Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Cllr Richard Britton welcomed everyone to the online meeting of the Southern Wiltshire Area Board.

There were none.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held online, on Thursday 28 January 2021.

Decision

The minutes of the previous meeting held online on 28 January 2021, were agreed as a correct record and would be signed at a later date.

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

Cllr Ian McLennan noted for transparancy - in relation to item 11 – Grant Applications, Music for Wellbeing CIC - that his Daughter was the applicant, stating that as he did not benefit financially from the project he would take part in the discussion and vote.

To receive Chairman’s Announcements including:

·       Announcement ?

The Chairman noted that this was the last meeting of this Area Board prior to the election on 6 May 2021 and that we had entered into the purdah period.

·       Fire & Rescue Service

·       Wiltshire Council Updates

1.     Fostering

2.     Independent Visitor Scheme

3.     Covid-19 – asymptomatic testing

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Current consultations

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations.htm

The Board noted the written updates and information items attached to the agenda and available via online links, these were:

·       Fire & Rescue Service – The draft community safety plan consultation

Questions to Fire Officer Maggs:

Q - There was a high level of false alarms, what make up these false alarms?

A - Malicious calls, which were challenged straight away and rarely attended, Commercial building alarm, which were not attended between 08:00 – 20:00 unless there was no key holder or a smell of smoke, with the majority being residential and then some commercial in the evenings.

·       Q - Were the Safe and well visits still available?

A – Yes and the advisors had extra PPE. Requests for a visit went through to one mailbox for Dorset and Wiltshire and then the visits were split to the individual areas.

·       Wiltshire Council Updates:

Fostering – information slides were presented by the CEM.

Independent Visitor Scheme

Covid-19 – asymptomatic testing

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Current consultations

·       http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/consultations.htm

The Chairman suggested that the new AB may wish to consider inviting a foster family to attend and speak about their experience.

Local issues and priorities

Inspector Pete Sparrow

Inspector Pete Sparrow gave an update on local issues and priorities.

The Police update had been uploaded to the website as a supplement 1.

Some of the points noted were:

·       Despite there being a road map for exiting lockdown, it was vital people did not rush and remained cautious.

·       It was hoped that the Community Speedwatch Scheme would start back up on 29 March 2021.

·       New Neighbourhood Inspector – Tina Osbourne would be in post from April.

·       Inspector Sparrow would move to the new role of Inspector for Response Officers.

·       Officers James Barratt & Matt Holland would also both be leaving the area, Matt was retiring and James to move to another post.

·       Inspector Sparrow was working to see catapults legislated against and was looking at Public space protection orders in hope to find some ways to control the carrying of weapons.

·       Community Messaging  - CCTV was now regularly installed at people’s homes as part of the doorbell recording systems. When an offence took place which required a call for captured images, we could ask anyone registered to check their images to see if they had anything of use.

·       The use of Social media enabled posts to be seen by large numbers of people.

The Board thanked Pete, Matt and James for all their work and support they had given the Area Board and the community area over the last few years.

The Chair noted that Inspector Sparrows regular attendance had been invaluable.

·       Community Communications

·       Community Eco Projects

·       Tackling ASB

·       Health & Wellbeing:

a.     Loneliness & Isolation of Older People

b.     Rural Isolation of Families & Younger People

c.     Physical Health & Wellbeing

d.     Mental Health & Wellbeing

e.     Dementia

·       Youth Engagement

Details of the Southern Wiltshire Work Plan were available online in Supplement 1 to the Agenda.

The Plan would form the basis of the Board’s work with parishes and partners, a plan that covers everything we know about from the conversations we have already had.

There had also been a Health & Wellbeing workshop and a separate Parish Council workshop about the Plan.

Report on the agenda about a communications survey we ran. It helped us to find out how community communications were happening, details were available in Appendix 2 – p21 of the online supplement.

Rosie Wilkinson and Cllr Britton worked together to compile a new eco-friendly Eco Villages Directory, details were available in Appendix 3 – p23 of the online supplement.

The emphasis of the directory was to guide people towards down to earth, practical and achievable projects, things that could be really worthwhile community projects. Rosie Wilkinson had put in a great deal of work, the Chairman thanked her for all she has done. 

The main 5 priorities were detailed in Appendix 1.

Some other examples of projects happening around the area were the Make a Friend be a Friend project. The Board would work with them to pilot a scheme in Downton to help tackle loneliness and isolation of older people.

Support for youth clubs to help them get up and running again after the lockdown eases.

South West region Royal Navy youth engagement officers had approached Karen to see how they could help with youth engagement.

The Plan would be looked at, at the first meeting of the new Area Board in May. It was proposed that a rolling prioritisation system like that used in CATG, may be useful if adopted for the Plan.

The report contained recommendations for members to consider.

Questions and comments:

The Chairman noted that pages 13 – 19 of the online supplement really demonstrated the huge range of work that Karen was busy with in-between area boards.

The Board was asked to make a recommendation to the new Board to adopt the Plan.

Chris Hall – In Downton, we were looking at having a skateboard event for the young people, was that something that could be considered?

Answer: KL – yes that was something we could help with.

Cllr Clewer noted that the programme looked good, and that perhaps some of the community communication issues may be challenging.

The Chairman hoped that in time opportunities could be spotted to bring groups together that were doing the same work to benefit more greatly.

Decision

The Board agreed:

(1)         To recommend the newly elected Area Board to approve and adopt the attached Work Plan (appendix 1)

(2)         To note the results from the community communications survey in Appendix 2, and considers the key findings, with a view to agreeing key actions intended to strengthen communications within, between and for the benefit of parishes and the community area as a whole.

(3)         To adopt the new local Eco Friendly Villages directory, which has been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

To note the report of the last meeting held on 17 February 2021, and consider any recommendations for funding.

End of term report for this Area Board.

The Board noted the report of the CATG from its last meeting held on 17 February 2021 and considered the funding recommendations detailed within.

Decision

The Board approved the CATG funding recommendations from the meeting of 17 February 2021:

·       Whiteparish PC – Hop Gardens missing name plate - £187.50

(total cost is £250, PC contribution is £62.50)

·       Landford PC – New Road, NAL socket & poster for SID - £712.50

(total cost is £950 – PC contribution is £237.50)

The Chairman noted that £7790 (approx.) of remaining CATG funds would be carried over to the next Financial year.

End of term review for this Area Board.

Karen Linaker set out the funding totals awarded over the last 4 years by the Area Board, with a total of £109,375.50 of capital funding having been awarded to 39 community projects during that time.

A total of £43,960 from the Youth Budget had been awarded to 15 local youth club or projects.

A total of £13,269.50 had been allocated to 10 Health & Wellbeing projects.

£166,605 was the overall grand total awarded to date, which had helped applicants’ lever in additional funding from other avenues to support projects across our communities.

Councillors agreed that awarding grants locally was so important and a pleasure for the Board to be able to do.

The Chairman noted that budget allocations to Area Boards would remain the same for the new financial year, with the addition for Southern Area of a top up to allow for the increased size of the community area, once the new Bourne Valley ward was included.

Remaining budgets:

·       Community Area Grants: £6,324

·       Youth Grants: £27

·       Health & Wellbeing Grants: £7,500

·       Earmarked 2019/20 Older People’s Isolation Fund: £3,700

The Board will consider applications for funding as detailed in the reports attached to the agenda and listed below.

Officer: Karen Linaker, Community Engagement Manager

Health & Wellbeing proposed allocations

CEM recommendation:

That councillors approve the list of proposed allocations from the 2020/21 Health & Wellbeing Budget, noting that detailed bids will be submitted in due course for the board to consider and approve, before these funds are released:

The Board noted the remaining budgets available at this meeting, these were:

·       Community Area Grants: £6,324

·       Youth Grants: £27

·       Health & Wellbeing (HW) Grants: £7,500

·       Earmarked 2019/20 Older People’s Isolation Fund: £3,700

The Board considered the funding requests detailed in the agenda pack. Applicants in attendance were invited to speak in support of their applications and answer any questions.

The Bridge Youth Project

The application from the Bridge Youth Project had been withdrawn as the applicant had been gifted a laptop through a charitable organisation.

Music for Wellbeing CIC – requested £1500 (HW)

The applicant Olivia McLennan spoke in support of the Moving Music Southern and SWW project.

Questions included:

·       What other funding had been confirmed?

Answer: £700 from SWW not yet been confirmed as that meeting was next week, and £4,000 from Comic Relief Chair moved – 2^nd by RC approved.

The Chairman Subject to the award of funding from SWWAB.

Decision

Music for Wellbeing CIC was awarded £1500 from the HW budget, towards the Moving Music Southern and SWW project, subject to an award from SWWAB.

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2020/21

Clarendon Juniors Football Club – requested £5000 (CAG)

The applicant Richard Pearce spoke in support of the Football Club facilities improvement project.

Questions included:

·       What would the £5k buy along with other funding?

Answer: 5 x sets of permanent goal posts the total cost of those was £8900. In addition, the project includes, £3000 for the sit on lawnmower, £3k for grounds sitter and facilities for field maintenance, and the carpark element would cost £9700 which the PC approved and was working towards. Pitch aeration £2500.

Decision

Clarendon Juniors Football Club was awarded £5000 from the CAG budget towards the club improvement project.

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2020/21

St Francis Church – requested £400

The applicant Will Burditt spoke in support of the Old Sarum and Longhedge Community Fayre project.

We would set a weekly rhythm of opening to coincide with the offers of food we receive.

Decision

St Francis Church was awarded £400 from the CAG budget towards the Old Sarum and Longhedge Community Fayre project.

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2020/21

Health & Wellbeing proposed allocations

The Board considered the CEM recommendations for allocation of remaining Health & Wellbeing funds, set out in the report attached to the agenda.

As detailed in the Area Board work plan there were a number of initiatives that to move forward would require funding.

It was noted that detailed bids would be submitted in due course for the Board to consider and approve, before the funds were released.

Decision

The Board allocated the remaining Health & Wellbeing funds as follows:

1.     Strengthening village/area board communications (printing of flyers / distribution volunteers expenses) - £500

2.     New village Silver Sunday champions (to work closely with Irene) (printing / travel expenses) - £500

3.     Maximising engagement of vulnerable families in Rural Outreach Youth project and Family Fun Days (a parenting support fund)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

Future meeting dates:

·       27 May 2021

·       9 September 2021

·       9 December 2021

·       10 February 2022

Locations to be confirmed.

The Chairman noted that it was the last Area Board meeting of the current council. The new Board would contain at least 2 new faces as Cllr Randall had decide not to stand again for re-election and the other would be whoever was elected to represent the Lower Bourne Valley. Hope that that the current Board had given the new Board a good start.

Thanks were given to the Officers of the Board, for their work and to Members, in particular to Cllr Randall for the help and guidance over the years.

Cllr Randall thanked the Chairman noting that serving as a Councillor had been a privilege since elected in 2000, but that it was now time to give someone else a chance.