Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Cllr Atiqul Hoque, welcomed everyone to the online meeting of the Salisbury Area Board.

There were none.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held online on 3 December 2020, as attached.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 3 December 2020, were agreed as a correct record and would be signed by the Chairman.

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

In relation to Item 11 – Community Funding:

Cllr Mary Douglas noted for transparency that she was good friends with some of those involved with the applications from St Francis Church and The Youth Bridge Project. As this was a non-pecuniary interest Cllr Douglas would remain in the meeting and take part in discussion on both applications.

Cllr John Walsh noted for transparency that he knew the CEO of The Youth Bridge Project quite well. As this was a non-pecuniary interest Cllr Walsh would remain in the meeting and take part in discussion on that applications.

The Chairman will give an update on outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board.

The Chairman made the following announcements:

Agenda Publication

Due to a delay of one day in the publication of the agenda online, any funding decisions taken by the Board would need to be held over for 24 hrs to allow for the full 5 day period for any public comments to be received and taken into consideration. This was in-line with the constitution. Funding decisions would then be cleared under the delegated powers of the CEM, in consultation with the Chairman.

Covid Vacination Programme

Vaccination against COVID-19 was now well underway across the UK, including here in Salisbury at the Cathedral. Everyone invited for their vaccination was encouraged to attend.

a.     CCG

b.     Healthwatch Wiltshire

c.     Census for Wiltshire

d.     Wiltshire Council Updates:

·       Covid-19 Update

·       Local Plan Review & Gypsy & Traveller Consultations

The Board noted the written information items attached to the online agenda, these were:

a. Clinical Commissioning Group

b. Healthwatch Wiltshire

c. Census for Wiltshire

d. Wiltshire Council Updates:

·       Covid-19 Update

·        Local Plan Review & Gypsy & Traveller Consultations

To note the written updates attached to the agenda and to receive any verbal updates from representatives present.

a)    PCC – Precept Consultation

Public consultation survey (open from 5 January to 2 February)

- https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PNHBKSG

PCC Precept Video - https://youtu.be/eRMtE_YxdWk

b)    Police CPT – written update attached   website

c)     Fire

d)    Salisbury City Council – paper attached

e)    Salisbury BID – website

f)      Maltings & River Park – paper attached

g)    Safer & Supportive Salisbury – paper attached

h)    Champions Update

Note: Speakers are reminded to limit verbal updates to 3 minutes.

The Board noted the written updates and papers from Partners and Community Groups included in the agenda pack.

The following presentations and updates were then received:

The Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner

Deputy PCC Jerry Herbert gave a presentation on the annual Precept proposals.

The precept was increased last year, with additional money and the additional officers that came as part of the ‘Boris Bobbies’ scheme, into our Rural Crime team. There would be a total of 65 additional Officers by the end of the financial year. Up to 1050 Officers in total from the 934 two years ago. A vast amount of those Officers were going into the Community Police Teams.

Other areas of Policing which had received an uplift were Cyber-crime, dealing with crime prevention and investigation.

A flat cash settlement from the Home Office would pay the basic costs, beyond that there would be a shortfall of around £3m, that was driven by the fact that the Home Office funding did not pay for the 50% of last years pay award which fell into the next financial year, the increased costs of running the Police Aviation service or the national Police technologies.

The only way to keep the force running at the current level was to rise the precept. A £15 increase a year, which worked out as £1.25 a month for a band D property. Without this they would have to cut Community Policing

It was expected that there would be an add 48 officers in the new financial year.

The Commissioner has just launched a consultation period, running from 5 January 2021 to 2 February 2021. Please could you spread the word on the consultation as would like as may contributions as possible. It offers the chance to contribute your thoughts on what you think the local priorities should be.

Police

Inspector Pete Sparrow highlighted some points as detailed in the written report attached to the agenda.

Questions:

Cllr Rogers gave thanks to Inspector Sparrow and his team for the professional way they handled enforcement work especially those businesses serving food.

Answer: Inspector Sparrow outlined the key principles which were to engage, explain, encourage then lastly to enforce.

Cllr Douglas also thanked the Police teams for their work.

