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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Trafalagar School, Breamore Road, Downton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 3HN

Contact: Lisa Moore  (Democratic Services Officer)

Items
Note No. Item

6.45pm

1.

Election of a Chairman 2016/17

Nominations for a Chairman for 2016/17

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Nominations for Chairman for 2016/17 were sought.

 

Decision

Councillor Richard Britton was elected as Chairman of Southern Wiltshire Area Board for 2016/17.

 

Councillor Britton in the chair.

 

2.

Election of a Vice Chairman 2016/17

Nominations for a Vice Chairman for 2016/17.

Minutes:

Nominations for Vice Chairman for 2016/17 were sought.

 

Decision

Councillor Chris Devine was elected as Vice-Chairman of Southern Wiltshire Area Board for 2016/17.

 

3.

Representatives to Outside Bodies

To consider the list of representatives to Outside Bodies and Working Groups for 2016/17, as detailed in the attached document.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Board considered the list of representatives to outside bodies and the Terms of Reference of working groups as attached to the agenda.

 

Decision

The Southern Wiltshire Area Board agreed the list of Outside Bodies and the Terms of Reference for 2016/17, as attached to the agenda.

 

4.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from:

 

·       Tracy Carter – Associate Director

5.

Minutes

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 24 March 2016.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 24 March 2016 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

6.

Declarations of Interest

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

 

Minutes:

Cllr Ian McLennan noted that he was a member of the Laverstock & Ford Sorts Club, however as this was a personal interest and non pecuniary, he would take part in the discussion and vote.

 

7.

Chairman's Announcements

Minutes:

The Chairman made the following Announcements:

 

Road to Rio - Big Pledge

An initiative where people could take part as a team or as an individual in an 8 week activity challenge from 4 June – 29 July to get active and achieve a goal. Achievement would be logged per community area, so people could help Southern Wiltshire to be the most active community area in Wiltshire.

 

To register: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/bigpledge  

 

Clean for the Queen

This initiative had recieved a great response. There had been 14,000 volunters taking part in 17 litter picks, collecting  20 metric tonnes of litter.

 

Area Board Budget

There were indications that it was unlikely that Boards would be able to carry unspent budgets forward next year. There was quite an amount of CATG funds still remaining, with no new applications received. Parishes were urged to give some thought to the possibility of applying for funding for small highways projects in their area.

 

Area Board budget for 2016/17:

Discretionary capital                      £39,650

Roll forward capital                        £1,040

CATG funding capital                    £13,680

CATG roll forward capital              £23,030

Health & Wellbeing Revenue        £6,700

Older people’s Champion Rev.     £1,000

Public toilets                                  £1,000

Youth Revenue                              £17,290

LHF roll forward revenue               £13,060

 

 

Village Maintenance - River Bourne Community Farm (RBCF)

The RBCF was now set up ready to bid for maintenance work in the Parishes. Early indications seemed quite positive.

8.

Current Consultations

Minutes:

The Board noted the current consultations information detailed in the agenda. The Chairman drew particular attention to the Superfast Broadband consultation which was open until 13 June.

 

7.00pm

9.

Report on issues facing the community as a whole

To note the written updates attached and receive any verbal updates from partners present:

 

·       Police – Neighbourhood Team Update

·       Fire & Rescue Service

·       NHS

·       Youth

·       Wiltshire Council Updates

·       Any other comments or reports

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Board noted the written updates attached to the agenda and received the following verbal updates from Partners.

 

Police – Inspector David Minty

Crime figures indicated that crime was slightly down in comparison to the same period last year. Recent criminal damage caused by a golf club had not produced any leads, but would be chased up.

 

Questions:

 

·       Was there an update on the new model for the local teams, and would the Neighbourhood Tasking Group (NTG) meetings continue? Answer: The final decision on the new police model would be taken by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Regardless of the policing model adopted, Inspector Minty intended for the NTG meetings to continue with input from the community coordinator.

·       The enthusiasm for the Community Speedwatch initiative had died down, in Firsdown they were now down to 2 volunteers. How did these groups survive in other villages? Answer: These groups were community driven. In some areas they had died out as the community was not in a position to continue, whilst in other areas the speeding was no longer an issue. There were no plans to wind these groups down.

·       The Chairman noted in his capacity of Chairman of the Police and Crime Panel, that Home Office crime recording guidelines seemed to be constantly be changing, making it difficult to get a base line to monitor trends. Answer: There seemed to be a number of variables as to what crime was and what could be charged for.

