Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Westbury Area Board.

He stated that this would be the last scheduled meeting of the Area Board that he would be chairing and he wished to thank everyone for their help and support over the previous 12 months. 

Apologies for absence were received from:

Inspector James Brain – Wiltshire Police

Cllr David Bradshaw – Westbury Town Council

Andy Green – Station Manager, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Amy Schuring – Community Youth Officer

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 4 February 2016.

Resolved:

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 4 February 2016 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.

Cllr Russell Hawker declared a non-pecuniary interest regarding the Community Grant application for £1,150.00 towards the purchase of a LPCC skittle alley and dart board for Leigh Park Community Centre in Minute No. 10 below, as he was a trustee of the Centre.

To note the following items for information:-

·         Health and Wellbeing Groups

·         Clean for the Queen – The Chairman will make an announcement at the meeting.

The Chairman made the following announcements:-

·         Clean for the Queen  The Chairman reported that so far in the Westbury Community Area, five groups had got together to clean up different parts of the area.  Carole King went on to explain that on 30 March Slag Lane and the bottom end of Frogmore Road had been targeted and a number of bags of rubbish had been removed.  It was intended to repeat this exercise in three months’ time.  Carole King also stated that rubbish had been cleared from the Leigh Park area the previous weekend and the Westbury Alliance Group would be meeting on 7 May at 10.00am to clean the Market Place.

·         Health and Wellbeing Groups Background information to the establishment of Health and Wellbeing Groups was received. It was noted that Wiltshire Council was proposing that each Area Board should establish a Health and Wellbeing Group.  Health and Wellbeing Groups were intended to provide a community led local forum to facilitate the coordination of joined up services for older people living within a community area. They were intended to gather the views of local older people and ensure these views were represented at the local Area Board. The groups would focus on working with community commissioners to identify the needs of a local population and support the development of services that would meet these needs.

Sue Geary, Head of Commissioning - Community Services, will make a presentation on Health and Wellbeing Groups and answer any questions.

The Community Engagement Manager will explain the process for the appointment of an Older People’s Champion.

The Chairman introduced and welcomed Sue Geary, Head of Commissioning – Community Services, who was attending to make a presentation on Health and Wellbeing Groups and answer any questions.

She explained that:

•         Wiltshire Council’s business objective was to “bring communities together to enable and support them to do more for themselves” – Resilient Communities

•         Care Act (2014) introduced a legal duty on the local authority to consider wellbeing, deliver prevention and facilitate information and advice

•         The Health and Wellbeing Board works across organisations to improve health and wellbeing across Wiltshire, supported by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Through the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Better Care Plan, the Council and NHS partners were looking to work with the voluntary sector to improve the prevention ‘offer’, for example:

–                    Developing a coordinated approach to information and advice

–                    Building links between communities and central commissioning decisions

–                    Funding from county wide services to be allocated locally, starting with the Good Neighbour Scheme.

She went on to explain that:

•         The Council proposed that each Area Board established its own health and wellbeing group

•         Membership and frequency of meetings to be decided by each Area Board

•         Providing a community-led local forum to be aware of, coordinate and support services for older people living within a community area.

•         Gathering the views of older people and ensure these views were represented at the local Area Board

•         Older People’s and Carers Champions identified and acting as be an ‘ear’ and a ‘voice’ for issues in the community

•         Ensuring wellbeing and community resilience was seen as a key priority for Area Boards

•         Identifying the needs of a local population and support the development of services that would meet these needs

•         Drawing on local resources and assets in order to generate support for local initiatives

•         Raising awareness of prevention and the effective provision of information and advice in their community

•         Recommending the allocation of funding previously used to commission the Good Neighbours Service

•         Drawing together work already undertaken – e.g. Community JSA events, or local Health and Wellbeing initiatives

•         Linking with county-wide commissioning initiatives and commissioning officers

A question was asked as to what the difference was between health and social care and whether it might be possible to combine the two budgets as had been taking place in other areas such as Greater Manchester.  Sue Geary informed the meeting that so far £30M had been pooled and the evidence suggested that this was working well in the delivery of services.  However, it was important to note that health services were provided free of charge at the point of delivery whereas social care was means tested.   

She went on to explain that although each Area Board would be making their own arrangements for implementing this policy, it was hoped that each regular reports would be made to the Health and Wellbeing Board on progress being made.

To receive updates from our key partners.  Some reports have been received and are included in the pack.

·         Wiltshire Police

·         Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

·         Local Youth Network

·         BA13+ Community Area Partnership

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire

·         Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Town and Parish Councils

The Area Board received the following updates from key partners:-

·                Wiltshire Police   It was noted that ways of developing the Community Policing Team had been instigated including several staff engagement sessions and also meetings with a number of community groups and all the various views had been listened to.  Improved ways of communicating with the public were being looked at including the use of social media in addition to face to face meetings.

It was noted that elections for the post of Police & Crime Commissioner were due to take place on 5 May 2016.   Members asked for any information about potential mergers with other Police Forces, and in particular a question was asked if there were any future plans for a merger with the Dorset Force, similar to the merger of the two Fire & Rescue Services.   The Clerk was requested to consult the Police & Crime Commissioner to seek answers to these questions.

