Agenda and minutes

Election of the Chairman

 

i.To elect a Chairman for the forthcoming year.

 

 

ii.Election of the Vice Chairman

To elect a Vice Chairman for the forthcoming year.

 

iii.Appointments to Outside Bodies and Working Groups.

To note that appointments to outside bodies and working groups for the forthcoming year.

 

·         Community Area Transport Group (CAT-G)

 

·         Melksham Community Area Partnership

 

·         Melksham Youth Issues Group (CAYPIG)

 

·         Shadow Community Operations Board (SCOB)

 

·         Youth Advisory Group (YAG)

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard was elected as Chairman for the forthcoming year.

 

Cllr Jonathon Seed was elected as Vice Chairman for the forthcoming year.

 

The Melksham Area Board made the following appointments to outside bodies and working groups for the forthcoming year.

 

·       Community Area Transport Group (CAT-G) – Cllr Jonathon Seed & Cllr Pat Aves.

 

·       Melksham Community Area Partnership – Cllr Pat Aves.

 

·       Shadow Community Operations Board (SCOB) – Cllr Roy While.

 

·       Youth Advisory Group (YAG) – Cllr Jon Hubbard.

 

 

 

Chairman’s Announcements:

 

·       Dementia Strategy Consultation.

 

·       Closure of Mini Recycling Sites.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Melksham Assembly Hall for the meeting of the Melksham Area Board.

 

 

There were the following Chairman’s Announcements which were covered in the agenda pack:

 

·       Dementia Strategy Consultation.  A clip from a DVD film in the Wiltshire Voices series called ‘Living with Dementia was shown.

 

·       Closure of Mini Recycling Sites.

 

Apologies were received from Mike Franklin – Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, Insp Matt Armstrong – Wiltshire Police, Mitch Roberts – Atworth Parish Council and representatives of Broughton Gifford Parish Council.

 

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on Wednesday 12 February 2014 and Thursday 20 March 2014 (copies attached).

Decision

 

·       The minutes of the meetings held on Wednesday 12 February 2014 and Thursday 20 March 2014 were agreed as the correct records.

 

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

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

Alison Sullivan – Melksham Community Area Manager.

To report back on the priorities agreed at the JSA community meeting and to vote on the projects the Area Board wants take forward.

Alison Sullivan – Melksham Community Area Manager reported back on the priorities agreed at the JSA community meeting and the projects the Area Board wanted to take forward.

 

Children and Young People - Champion Jon Hubbard

 

Projects:

 

·       Disseminate information about support available to children and families, professionals and local groups via web sites and current support systems.

 

·       Develop Volunteering champions.

 

 

Culture - Champion Jonathon Seed

 

Projects:

 

·       Link cultural groups.

 

·       Make use of Campus to promote local Cultural Heritage.

 

·       Develop and promote a local heritage trail using a local app.

 

 

Economy - Champion Roy While

 

Projects: 

 

·       Form a Melksham business user group.

Liaising - Council’s Economic Growth and Wiltshire 100 team/ Develop ‘business’ page on the Area Board website/ conduct a business survey to understand business needs and issues.

 

·       Regenerating Town Centre - link Wilts & Berks canal and campus identify potential funding to accelerate delivery of the canal.

 

·       Create events programme for Melksham –

Encourage Cafe culture –in summer and extend the Christmas lights into a Christmas fair with free jazz and buskers.

 

·       Encourage work placements with employers in Melksham - liaising with Wiltshire Council’s Employment and Skills Team.

 

 

Health and Wellbeing – Champion Pat Aves

 

Projects:

 

 

·       Identify support currently available and promote to community through MelkshamOurCommunity Matters Web site and others.

 

·       Become a Dementia Friendly Town – link with “Safe Places”

 

·       Improve local resources for stroke survivors.

 

·       Link Melksham Hospital, Health group and GP practices/ patient liaison groups to undertake above

 

 

Leisure – Champion Jonathon Seed

 

Projects:

 

·       Link community groups through on line forum – Melksham.OurCommunityMatters.org.uk.

 

·       Link with Children and Young People and Community Safety to encourage schools to take part in wider leisure and sports opportunities. 