·       There seemed to have been a rise in the number of thefts from cars parked at beauty spots. Could these be policed more regularly? Answer: The issue was seasonal and regular safety advice was issued. Thieves take the easy option so people should double check their cars and houses to make sure they are secure and that valuables were not left on display.

 

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service – Louis Minchella

Salisbury District Commander; Louis Minchella circulated an update at the meeting and asked the Board what type of information they would like to see in future updates from him.

 

The Dorset and Wiltshire merger had now taken place; the only change noticeable to the public would be the rebranding of the vehicles and clothing, to read Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service. New retained Fire Fighters were sought, Louis urged anyone interested to look online.

 

There had been an increase in thatch fires recently due to the cold snap, people in houses with thatched roofs were urged to seek advice from the website.

 

A new tranche of the Salamander Course would run in August, and community work in schools was ongoing. A free home safe and wellbeing visit could be booked online by visiting the website.

 

Louis urged anyone planning a community event where they would like the Community Fire Officers to attend to get in touch so he could check availability.

 

Comments and questions included:

 

·       Was the work of Wiltshire and Dorset cross border now so that borders did not exist in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

7.20pm

10.

Area Board Theme - Older People

Feedback following the first Health & Wellbeing forum held on 4th May at River Bourne Community Farm, including an update on dementia.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

In addition to the report attached to the agenda, the Chairman gave an update following the first Health & Wellbeing forum held on 4 May at River Bourne Community Farm (RBCF) and gave thanks to all who attended.

 

Southern Wiltshire Area Board’s theme for 2015/16 was older people, the first initiative as part of this work had been to set up initiatives around dementia, setting a target to get 100 new dementia friends established in the area.

 

The Chairman proposed broadening the Area Board Older People’s Theme to include vulnerable groups and their carers, to sit more in line with the Council’s Health and Wellbeing agenda.

 

The Focus group had concluded that one way of taking the initiative forward in this urban patch was to explore the idea of inviting parish councils and villages to consider setting up a local health & Wellbeing Forum. Work on this had already started at Winterslow and it was intended to look at this with a view to using at as our pilot project.

 

Tom Bray was looking at the Safer Places business pack which could help to make businesses more aware of the needs of vulnerable people. Tom suggested that Downton would be an ideal place to start with this as it had shops, however the pack could be rolled out to villages who were interested in the scheme, with the aim of creating a network of places that people could go to be safe whilst out in their communities.

 

Tom would circulate the info and if people were interested then he could invite Tim from the Safer Places Scheme to come and present further information.

 

Questions and comments included:

 

·       There had been a good digital literacy course running in Salisbury which could be passed on to Trafalgar School at Downton to run a similar one. Answer: Tom had met with the head teacher at Trafalgar, he was keen to work on a project where people needing IT help could be brought in to the school.

·        Are you going to train people to be a part of the Safer Places scheme? Answer: Tom could direct interested people to the pack which had all of the information required.

·       The Housing team was now looking at dementia awareness as part of the training for their officers.

 

7.40pm

11.

Area Board Theme - Conservation

Feedback from Hazel Hill Wood on the outcomes of their Area Board funded project, and work in relation to our themes.

 

Area Board to set aside £1000 to address projects arising as part of the conservation theme.

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

The General Manager of Hazel Hill Wood (HHW), Marcos Frangos gave feedback on the outcomes of their Area Board funded project, and work in relation to the Board themes.

 

The wood was in a quiet location, 7 miles from Salisbury, with easy access by public transport. The facilities included:

 

·       A Roundhouse - A unique outdoor-indoor space with an earth floor and 2 fireplaces. A great space for story, song and dance, learning and woodland crafts

·       The Oakhouse – A main building with the capacity for up to 30 people, with bedrooms and sleeping lofts for 20 people, including a kitchen, dining area, showers & sauna.

·       The Forest Ark – A completely off-grid facility with full wheelchair access. Oak framed with a cob core for thermal mass, constructed with timber from the wood by craftsmen and volunteers.

 

Conservation forestry and educational programmes were started here in 1992. Since 2015, a new registered charity, Hazel Hill Trust took on the ownership and now operates the wood. The key aims of the Trust were:

 

·       Create a diverse, sustainable and productive woodland

·       Pioneer new educational approaches connecting people and nature

·       Deliver resilience and wellbeing skills

·       Low-impact living and technologies

 

Funding from the Area Board in 2015 had enabled the Trust to purchase:

 

·       Safety equipment

·       Conservation tools: from secateurs to sledge hammers

·       Workshop education materials

·       4 wheel heavy-duty manual truck

·       Refurbishing tools shed this summer to keep tools clean & safe!

