Agenda and minutes

Three groups from Cricklade that have received grants from the area board to put on a display of how they spent the money.

The Chairman noted that the start of the meeting would be recorded as the Democratic Services Officer was delayed in traffic.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from:

 

·       Cllr Bob Jones, MBE

·       Cllr David Bowler

·       Cllr Mary Champion

·       Ron Glover – Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council

·       Mark Hopkins – Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council

·       Phil Peaple – Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2023 as a true and correct record.

On the proposal of Cllr Steve Bucknell, seconded by Cllr Jacqui Lay, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2023 as a true and correct record.

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

 

In relation to Item 14 and the vote to note a grant awarded via the delegated authority of the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager, Cllr Steve Bucknell declared an Other Registerable Interest (ORI) that he was a member of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council. The Democratic Services Officer clarified that it would not be necessary for Cllr Bucknell to leave the room during the vote to note the awarding if the grant as the decision had already been made.

The Chairman will give an update on local issues relating to the Area Board, including:

 

·       Consultation on Wiltshire’s Local Plan –

 

Ø  Tuesday 10 October – Online via Microsoft Teams, 6:30pm – 8pm. Please click here to register.

Ø  For the Area Board (excluding Broad Hinton) an in-person consultation event will be held at Royal Wootton Bassett Library, Wednesday 11 October, 3pm – 7pm

Ø  For Broad Hinton ) an in-person consultation event will be held at Marlborough Library, Monday 9 October, 3pm-7pm

 

·       Congratulations to Tockenham for winning Wiltshire’s best kept small village competition. 

The following announcements were received through the Chairman:

 

·       Congratulations were given to Tockenham for being given an award for being Wiltshire’s best kept small village. Kevin Woolnough from Tockenham Parish Council explained that the village had had a celebratory event on 17 September attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. 

·       The public had the opportunity to comment on Wiltshire Council’s draft Local Plan, a document setting out a vision and a framework for the future development of the county. It was noted that, once the document had been ratified, all planning applications would be judged against it until the 2030s. An online session was taking place on 10 October, as well as an in-person session on 11 October at 3pm in Royal Wootton Bassett Library. Residents in Broad Hinton would be able to attend an in-person event about their area at Marlborough Library between 3pm and 7pm on 9 October. It was also possible to comment online.

·       Details of all of the consultation events are listed below:

 

