Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Mike Franklin, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 6 August 2015.

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

The Chairman and Cllr David Jenkins each declared a non-pecuniary interest regarding the Community Grant application for £5,000 to provide a kitchen replacement for the Welfare of the Elderly Association at Grassacres Hall, Westbury in Minute No. 11 below as they were both members of the Management Team for the Hall.

To note the following items for information:-

·                Children’s Centres

·                Child Poverty

·                Emergency Planning Workshop

·                Men’s Shed Club

The Chairman made the following announcements:-

·         Children’s Centres  Wiltshire’s children’s centre services were currently delivered by a four of voluntary and community sector organisations.  The contracts for children’s centres finish in June 2016 and the Council was looking at how to ensure that the money spent had the greatest positive impact on young children’s development before re-tendering the contracts.  The annual expenditure on children’s centres services was currently just over £4m. Along with other local authorities across the country, Wiltshire Council had significantly less funding available due to reductions in central government funding. Ways needed to be found to continue to meet the needs of young children and their families through re-shaping service delivery whilst looking at opportunities to save money.  The Council wanted to ensure that it maximised support for the most deprived areas whilst retaining wide service coverage across the county.  Details of the proposed model for consultation was included in the pack on which consultation is open until 6 November 2015.

A questionnaire is available on line and in paper format at the end of the consultation document. The consultation document is on the council website as follows : www.wiltshire.gov.uk/schoolseducationandlearning/earlyyearsandchildcare/childrenscentresinwiltshire.htm

Dr Peter Biggs requested that the Council’s final decision following the public consultation be reported back to the Area Board in due course.

·         Child Poverty The Chairman announced that on Tuesday 13 October 2015 there would be a workshop on the attainment of disadvantaged children and to be held at Matravers School during the morning from which it was planned to draw up an action plan which would eventually be reported back to the Area Board.

·         Emergency Planning Workshop  An Emergency Planning Workshop was due to be held at The Laverton on Thursday 12 November 2015 hosted by the Council’s Public Protection Team at which it was planned to draw up a template document containing contact details for use by the public in times of emergency, such as flooding and significant snow.

·         Men’s Shed Club  An initiative by Liam Cripps, Community Engagement Manager was explained.  It was planned to develop a Men’s Shed Club in Westbury, the purpose of which would be to bring together men socially.  A meeting to discuss setting-up such a club  was due to be held at the Leigh Park Community Centre on Tuesday 20th October at 6pm.

Angus Macpherson, Police & Crime Commissioner, will present his Annual Report on the outcomes of the previous Police & Crime Plan and present the new Plan for 2015 – 2017.

Angus Macpherson, Police & Crime Commissioner, presented his Annual Report on the outcomes of the previous Police & Crime Plan, together with his new Plan for 2015-17.

He explained that achievements made during  2014/15 included:

•      Neighbourhood policing prioritised

•      2.7% reduction in crimes (885 fewer than last year)

•      4.2% reduction in anti-social behaviour incidents

•      Wiltshire Police rated Good by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary in PEEL

•      95% of people feel safe during the day

•      83% of people have confidence in their local police

•      Horizon Victim and Witness Care

•      Opening a fully refurbished Emergency Communication Centre

•      PCC Innovation Fund benefited 24,000 people directly

•      £5m of savings by increasing efficiency and collaborations

The Commissioner further explained that the aim of the new Plan would be to keep Wiltshire and Swindon as one of the safest places in the country with the following three commitments to the public:

•      Neighbourhood teams are at the centre of policing in Wiltshire

•      Neighbourhood policing will be protected by shifting resources to

 the front line

•      Any increase in police element of council tax will be used to reduce the impact of central funding reductions on neighbourhood policing

The Plan for 2015-17 would contain the following four priorities:

•         Priority 1: Prevent Crime and anti-social behaviour

•         Priority 2: Protecting the most vulnerable in society

•         Priority 3: Putting victims and witnesses at the heart ofeverything we do

•         Priority 4: Secure high quality, efficient and trusted services

He also explained that key work to deliver these priorities would include:

–     Community Policing pilot to transform local policing

–     Achieving at least a ‘good’ in HMIC inspections

–     Keeping victims informed and re-assured

–     Positive help through a system that delivers justice

–     Open and transparent complaint handling

–     Get the best out of Mobile Technology

–     Estates and custody efficiencies

–     Get value out of every £ spent

–     Strategic Alliance with Avon and Somerset

–     Deliver £10M savings through efficiencies in 3 years

During the ensuing discussion the Commissioner was asked how many police personnel had been trained in dementia awareness.  He stated that he would need to look make some enquiries and would provide this information to the Area Board.  

On behalf of the meeting, the Chairman thanked the Commissioner for his presentation.

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

·                Wiltshire Police

·                Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

·                BA13+ Community Area Partnership

·                Local Youth Network

·                Healthwatch Wiltshire

·                Town and Parish Councils

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

·                Wiltshire Police  The Chairman introduced and welcome Inspector James Brain, the new Sector Commander for Warminster/Westbury Sector.  Inspector Brain explained that he had replaced Inspector Chris Chammings, who had been promoted to Superintendent for the central hub which included the Warminster/Westbury Sector.