 

A pilot Transformative Learning in Nature scheme running from September 2015 – June 2016 had included the following participants:

 

  • Winterslow Primary School
  • Pitton Primary School
  • Young Carers, Youth Action Wiltshire
  • Pitton & Farley Guides and Brownies
  • Alzheimer's Society
  • Old Sarum Youth Club

 

 

Young Carers and Youth Groups also access the facility and groups were managed by Youth Action Wiltshire. With 9 young carers aged from 5-12, with 4 support staff, all staying overnight for a residential course.

 

The Board then heard from Martin who was a volunteer coordinator of a men’s group at the Alzheimers Society. The men’s group had formed a connection with HHW and had been able to visit the facility twice in the previous year.

 

Martin explained that the environment at the wood was another world, it was a calming place where the men were able to sit and experience the surroundings and stimulate their emotions. On their first visit photographic sessions in the wood enabled the group to go back and form a display of their activities.

 

The second visit involved conservation work with planning of holly trees, using the safety equipment bought with the grant from the Board. This was followed by a BBQ where the men were able to sit and discuss the things which had stimulated them.

 

The Chairman explained that at the end of the last municipal year, Conservation had been voted in as a Theme for 2016/17. The Board had met with HHW to discuss how the theme could be taken forward. It was suggested that HHW would be a partner of the Board, providing their expertise in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Area Board Theme - Footpaths

An update on the way forward.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

In addition to the attached update, Tom explained that a recent project in Alderbury had gone well and made a valuable case study showing how footpath works could be carried out.

 

The River Bourne Community Farm (RBCF) was now available to help with projects and a kit was available for the Rights of Way Team. The Board was considering the option of supplying a bulk kit to the RBCF for parish use.

 

The Chairman added that the work carried out in the Southern Wiltshire Community Area had been a huge success.

8.10pm

13.

Youth & Community Area Grants

The Board will consider 1 Youth funding application and 12 applications for funding from the Community Area Grant Scheme.

 

Officer: Tom Bray, Community Engagement Manager

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman explained that the Board had been flooded with applications for funding, with requests totalling 87% of the total budget for 2016/17. He felt that the Board would need to take a more rigid view on how applications were considered, and to adopt some rationing in order to ensure that some funding remained for the rest of the year.

 

Youth Funding

The Board considered 1 application for youth funding as detailed in the attached report.

 

Decision

Winterslow Youth Zone was awarded £900 towards the Winterslow Youth Zone DBS checks.

 

Community Area Grants

The Board considered 12 applications for funding from the Community Area Grant Scheme for 2016/17, as detailed in the report attached to the agenda.

 

Decision

The application from Firsdown Parish Council to purchase a parish notice board was refused.

Reason

The Board felt that notice boards were a routine item of parish expenditure and should be funded by the parish.

 

Decision

Friends of Clarendon Palace was awarded £257 for a flag and polo shirts.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

West Dean Village Hall Committee was awarded £3,500 towards the refurbishment of West Dean’s Village Hall toilets.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Laverstock & Ford Sports Clubwas awarded £3,000 for new equipment to expand the Laverstock and Ford Cricket Club facilities within the community.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Whiteparish Short Mat Bowling Club was awarded £750 towards new replacement mats.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

St. Marys Church, Alderbury was awarded £1,000 towards the upgrade of the St Mary’s Hall heating and lighting.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Downton Memorial Hall was awarded £2,500 towards new chairs.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Farley Village Hall was awarded £1,292 towards an upgrade of the Village Hall electrics, with the suggestion that the applicant approach the parish council for a contribution.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Lover Community Trust was awarded £8,000 towards the Former Lover Village School Community Project.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Alderbury Village Hall was awarded £1,800 towards new chairs, with the suggestion that the applicant approach the parish council for a contribution.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Hazel Hill Trust was awarded £3,067 towards the Fire Safety improvements at Hazel Hill Wood.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Decision

Laverstock & Ford FC was awarded £700 towards a Wiltshire County Football Pitch Improvement Programme.

Reason

The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria for 2016/17.

 

Total Community Area Grant Funding allocated at this meeting: £25,866

 

9.10pm

14.

Close

Minutes:

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.

 

The next Southern Wiltshire Area Board meeting would be held on Thursday 28 July 2016, 7.00pm at Whiteparish Memorial Hall.

Attachments: Updates Circulated at the meeting

Supporting documents: