Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Bridie Hanraads, (Community Conversations Worker in Melksham Forest).

 

Cllr Nick Holder joined the meeting at a later point in the agenda.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2023 were presented for consideration.

 

The Chairman noted that he had been in contact with the Highways Team as the Area Board had not yet received written answers from the questions posed at the Highways Matters themed Area Board, which took place on 6 December.

 

After which, it was;

 

Resolved:

 

To approve and sign as a true and correct record of the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2023.

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

The following declarations of disclosable interests were made during the meeting:

 

·       Cllr Jon Hubbard declared that he was Chair of Trustees of 4Youth so would therefore abstain from voting on the grant application for an Area Board initiative to hold an event at the Skate Park as this would likely be ran by 4Youth.

·       Cllr Jack Oatley declared that he was a of Trustee of 4Youth so would therefore abstain from voting on the grant application for an Area Board initiative to hold an event at the Skate Park as this would likely be ran by 4Youth.

·       Cllr Jon Hubbard declared that he was a trustee of the Riverside Centre so would therefore abstain from voting on the grant application submitted by the Riverside Centre.

·       Cllr Nick Holder declared that he had a family member working for Age UK so would therefore abstain from voting on the grant application submitted by Age UK.

To receive the following briefing note through the Chairman:

 

·       Local Nature Recovery Strategy Public Engagement
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (youtube.com)

·       Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition

·       Wiltshire Council’s Cultural Strategy 2023-2030

The Chairman drew attention to the following briefing notes within the agenda pack:

 

·       Local Nature Recovery Strategy Public Engagement

·       Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition

·       Wiltshire Council’s Cultural Strategy 2023-2030

 

The Chairman also provided the following verbal updates:

 

·       Melksham Tennis Club Update

After many years of discussion, a new system for booking the use of the courts had been set up and would be centrally ran.

 

·       Strategic Planning Committee

On 6 March 2024, the Chairman, Cllr Richard Wood (Melksham Without Parish Council) and others argued strongly against a planning application on Semington Road, which it was not felt was required or fit within the neighbourhood plan. The application was successfully rejected.

To receive updates from any of the following partner organisations:

 

·       Wiltshire Police

·       BSW Together (Integrated Care System)

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Community First

·       Town and Parish Councils

Updates were received from the following partners:

 

·       Wiltshire Police

The Area Board noted written updates attached to the agenda. In addition, Inspector Andy Lemon and Sergeant Gemma Rutter provided a verbal update which covered the following points:

 

·       An overview for the local priorities in Melksham was provided, including the following areas:

o   Anti-social behaviour in Church Walk, Melksham – Work is being conducted with the local authority regarding a particular individual’s tenancy. Progress is being made, with enforcement patrols carrying on.

o   Bail checks, Melksham – There are currently 3 youths on bail for offences in Melksham. Work has been conducted with partner agencies to engage with the youths, but this has been unsuccessful due to a lack of engagement from the youths. The individuals are now subject to being on a tag and will be pursued through the courts.

o   Semington Bus Gate, Melksham – Patrols have been stepped up on the bus gate following community complaints. The police have been turning away cars, but this will eventually escalate to enforcement.

o   Keevil, Melksham – Patrols have been conducted for fly tipping in the area, with their set to be activity in this area in conjunction with the local authority and trading standards.

·       Detail was provided relating to year-on-year crime stats for Melksham including the following key points:

o   Violence is down from 2023, improving safer spaces in Melksham.

o   Criminal damage is being kept down.

o   Vehicle crime spiked in February; however this was the result of one incident in Bowerhill where 21 cars were broken into in one night by an individual.

o   Drug offending remains low and theft offending has declined in February 2024.

o   Burglary has shown as increase due to the three regular youth offenders.

·       Detail was provided regarding what work is being conducted regarding Melksham Traffic, with the report referencing successful speed enforcement incidents.

·       The direction of work for the next three months was outlined, with it noted that there was a new model for community response and that the police now had two new mobile police stations.

 

After the verbal update, there was time for the following questions and points to be made:

·       Cllr Mike Sankey publicly thanked the police team for their work, particularly with the work conducted on the Semington bus gate as traffic survey results had been staggering; therefore, it was important that action had been taken.

