Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Cllr Sven Hocking welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Salisbury Area Board and invited the members of the Board to introduce themselves.

Apologies for absence had been received from:

• Cllr Charles McGrath
• Chris Wood – Fire & Rescue

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 29 September 2022.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 29 September 2022, were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

There were none.

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

Cllr Sam Charleston

Welcome to Cllr Sam Charleston who won the recent St Paul’s by-election with a pretty resounding majority, Sam, welcome to the Area Board.

Youth Employment Fair

There had been progress with the planning for the Joint Southern, South West and Salisbury Area Board’s Youth Employment Fair which was scheduled to take place in May 2023 at Wiltshire College in Salisbury. There was currently 100 potential employers that has been complied, with the intent of whittle that down to between 40 and 50 who could provide some form of career path or openings for young people and those with Special Educational Needs.

Cllr Charles McGrath

Cllr McGraths medical treatment was progressing, and the results appeared to be promising, with more treatment planned in the New Year. Charles hoped to be at home over Christmas, so if anybody wished to send him a card they could do so via the Chairman.

Flood Warden Training

Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency had hosted a Southern Area Flood Warden training event at Salisbury Guildhall on 23 November which was well attended by some 50 delegates from local Parish Councils and Community Volunteers. 

The event focussed on types of flooding, levels of response, understating and reacting to the flood alert warnings and the health and safety aspects and concerns around floodwater generally.  If anybody wished to sign up to be a flood warden in their area there were always opportunities for more volunteers, for more information, contact the Chairman.

Salisbury Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

The Plan’s consultation results were still being collated, it was hoped that once a replacement for Heather Blake was in place, there would be an update at a future Board.

a.     Healthwatch Update

b.     BSW Together (Integrated Care System) Update

c.     WC Updates:

1.     Wiltshire Families and Children’s Transformation (FACT)

2.     Community First Update

The Board noted the written information items provided in the agenda pack, these included:

·       Healthwatch Update

·       BSW Together (Integrated Care System) Update

·       WC Updates:

1.     Wiltshire Families and Children’s Transformation (FACT)

2.     Community First Update

Partners and Members are available prior to the start of the meeting to discuss specific maters. Written updates are attached for information.

Partners and Community Groups which have been invited to provide a verbal update are:

a)    Silver Salisbury Update - Irene Kohler

b)     A36 Working Group Update – Cllr Ricky Rogers

c)     Underpasses Working Group Update – Cllr Paul Sample

d)    Air Quality Management Group Update – Cllr Hocking

Note: Speakers are reminded that they each have a 3 minutes slot, unless they have previously discussed alternative arrangements with the Chairman.

Written updates attached are:

·       Police

·       Fire

·       Salisbury BID

Partners and Members were available prior to the start of the meeting
between 5.30 – 6.00pm to discuss specific maters.

The Board noted the written updates available in the agenda pack from:

·         Police

·         Fire & Rescue

·         Salisbury BID

The Chairman then invited the following verbal updates:

The Chairman expressed his disappointment that, yet again, either a verbal or written update from Salisbury City Council was not provided.

Silver Salisbury Update - Irene Kohler

The Silver Salisbury Initiative provided a brochure of free or low-cost activities to older people, which included 113 activities and 68 events in Salisbury.

A selection of 36 one-off events and 77 ongoing activities with taster sessions were available. The programme had been well received by those that had engaged with the offer, with great appreciation for the hardcopy format of the programme, with around 5000 copies distributed across the community area.

It was acknowledged that it was difficult to reach those that were isolated, this would be addressed as part of a review and a fuller update would be provided at a future area Board.

Irene thanked the Board for the funding that had supported the project and welcomed any ideas for inclusion in next year’s programme.

A36 Working Group Update – Cllr Ricky Rogers

The Group was awaiting further information once this had been received, a further update would be available to the Board.

Chris Hilldrup, National Highways was looking at five possible scenarios to improve the A36 from College roundabout to the Peters Finger junction. The preferred model would need to ensure that it did not impact negatively on the other sections of the road networks through the city. A full update would be provided in due course. 

Cllr McClelland, in his role as Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste, Street Scene and Flooding, noted that he was please the workstream was ongoing and looked forward to seeing the outcome.

