Agenda and minutes

The Democratic Services Officer will preside over the election of the Chairman for the forthcoming year.

The Democratic Services Officer opened the meeting and called for nominations for the position of Chairman for the forthcoming year.

Cllr Jacqui Lay nominated Cllr Allison Bucknell, which was seconded by Cllr Nick Dye.

There were no further nominations.

Decision

To appoint Cllr Allison Bucknell as Chairman for the forthcoming year.

To elect a Vice-Chairman for the forthcoming year.

The Chairman nominated Cllr Jacqui Lay for the position of Vice-Chairman for the forthcoming year, which was seconded by Cllr Steve Bucknell.

The Chairman checked for further nominations, but there were none.

Decision

To appoint Cllr Jacqui Lay as Vice-Chairman for the forthcoming year.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from:

·       Cllr David Bowler

·       Cllr Mary Champion

·       Mark Hopkins, Clerk of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council

·       Stevie Palmer, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Care Group

·       Ron Glover, Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council

The Chairman welcomed Cllr Nick Dye, who was attending his first Area Board as the Member for Cricklade and Latton.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2024 as a true and correct record.

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

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2024 as a true and correct record.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman will give updates including:

·       Clyffe Pypard Parish Council will change to Clyffe Pypard and Bushton Parish Council in 2025.

The Chairman reported that Clyffe Pypard Parish Council would change its name to Clyffe Pypard and Bushton Parish Council after the local elections in 2025.

·       Community First

·       Age UK

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Update from BSW Together (Integrated Care Board)

·       Neighbourhood Crime Figures Search by Police Team

·       Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal

·       Wiltshire Council Information Items:

o   Local Nature Recovery Strategy

o   Lime Kiln Leisure Centre Temporary Changing Room and Pool Closure

The Chairman drew attention to the following items included in the agenda pack:

·       Community First, pg. 53 - 60

·       Age UK, pg. 61 - 73

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire, pg. 75

·       Update from BSW Together (Integrated Care Board), pg. 77 - 78

·       Wiltshire Council Information Items:

Ø  Local Nature Recovery Strategy, pg. 79

Ø  Lime Kiln Leisure Centre Temporary Changing Room and Pool Closure, pg. 81

It was noted that the Lime Kiln Leisure Centre changing rooms closed on 20 June and would be shut for six weeks. The swimming pool closed on 24 June and would be closed until 7 July. When they reopened, they would have been redecorated to improve the experience for customers.

It was reported that neighbourhood crime figures were online and it was possible to participate in local consultations on Wiltshire Council’s consultation portal.

To receive an update from Octavius Infrastructure about the progress towards reinstating the road at Lyneham Banks.

Monty De Souza (Project Manager), Paris Linkins (Stakeholder and Social Value Manager) and Gareth Hudson (Senior Site Manager) from Octavius Infrastructure Ltd., gave a presentation about the proposed works to repair the B4069 at Lyneham Banks. Points included:

·       The road had been closed since February 2022 when a major landslip broke up the road, moving it 25 metres downhill.

·       Octavious had initially planned to start reconstruction from the western end of the site but, following a review, would now start at both ends to speed up construction.

·       Octavius would be holding regular community progress meetings and traffic surveys would be undertaken every three months during construction to monitor the impact of additional traffic on local roads.

·       Work would take place six days per week between 7am and 7pm. 

·       Local businesses would be notified about the access arrangements to the site to minimise any impact on their trade. People living in neighbouring properties would be contacted directly.

·       Octavius would engage with Lillybrook Estates and try to support their bee friendly initiative.

·       Other plans for community engagement included organising a litter pick and helping students at Lyneham Primary School and Brinkworth Earl Danby CE Primary School with STEM subjects.

·       A webinar would be held for undergraduates to help them study the project.

During the discussion, the following points were raised:

·       Geoff Greenaway from Purton Parish Council asked whether there would be a dedicated route to transport aggregate materials and whether the temporary road installed by Network Rail would be used for this purpose. The Chairman noted that the temporary road did not legally exist and should have been removed.