·       Inspector Lemon and Sergeant Rutter stated that if parish councils desired the police to attend their meetings, they could approach them and ask for their attendance. Cllr Seed expressed that this gives a great feeling of police involvement in the community and is appreciated.

·       Sergeant Rutter stated that a plan was being developed that would eventually lead to the creation of a monthly online meeting for parish councils to attend. This meeting would be online to encourage easy access, with invites set to be sent to clerks in due course. The possibility of having a separate meeting for organisations such as the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

To receive an update on Melksham House from Cllr Phil Alford (Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Assets and Asset Transfer).

The Area Board received an update on Melksham House from Cllr Phil Alford (Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Assets and Asset Transfer). The update covered the following matters:

 

·       The Chairman noted that earlier in the evening Members of the Area Board had been provided with a walk around the almost finished Melksham House, with thanks provided to officers involved. It was expressed that an excellent facility had been created in the space.

·       It was noted that the journey of Melksham House had been a long one, with it noted that as part of the campus programme there had been a requirement to bring back the Grade 2 listed building to a zero-carbon standard.

·       The use of the building had been undecided for a while; however, it had since been decided that the building would be used as an SEMH (Social, Emotional & Mental Health) school for children.

·       It was hoped that the school would be up and running in September, with a procurement process now in place to identify an organisation to provide the special education facility.

·       As part of the agreement, the building would be leased, with it desirable that the hall be made available to the public, out of school hours.

·       Cllr Alford noted that the building had now moved out of his Cabinet portfolio and into that of procurement and education.

To receive a presentation from Richard Rogers (Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager) and Caroline LeQuesne (Area Board Delivery Officer). Topics to include:

 

·       How to access the information

·       A discussion on the findings

The Area Board received a presentation from Richard Rogers (Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager). The presentation covered the following matters:

 

·       Once a year the Area Board renews its local priorities, with this next set to be done in May. One of the ways in which this is done is to consider local data available, to assess what areas are doing well and not so well.

·       A significant part of this data is the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and Community Area Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (CAJSNA), which is a collection of data captured from Wiltshire Council services and partner organisations. This data is then formatted so that residents can understand it.

·       The last JSNA was completed in 2020 and is completed every 4 years. In 2020 Covid heavily affected the data.

·       An interim health and wellbeing recovery JSNA was completed in 2022 to recognise the affect which Covid had had on people and the economy, with the following three priorities identified from this:

o   Ageing Population

o   Mental and emotional wellbeing

o   Cost of living

·       It was outlined that the data could be accessed via the following website: Wiltshire Intelligence - Bringing Evidence Together

·       It was stressed that data is not always entirely accurate, can go out of date and can be affected by significant events such as Covid.

·       Statistics were provided from the following areas including:

o   Young People and Children

o   Environment and Transport

o   Cost of living

·       Reference was drawn to a QR code included within the presentation, which was for a survey, in which the results would be brought back to the next Area Board meeting to help decide the priorities.

·       It was agreed that paper copies of the survey would be placed in the library.

 

After the presentation, there was time for a discussion of the following questions:

 

Given the data, what do you think are the most important challenges for the Melksham community area?

 

·       The number of children self-harming and admitted to hospital was higher in Melksham than the Wiltshire average, this should be an area for consideration. Considerations could include what the route causes are and what can be done to help young people.

·       One aspect identified within the data was the use of cars, which links into the lack of new employment land within the Melksham area, with all land being converted into housing there is no new employment land, causing people to commute.

·       It was noted that Members had spoken to the Leader and Cabinet Members to obtain more employment land for Melksham with there being a number of businesses who would like to work operate in Melksham.

·       Cllr Holder noted that this frustration was shared with employers and that there is a level of reliance on council tax to fund Wiltshire Council revenue, with 85% of all revenue spent funded from resident council tax. It was stated that the land south towards the railway line was already under auction for housing development, however Wiltshire Council had significantly invested in the land  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

To note the remaining budgets and to consider any applications for funding, as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

 

Remaining Budgets:

 

Community Area Grant	Older & Vulnerable	Young People
£18,583.60	£5,225.22	£6,543.44

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1653	Melksham Area Board – Skate event at Melksham skate park	£500

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1492	Riverside Centre - Acoustic Sound Project	£3,425
ABG1544	Friends of Shurnhold Fields - New tractor mower	£4,337
ABG1553	Bowerhill Baby and Toddler Group - BBTG New Racking Storage System and 2 X Water Trays	£980.49
ABG1554	Shaw and Whitley Community Hub - Whitley Stores Community Shop	£5,000
ABG1606	Melksham Cricket Club - Extension to outdoor space for spectators and community	£5,000
,ABG1620	Berryfield Village Hall Trust - Berryfield Village Hall Air Conditioning	£5,000
ABG1632	Bowerhill Village Hall Trust - Bowerhill Village Hall replacement kitchen	£4,000

 

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1488	Arts Together - Arts Together Projects for Isolated and Vulnerable Older People in Melksham	£2,500
ABG1650	Age UK Wiltshire - Melksham Information and Advice for Older People	£2,500

 

Young People Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1602	Melksham Cricket Club - Youth Cricket Equipment	£2,170
ABG1609	Afc Melksham - Afc Melksham Disabled youth football coaching	£500
ABG1619	Saxon Group Riding for the Disabled Association - Saxon Group RDA Engagement Melksham	£1,050
ABG1640	The Steeple Ashton Recreation and Community Development Group - Steeple Ashton St Marys playing field development Football	£950.43

 

Further information on the Area Board Grant system can be found here.

The Chairman informed the Area Board of the opening balances for grant funding. The Area Board considered the following applications for funding:

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Melksham Area Board – £500 towards Skate event at Melksham skate park.

 

Decision

 

Melksham Area Board was awarded £500 towards Skate event at Melksham skate park.

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard and Cllr Jack Oatley abstained from voting on this application.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Nick Holder

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Riverside Centre - £3,425 towards Acoustic Sound Project.

 

Decision

 

Riverside Centre was awarded £2,925 towards Acoustic Sound Project of with £225 taken from Older and Vulnerable People funding pot.

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard abstained from voting on this application.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Mike Sankey

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Bowerhill Baby and Toddler Group - £980.49 towards BBTG New Racking Storage System and 2 X Water Trays.

 

Decision

 

Bowerhill Baby and Toddler Group was awarded £980.49 towards BBTG New Racking Storage System and 2 X Water Trays.

 

Moved – Cllr Jon Hubbard

Seconded – Cllr Nick Holder

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Shaw and Whitley Community Hub - £5,000 towards Whitley Stores Community Shop.

 

Decision

 

Shaw and Whitley Community Hub was awarded £4,000 towards Whitley Stores Community Shop.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Mike Sankey

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Melksham Cricket Club - £5,000 towards Extension to outdoor space for spectators and community.

 

Decision

 

Melksham Cricket Club was awarded £3,626.99 towards Extension to outdoor space for spectators and community from the Community Area Grants funding pot and £1,373.01 from the Youth Grant funding pot.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Jon Hubbard

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Berryfield Village Hall Trust - £5,000 towards Berryfield Village Hall Air Conditioning.

 

Decision

 

Berryfield Village Hall Trust was awarded £3,725.22 towards Berryfield Village Hall Air Conditioning.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Mike Sankey

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Bowerhill Village Hall Trust - £4,000 towards Bowerhill Village Hall replacement kitchen.

 

Decision

 

Bowerhill Village Hall Trust was awarded £3,551.12 towards Bowerhill Village Hall replacement kitchen.

 

Moved – Cllr Phil Alford

Seconded – Cllr Mike Sankey

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

 

Arts Together - £2,500 towards Arts Together Projects for Isolated and Vulnerable Older People in Melksham.

 

Decision

 

Arts Together was awarded £2,500 towards Arts Together Projects for Isolated and Vulnerable Older People in Melksham.

 

Moved – Cllr Jack Oatley

Seconded – Cllr Jonathon Seed

 

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2023/24.

 

Age UK Wiltshire - £2,500 towards Melksham Information and Advice for Older People.

 

Decision

 

Cllr Nick Holder abstained from voting on this application.

 

Age UK Wiltshire was awarded £2,500  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the last LHFIG meeting held on 8 February 2024, as set out in the attached report.

 

To discuss the following items:

 

·       LHFIG Local Contributions Review

·       Public and press participation in LHFIG and Health and Wellbeing Groups.