Underpasses Working Group Update – Cllr Paul Sample

The groups focus was to bring about the improvement of the general condition of underpasses around the city, which included engagement between councils and agencies. National Highways was involved and would be making improvements to those underpasses within their control. The Group was working on establishing current ownership and responsibility information.

The volunteers involved were thanked for their input, which would result in proposed changes to barriers to improve access for disabled users and cyclists.

Part of the work included the lighting aspect, which required a balance between adequate lighting and consideration of light pollution/ecological issues.

Air Quality Management Group Update – Cllr Hocking

Met a few weeks ago, readings of the air monitors were noted. The nitrogen dioxide levels at set points were reported as all being below the target, in all but one of the locations.

Minutes of the AQMG are attached for reference.

Schools did not have current School Travel Plans; this was hoped would be reviewed in the new year.

Comments and questions:

·         Where were the air readings taken?

Answer: A copy of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 110.

Information on the Council’s approach to supporting communities during the Cost of living crisis.

Note: Report to Follow

A written update was published as Supplement 1 to the agenda.

The Board received an update from Karen Linaker, Strategic Engagement & Partnership Manager.

A dedicated Cost of Living page had been set up, which included links to information for sources of national and local support.

An interactive directory with details of the warm spaces and community food providers in the immediate local area and other facilities and services which were available as part of this initiative.

•         The council has been awarded £2,728,656 in total

–        Household Support Grant; Surviving Winter campaign; Warm and Safe Wiltshire; Council Tax support; Age UK Wiltshire

•         Grant funding for community groups from local area board

•         Dedicated pages on Wiltshire Council’s website

–        https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/6665/Council-tax-benefits-and-financial-support

•         Advice on:

–        benefits & financial support; Housing; mental health; support for businesses; Warm Spaces and community food provision

Community facilities/warm spaces available locally:

•         St Paul’s Foodbank

•         St Michael’s Church, Bemerton – Community Centre and Community Fridge

•         Bemerton Heath Foodbank Centre

•         Salisbury Foodbank Office and warehouse

•         The Pantry Partnership

•         Alabare

•         St Michael’s Church, Bemerton

•         Bemerton Methodist Church

•         Art Care Clubs at Salisbury Hospital

•         Alabare Access Mental Health Support – Riverside Sanctuary

•         Elim Church

•         United Reform Church

•         Cathedral

•         St Thomas’s Church

•         Quakers

•         Salisbury Methodist Church

Comments and questions:

·         A link had been provided on social media which was not really compatible from a mobile phone.

Answer: We will feed that back.

·         The Riverside Sanctuary on the Nuffield Industrial Estate was available for people to visit and use facilities. This was an Alabare initiative which provided mental health support and was open every day.  For full details of the opening hours and services available, visit the website here.

·         The funding would be delivered to those in need and be assessed by trained officers. People in council housing could speak to a Housing Estate Officer, however the system was not set up for referrals.

·         SCC had published a hard copy booklet of warm and welcoming places around the city.

An update from David Redfern, Associate Director Leisure, Culture & Communities.

The Board received an update from David Redfern, Associate Director Leisure, Culture and Communities.

The main points included:

·         11 October - Cabinet agreed recommendation to seek a third-party organisation to operate City Hall as an entertainment venue on behalf of Wiltshire Council

·         Wiltshire Council was undertaking a preliminary market consultation to better understand the type of arrangement potential third-party operators were willing to enter

·         Levelling Up Funding bid – awaiting decision, due late 2022/early 2023.

Comments and questions included:

·         If City Hall may be ready to open again in January 2024, could the booking calendar be open to start taking bookings now as usually acts are booked in a year or more in advance?

Answer: Yes, the logistics are that we must first see whether there was anyone in the open market that could take on the running of it. Once they were found and in place, they would be anxious to get the bookings up and running as soon as possible.

·         If the Levelling Up was achieved, how would it be used?

Answer: The bid was for the Cultural Quarter as a whole, however a large part would go into the City Hall.

·         Would there be any structural/fabric alterations before the opening, or would that be left for the new provider?

Answer: We would need to wait to see the outcome of feedback from the open market. There are two types of capital investment, what was needed, such as structural, and what was desirable, the added nice things etc.  The building was not currently unsafe however, for the larger style gigs, with heavy vibrations, some structural work in the roof area may be required.