·       Approximately 160 cubic metres of material would be moved on site each day. There would be approximately 16 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) visiting the site each day, so 32 journeys in total.

·       The workers may not come from the local areas as specialist contractors were required from a company based in Newcastle.  

·       The Stakeholder and Social Value Manager explained that they were in the process of arranging accommodation for the workforce before work commenced on 8 July.

·       Shendie Green from Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council sought assurances that HGVs would not be travelling through Bradenstoke. The Project Manager explained that they had a traffic management plan in place with contractors that did not involve HGVs travelling through Bradenstoke. It was noted that if HGVs were found to have used the incorrect route then issues could be reported by contacting LynehamBanksProject@octavius.co.uk. The email address would be monitored during normal working hours.

·       It was requested that an emergency contact number was shared with parish councils. It was noted that a ‘phone number was available on Octavius’s website 01737944830.

·       It was highlighted that a newsletter would be available online and that a paper copy would be delivered to residents within a certain radius. 

·       In response to a query about cracking to parts of the B4069 that were not part of the main section that had slipped, Jack Francis, Highway Engineer at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

To receive updates from our key partners, including:

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    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.    Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership

c.     Purton Parish Council

d.    Cricklade Town Council

Written updates were available in the agenda pack from:

a. Wiltshire Police, pg. 85 – 91

b. Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership, pg. 93 - 103

c. Purton Parish Council, pg. 105

d. Cricklade Town Council, pg. 107 - 108

The following partner also provided a verbal update:

Wiltshire Police – Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Neighbourhood Police Team

Inspector Gareth Edwards provided an up-to-date list of crime levels committed outside of the home over the past three months. Please note that the below figures do not include domestic incidents.

·       There had been a total of 249 crimes reported.

·       99 ‘crimes against the person’, which normally involved direct physical harm or force being applied to another person, had been committed. 37 of these offences were reported in April, 41 in May and 21 so far in June.

·       Five stalking offences had been reported, 17 incidents of damage to a vehicle and two incidents of out-of-control dogs.

·       16 thefts had been reported, including 12 in the Royal Wootton Bassett area and four in the Cricklade and Purton areas.

·       There had been three drug related offences, a burglary and one arrest for the possession of a firearm.

During the discussion, the following points were made:

·       The Area Board thanked Inspector Edwards for his update.

·       There did not seem to be any correlation between damage to cars and whether the vehicle was parked on the road or on a driveway.

·       It was confirmed that the statistics provided in the Area Board report did not include any crimes committed in neighbouring areas of Swindon.

·       Three people had been given prison sentences following the discovery of a cannabis factory in the local area.

·       Investigations were ongoing following the vandalism of the Marlowe Way war memorial in Royal Wootton Bassett.

·       Three suspects had been arrested following a stabbing in Royal Wootton Bassett, with one of them being in prison on remand. A number of knife sweeps had been undertaken in the town and educational work about knife crime was going on in local schools.

·       St Bartholomew's Primary Academy and St Sampson's CE Primary School were participating in the Mini Police programme. Inspector Edwards would be attending the passing out parade for the students that had participated.

·       A series of Facebook Live sessions would be held where local councils and members of the public could ask questions.

·       The Area Board wished Inspector Edwards all the best for his retirement and thanked him for his work in the community. 

Updates from Area Board members on the Community Area Action Plan.

Updates were provided by the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager, Andrew Jack.

To receive a report from the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager about the progress that the Area Board has made towards its priorities over the past year.

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager (SEPM), Andrew Jack, gave an update about the progress that the Area Board has made towards its priorities over the past year. Points included:

·       Through its Community Area, Young People’s and Older and Vulnerable People’s grant schemes, Area Board had provided over £52,000 in funding towards local projects. Area Board funding had helped to unlock match funding from the community, as the projects contributed to had a total cost of over £173,000.