 

Recommendations:

 

To add the following Issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding (where indicated):

 

·       No issue # - Adhoc road markings in Melksham Community Area – (Cost £3500.00, no 3rd party funding)

 

·       Issue 9-23-10 - B3353 Corsham Road - Advance Advisory Weight limit signs x 2 on the. (Cost £1,000.00, MWPC 50%)

 

·       Issue 9-23-13 – Sandpits Lane Steeple Ashton- Provision of new steps and hardstanding from Kissing gate. (Cost £2,640.00, SAPC 25%)

 

·       Issue 9-23-17 – Market Place, Melksham x 2, Mitchell Drive Bowerhill x 1. Provision of new RTPI units. (No LHFIG funding)

 

·       Issue 9-24-01 - Main Street, Great Hinton / Keevil - Provision of single-track toad signs x 2 and temporary signs x 2. (Cost £780.00. 25% split between Keevil and Gt Hinton PC)

 

·       Issue 9-24-02 – Westbury View / Primrose Drive Footbridge – Provision of high friction surface at footbridge (Cost £4,500.00. Melksham

·       TC 50%)

 

·       Issue 9-23-4 – Semington Bus gate - Relocation of ANPR camera for enforcement. Set up cost and 1st year maintenance. (Cost

·       £12,500.00. Semington PC 25%, TBC) Note - All costs are to be confirmed before implementation is agreed.

 

·       Issue 9-24-05 – Keevil Kissing gates x 2. – Provision of 2no. kissing gates supplied and installed by WC Countryside team (Cost £955.00,

·       Keevil PC 25%)

 

·       No issue # - Provision of retention socket and post for new SID location in Steeple Ashton.(Cost £400, no 3rd Party Contribution)

 

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

Cllr Mike Sankey introduced the minutes and recommendations from the LHFIG meeting held on 8 February 2024. A discussion took place on the following items:

 

LHFIG Local Contributions Review

 

Cllr Sankey stated that he would like to reaffirm the contribution levels for LHFIG projects on the reasoning that he was happy to use his discretion to a point but would prefer for expected contributions to be in black and white. Cllr Sankey also cited other reasons for the suggestion, including that he represented Melksham East, who came under the jurisdiction of Melksham Town Council, who had to make a larger contribution to projects and that it was difficult to argue that contributions should be equal amongst all parishes.

 

Cllr Seed noted that the LHFIG had been successfully ran for a number of years with it possible for contributions to be moved away if there was a particular reason to do so. Furthermore, that flexibility would enable a greater chance of getting work done and that it was suggested that the figures be left as they are.

 

Cllr Hubbard stated that at the last CATG meeting, a Highways Officer had stated that it was the policy of the Melksham Area Board, that if a project was submitted by the Town Council or Melksham Without Parish Council, then they would have to cover 50% of the cost of any project and that any smaller parish would have to pay 33% towards the cost of any project.

 

It was agreed that the minutes of this meeting would be found for clarity on the issue and brought back to the next Area Board meeting for further discussion.

 

Public and press participation in LHFIG and Health and Wellbeing Groups

 

Cllr Sankey stated that it had occurred to him that the LHFIG and Health and Wellbeing Group were meetings of the Area Board and should therefore be advertised as other meetings are as well as being open to the press and public.

 

The Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager clarified that the notes and minutes of the meetings are available to the public, however there is a membership agreed to both groups once a year. It is therefore at the discretion of the groups to invite additional attendees along, should they be of assistance to the meetings.

 

After which, it was;

 

Resolved:

 

The minutes of the Local Highways and Footway Improvement Group

meeting held on 18 January 2024 were agreed as a correct record as well as approving the following spending recommendations within:

 

To add the following Issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding (where indicated):

·       No issue # - Adhoc road markings in Melksham Community Area – (Cost £3500.00, no 3rd party funding)

·       Issue 9-23-10 - B3353 Corsham Road - Advance Advisory Weight limit signs x 2 on the. (Cost £1,000.00, MWPC 50%)

·       Issue 9-23-13 – Sandpits Lane Steeple Ashton- Provision of new steps and hardstanding from Kissing gate. (Cost £2,640.00, SAPC 25%)

·       Issue 9-23-17 – Market Place, Melksham x 2, Mitchell Drive Bowerhill x 1.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

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

There were no urgent items.

To confirm the dates of future Melksham Area Board meetings as below:

 

·       22 May 2024

·       4 September 2024

·       6 November 2024

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 22 May 2024.