Mobile Museum - £701 towards “A Short History of Change” touring exhibition of local schools.

REASON: There were not enough funds left in the budget for all the applications.

 

·       To refuse to grant Bulkington Parish Council requesting £1,618 towards a parish council storage facility.

REASON: The application was from a parish council and the project was entirely for the parish council. Therefore, it was felt that the parish council should fund this by increasing their precept.

 

·       To grant Community Emergency Group Shaw & Whitley (CAWS), £745 towards a generator for use at the Whitley Reading Rooms

 

·       To grant Chippenham and District Sunday Football League, £1,960 towards grassroots football for young people

NOTE: It was clarified that this application was for youth grant funding. Therefore, the funds awarded would come from the youth budget.

 

·       To grant Seend United Football Club, £678 towards Seend Lye Field floodlights

 

·       To grant Primrose Nature Area £4,000 of the £5,000 requested towards an accessible pathway project.

NOTE: £2,760 of this would come from the Community Area Grant fund. As this was all the money left in the budget, the remaining £1,240 would come from the Public Open Space Fund.

 

·       To refuse to grant Melksham Town Council, £1,599 towards gazebos for Market Place events

REASON: There was no funding left. The board requested that the applicants reapply for next years budget. Cllr Hayley Illman requested that if it was resubmitted it would be the first grant considered. The board agreed to this proposal.

 

·       To refuse to grant Melksham Without Parish Council, £5,000 towards Shurnhold Fields Car Park

REASON: There were no funds left in the budget.  It was stated that the applicants could reapply next year if they wished.

 

114.

Youth Grant Funding

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.

 

 

  • 1st Bowerhill Scout Group requesting £5,000 towards a new minibus

 

  • Melksham Cricket Club requesting £2,500 towards new cricket nets

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Full details of the youth grant applications were contained in agenda supplement 1, page 17.

 

Representatives of the organisations applying for funding spoke in support of their applications.

 

The applications were considered and it was;

 

Resolved:

 

·       To grant the 1st Bowerhill Scout Group, £1,900 of the £5,000 requested towards a new minibus

REASON: £1,900 equated to half the remaining youth budget.

 

·       To grant Melksham Cricket Club £1,900 of the £2,500 requested towards new cricket nets

REASON: £1,900 equated to half the remaining youth budget.

 

115.

Public questions

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

 

Minutes:

A member of the audience stated that they were very disappointed that there was no one from Wiltshire Council to update people on the Campus. They had not yet been informed on a final decision regarding Melksham House. They were concerned and wanted answers to questions, therefore they requested that this be discussed at the next meeting.  

 

The Chairman stated that he would try to get answers and to get someone to attend the June meeting of the Area Board.  

 

There were no further questions.

 

 

116.

Next Meetings

·       Melksham Our Community Matters Conference (JSNA) – Wednesday 8 April, Melksham Assembly Hall at 2pm- 4pm

 

·       Melksham Area Board – Wednesday 17 June, Seend Community Centre at 7pm

 

Minutes:

The Chairman announced that the next meetings of the Melksham Area Board would be:

 

·       Melksham Our Community Matters Conference (JSNA) – Wednesday 8 April, Melksham Assembly Hall at 2pm- 4pm

 

·       Melksham Area Board – Wednesday 17 June, Seend Community Centre at 7pm.

 

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting.

 

117.

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