·       The SEPM provided a breakdown of the value, and number, of grants awarded to different parts of the Area Board. The areas were split into quintiles based on their levels of deprivation. It was noted that the Area Board had awarded the largest number of grants to the quintile with the greatest level of deprivation; however, the quintile with the lowest level of deprivation had received the most overall funding.

·       The Area Board had helped to develop activity days for young people in Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade. The event in Cricklade was attended by around 250 people and the one in Royal Wootton Bassett featured professional skaters. Other highlights included assisting with the refurbishment of Cricklade’s youth building and helping young people to stay safe online. The Area Board had also worked closely with the Army Welfare Service in Lyneham to fund an Easter residential trip.

·       The new solar panels on Lydiard Millicent’s parish hall had been part funded by the Area Board.

·       A self-help group for carers in Lyneham and Bradenstoke had been set up as a result of the work of the Area Board’s Community Care Group.

·       The Community Care Group, together with Celebrating Age Wiltshire, had played a role in organising events that had benefitted hundreds of people.

·       Royal Wootton Bassett Rugby Club had been financially supported to provide walking rugby sessions for older and less mobile members.

·       Councillors from the Area Board played a key role in helping to set up the new banking hub in Royal Wootton Bassett.

·       154 people had attended the Area Board’s four business meetings held during the last financial year.

·       The Area Board had completed 11 projects through the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG).

During the discussion, the following points were made:

·       Angela Jensen, Vice-Chairman of Cricklade Town Council, stated that she would be keen for a representative from the Spurgeons Charity to attend the Area Board now that they had taken on the Family Hub contract. She noted that there were expected to be engagement opportunities in towns and parishes outside of the three main hubs. The Vice-Chairman of the Area Board noted that the contract with Spurgeons had started in April and that she had visited one of the hubs in Chippenham. She noted that Wiltshire Council’s Children’s Select Committee was monitoring the implementation of the programme.

·       Further information was sought about the methodology used to calculate the level of deprivation between different quintiles, as well as what more could be done to ensure that funding was targeted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44a

Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Youth Forum update – Cllr Allison Bucknell

Royal Wootton Bassett Youth Festivals update – Cllr Allison Bucknell

An update was provided as part of the Area Board’s End of Year Report.  

Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Environment Forum and resilience update - Cllr Steve Bucknell

An update was provided as part of the Area Board’s End of Year Report. 

To receive an update from the las meeting of the Community Care Group held on 13 June 2024.

Cllr Mary Champion and Cllr David Bowler

An update was provided as part of the Area Board’s End of Year Report. 

The household economy - Cllr Jacqui Lay

The High Street economy

An update was provided as part of the Area Board’s End of Year Report. 

The Area Board will receive an update on the Community Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) from the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager Andrew Jack. The Area Board will then agree its priority areas for the forthcoming year.

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager (SEPM), Andrew Jack, gave an overview of the findings of the Community Area Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (CAJSNA), before inviting the Area Board to consider their priorities for the forthcoming year.

The SEPM explained that the CAJSNA studied 140 different indicators grouped into 10 themes. It had combined information from the 2021 census with other information, including a survey of local people. The information from each of Wiltshire’s 18 Area Boards had been compared to help identify the different challenges that they faced. Key findings and challenges from the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade area included:

·       They had the highest change in population of any Area Board in Wiltshire, with an increase of 20.8 percent between 2011 and 2021, compared to the average change of eight percent.

·       The largest proportional increase in claims for local welfare provision

·       The highest proportion of pupils in schools with Special Educational Need support, at 17.5 percent, compared to the average of 14.6 percent.

·       The third highest military population.

·       The third highest levels of obesity amongst three- and four-year-olds.

·       The third highest number of empty business premises.

·       The fourth highest level of road traffic collisions.

The SEPM emphasised that the indicators shown were only areas where the Area Board had the highest, or close to the highest, figures and that they were far lower on the list in many other indictors. The issues highlighted were not included to paint the area in a negative way but to inform the priority setting and funding decisions taken by the Area Board. He highlighted that a full list of figures from the CAJSNA were available online. 