Town	Closest event for residents of…	Date	Time	Location
Amesbury	Amesbury, Bulford, Durrington, Great Wishford, Porton, Shrewton, Tilshead and The Winterbournes	Monday 2 October	3pm-7pm	Amesbury Library, Smithfield Street, Amesbury SP4 7AL
Bradford on Avon	Bradford on Avon, Holt, Westwood and Winsley	Monday 2 October	3pm-7pm	Bradford on Avon Library, Bridge Street, Bradford on Avon BA15 1BY
Chippenham	Chippenham, Christian Malford, Hullavington, Kington St Michael, Sutton Benger and Yatton Keynell	Tuesday 3 October	3pm-7pm	Olympiad Leisure Centre, Sadlers Mead, Chippenham SN15 3PA
Melksham	Melksham, Atworth, Bowerhill, Seend, Semington, Shaw and Whitley and Steeple Ashton	Wednesday 4 October	3pm-7pm	Melksham Community Campus, Market Place, Melksham SN12 6ES
Tisbury and Mere	Tisbury, Mere, Fovant, Hindon and Ludwell	Wednesday 4 October	3pm-7pm	The Nadder Centre, Weaveland Road, Tisbury SP3 6HJ
Devizes	Devizes, Bromham, Market Lavington, Potterne, Rowde, Urchfont, West Lavington, Littleton Pannell and Worton	Thursday 5 October	3pm-7pm	Devizes Library, Sheep Street, Devizes SN10 1DL
Broad Hinton	Marlborough, Aldbourne, Baydon, Broad Hinton, Ramsbury, Pewsey, Burbage, Great Bedwyn, Shalbourne and Upavon	Monday 9 October	3pm-7pm	Marlborough Library, 91 High Street, Marlborough SN8 1HD
Malmesbury	Malmesbury, Ashton Keynes, Crudwell, Great Somerford, Oaksey and Sherston	Monday 9 October	3pm-7pm	Malmesbury Library, 24 Cross Hayes Lane, Malmesbury SN16 9BG
General information webinar	Online webinar covering all of Wiltshire	Tuesday 10 October	6.30pm-8pm	Online
Corsham	Corsham, Box, Colerne and Rudloe	Wednesday 11 October	3pm-7pm	Springfield Community Campus, Beechfield Road, Corsham SN13 9DN
Royal Wootton Bassett	Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, Lyneham and Purton	Wednesday 11 October	3pm-7pm	Royal Wootton Bassett library, 11 Borough Fields, Royal Wootton Bassett SN4 7AX
Trowbridge	Trowbridge, Hilperton, North Bradley and Southwick	Thursday 12 October	3pm-7pm	Atrium, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge  BA14 8JN
Calne	Calne, Derry Hill and Studley	Monday 16 October	3pm-7pm	Calne Library, The Strand, Calne SN11 0JU
Westbury	Westbury, Dilton Marsh and Bratton	Monday 16 October	4.30pm-8.30pm	Leighton Recreation Centre, Wellhead Lane, Westbury BA13 3PT
Salisbury	Salisbury, Alderbury, Broad Chalke, Coombe Bissett, Dinton, Downton, Laverstock and Ford, Morgan’s Vale,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139.

 

·       Wiltshire Council has a new look website

·       Neighbourhood Police Team – Community Messaging – included to show local reports of crime in our Community Police Team’s area.

·       Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal – allowing you to have your say on any relevant consultations currently being undertaken by Wiltshire Council and see the latest community messaging.

·       Wiltshire Council Information Items:

 

o   Wiltshire Council’s activity and progress on the Climate Emergency – watch the video here.

o   Wiltshire Life Awards

The Area Board noted the following information items:

 

·       Wiltshire Council had a new look website.

·       Community Messaging included local reports of crime in the Community Police Team’s area. The Chairman noted that it was free to sign up for their newsletters.

·       Wiltshire Council’s Consultation Portal allowed the public to have their say on any live consultations. A consultation on polling stations was due to be added to the site.

·       A video about the progress that Wiltshire Council had made towards tackling the Climate Emergency was available online.

·       Nominations for the Wiltshire Life Awards were open until 13 October 2023.

Terry Offen, Wiltshire Council’s Woodland Officer Team Leader, will deliver a presentation about the role of the team and the grants available to support tree planting.

Terry Offen, Wiltshire Council’s Woodland Team Leader, gave an overview of tree planting targets in the United Kingdom before speaking about the role of his team and the grants available to support tree planting. Points included:

 

·       To meet government targets Wiltshire needed to plant 435 hectares of woodland, an area the size of Devizes, each year for the next 30 years.

·       It was highlighted that 40 percent of Wiltshire was in national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) or historic sites, areas where it was often harder to undertake tree planting at scale.

·       There were a large amount of Wiltshire Council owned farms, so the Woodland Team were working with tenants on tree planting schemes.  

·       Grants for tree planting were open to all and there were a wide number of different types available.

·       The Great Western Community Forest group offered to fund up to 100 percent of project costs for periods of up to 15 years. Support was available for schemes with as few as 25 trees.

·       Forestry England would also cover up to 75 percent of costs for up to a period of 10 years.

·       The Woodland Team were able to provide advice on planting the right sort of tree in appropriate locations, as well on how to care for trees. They also played an important role in networking, to ensure that groups communicated effectively to deliver projects.