 

 

Transport - Champion Terry Chivers (link with Transport group)

 

Projects:

 

·       Investigate introducing 1 hour’s free parking spaces in Melksham.

 

·       Improve co ordination of trains and buses.

 

·       Improve cycleways to and from surrounding villages

 

 

Housing – Champion David Pollitt

 

Projects:

 

·       Link with Neighbourhood planning group to develop more one and two bed properties.

 

·       Develop Housing partnership with local housing associations and relevant partners to reduce homelessness and link with community safety.

 

 

Our Community – Champion – David Pollitt

 

Projects:

 

·       Create a town community hub.

 

·       Collate and provide information re community assets to community groups – Melksham.Ourcommunitymatters.org.uk.

 

·       Link with MyEnvolve web site and make available in community places.

 

·       Ensure feedback given to community groups when things get done.

 

 

Decision

 

·       That the Area Board adopts the priorities identified by the ‘What matters to you’ community event and works to facilitate local action to tackle those priorities.

 

·       That the Board considers earmarking funding to promote, initiate and support community-led action around the selected priorities.

 

·       That the Board appoints a lead member to champion any priority (priorities) adopted.

 

·       That reports are submitted to the Board on progress made to address the priorities to ensure that positive outcomes are delivered.

 

The Chairman thanked Alison Sullivan for her presentation.

No Cold Calling Zones - To target doorstep traders who call unexpectedly, and uninvited at the home of vulnerable persons with the purpose of selling goods, or offering a service.

Sue Wilkin – Senior Public Protection Officer, Wiltshire Council outlined “No Cold Calling Zone”, an initiative that sought to target doorstep traders who call unexpectedly, and uninvited at the home of vulnerable persons with the purpose of selling goods, or offering a service.  

 

What is a No cold Calling Zone?

A NCCZ is a small defined area, such as a “close” or street or simply a collection of homes that included a proportion of vulnerable or elderly people who could potentially benefit from the restriction of cold calling. The best zones would be small areas with approx thirty homes or so, with a mix of elderly residents and young families.  The mix of residency would be beneficial to a zone because younger families are likely to be at home during the day, out and about their property, and more alert to what is going on around their locality. 

 

Whilst a mix of residency is preferable, any area where vulnerable people could benefit from the introduction of a zone may be suitable.

 

A zone would be officially recognized and supported by the police and trading standards, and many organizations such as utility providers were now bound to recognize the zones and avoid calling within them.

 

Residents would be consulted about the proposal, given information about how it works and how to react to cold callers.  Signs would then be erected on the street and stickers displayed on doors to deter cold callers by making it clear that the occupants were not willing to do business on the doorstep and that they would report cold callers who ignore the signs.

 

A caller who refuses to leave when asked may commit a criminal offence, and therefore making the wishes of the occupant clear is an important aspect of any effective zone.  Trading Standards may be able to take action where a business ignores the requests of residents and remains on private property, and so prompt reporting of the name of the business and any vehicle registration details that can be safely and discreetly obtained will be essential.

 

There followed a short interactive session where the attendees of the meeting and the Wiltshire councillors discussed whether there were any areas in Melksham Community area that would benefit from a No Cold Calling Initiative.

 

Decision

 

·       That the Melksham Area Board pledges to work with the local community to set up No cold Calling Zones in the Melksham community area as its “Big Pledge”.

 

The feedback from the interactive session would be used help identify suitable areas for these zones.

 

The Chairman thanked Sue Wilkin for her presentation.

Cllr Jon Hubbard – Chairman, Melksham Area Board and Cllr Richard Gamble – Portfolio Holder for Schools, Skills and Youth, Wiltshire Council.

Cllr Richard Gamble – Portfolio Holder for Schools, Skills and Youth, Wiltshire Council gave a presentation which outlined the consultation proposals put forward on the Review of Youth Activity.

 

Points made included:

 

Why do we need a review?

 

•        Statutory duty to secure access to leisure-time activities for young people.

 

•        Currently, provided through a range of services including open access youth development service across the county - mix of centre and street-based youth work.

 

•        Department for Education updated statutory guidance;-

 

•        new focus for councils - to enable services, rather than direct provision.

•        enhanced role for voluntary and community sector.

 

Consultation – the four options

 

1.     Retain the current in-house service but reduce the cost.

2.     Outsource the service.  

3.     Encourage and support staff to form a Public Service Mutual.

4.     Develop a community led approach.

 

The Consultation Process

 

•        Started Friday 31 January – for 10 week, (Cllr Gamble did make the point that Melksham community area residents would still be able feed into the consultation process).

 

•        Widely publicised;

•        Schools, focus groups, young people’s groups, staff, communities, stakeholders.

•        20,000 text messages to young people linking to survey.

•        Voluntary and community services.

•        Channels include website, Sparksite, facebook, twitter, media.

•        Final report for future provision – cabinet on 22 April

 

 

Representatives of the Melksham Youth Advisory Group outlined their views on the review.

 

Points made included:

 

·       Young people had concerns that the Melksham youth centre may close.

 

·       Concerned that Wiltshire Council had already decided on the outcomes of the review.

 

·       That the consultation document was not very easy to read.

 

·       Concerned that the Melksham youth workers would be lost.

 

·       That young people want more say in what services are provided, and that a wider range of activities is offered.

 

 

Questions and points raised from the floor included:

 

That Wiltshire Council should continue to invest in its young people, trying to get things done on the cheap with too much reliance on the voluntary sector.

a.Wiltshire Council needs to make better use of its Youth Service, forging better links with the voluntary sector was a part of this.

 

The Chairman highlighted the following Wiltshire Council public meetings where the Youth Activity Review would be discussed:

 

·       Tuesday 29 April, 2pm – Children’s Select Committee.

 

·       Thursday 15 May, 4:30pm – Cabinet.

 

The Chairman thanked Cllr Gamble for attending the meeting.

 

 

 The Melksham Youth Advisory Group (YAG) then gave their partner update.

 

Points made included:

 

·       That the group had two new members.

 

·       That the group was talking to other youth related groups to forge closer links.

 

·       The representatives present at the last Melksham Area Board meeting felt that the meeting could have been more young people friendly.

 

The Chairman thanked the YAG for their update.

Cllr Jonathon Seed – Vice-chairman, Melksham Area Board

The Area Board were asked to consider an application submitted by Steeple Ashton Parish Council for the transfer of St Mary’s recreation field and the former school playing field, Steeple Ashton. 

 

Decision

 

·       That the Melksham Area Board approves the community asset transfer of St Mary's Recreation Field and Former School Playing Field, Steeple Ashton.

 

 

Nicole Smith - Head of Strategic Housing, Options and Allocations, Wiltshire Council.

 

Nicole Smith - Head of Strategic Housing, Options and Allocations, Wiltshire Council outlined Wiltshire's New Housing Allocation Policy.

 

Points made included:

 

Consultation and reason for change

 

•        Policy was reviewed following the introduction of the Localism Act and the introduction of the new freedoms.

 

•        Wide consultation with the public, including the area boards, all those on the register, housing providers, voluntary sector, support providers and many more.

 

•        Approved at cabinet in November 2013. 

 

 

The main changes

 

•        Local connection to Wiltshire.

 

•        Local Homes allocated to Local People.

 

•        Creation of an open market register for those with no identified housing need.

 

•        Review of the bands.

 

•        Introduction of reasons to be excluded from the register.

 

•        Allocations made in line with the bedroom standard.

 

 

Local homes for local people

 

•        Priority would be given to those with a local connection to the parish or town the vacancy is in, followed by band and eligible date.

 

•        If no one bids with a local connection we would look to all the surrounding parish’s and towns.

 

•        Finally it would be opened to the whole of Wiltshire.

 

•        A local connection exclusion group applied.

 

 

The way forward

 

•        Jan to May – Develop an IT specification and build a new IT system.

 

•        Jan to May – Working with staff and providers to develop new procedures, application form and customer leaflets.

 

•        June / July – Full testing of the new system.

 

•        July / Sept – 8 week transition period from new system to old system.

 

•        Launch in Sept 2014.