Information was also provided about the priorities identified by members of the public in the community survey. The SEPM was pleased to report that Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade had had a higher-than-average response rate to its survey, having 290 responses out of a total on 2,690 across Wiltshire’s 18 Area Boards. The survey in Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade had included people from a range of ages with 41 percent of respondents being aged between 35 and 54, and 45 percent of responses coming from people aged 55 or older. The three most popular areas identified in the survey were health, the environment and children & young people, which were three of the Area Board’s priority areas chosen in 2023/34. The Area Board’s other priority areas from the previous year, the economy and older people, were selected as the eight and nineth most popular priorities in the survey.

During the discussion, the Area Board thanked the SEPM for his update and stated that they would encourage the figures in the report to be shared with the community, including local councils. In order to have more time to study the figures in detail, they agreed to defer a formal decision on setting their priority areas until the next meeting. It was noted that the Area Board would hold informal discussions and that lead members would continue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44f

To receive updates from the recent meetings of the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Safety Forum.

The Chairman referred the Area Board to the report about recent meetings of the Community Safety Forum available on page 117 of the agenda pack. She noted that she would send the attendance figures to the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager so that they could be included in the overall attendance figures at the Area Board’s engagement events. It was highlighted that their meetings were held at lunchtime, so that working people were able to attend during their break.

To appoint lead members to the:

·       RAF Fairford Liaison Group

·       Community Area Safety Forum

·       Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG)

To note the terms of reference of the LHFIG.

The Area Board were invited to appoint representatives to their outside body and two working groups. It was noted that the Area Board had not been able to establish contact with their outside body, the RAF Fairford Liaison Group, since the death of their former Vice-Chairman Cllr Bob Jones, MBE. On that basis, they were minded not to make an appointment until they had reestablished contact and further information was available.

Mark Clarke, Chairman of Cricklade Town Council, confirmed that they did send a representative to the RAF Fairford Liaison Group, so the group was still in operation.

It was also noted that even though the Area Board would appoint a lead member to the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group, all of its members would attend on a regular basis.

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

Decision

1.    To make to following appointments:

Outside Body

·       RAF Fairford Liaison Group – vacant

Working Groups

·       Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Safety Forum – Cllr Allison Bucknell

·       Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) – Cllr Allison Bucknell

2.    To note the terms of reference of the LHFIG as set out in pages 125 – 128 of the agenda pack.

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the latest LHFIG meeting held on 22 May 2024, as set out in the attached report.

Recommendations:

- 11-23-10 A3102 Wootton Bassett Infants School (School Keep Clear). Allocate £1,500.00 (RWB TC 25% - £375.00)

- 11-24-22 Cricklade Town centre Sign review. Allocate £3,855.59 (Cricklade TC 25% - £963.00)

- 11-23-19 Tockenham Passing Bay. Allocate £12,000.00 (Tockenham PC 25% - £3,000)

- 11-24-11 Broad Town Speed Limit Assessment. Allocate £3,100.00 (Broad Town PC 25% - £775.00)

- 11-24-04 High Street (East of Willis Way) Bus stop Clearway x 2 Allocate £1,500.00 (Purton PC 25% - £375.00)

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

The Area Board then considered the recommendations arising from the LHFIG meeting of 22 May 2024. On the proposal of the Vice-Chairman, seconded by Cllr Nick Dye, it was resolved to make the:

Decision

To approve the following recommendations from the LHFIG meeting of 22 May 2024:

- 11-23-10 A3102 Wootton Bassett Infants School (School Keep Clear). Allocate £1,500.00 (Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council 25 percent - £375.00)

- 11-24-22 Cricklade Town Centre Sign review. Allocate £3,855.59 (Cricklade Town Council 25 percent - £963.00)

- 11-23-19 Tockenham Passing Bay. Allocate £12,000 (Tockenham Parish Council 25 percent - £3,000)

- 11-24-11 Broad Town Speed Limit Assessment. Allocate £3,100 (Broad Town Parish Council 25 percent - £775)

- 11-24-04 High Street (East of Willis Way) Bus Stop Clearway (times two) Allocate £1,500.00 (Purton Parish Council 25 percent - £375)

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 Grants: £24,639

Older & Vulnerable People’s Grants: £7,700

Young People’s Grants: £19,916

Area Board Initiative

ABG1874 – Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Care Group requesting £500 for community support.