·       A recruitment campaign was underway to recruit Tree Wardens, for The Tree Council. Wiltshire Council had recently resumed work on coordinating the scheme. Tree Wardens surveyed trees and helped to identify new places to plant trees. Full training would be provided online.  

·       Wiltshire Council was creating a log of all the trees being planted in the county.

 

During the discussion, points included:

 

·       Jason Cook from Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust asked what percentage of Wiltshire would be covered by trees if the targets were met. The Woodland Team Leader noted that tree coverage in Wiltshire in 2023 was between 12 and 14 percent and that target was to achieve 17 percent coverage by 2050.

·       Wiltshire Council’s Director for Environment contextualised that 333-hectares, the amount aimed to be delivered through the woodland accelerator grant funding, was equivalent to 466 football pitches.

·       Wiltshire had a relatively low tree cover for a rural county as much of it was taken up by Salisbury Plain.

·       In response to a query about the challenges in planting trees in AONBs, the Director for Environment noted that protected landscape characteristics restricted tree planting in some areas. The Woodland Team Leader noted that conversations were being held with AONB boards about the issue. It was also clarified that specific landscapes in AONBs might be unsuitable due to the presence of certain animal species, or as they may not have originally been wooded.

·       Captain David Thomas from 5^th Battalion Royal Mechanical Electrical Engineers queried whether the Defence Infrastructure Organisation had been approached about the possibility of planting trees on parts of Salisbury Plain or at Lyneham.

·       Tree Warden  ...  view the full minutes text for item 141.

To receive an update from Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson, OBE, MPhil.

 

If you wish to submit questions in advance, please contact matthew.hitch@wiltshire.gov.uk

 

Click here to take part in the Commissioner’s Rural Crime Survey.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Wilkinson, OBE, MPhil, explained that he had spent most of the last 20 years chasing terrorists on behalf of the British Government. He reported that he had now been in post as PCC for just over two years and was working alongside an excellent team in his office and Wiltshire’s dynamic new Chief Constable, Cathrine Roper, to improve Wiltshire Police. He highlighted that improvements were necessary as, shortly after he assumed the role, Wiltshire Police received a critical inspection and were subsequently put into ENGAGE, a special measure process.

 

The PCC underlined that his team were working hard to support and challenge Wiltshire Police to get out of ENGAGE and, more importantly, to deliver an effective and comprehensive service to the public. He noted that he in turn was challenged and supported by Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel, which was chaired by Cllr Steve Bucknell, to deliver the goals of his Crime Plan. The PCC then outlined the four key priorities in his Crime Plan and the progress that he was making towards those goals.

 

During the update, points included:

 

·       The PCC reported that Wiltshire Police’s response to 999 calls was within national target criteria, but the response time for 101 calls was too slow and he was taking steps to improve efficiency in their call centre.

·       The PCC expressed frustration at the national online crime reporting system and said that he had spoken to the Home Office about reducing the number of questions on the form.

·       Two brand new mobile police stations had been purchased and two CCTV vans refurbished to improve community engagement.

·       When the PCC started his role, Wiltshire Police was the worst performing force in the country in terms of rape and sexual offences with a successful outcome rate of two percent. The PCC was pleased to report that this had increased to 11 percent, putting Wiltshire in the top quarter of forces in the country, but emphasised that there was still far greater progress to be made.

·       Collaborative work had been going on with other forces in South West England, through Operation Scorpion, to tackle the issue of County Lines drug smuggling. As a result, all five forces in the region were in the top 10 performing nationally, per head of population, in terms of County Lines disruptions. Wiltshire was the best performing force in the country.

·       The PCC raised concerns about knife crime, particularly in Swindon, Trowbridge, and Devizes. However, he reported that he had a comprehensive plan to tackle the issue and would be holding a summit on knife crime with the leader of Swindon Borough Council in October.

