Agenda and minutes

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

Apologies for absence were received from:

• Cllr Andy Oliver

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 December 2021.

Decision

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 December 2021, 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.

To receive Chairman’s Announcements including:

·         AB Decisions - Leader Delegated Decision Process.

Leader delegated decision

All Area Board meetings held online were required to pass any recommendations for a decision, through the Leader Delegated Decision process to meet legislative requirements.

·         Fire & Rescue Service

·         Wiltshire Council Updates

1.    Ask Angela Campaign

2.    Queens Jubilee

3.    Highway Code changes

4.    Waste Collection Changes

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire

·         Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Current consultations

https://wiltshire.objective.co.uk/portal/

The Board noted the written reports and information items included in the agenda pack. These were:

• Fire & Rescue Service – appreciation of the support of Matty Maggs and best wishes to him for his retirement.

A reminder of the availability of Safe & Well visits offered by the Fire & Rescue services was given, people were urged to spread the word, especially to the vulnerable and elderly in the community.

• Wiltshire Council Updates:

1.    Ask Angela Campaign – relaunch 

2.    Queens Jubilee – most PCs and communities were considering their own plans

3.    Highway Code changes

4.    Waste Collection Changes

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire update

·         Clinical Commissioning Group update

·         Current consultations: https://wiltshire.objective.co.uk/portal/

a) Parish Councils and Community groups

b) Community Policing – local issues and priorities

In attendance: Inspector Tina Osborn

Parish Councils and Community groups

There were none.

Community Policing – local issues and priorities

Inspect Tina Osborn drew attention to the update report within the agenda pack and highlighted the following points:

·         A reduction in reported incidents of catapult damage

·         A continued focus on issues in Downton – with a Special ops team working on a joint operation.

·         Community Consultations continue – success at the last one held  outside CoOp in Downton – a further 10 planned.

·         Street Watch – happy to offer guidance and get scheme up and running if wished.

·         An arrest had been made following criminal damage. 

·         Alderbury – antisocial behaviour involving a motorbike – bike now ceased

·         Poaching and hare coursing – continued targeting with Rural Crime Team and officers across the border.

·         Community Speedwatch had been supported in Whiteparish, Redlynch Harnham, visits to other areas over next few weeks

·         Cholderton area – burglaries – arrest made – one person on bail.

Questions included:

·         Elaine Hartford - Interested to hear you would be supporting Alderbury for the next fortnight as we don’t have the speedgun due to the rota, Redlynch would have it. When we did have it, we only saw one Police car in the fortnight and it drove past. We don’t seem to get any support, how was this governed?

Answer: There may be some confusion, I will make sure we have the correct dates so that we can cover the appropriate areas.

·         Was there any written information available on Streetwatch? There is interest would like to see more. Thanks for attending Downton on Monday it was appreciated.

Answer: I will email you the information.

·         The PCC had recently published its draft Police & Crime Plan, did you see any issues in delivering that plan? I also raised issue of smartwater any plans to reinvigorate that?

Answer: The Plan reinforces most of the areas we were focusing on, we are limited in our small team, we do reach out to other areas for support.

With regards to Smartwater, that project was one that was handled by  Pete Sparrow, you can contact him direct.

The Chairman noted that the Board had previously looked at a bulk purchase option which was not possible, but that the commercial offering was still there for people to take on.

·         Cllr Richard Clewer thanked Tina and her Team for the continued work that had been going on in Downton, noting that the feedback so far from the public was that they were a bit more motivated to report incidents.

·         Was there an update on the purchase of additional Speed camera equipment, as we had trained some volunteers but were not able to start sessions yet as no available kit?

Answer: Tina would take the query away and feedback to the Chairman.

·         Cllr Zoe Clewer also praised the session in Downton and was pleased to hear there would be a further 10 planned which she noted would help to strengthen relationships really well. There had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

Karen’s update:

·         Communications 

·         Make a Friend Be a Friend

·         Healthy Schools

·         Environment

Karen Linaker, Community Engagement Manager ran through the Area Board Work Plan’s six top pieces of work.

·         Promote ‘Our Community Matters’  (OCM)

·         Deliver Rural Youth Outreach Project (RYOP)

·         Support village youth groups to get back up and running

·         Deliver Make A Friend Be A Friend project in Downton and Redlynch

·         Develop a local programme (directory resource) of health and wellbeing support and services

·         Deliver Healthy Schools Project

Events
3 events had been held, with one more yet to come, these were:

•      Youth Engagement event delivered in July 2021

•      Health & Wellbeing events delivered in Oct 2021and Jan 2022, involving Silent Discos

•      Parish Council event delivered in November 2021

•      Eco Friendly Villages event planned for 27 April 2022

.

Communications:

(a)  Our Community Matters (OCM) training for all contributors, including parish councillors and clerks

(b)  Target village newsletters & community groups each month requesting OCM contributions

(c)  Invite parish councils to publish a good news story for each Friday OCM Newsletter

(d)  Trial a parish council document resource hub

(e)  Run a parish clerk’s conference

Health & Wellbeing:

(a)  Make A Friend Be A Friend (MAFBAF) – project launched 10 February 2022

(b)  A local directory of health and wellbeing related activities, support and services

(c)  Healthy Schools Project – 8 new schools signed up and working towards bronze and silver accreditation

(d)  Dementia Support – new collaboration with Salisbury Area Dementia Group, Alzheimer’s Support and local representatives

(e)  Silver Salisbury Project – strengthening engagement with older people support groups (also working with MAFBAF)

Questions and comments:

Cllr Zoe Clewer explained that at the meeting for PCs held last year, they had discussed ways to share tips and experience on areas of work which other parishes had already carried out. Tasks or projects which were new to one parish, but which may have been successfully completed by another. Cllr Z Clewer, Cllr Oliver and Karen went out to parishes to ask whether they would be willing to take part in a pilot project which aimed to share parish council minutes in a system which could be used to carry out a search for phrases or words as a research facility, with the aim of sharing knowledge. This project was almost at the point of taking the trial forward.

The Chairman noted that the Board had previously looked at the idea of a Clerks Forum, however this had never progressed due to the issue of payment for attending outside events. He added that it would be an issue for the chairman or PC to address. He invited clerks to make contact with Karen or himself to give their thoughts on whether it would be worthwhile.

• Youth Outreach
• Earmarked 2020/21 funds

Youth Outreach

The Rural Youth Outreach project was an initiative funded by 5 Area Boards in the South, which provided funded youth support and activities. The report in the agenda pack included a list of the local offer for Southern Area. Trained skilled and youth workers were needed.

Historically the Youth club in Winterslow was struggling before covid to secure volunteers to keep it going. The proposal set out the plan for a Youth night at the Barry’s Field centre in Winterslow, this was aimed at holding a discussion with families how the Youth club might get back up and running.

Cllr Rogers, added that the project would need the local community to get behind it, as a key component of success were the adult volunteers. Need to make sure we are talking to potential volunteers and that they have a good support network.

Karen explained why the selected villages were chosen, the reasons given were due to antisocial behaviour and there being little current youth provision.

Cllr McLennan, Lead Member for youth, supported the decision to focus on the three villages.

Cllr R Clewer noted that the initiative looked interesting, and he supported the approach which had been set out, adding that the idea of a youth charity may be a good idea, if marketed correctly.

Karen confirmed that if 4a in the recommendations was researched, it could lead to achieving 4b.

The Board voted on the motion to approve recommendations 1 to 4a.

Recommendations:

1. To agree the top three areas to prioritise in phase 2 : (1) Winterslow, (2) Alderbury and (3) Allington, Idmiston, Newton Toney
2. To earmark the 2021/22 youth budget underspend for phase 2 work and potential year 2 RYOP 
3. To earmark any remaining capital funds from the 2021/22 community area grants budget to fund new equipment needed for youth activities/clubs resulting from the RYOP.
4. To ask the Community Engagement Manager to research the following for future investment:

a)    The beginning of a new youth charity in Southern Wiltshire, or collaboration with nearby youth agencies that might be able to offer outreach youth worker resources to our villages

Earmarked 2020/21 funds

Karen set out the budget underspend from the Health & Wellbeing (H&W) budgets, along with the recommendations for investment proposals as detailed in the agenda pack.

Cllr R Clewer noted that the work appeared to be focusing on dementia, and that to fully understand the scope of what was required in terms of support, the Board would benefit from working out what the direction of travel really should be. He suggested that the Southern Area had few areas of deprivation, and proposed looking at the concept of rural isolation of elderly people particularly with dementia and those other people with other vulnerabilities which put them in a similar position.

Karen noted that other Area Boards had established Health & Wellbeing Groups, which helped with the understanding as there was a sharing and a regular coming together.

Cllr McLennan supported there being more opportunity to learn  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

·         Clerk’s conference

·         Climate Change event

Climate Change Event - – April 27 at 6.30pm Whiteparish Memorial Hall

In the process of confirming exhibitors to attend and that have practical things going on. A presentation from Ariane Crampton’s group from Wiltshire Council, with the aim of identifying practical things that could be identified at a community parish level.

Cllr R Clewer noted that he would attend the event and be able to speak on behalf of UK100.

Update

There would be a briefing for Members at the end of February or early March. Further updates would be available in due course.

To note the report and consider any funding requests arising from the last CATG meeting held on 25 January 2022.

Items requiring a funding decision are:

•           4c - £7801.50

•           4e - £3825

Note: If the funding is approved, £4745.00 would come from the 2022/23 CATG budget.

The Board noted the minutes from the last CATG meeting which were attached to the agenda and considered two funding recommendations detailed within the papers.

It was noted that both schemes were approved funding, then £4745 would need to come from the 2022/23 CATG budget.

Local Members confirmed that the parish councils involved in the schemes proposed had agreed to support the schemes with contribution as indicated in the report.

Decision

The Board approved CATG recommendations to award funding to:

•      4c – Redlynch PC - the Ridge, 30mph increased measures & crossing point - £7801.50 (PC to contribute £2600.50).

•      4e – Cholderton PM - Gately Rd 30mph sign relocation - £3825 (PM to contribute £1275).

Remaining budgets available to spend at the start of this meeting:

The Board will consider applications for funding as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

Officer: Karen Linaker, Community Engagement Manager

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

·         CAG = £16,898

·         Young People = £12,011

·         Health & Wellbeing = £11,920

The Board considered the funding bids as set out in the agenda. Applicants were invited to give a brief summary of their project, followed by an opportunity for any questions.

Community Area Grants

The Board discussed whether it wished to fund applications from precepting bodies in the future as it felt that they were able to and should help themselves by precepting for upcoming projects.

It was noted that a review of Area Boards was currently underway within the Council and that it was likely there would be suggestions for changes in how funding was decided. All of the applicants from precepting bodies on the agenda were advised that any decisions tonight were made with the caveated that they should consider precepting for future projects.

Downton PC – Defibrillator £1335

The applicant spoke in support of the project. Want to move a defib from inside to outside and install a new one in a phone box in Charlton All Saints.

The Board voted on the motion to award in full.

Decision

Downton PC was awarded £1355 towards the defibrillator project

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2021/22.

Winterbourne PC – Upgrade to Sports Facilities - £2360

The applicant spoke in support of the project.

The Board voted on the motion to award in full.

Decision

Winterbourne PC was awarded £2360 towards the Sports Facility upgrade project

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2021/22.

Downton Allotments Leisure Garden Society – Infrastructure Restoration - £1667.50

The applicant spoke in support of the project.

The Parish Council had awarded £500 towards the project.

The Board voted on the motion to award in full.

Decision

Downton Allotments Leisure Garden Society was awarded £1667.50 towards the Infrastructure Restoration project

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2021/22.

Winterbourne Cricket Club – Pitch Mower & Storage Shed - £2395

The applicant spoke in support of the project. The project would benefit 100 young cricketers and 30 adults, with the aim to host more girls cricket matches through the season too.

Cllr Z Clewer, noted for opened that both of our children had been taught by the applicant, however this did not constitute an interest and she was able to take part in the discussion and vote on this application.

The Board voted on the motion to award in full.

Decision

Winterbourne Cricket Club was awarded £2195 towards the Mower and storage shed project

Reason

The application met the grants criteria for 2021/22.

Health & Wellbeing

Bourne Valley Day Centre for Elderly – Activities and Entertainment programme - £800

The applicant spoke in support of the project.

Cllr R Clewer clarified that luncheon clubs would benefit from funding as part of the Budget proposals which were due to be considered at Full Council, the following week. If the funding was approved at Full Council, then the Area Board  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

The next meeting is scheduled for 26 May 2022 at 7.00pm

Next Meeting – 26 May 2022