Community Area Grants:

ABG1473 – Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust requesting £5,000 towards Active Travel Network design.

ABG1833 – Royal Wootton Bassett Otters Swimming Club requesting £2,672 towards swimming blocks.

Older & Vulnerable People’s Grants:

ABG1794 – Royal Wootton Bassett Reengage Tea Party Group requesting £425 towards their 50^th anniversary celebrations.

Young People’s Grants:

ABG1857 – Wootton Bassett Gardening Club requesting £1,900 towards stage 2 enhancements at Vale View Gardens. 

Delegated Funding:

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

ABG1649 – Wiltshire Music Centre requesting £500 towards Celebrating Age Wiltshire’s creative mini project in Royal Wooton Bassett Library.

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 projects and answered any questions from the Area Board.

Area Board Initiative

Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Care Group Requesting £500 for Community Support

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager (SEPM), Andrew Jack, explained that the money would go towards supporting the café which hosted their meetings.

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

Decision

To award Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Community Care Group £500 towards community support.

Reason: The application met the Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant Criteria 2024/25.

Community Area Grants

Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust Requesting £5,000 Towards Active Travel Network Design

John Loran, a trustee of Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust, explained that the money would go towards feasibility studies for the initial stages of the route.

Cllr Steve Bucknell welcomed the project but highlighted his concerns about potential safety issues caused by interaction between cyclists and pedestrians. He proposed that the funding be awarded in full, subject to an independent review being conducted during the design phase about pedestrian safety. Other members of the Area Board endorsed the comments about the need for a proper consultation and recognised the importance of safety issues. However, they did not feel that it was proportionate to condition the awarding of the funding on an independent review at this stage in the project. Cllr Steve Bucknell withdrew the proposed condition that an independent review was undertaken and his proposal to award the funding was seconded by the Chairman. It was resolved to make the:

Decision

To award Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust £5,000 towards Active Travel Network design.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2024/25.

Royal Wootton Bassett Otters Swimming Club Requesting £2,672 Towards Swimming Blocks

Mycroft Smith from the swimming club explained that they supported people aged five and older. The existing blocks at Lime Kiln Leisure Centre were old and would not be safe to use in the longer term.

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

Decision

To award Royal Wootton Bassett Otters Swimming Club £2,672 towards swimming blocks.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant Criteria 2024/25.

Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant

Royal Wootton Bassett Reengage Tea Party Group Requesting £425 Towards their 50th Anniversary Celebrations

It was noted that the group were unable to attend as they were delivering food parcels on the night of the Area Board.

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

Decision

To award Royal Wootton Bassett Reengage Tea Party Group £425 towards their 50th anniversary celebrations.

Reason: The application met the Older and Vulnerable People’s Grant Criteria 2024/25.

Young People’s Grant

Wootton Bassett Gardening Club Requesting £1,900 Towards Stage Two Enhancements at Vale View Gardens

Andy from Vale  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

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).

It was noted that parish councils could request that Wiltshire Council cut the grass in areas owned by them rather than by Wiltshire Council.

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

There were no urgent items.

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

·       9 October 2024

·       11 December 2024

·       12 March 2025

(Networking from 6pm)

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

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting. The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Wednesday 9 October 2024, at 6:30pm in Purton Village Hall.

Other future meeting dates were confirmed as:

• 11 December 2024

• 12 March 2025

(Networking from 6pm)