Safer & Supportive Salisbury

Anne Trevett, who was recently recognised in the new year’s honour list, gave an update on the work of Safer & Supportive Salisbury.

Work included the production and circulation of a series of newsletters to 250 recipients. These newsletters had been well received and included vital and local information brought together in one place.

At the start of the pandemic, the group had received lottery money, which was the only funding in to the organisation. It hoped to replicate that in the future.

One the AB funded project was the Hidden Figures project, in February 2020 which was awarded £5000, towards the cost of the first figure. Figures were hoped to be available at a cost of approx. £1000 each.

Champions Updates:

Older Persons  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

The Board is asked to consider the Status Report that summarises what the key issues are for the community area as a result of analysing local data and discussions with local stakeholders.

It is recommended:

(1)        That the Area Board approves and adopts the Community Status report

(2)        That the Area Board produces a rolling action plan including up to 5 priority actions at any one time to demonstrate where it will contribute to addressing the identified issues.

(3)        That the Area Board will prioritise its resources including funding upon those issues identified in the status report.

(4)        That the Area Board requests the Community Engagement Manager to work with key partners, agencies and community groups to encourage them to consider where they are best placed to take actions around the priorities identified.

(5)        That regular updates are submitted to the Area Board on progress made in relation to its own action plan.

(6)        That the Area Board expresses its thanks to those who gave their time to help bring this report together

Officer: Marc Read, Community Engagement Manager

The Board considered the report and recommendations as set out on P53.

Marc Read Community Engagement Manager explained that 12 months ago before the pandemic was developing, he was in the process of working with Public Health and partners including the Police to pull together the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) data.

All of the usual meetings that would have been held were cancelled due to the pandemic, but now we were able to see the light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations underway.

Marc had produced a summary of our priorities so far using data from last year’s JSN assessment and the input from other groups and organisations.

Comments and questions included:

·       Cllrs welcomed the opportunity to make informed and intentional grant decisions. Several of the priorities seemed to be connected and interchangeable.

·       With regards to climate change and environmental issues, progress had been made and we had come a really long way since the Board held its forum. It could be time to hold another to share the work that had been done.

·       There would be a change of Cllrs on the Board in May after the election.

·       Some areas of work was ongoing and could be picked back up wherever possible once the pandemic allowed. It was noted that to lose the expertise of some of the groups due to them not being able to start back up should be avoided where possible. Could the CEM see if they required any support to keep going? Answer: Marc would be happy to do that.

The Board then considered the proposals as set out in the report and voted on the recommendations.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board agreed:

(1)  To approve and adopt the Community Status report

(2) to produce a rolling action plan including up to 5 priority actions at any one time to demonstrate where it would contribute to addressing the

identified issues.

(3) to prioritise its resources including funding upon those issues identified in the status report.

(4) to request the Community Engagement Manager to work with key partners, agencies and community groups to encourage them to

consider where they were best placed to take actions around the priorities identified.

(5) that regular updates would be submitted to the Area Board on progress made in relation to its own action plan.

(6) to give thanks to those who gave their time to help bring this report together

A presentation on the new Salisbury Trails App that was launched in December 2020, for residents and visitors to discover the stories behind the people and events that shaped our city's history.

Officer: Ruth Butler – Heritage Education Officer

Ruth Butler, Heritage Education Officer presented information on the new Salisbury Trails App that was launched in December 2020.

Back in the summer of 2019, the History centre, xx and myself met with the Salisbury Recovery Team to look at ideas on how to being to draw people back to the city after the Novichok incident.

We decided to create heritage trails around Salisbury. I am responsible for the content and doing the research, whilst Kelvin was responsible for the platform.

The Salisbury Trails App could be downloaded free.

Questions

• How would it be publicised?

Answer: Social media and a press release will help to launch it and see more people download it.

• Was it for all ages, or more adult orientated?

Answer: It’s a family thing but best to be mediated by an adult.

An update on the plans following the announcement that Salisbury has been awarded £9,355,731 as part of the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.

Officer:Victoria Molony – Head of South Wilts Economic Recovery

Victoria Molony, Head of South Wilts Economic Recovery to give an update on the plans following the announcement that Salisbury had been awarded £9,355,731 as part of the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.