·       Huge progress had been made towards enforcing speeding. In the PCC’s first year in office 192 speed enforcement sanctions were issued, but there had been over 11,000 so far in 2023. There were now 115 Community Speed Watch teams in the county with a total of 1,000 volunteers. These teams were now enforced with specialist enforcement officers.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142.

To receive a brief update about Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett’s Neighbourhood Planning Process.

Adam Gilmore, a Broad Hinton Parish Councillor and member of the Winterbourne Bassett and Uffcott Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, gave an overview of the steps that they had taken towards developing a neighbourhood plan for their area. He identified the key issues facing the three settlements, including a declining population and the closure of the village shop. He noted that the population of the local school had dropped significantly in recent years, so there was a requirement to attract young and working aged people.

 

He reported that the steering group for the project was established in 2022 and that they had held a series of community meetings and run a questionnaire. An independent consultant undertook a housing needs assessment in January 2023 and analysed potential sites for development. The Steering Group Clerk also highlighted that their draft neighbourhood plan was being drawn up against an evolving backdrop, including Wiltshire’s draft Local Plan reducing the housing requirement in parish from 25 new houses to none. However, he emphasised that the focus had been on local needs and the evidence base they had gathered.

 

He outlined some of the challenges faced, such as a fall in the number of volunteers, Wiltshire Council not having a dedicated officer available to support the project and the withdrawal of locality grant funding. Despite the challenges, he explained that lots of hard work had gone towards the project and the group had made significant progress. In summing up, he emphasised the importance of transparency, simplicity and good communication in developing a plan.

 

During the discussion, the Area Board members praised Broad Hinton, Winterbourne Bassett and Uffcott Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group for the time and effort that they had invested in the project. They noted that drawing up a plan could often be a lengthy process, so commended the logical and energetic approach they had adopted.

To receive updates from our key partners, including:

 

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

 

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c.     Parish and Town Councils

 

 

Written Updates

The Board is asked to note the following written and online updates attached to the agenda:

 

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c.     Parish and Town Councils

d.    Healthwatch Wiltshire

e.    BSW Together (Integrated Care Board)

f.      Age UK

g.    Centre for Sustainable Energy

 

Written updates were available in the agenda pack from:

 

 

·       Wiltshire Police, pg. 39 - 45

·       Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, pg.47 – 52

·       Cricklade Town Council, pg. 53 - 54

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire, pg. 55

·       BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire – Integrated Care Board, pg. 57

·       Wiltshire Age UK, pg. 59 – 63

·       Centre for Sustainable Energy, pg. 65

·       Wiltshire Police Road Safety, Agenda Supplement 1

 

 

The following partners also provided verbal updates:

 

Cricklade Town Council

 

Chairman of Cricklade Town Council, Mark Clarke, reported that they had set up a Community Land Trust (CLT). The CLT had bought the town’s former police station and were in the process of converting it into two flats, with a commercial unit on the ground floor.

 

 

Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers

 

Captain Dave Evans explained that their battalions had engaged with communities around Wiltshire. He said that he looked forward to further engagement around Lyneham.

Updates from Area Board members on the Community Area Action Plan including the following priorities.

Updates were provided by Lead Members.

A summary will be provided by the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager, Andrew Jack.

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manger, noted the priority goals in the Area Board’s Community Area Action Plan.

RWB and Cricklade Youth Forum update – Cllr Allison Bucknell

The Chairman noted that the Area Board had funded youth activities in Royal Wootton Bassett during the summer holidays and reported that there were proposals to hold a Youth Fair in the town in 2024.

 

She also took the opportunity to remind the Area Board that Youth Grant funding was still available for the current financial year. Youth funding was available for projects primarily benefitting 13–19-year-olds, or people up to 25 with special educational needs or disabilities. She encouraged groups to speak to the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager, Area Board Delivery Officer or their local councillor.