He explained that a new Operational Policing Pilot scheme had started in the Trowbridge and Warminster Sectors, which included Westbury, on 14 September 2015.  The priorities would be to strive for high visibility and policing the needs of the community.  The main aim would be to ensure that officers were out on foot patrol and also on police bikes.  Additional IT support of laptops and new mobile phones were being distributed to officers working within the pilot area.

Inspector Brain stated that his priorities would be to provide a visible team within the community utilising all of the available technology to support the right person going to the right job. He explained that five Police Sergeants, working from Warminster, would cover the Westbury Community Area together with Police Community Support Officers, thus providing a 24 hour policing service.  Although this pilot scheme had only been in operation for a few of weeks, it seemed to be operating very successfully.

Dr Peter Biggs enquired as to how crime figures for Westbury compared with other areas in Wiltshire.  He also referred to violent crimes against a person and considered that this figure should be broken down to separate domestic violence and public place assaults.  Inspector Brain explained that in many cases domestic violence was not reported and it was therefore difficult to provide any meaningful figures.  Police were encouraging victims of domestic abuse to come forward and report the crime and some success was being achieved with this initiative.  Inspector Brain considered that it should be possible to provide comparative crime statistics for other parts of Wiltshire from the Force database.   

Inspector Brain was requested to include a section on Restorative Justice in his next report.  

·                BA13+ Community Area Partnership The update report was received and noted.

·                HealthwatchWiltshire  The update report was received and noted.

The Chairman will report at the meeting.

The Chairman reported that Area Boards were now responsible for the   strategic arrangements regarding the development and planning of community campuses.  Discussions were continuing as to how this would be achieved in practice and he would provide an update at the next meeting.

To receive the notes of the Westbury Community Area Transport Group meeting held on 4 September 2015 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 4 September 2015.

DECISION:

To allocate £300 to fund an access barrier which would not impede mobility scooters/large prams/buggies on the footpath  from Emms Lane to Stradbrook, Bratton.

To receive a Local Youth Network update and to consider the following grant applications for youth activities:

·       To approve the full £1,500 to 68 Squadron for IT equipment and two-way radios.

·       To approve the full £813 to Westbury TC for the Christmas Roller Disco.

·       To approve the full £1,000 to Westbury Lions Club for safety equipment & uniform for Westbury Leos.

The Area Board received an update from the Community Youth Officers on youth activities that had been held since the last meeting.  In addition to the Sports Roadshow held in Westbury Town Park, the following activities had been held at Penleigh Park, Westbury between 1.00pm and 4.00pm:-

18^th August – Circus Skills and Giant Twister. 43 Young People (13-19)

20^th August – Climbing wall. 41 Young People (13-19)

21^st August – Archery. 36 Young People (13-19)

24^th August – Inflatable Assault Course and Bungee Run. Cancelled due to poor weather.  Booking honoured for a future date.

25^th August – Archery and Giant Twister. Cancelled due to poor weather. Booking honoured for a future date.

28^th August – Giant Slide and Bungee Run. 42 Young People (13-19)

The Area Board was delighted to hear that the activities had been a real success in terms of engaging young people in an open space they chose to use.

Consideration was given to three grant applications for youth activities.

DECISION:

To approve the following applications:-

·         The full £1,500 to 68 Squadron for IT equipment and two-way radios.

·         The full £813 to Westbury TC for the Christmas Roller Disco.

·         The full £1,000 to Westbury Lions Club for safety equipment & uniform for Westbury Leos.

It was noted that there was about £30,000 still available to spend on youth activities in the current financial year and that any underspend would be taken back into area board reserves for distribution according to need. Members expressed surprise and disappointment and requested that the Cabinet be urged to reconsider this policy so that any underspend could be carried forward by an Area Board into the following financial year.

To consider a councillor-led initiative from Cllr Russell Hawker for £5,000 to provide a kitchen replacement for the Welfare of the Elderly Association at Grassacres Hall, Westbury. 

Consideration was given to a councillor-led initiative from Cllr Russell Hawker in which Councillors were asked to consider an application for funding from the 2015/16 Area Board Grants Budget, which met the grants criteria for 2015/16.

Grassacres Hall, Westbury

Decision:

To approve a grant of £5,000 to provide a kitchen replacement for the Welfare of the Elderly Association at Grassacres Hall, Westbury.

The Chairman will introduce this item following which Liam Cripps, Community Engagement Manager, will make a presentation. 

It was decided to defer this item in view of the sparse number of people present at the meeting.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

To note that the next meeting of the Westbury Area Board will take place on:

Thursday 10 December 2015 at The Laverton, Bratton Road, Westbury, BA13 3EN.

Future Meeting Dates

Thursday 4 February 2016 at The Laverton, Westbury BA13 3EN

It was noted that the next meeting of the Westbury Area Board would be held on Thursday 10 December 2015, at The Laverton, Bratton Road, Westbury, BA13 3EN.