On boxing day the Council was informed that it had been awarded £9,355, through the Future High Street Fund, which was lower than the amount bid for. 

A provisional funding offer of capital funding only, which meant that it could not be used on new physical structure on and not on maintenance.

There is a 5% level on beautification and was a 4 year funding envelope which meant that projects would have to be delivered by March 2024.

We now need to carry out an exercise to look at the new amount and decide what could be delivered with that. It was still early days, there were lots of options to consider to ensure we get the best outcome.

We were at the concept stage, there would be further consultation and engagement.

Comments and questions included:

·       Was this tied in with The People Friendly Salisbury (PFS) project?

Answer: The PFS project was not linked, they were two separate projects. The design that went forward was very much at concept stage and flexible.

·       There was only so much space on Fisherton Street, and it would be difficult to do much if the traffic was still flowing. Was the council planning to bring back the PFS at a later date?

Answer: I am only dealing with the future highstreets fund project.

·       It was disappointing that we only got £9.3m when the original request was £17m and before that £25m. Trowbridge got £16m.

Answer: When we went in with the larger funding bid, they weren’t happy with one of our projects so had to reduce it, then there was a problem with a private landlord, so had to remove that element also. We will do what we can with this pot of funding.

·       You talked about public consultation, would that include stakeholder consultation? Salisbury Playhouse was a major stakeholder, would you set up an engagement with us?

Answer: Yes we would indeed. I will come and talk to you given your position along Fisherton Street.

To consider applications for funding as detailed in the attached report and listed below.

Community Area Grants Scheme applications:

Young People’s Funding Applications:

The Board considered community Funding bids as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

Remaining Budgets available at this meeting were:

·       Community Area Grant - £24,810.16

·       Youth - £14,962.00

·       Health & Wellbeing - £1,004.18

The Chairman reminded everyone that due to a delay of one day in publishing the agenda online, any funding decisions taken by the Board would be held over for 24 hrs to allow for the full 5 days for any public comments, in line with the constitution. Decisions would then be cleared under the delegated powers of the CEM, in consultation with the Chairman on Friday 22 January 2021.

Community Area Grants

ArtCare requested £2500 towards the Well-being TV project at Salisbury District Hospital (SDH).

Rebecca Seymore spoke in support of the application.  

Decision

ArtCare was awarded £2,500 towards the Well-being TV project at SDH.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2020/21.

The Bridge Youth Project requested £700 towards an online mentoring programme.

Mel spoke in support of the application, noting that the actual amount needed was £850, and not the figure quoted on the application.

Cllr Rogers suggested that in addition, the applicant may wish to contact the Rose Gale Trust as it may be able to provide some level of future support terms of laptops.

Decision

The Bridge Youth Project was awarded £850 towards an online mentoring project.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2020/21.

Cllr Hocking put forward an Area Board Initiative for funding to complete the Street Name Plates project. The funding would be for the two remaining wards.

Cllr hocking noted that over the last three years the Board had replaced and refurbed 300 street nameplates. The last 2 wards were Harnham, St Marks & Bishopdown. The works would cost approx. £12,000

There would be a further tranche, but that would be looked at in the next financial year.

There was another list that totalled at approx. £10k however, Cllr Hocking would  wait to see what other community grants came forward for the last meeting of the year and if any funds were remaining he would propose that the balance be allocated to start work on the additional list.

Tom Corbin asked that the board consider one piece of work for Cedar close as it had not had a name plate for some months now. He was advised to email the details to Cllr Hocking who agreed to look into it.

Decision

The Area Board Initiative – Street Name Plates was awarded £12,000.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2020/21.

Young People Funding

Splash (community first) had requested £5000

Decision

Splash was awarded £5000 of Youth funding

Rise 61 had requested £5000

Decision

Rise 61 was awarded £5000 of youth funding

My Salisbury had requested £4991.97

Decision

The bid from My Salisbury was deferred until after the pandemic, to enable the project to take place.

St Francis Church had requested £1500

Decision

St Francis Church was awarded £1500  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 4 March 2021 at 6.00pm.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and noted that the next meeting of the Salisbury Area Board would be held online, on Thursday 4 March 2021 at 6.00pm.