The Area Board was informed that Horizon Victim and Witness Care had been established in October 2014 to ensure that every victim of crime benefitted from the best possible integrated support service according to their needs.  Members asked what level of support this new service was receiving from victims and the Clerk was asked to request that this information be made available in the next report.

·                Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service   It was noted that the Westbury crew responded to 47 incidents between 1 January and 14 March 2016. These included two domestic property fires, two domestic property fires and a fire in a car spray booth.

Several responses were made in respect of fire alarms sounding and also to two road traffic collisions.

·                Local Youth Network   The Area Board was informed that Phoebe Brazier would be leaving her post as Community Youth officer in the Westbury area on 24 March 2016 and on behalf of the Area Board, the Chairman expressed his thanks and appreciation for all the work she had carried out as a youth worker over the years.

·                BA13+ Community Area Partnership  Carole King, Chairman of the Community Area Partnership (CAP) reported that a wide-ranging network of community organisations, groups, clubs, societies, schools, churches and businesses had been established in order to connect with as many local people as possible.  Regular Partnership Meetings were increasingly popular and were attracting speakers and presentations on a wide range of themes, each of which was in line with the Westbury Community Plan.

The Community Plan covered the period 2014-2017 and was based around the core themes of the Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Housing, Transport, Culture & the Arts, Leisure, Children & Young People, Economy, Jobs & Skills and Community Safety (incorporating Speedwatch, Neighbourhood Watch and Safe Places).

In particular it was noted that two grants of £250 had been awarded to the Anybody Can Cook project which offered cooking tuition to families. Westbury Infants School had generously offered school accommodation during the Summer holiday period for the course to take place.

It was noted that the next Partnership meeting would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To agree a proposed road resurfacing and maintenance programme with a list of proposed local schemes for 2016/17.  Peter Binley, Head of Highways Asset Management & Commissioning will be attending to present his report.

The Area Board received a report by the Associate Director, Highways & Transport which set out progress on Wiltshire Council’s Local Highways Investment Fund 2014-2020 and a proposed road surfacing and maintenance programme for 2016/17.

Peter Binley, Head of Highways Asset Management & Commissioning explained the contents of the report.  The investment had been targeted at those roads in worst condition, and included minor roads as well as the main roads. The programme was just reaching the end of its second year, and had already seen a substantial amount of work completed.  It was noted that the following roads in the Westbury area were regarded as being generally in good condition:-

85% of the A roads

75% of the B roads

65% of the C roads

78% of the unclassified roads

Peter Binley went on to explain that during 2016/17 the following highway maintenance schemes in the Westbury Community Area were proposed:-

·         U/C Road, Salisbury Hollow, Edington – resurfacing

·         B3098, Bratton Road, Westbury (including other sections at Bratton & Edington) – repairs and resurfacing

·         Road3097, Hawkeridge Road, Heywood – skid resistance improvements

·         Road A350, Trowbridge Road, Westbury – skid resistance improvements

·         Road B3099, Clivey, Dilton Marsh – skid resistance improvements

·         Road B2097, Station Road, Westbury (from The Ham mini roundabout to Protyre)

Peter Binley drew attention to the work that was planned on Road B3098 between Westbury and West Lavington and explained that work on nine sights would take place during the evenings and night time; however, work would cease in the villages at midnight.   

To receive the notes of the Westbury Community Area Transport Group meeting held on 18 March 2016 and to consider the recommendations set out in the notes.

The Area Board received notes of the Westbury Community Area Transport Group (CATG) meeting held on 18 March 2016.

Resolved:

·                     To note that the metrocount taken on Lower Westbury Road, Bratton showed that 85^th%ile speeds were 26.6mph and therefore were not eligible for community speedwatch and to agree that this be removed from the list of schemes.

·                     To allocate £3,000 to provide dropped kerbs on Chantry Lane, Westbury.

·                     To allocate £1,500 to renew road edge markings by the duck pond and to install ‘Road Narrows’ warning signs.

·                     To note that £10,320 had been allocated to the Westbury CATG from 1 April 2016.

A report by the Community Engagement Manager is attached providing an update on grant funding applications from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.

Consideration was given to a report by the Community Engagement Manager in which councillors were asked to consider funding from the 2016/17 Area Grants Budget, all of which met the grants criteria.  After receiving brief statements from the applicants giving reasons for the requests:

Resolved:

(1)          Application 1833 – Leigh Park Community Centre

To approve a grant of £1,150.00 towards a portable skittle alley and dart board.

(2)          Application 1705 – Westbury United Football Club

To approve a grant of £700.00 towards a Wiltshire County Football pitch improvement programme.       

(3)          Application 1828 – Bratton PCC

To approve a grant of £1,500.00 towards the refurbishment of the main hall in Bratton Institute Hall.

The next meeting of the Westbury Area Board will take place on:

Thursday 2 June 2016 at The Laverton, Westbury, BA13 3EN

Future Meeting Dates

·         Thursday 4 August 2016 at Hawkeridge and Heywood Village Hall,

5A Church Road, Heywood, BA13 4LP.

·         Thursday 6 October 2016 at The Laverton, Westbury, BA13 3EN.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Westbury Area Board would be held on Thursday 2 June 2016 at The Laverton, Westbury, BA13 3EN.