RWB and Cricklade Environmental Forum update – Cllr Steve Bucknell

Cllr Steve Bucknell reported that progress had been made towards the Royal Wootton Bassett to Swindon Cyle Way, as agreements had been made with landowners to allow surveying along the route. The design for the project was almost complete and it was anticipated that a planning application would be submitted before the end of the year.

 

Cllr Bucknell also stated that there was an aspiration for the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Environment Forum to hold another site visit, possibly to Great Wood, an area owned by Wiltshire Wildlife.   

To find out the details of the last meeting of the Community Care Group on 26 July 2023.

 

Cllr Mary Champion and Cllr David Bowler

The Chairman referred the Area Board to the report on pages 67-69 of the agenda pack. She also highlighted concerns about reports that Carer Support Wiltshire may be withdrawing support in the local area.

 

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager reported that the Community Care Group had held a successful meeting on 26 July. He reminded the Area Board that a community booklet of useful contact numbers had been produced last year and that they hoped to update the document to ensure that it still contained the relevant information. The issue of access to healthcare was also discussed and it was decided that it would be best to hold an engagement event alongside an existing meeting. It was agreed that information from the group could be sent via Celebrating Age, as they already had a strong local network. The Community Care Group had also discussed the Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant applications, including from Bradenstoke Self Help Group. 

High Street – Cllr Bob Jones MBE

 

Household Economy – Cllr Jacqui Lay

Cllr Jacqui Lay referred the Area Board to the update on page 71 of the agenda pack about the proposed Royal Wootton Bassett Banking Hub. She explained that progress was being made on finalising the planning application.

 

In addition, Cllr Lay reported that the Chairman had held talks with an organisation about the possibility of establishing a temporary service allowing people to access their cash in Royal Wootton Bassett Library. Cllr Lay had also recently attended a webinar on the High Street economy and as well as a roadshow by Green Square Accord at one of their developments in Purton. Furthermore, she had been speaking to local schools and spoke about the need to support children on pupil premium and to identify needs in the community.  

 

Angela Jensen, Vice-Chairman of Cricklade Town Council, highlighted that their local post office had had to close for three weeks due to staffing challenges at Tesco, leaving local residents unable to access cash. She reported that the post office was now open again between Mondays and Thursdays and she had contacted Tesco for further information.

To receive an update on recent meetings of the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Safety Forum, including their latest meeting held on 8 September.

The Chairman provided an update from the latest Community Safety Forum, held on 8 September, and referred the Area Board to the report on page 73 of the agenda pack. She reported that representatives from Wiltshire Police’s Cyber Crime Team would be attending their next meeting on 13 October. She stated that cyber-crime was a particular problem in the run up to Christmas given the increase in online shopping.

 

It was noted that the Community Safety Forum was held on the second Friday of each month. Cllr Jaqui Lay reiterated that they were really interesting meetings and it worthwhile to attend.

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the latest LHFIG meeting held on 19 July 2023, as set out in the attached report.

 

Recommendations:

 

1. To note the notes of the meeting held on 19 July 2023.
2. To approve a budget allocation of up to £30,000 for dropped kerbs.
3. To approve a budget allocation of up to £10,000 for the following issues:

 

·       11-22-08 - Cricklade North Wall –repairs

·       11-23-08 – Lydiard Millicent Common Platt – safety measures

·       11-23-12 – Purton Stoke – speed reduction measures

 

4. To close the following issue:

 

·       11-21-2 – Bradenstoke – dropped kerbs

 

5. To move the following issue to the Priority B list:

 

·       11-22-10 – Clffe Pypard and Bushton - signs and road markings

 

6. To move the following issue to the Priority A list:

 

·       11-20-06 – C114 Water Eaton – gates, signs and road markings

 

7. For the Chairman of LHFIG to write to Highways asking them to revise a 40mph recommendation, by Atkins in relation to 11-21-8, to 30mph. 

 

 

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

 

The Area Board then considered the recommendations arising from the LHFIG meeting of 19 July 2023.