 

 

Questions and points made from the floor included:

 

·       Frustrations at the lack of one bed properties available to bid for.

a.Wiltshire Council can only allocate what housing stock is built, which is more two/three bed properties.

 

·       What is a “Local connection”?

a.A person that lives or works in Wiltshire.

 

·       Are there any exceptions to the “Bedroom standard”?

a.Yes, foster parents or carers.

 

The Chairman thanked Nicole Smith for her presentation.

Update from Paul Leanarts.

 

Paul Lenaerts gave an update on the Wilts & Berks Canal Melksham Link Project.

 

Points made included:

 

·       That a full planning application had been submitted back in 2012. This had suffered delays in respect of environmental issues, which required several wildlife surveys to be carried out.

 

·       It was hoped that planning consent would be granted during 2014.

 

·       That the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust thanked the Area Board and Melksham Town Council for the funding of the canal project information boards which were now on display in Melksham town centre.

 

·       An environmental benefits study had been carried out, the findings of this study could be found on the Melksham Community Area Partnership web site.

 

·       That the Trust was run on a purely voluntary basis.

 

The Chairman thanked Paul Lenaerts for his update.

To receive updates from any of the following partners:

 

a. Melksham Youth Advisory Group (YAG)

b. Community Area Partnership

c. Wiltshire Police

d. Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner

e. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

f. NHS Wiltshire/Clinical Commissioning Group

g. Melksham Town Council

h. Parish Council Nominated Representatives

i. Melksham Chambers of Commerce

j. Melksham Senior People’s Forum

 

The following Partner updates were noted:

 

Melksham Community Area Partnership (CAP) – Colin Goodhind

 

·       The Partnership would be holding a meeting on Thursday 5 June to look at how they should work with the Area Board in the coming year following the 20 March Area Board where its funding for 2014/15 had been decided.

 

·       The Health & Wellbeing Group had held a very successful Mens Heath event.

 

·       The Environmental Group had recently held a community Seed Swap.

 

·       The Community Safety Group were meeting regularly with the  Neighbourhood Policing teams.

 

·       That Community Speedwatch was now back on track.

 

·       That MCAP were supporting the Cold Calling Initiative.

 

·       That MCAP were carrying out a survey to look at rail usage in Melksham.

 

 

Wiltshire Police – Insp Matt Armstrong.

 

·       The written report contained in the agenda pack was noted.

 

 

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service – Mike Franklin

 

·       The written report contained in the agenda pack was noted.

 

 

Melksham Town Council – Chris Petty

 

·       The written report was noted.

 

 

NHS Wiltshire/Clinical Commissioning Group - Dr Rob Matthews – Spa Medical Practice, representing the local GP practices at the Area Board meeting.

 

·       That Melksham now had a walk in x-ray service on Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

The Chairman thanked everybody for their updates.

 

To ask Councillors to consider the following Grant Applications:

 

i.Community Area Grant Applications.

 

·         Atworth Villagers Short Mat Bowls Club – Villagers SMBC, replacement equipment - £490.

 

·         Queensway Chapel Youth Cafe - £1000.

 

 

ii.Community Area Partnership Funding 2014/15

 

 

iii.CATG Funding

 

·         C19 Review - £3,000 Westbury/Steeple Ashton.

 

Councillors were asked to consider the following Grant Applications:

 

i.Community Area Grant Applications.

 

Decision

Atworth Villagers Short Mat Bowls Club – Villagers SMBC awarded £490 for replacement equipment.

Reason

The application met the grant criteria for 2014/15.

Decision

Queensway Chapel Youth Cafe – awarded £1000 for set up costs.

Reason

The grant met the grant criteria for 2014/15.

 

 

Legacy Funding

 

3^rd Melksham Brownies awarded £425.

Note: That this application was funded as part of last year’s budget for Legacy funding.

 

 

ii.Community Area Partnership Funding 2014/15

 

Melksham Community Area Partnership were awarded 20% of the £8372 revenue funding - £1674 in total.

 

 

iii.CATG Funding

 

C19 Review – awarded £3,000 Westbury/Steeple Ashton.

 

There were no other Items of Public Concern.