·         Would the third party include provision for community use, as had been available before and would they carry out a survey to establish what the community wanted to see?

Answer: Anyone coming in would want to make sure the market was there otherwise the business would not be sustainable. We will be talking to any provider about the continued liaison with the Salisbury users.

To receive an update from a member of the Salisbury Soroptimists.

The Board noted the attached reports and received an update from SCC Cllr Elinor Wills, in her role as a member of the Salisbury Soroptimists.

The main points included:

·         Having well-lit areas was a key priority for the safety of the residents of Salisbury

·         There had been an issue around completion of the project with some streetlights that still needed replacement or fixing, as detailed in Annex A to the attached report

·         Positively, many businesses around the city had been involved, thanks were given to their assistance.

·         A key piece of work, was the LED upgrade, which would see more of the lights working

The Chairman noted that Wiltshire Council was working through the implementation of LED lights, other areas of work included a second stage to look at heritage lights and a third stage which would deal with the lights which were more difficult to access. 

Comments and questions included:

·         Cllr McClelland appreciated the issue had been highlighted and that repairs were now being made, noting that delays in the work had partly been due to the availability of materials.

·         National Highways were also looking at the lights they owned and would be upgrading the junctions.

·         The work of the volunteers was praised however, it was noted that a more permanent solution was needed to ensure that the maintenance was ongoing, with suggestions for improved technology which alerted to failing lights.

·         LHFIG funds had been set aside to enable a survey to be conducted in 2023, with a possibility that all streetlight replacement/repairs could potentially be funded through a substantive bid.

To receive updates from our Lead Members for the following Area

Board Priority Areas:

·       Youth engagement, employment and positive activity opportunities – Cllr Rogers

·       Addressing climate change – Cllr Hocking

·       Supporting positive mental health and wellbeing – Cllr Corbin

·       Supporting underrepresented groups – Cllr Corbin

·       Improving transport and access – Cllr Hocking

The Board received updates from our Lead Members for the following Area
Board Priority Areas:

Youth engagement, employment and positive activity opportunities – Cllr Rogers

• Salisbury Youth Forum active
• Youth Investment project in Bemerton Heath
• Underground Studios project
• FUEL Holiday Activity and Food Programme Christmas 2022
• Youth Employment Fair in 2023 across the 3 Southern Community Areas

Addressing climate change – Cllr Hocking

• Salisbury Air Quality Management group action plan
• Five Rivers community garden project
• Local green business awards
• Climate change event 2023
• Flood warden training

Supporting positive mental health and wellbeing – Cllr Corbin

• Silver Salisbury Programme 2022
• Older People’s Champion and Carer’s Champion
• Safer and Supportive Salisbury – Safe Places initiatives
• Mental Health Network
• Dementia support
• Celebrating Age project

Supporting underrepresented groups – Cllr Corbin

• Salisbury Foodie Network - support during Christmas
• Local Community Food providers
• Welcoming and warm spaces initiative
• Salisbury Progress Café Bar
• Showcase event for individuals with a disability and family carers

Improving transport and access – Cllr Hocking

• Underpasses working group
• Audits of underpasses
• Community artwork
• A36 Southampton Road

The Board is asked to consider the report and recommendations.

Note: report to follow

The Board considered the report which included a list of various highways maintenance schemes for the community area. As an Officer was unable to attend to take questions the Board noted its disappointment and requested that comments raised be fed back.

Comments and questions included:

·       Maintenance work was operating under significant constraints due to access to materials.

·       Why was there such a low score on page 8 regarding the A, B and C roads requiring treatment?

·       How do members feed in requests for additional work not included within the report?

·       Cllr Sample - One point in my ward where there has been regular flooding issue for over 100 years, it causes a complete standstill.  On an Officer visit 5 years previously, it was reported that an electric water pump was needed. How would this be added to the list?

·       The board used to meet with the Highways Engineer to discuss the schemes and realign the list to include works which were considered locally in greater need.

·       The Chairman had requested a walkway and pavement report in 2023.

·       Old Blandford Road had been on the list for resurfacing this year, however, when officers looked they found that the road was allocated the incorrect surface dressing, so the road was deleted from this years scheme. It needs to added to the top of the next scheduled list and not several years down the line.