 

During the discussion, it was noted that the LHFIG was being supported by a new Highways Officer, Martin Rose, who had hit the ground running. The Chairman noted that the group aimed to agree the work schedule for the current financial year to ensure that the full budget was allocated.

 

A member of the public raised concerns about a number of serious accidents at Chelworth Crossroads, including to two members of their own family. They noted that two police officers had been injured in April at the junction and a motorcyclist had been hit just a fortnight ago. Given that they saw Chelworth Crossroads as an urgent road safety issue, they expressed frustration that it was taking so long to resolve and queried why the LHFIG was proposing to allocate £30,000 towards dropped kerbs when this urgent matter had not been resolved. 

 

Johnathan Hill from Cricklade Town Council reported that an improvement plan had been produced, by Wiltshire Council and the Wiltshire Police’s Traffic Accident Unit, for Chelworth Crossroads and that it had now been passed to the contractor. He also commented that he would have preferred to have seen a more substantial scheme in place.

 

The Chairman confirmed that the LHFIG had agreed to add Chelworth Crossroads to its Category A priority list. Cllr Steve Bucknell noted that the funding of the dropped kerbs was in addition to, not instead of, the schemes on the Category A priority list. He reassured the gentleman that money for road safety at crossroads was not being spent elsewhere and it was not an either or in terms of supporting Chelworth Crossing safety works and the dropped kerbs. He also added that he shared the gentleman’s frustration at the pace of some projects. It was highlighted that the schedule was often dictated by the availability of officer time rather than funding.

 

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager understood that there was a separate budget within Wilshire Council’s Highways Team specifically to deal with accident hotspots and he would make further enquiries with the local engineer.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Steve Bucknell, seconded by Cllr Jacqui Lay, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

 

1. To note the notes of the meeting held on 19 July 2023.
2. To approve a budget allocation of up to £30,000 for dropped kerbs.
3. To approve a budget allocation of up to £10,000 for the following issues:

 

·       11-22-08 - Cricklade North Wall – repairs

·       11-23-08 – Lydiard Millicent Common Platt – safety measures

·       11-23-12 – Purton Stoke – speed reduction measures

 

4. To close the following issue:

 

·       11-21-2 – Bradenstoke – dropped kerbs

 

5. To move the following issue to the Priority B list:

 

·       11-22-10 – Clyffe Pypard and Bushton - signs and road markings

 

6. To move the following issue to the Priority A list:

 

·       11-20-06 – C114 Water Eaton – gates, signs and road markings

 

7. For the Chairman of LHFIG to write to Highways  ...  view the full minutes text for item 151.

To note the remaining budgets and to consider any applications for funding, as detailed in the attached report and summarised below:

 

Remaining Budgets:

 

Community Area Grant	Older & Vulnerable	Young People
£18,639	£7,700	£19,475

 

 

Area Board Initiatives:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1295	Bradenstoke Self Help Group	£250

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1316	Swindon and Cricklade Vintage Train Project towards a new shed	£5,000
ABG1326	Lyneham Military Wives Choir, a new tablet	£159.99
ABG1330	Lyneham Church Hall, door and window replacement	£5,000

 

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1263	Wiltshire Music Centre, Celebrating Age Wiltshire	£1,500
ABG1300	Cricklade Open Door	£4,000

 

Young People Grant:

 

Ref/Link	Grant Details	Amount Requested
ABG1336	The Stay Safe Initiative CIC, The 2024 Digital Empowerment Programme	£725

 

 

Delegated Funding

 

The Area Board is asked to note any funding awards made under the Delegated Funding Process, by the Strategic Engagement & Partnership Manager, between meetings due to matters of urgency:

 

ABG1285 – Young People Grant, Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council was awarded £441 towards Summer Pop Up Sports.

 

 

Further information on the Area Board Grant system can be found here.

The Area Board noted the budgets remaining for allocation at the meeting and heard from representatives in attendance who gave a brief overview of their project followed by any questions by the Area Board.

