Agenda and minutes

i.To elect a Chairman for the forthcoming year.

ii.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:

·         Mini Recycling Sites – update.

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

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

·       Mini Recycling Sites – update.

·       Garden Waste Consultation.

·       Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Consultation.

·       Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Consultation.

Apologies were received from Cllr Terry Chivers, Colin Goodhind – Melksham Community Area Partnership and Dr Rob Matthews – Spa Medical Centre.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on the 16 April 2014 (copy attached).

Decision

·       The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 16 April 2014 were agreed as the correct record.

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

There were none.

The Chairman advised that the bid for Community Support Officer time from Melksham Community Safety Group, a core group within the Melksham Community Area Partnership had been put on hold.

The two respective Chairmen hadn't been able to arrange a date to meet and discuss the issues raised in the bid, it was therefore agreed that the bid should be deferred until the next Area Board meeting.

i.Presentation by Sarah Dicker – Project Co-ordinator, Corporate Support Team, Wiltshire Council.

ii.Safe Places Workshop.

·       What would a Safe Places Project look like in Melksham?

·       What needs to be done to develop a Safe Places Initiative in Melksham?

·       Who needs to be involved?

·       How will we move this forward?

iii.Call for action by the Area Board.

i.Sarah Dicker – Project Co-ordinator, Corporate Support Team, Wiltshire Council and Phil McMullen – Community Support Officer, Melksham Area Board gave a short presentation that outlined Safe Places.

Points made included:

·       Safe Places was a scheme that provides members of the public a safe space to go to if they unexpectedly need help when out and about in society. Safe Places are identified by a bright round orange sticker that states “Safe Place”. Safe place locations are provided with a resource pack to assist them in helping a member of the public. Support is immediate and not ongoing.

·       Safe Places pilot schemes in Salisbury and Devizes and have both been successfully handed over to the community following initial set up by the Implementation Steering Group (ISG)

·       Work had begun on starting schemes in Chippenham, Westbury, Melksham and Trowbridge with schemes looking to start in the near future in Calne, Malmesbury and Warminster.

·       That there had been some 21 expressions of interest from  organisations/businesses in Melksham to support the scheme.

·       That Phil McMullen already had experience of rolling out the scheme in Westbury.

ii.Safe Places Workshop

Alison Sullivan – Melksham Community Area Manager hosted an interactive workshop that looked to set out:

·       What would a Safe Places Project look like in Melksham?

·       What needs to be done to develop a Safe Places Initiative in Melksham?

·       Who needs to be involved?

·       How will we move this forward?

The Chairman thanked Sarah Dicker, Phil McMullen and Alison Sullivan for the presentation and workshop.

Cllr Jon Hubbard to introduce.

Martina Batchelor – Melksham Oak School gave a short presentation that outlined Yarn Bombing, which was the art of enhancing a public place or object with graffiti knitting.

It was hoped that the tree in Melksham Market Place could be yarn bombed by the residents of Melksham for the Christmas period as a way of knitting the community together.

The Chairman thanked Martina Batchelor for her presentation and hoped that local people would get involved in this exciting project.

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) – Phil McMullen

·       That Melksham Without Parish Council had provided MCAP with funds of £1,500 to use on projects that would be used in the Melksham Without community area.

Wiltshire Police – Sgt James Williams

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

·       While reductions around both types of burglary was strong for the whole sector there were five incidents over the last spring break week involving residents who went on holiday in their caravans were targeted. The absence of a caravan usually parked on a drive can be an indicator of an empty home. It was agreed that local beat officers would speak to caravan owners to warn them of the risk of thefts in the area.

·       That local Speedwatch volunteers and Police offers were now monitoring traffic using Snowberry Lane.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service – Mike Franklin

Mike Franklin made a short statement re the proposed merger with Dorset Fire & Rescue Service but advised the meeting that he was unable to answer any questions on the proposed merger or consultation.

Points made included:

·       That Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority was facing an annual budget shortfall of between £3.1m-3.9m which it needed to resolve by 2017/18.

·       The Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority wanted to protect frontline services that could be significantly threatened if this money was not found. Following an options appraisal the Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority are currently developing with Dorset Fire Authority a business case to combine our political authorities, this would allow us to rationalise management, reduce the costs of support departments and indeed strengthen our prevention and youth education activities.

·       No decisions had or would be made until September 2014 when the business case would be considered.

·       As part of developing this document we would be consulting our staff, the public and other key stakeholders such as the police, local authorities etc. The consultation would involve a leaflet and questionnaire which would be put in public libraries and buildings and made available on-line. It would also be sent to a large number of local people in Wiltshire and Dorset and key groups including town and parish councils. Residents forums would be independently run as would business and voluntary sector forums.

·       A draft business case for consultation would be produced that would be supported by a suite of more technical documents. These would be available through our website or upon request. Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority would be promoting this exercise through our websites, social media and the press. We would set up a helpline and e-mail address to support any queries.

·       The consultation runs from 21st July to 20th October.

·       Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority are determined to protect frontline services and ensure the Services we provide internally and to our communities are Safe, Strong and Sustainable.

Cllr Jonathon Seed advised that he was disturbed that Mike Franklin was unable to answer any questions on the proposed merger and that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To ask Councillors to consider the following Grant Applications:

i.Community Area Grants:

·         Melksham Scout Hut - To replace rotten doors and windows.

 Amount Requested from Area Board: £1642.00.

·         Atworth Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Group - Laptop & Projector. Amount Requested from Area Board: £610.00.

ii.Councillor Initiative Grant:

·         Cllr Jon Hubbard – Cold Calling Initiative signage.

           Amount Requested from Area Board: £280.

Councillors were asked to consider the following Grant Applications:

i.Community Area Grants:

Decision

Melksham Scout Hut - To replace rotten doors and windows awarded £1,642.00.

Reason

The application met the grant criteria 2014/15.

Decision

Atworth Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Group - Laptop & Projector awarded £610.00 with the condition that other community groups would be able to use the lap top and projector if required.

Reason

This application met the grant criteria 2014/15.

ii.Councillor Initiative Grant:

Decision

Cllr Jon Hubbard – Cold Calling Initiative signage awarded £280.

To ask Councillors to consider a decision made by Community Area Transport Group on 29^th April 2014 regarding a joint project with Devizes Area Board at Caen Hill.

Request for Funding from Area Board  - £1750.

The Councillors were asked to consider a decision made by Community Area Transport Group on 29^th April 2014 regarding a joint project with Devizes Area Board at Caen Hill.

Decision

·       To award Area Board funding of £1,750.

Cllr Pat Aves advised that she sought assistance from the Area Board in tackling continuing flooding issues at Shurnhold, Melksham. Representatives of Broughton Gifford Parish Council advised that they were suffering similar flooding issues.

Cllr Jonathan Seed advised that he would follow up both of these issues.

It was agreed that these issues would be revisited in more detail as an agenda item at the September Melksham Area Board meeting.