·       Norfolk road was resurfaced a few years ago, why was that on the list again?

·       There is a section where Norfolk Rd is collapsing, which is between the junctions of Netherhampton Rd and its ‘T’ spur with Norfolk Road.

·       On the list, Salisbury was 3^rd or 4^th best not worst.

·       There would be an increase to the gully cleaning budget.

·       Funding for works related to flooding issues would need to meet 2 criteria, these were, High speeds and flooding to properties

The Assistant Director assigned to the Board, David Redfern agreed to feed the comments back to the Director for Place.

To consider applications for funding, as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

The Board noted the remaining budgets available to allocate at the meeting, which were:

The Chairman invited a representative from each of the grant applicants to give a brief overview of their project to the Area Board.  After each of the applicants had spoken the Chairman invited questions and discussion. The Area Board members then voted on each application.

Community Area Grants:

F3 Fresh Food for All – requested £4,355

Applicant, Mark Brandon spoke in support of the project to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to those in need, through an allotment type initiative.

The Board voted on the full grant amount.

Decision

F3 Fresh Food for All was awarded £4,355 towards the community allotment project.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2022/23

St Michaels Community Centre – requested £5,000

Applicant, Reverend Kevin Martin spoke in support of the community centre project, which would involve partnership working and links with schools and six form.

The Board voted on the full grant amount.

Decision

St Michaels Community Centre was awarded £5,000 towards the new kitchen project and items to create an Intergeneration Hub.

Reason – The application met the Community Area Grants Criteria 2022/23

Older & Vulnerable Adults Grants:

MUSE SW CIC – requested £500

Applicant, Tony Ebel spoke in support of the project which aimed to build on the experiences of the volunteers which had been part of the Ukrainian refugee host scheme.

The Board voted on the full grant amount.

Decision

MUSE SW CIC was awarded £500 towards The Listening Project.

Reason – The application met the Older & Vulnerable Adult Funding Criteria 2022/23.

Youth Project Grants:

Splash Community First requested - £5,000

Applicant, Dawn Whiting spoke in support of the project which aimed to support young people facing challenge in their life.

The Board voted on the full grant amount.

Decision

Splash Community First was awarded £5,000 towards the Splash in Salisbury project.

Reason – The application met the Youth Projects Grants Criteria 2022/23

To note the attached report and consier the recommendations for funding arising from the last LHFIG meeting held on 16 November, as summarised below:

·       4a – Request to provide upgrade the Zebra crossing equipment on the A3094 Netherhampton Road – The group agreed to reallocate the funding of £2,500 previously set aside for this project to Issue 4d.

·       4b – 3839 – Request for the extension of the existing 20mph speed limit along Milford Mill Road

·       4d – £5,000 – Purchase of land to provide improved access to Middle Street Meadow. [Note: This figure includes the reallocation of £2,500 from Issue 4a to this project].

·       4f – £271 – Hamilton Road Street Nameplate

The Board noted the report and considered the recommendations for funding arising from the last meeting held on 18 November 2022.

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board approved the LHFIG funding recommendations for the following schemes:

•        4a – Request to provide upgrade the Zebra crossing equipment on the A3094 Netherhampton Road – The group agreed to reallocate the funding of £2,500 previously set aside for this project to Issue 4d.

•        4b – £3,839 – Request for the extension of the existing 20mph speed limit along Milford Mill Road

•        4d – £5,000 – Purchase of land to provide improved access to Middle Street Meadow. [Note: This figure includes the reallocation of £2,500 from Issue 4a to this project].

•        4f – £271 – Hamilton Road Street Nameplate

Future meeting dates – starting at 6.00pm:

2023

·       Thursday 9 March

·       Thursday 15 June

·       Thursday 28 September

·       Thursday 23 November

2024

·       Thursday 7 March

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending and noted the date of the next meeting.

Future meeting dates – starting at 6.00pm:

2023

• Thursday 9 March
• Thursday 15 June
• Thursday 28 September
• Thursday 23 November

2024

• Thursday 7 March

Deadlines for funding applications are usually 4 weeks prior to the meeting date.

For more information on funding please contact either:

Karlene.jammeh@wiltshire.gov.uk or karen.linaker@wiltshire.gov.uk