 

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager confirmed that it was not possible to include the web links to grant applications in the minutes as they contained confidential information.

 

Area Board Initiative:

 

 

Bradenstoke Self Help Group

The sum of £250 was requested for refreshments.

 

Stevie Palmer from the Self Help Group explained that they would hold informal get togethers to signpost carers to the relevant health care and professional support.  

 

On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Steve Bucknell, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To award Bradenstoke Self Help Group £250 towards refreshments.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2023/24.

 

 

Community Area Grants:

 

Swindon and Cricklade Vintage Train Project

The sum of £5,000 was requested towards a new shed.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Jacqui Lay, seconded by the Chairman, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To award Swindon and Cricklade Vintage Train Project £5,000 towards a new shed.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2023/24.

 

Lyneham Military Wives Choir

The sum of £159.99 was requested for a new tablet.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Lay, seconded by the Chairman, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To award Lyneham Military Wives Choir £159.99 for a new tablet.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2023/24.

 

Lyneham Church Hall

The sum of £5,000 was requested towards door and window replacement.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Steve Bucknell, seconded by the Chairman, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To award Lyneham Church Hall £5,000 towards door and window replacement.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2023/24.

 

 

Older and Vulnerable People’s Grants:

 

Wiltshire Music Centre

The sum of £1,500 was requested for Celebrating Age Wiltshire.

 

On the proposal of Cllr Steve Bucknell, seconded by Cllr Lay, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £1,500 to Celebrating Age Wiltshire.

Reason: The application met the Older and Vulnerable People’s Criteria 2023/24.

 

Cricklade Open Door

The sum of £4,000 was requested.

 

On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Lay, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To award Cricklade Open Door £4,000.

Reason: The application met the Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant Criteria 2023/24.

 

Young People’s Grants:

 

The Stay Safe Initiative Community Interest Company

The sum of £725 towards the 2024 Digital Empowerment Programme. 

 

On the proposal of Cllr Lay, seconded by Cllr Steve Bucknell, it was resolved to make the:

 

Decision

To award The Stay Safe Initiative Community Interest Company £725 towards the 2024 Digital Empowerment Programme.

Reason: The application met the Young People’s Grant Criteria 2023/24.

 

 

Delegated Funding:

 

On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Lay, the Area Board voted to note the decision to award the following grant, which had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 152.

An open, public question and answer session to raise issues with your local representative (please note that if answers cannot be provided on the night, written responses will be provided after the meeting).

Johnathan Hill from Cricklade Town Council, noted that donations to the local food bank were going down at a time of rising need, so encouraged the public to donate if they were able. He also reported that they had received help from Citizens Advice.

 

The Chairman reported that the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager had been in touch with Malmesbury & District Food Bank and that funding was be available from the Household Support Fund for advice sessions.

 

Cllr Jacqui Lay highlighted that Purton Community Fridge was working well and often helped people from Swindon, as well as those referred through Christians Against Poverty. She also stressed the importance of signposting and identifying hidden need.

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

There were no urgent items.

Future Meeting Dates (6:00-8:30pm):

 

·       17 January 2024 – Including an update from the PCC and Chief Constable

·       13 March 2024 – All Things Roads

·       26 June 2024

 

For information on applying for a grant or grant application deadlines for these meetings, please contact the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager andrew.jack@wiltshire.gov.uk or the Area Board Delivery Officer, louisa.young@wiltshire.gov.uk

 

Future Meeting dates were confirmed as 6:30pm – 8:30pm with networking from 6:00pm

 

·       17 January 2024

·       13 March 2024

·       26 June 2024

·       9 October 2024

 

It was noted that the meeting on 13 March would be an ‘All Things Roads’ event.

 

The Chairman also reminded the Area Board that the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable would be attending their next meeting on 17 January.

 

Meeting details, agendas and minutes can be viewed here.