Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Gerald Buxton Sports Ground and to the meeting of the Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade Area Board.

 

The Chairman introduced the councillors and officers present.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Mary Champion – Wiltshire Council, Johnathan Bourne – Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council and Andrew Harris – Lydiard Millicent Parish Council.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 25 November 2015.

Decision

 

·       The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 25 November 2015 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 no declarations of interest.

News and information on what’s going on in your local community and across the county:

 

·       Wiltshire Passenger Transport Review.

The following Chairman’s Announcement was noted:

 

·       Wiltshire Passenger Transport Review.

 

To raise any points requiring feedback from the area board.

Updates were received from the following Partners, Towns and Parishes:

 

·       Wiltshire Police - the written report was noted.

 

 

·       Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service - the written report was noted.

 

 

·       NHS Wiltshire - the written report was noted.

 

 

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire - the written report was noted.

 

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·       Royal Wootton Bassett Sports Association- the written report was noted.

 

 

·       Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council - the written report was noted.

 

 

The Chairman thanked all partners for their updates.

 

Road Safety in the Community Area

Vicky Oates - Road Safety Officer, Wiltshire Council, will present information about road safety in the community area and answer any questions.

 

Police and Crime Commissioner – Precept Consultation

Kieran Kilgallen - Chief Executive, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, will present proposals for the 2016-17 precept. 

 

Legacy Campaigns Presentation 2016

Alexa Smith - Community Engagement Manager will provide information about the Legacy campaigns for 2016, to include:

 

• Clean for The Queen
• Queen’s 90^th Birthday Street Parties
• The Big Pledge Road to Rio
• Getting Active- Walking and Cycling activities in Wiltshire

 

Guides will be available for each of the above to provide further information to the community about how to get involved.

 

Working with our Young People to Provide Positive Leisure

Activities

Update and youth grant funding applications from Pete Smith – Community Youth Officer, Wiltshire Council.

 

Supporting Community Projects and Facilities

Grant funding and financial statement – Alexa Smith - Community Engagement Manager, Wiltshire Council.

 

Capital Budget – as correct at start of meeting:

 

Area Board Budget   £57,648.00

 

Digital Literacy Budget   £1,500.00

 

Awarded   £32,766

 

Balance: £26,382.27

 

 

Road Safety in the Community Area

Vicky Oates - Road Safety Officer, Wiltshire Council gave a short presentation on road safety in the community area.

 

Points made included:

 

·       Metro Counts

 

·       Community Speedwatch

 

·       Speed Indication Devices

 

·       Driver training for both young and older drivers.

 

It was agreed that Vicky Oates would circulate a guide as to how Metro Counts were carried out and where they could be sited etc once it has been completed.

 

 

Police and Crime Commissioner – Precept Consultation

Kieran Kilgallen - Chief Executive, Office of the Police and Crime

Commissioner, outlined the Precept Consultation.

 

Points made included:

 

Crime and Public Confidence

 

·       Crime increased by 12% from December 2014 to November 2015.

 

·       7^th lowest crime rate nationally with 50.7 crimes per 1,000 population.

 

·       Public confidence measured by the OPCC Survey in 2015 is 83.7%, and had been consistently high since 2012.

 

·       Victim satisfaction to October 2015 is 84.3% which is around the national average.

 

A good HMIC Assessment of Wiltshire Police

 

·       Performance is regularly assessed by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary.  Overall Wiltshire Police are rated as “good”.

 

·       Our constabulary remains one of the best in the country.

 

Central Funding Announcement

 

·       This years provisional settlement shows central funding reduce from £63.7m to £63.4m, a £0.3m reduction.

 

·       This will be the fifth straight year of central funding reductions.

 

·       Whilst this reduction is lower than previous years the loss of £0.3m with cost pressures (national wage agreement £0.8m, national pensions change impact on national insurance £2.0m) will result in significant savings still being required.

 

What is the budget?

 

·       A £3.12 increase in Council Tax will give a budget of £105.695m compared to £103.956m for the current year. This would lead to a funding gap of £2.6m for policing in Wiltshire.

·       The Commissioner was committed to investing additional income from council tax in local policing.

 

How about the long term?

 

·       The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement promised a cash neutral position for policing however no detail per force is available.  With no council tax increases the funding gap against the national average would grow.  With small council tax increases the resources available for local policing are better protected.

 

·       The Area Board was assured by the Commissioner that local money would be spent on local policing.

 

Question raised from the floor included:

 

Why do you have to increase your precept when you received no cuts in Central Government funding at the last budget?

a.There was still a slight reduction in funding as well as the force having to budget for extra National Insurance contributions and investing heavily in new technology.

 

The Chairman thanked Kieran Kilgallen for his presentation.

 

 

Legacy Campaigns Presentation 2016

Alexa Smith – Community Engagement Manager informed the Area Board of Wiltshire Council’s plans for its the Legacy campaigns for 2016 which would include: 

 

•        Clean for The Queen.

 

•        Queen’s 90^th Birthday Street Parties.

 

•        The Big Pledge Road to Rio.

 

•        Getting Active- Walking and Cycling activities in Wiltshire.

 

 

 

Working with our Working with our Young People to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider reports from the following task groups and make any

necessary decisions:

 

• Community Area Transport Group

 

• Neighbourhood Planning Working Group (NEW-V)

 

 Community Area Transport Group – Cllr Bob Jones

 

The Area Board agreed the following Priority One Issues for CAT-G funding:

 

Issue 2015 Lydiard Green, Proposed footway - Road closure programmed for February. Works are programmed for February. Balfour Beatty currently contracted to deliver, risk that they will not in which case work will be undertaken after April by new term contractor. This is linked to issue 3469.

 

Issue 3469 Lydiard Millicent re design build- out by the church - Proposed closure programmed for February. Linked to issue 2015, work planned to be completed at the same time.

 

Issue 4412 Traffic management / speeding/ parking at North Wall, High Street junction Cricklade – Resubmitted issue, new nr 4412. Old issue number 3006 closed incorrectly. Metro Count installation supported.

Group agreed to re submit issue, on account of dangerous junction, cars travelling in middle of road. It is not clear how the original was closed without a solution being implemented/recorded. At a previous meeting before being closed the issue was attended by 60 residents.

 

Issue 4018 Speed reduction from 60 to 40 requested, C414. B4553 - Purton. Purton to Greenhill Crossroads - Reduce limit from 60mph to 40mph.

Speeding /sharp bends/ vehicles coming off road/ reduction In speed; solution Only section with no speed limit. Approx £3k to introduce speed limit. PC have made a commitment to Parish, and approved by PC.  

Recommendation to Area Board – CATG Group Agreed at 50%/50% PC/ CATG funding for speed review.

 

Cllr Jones also highlighted two Traffic management schemes in Cricklade and Brinkworth that had been selected by the CAT-G which would be put forward to Wiltshire Council for possible funding if selected.

 

 

Neighbourhood Planning Working Group (NEW-V)

 

It was noted that Purton were no longer part of this group. The group would meet during February 2016 to discuss its options and would report back to the Area Board.

To note any questions arising for future meetings.

North  Wall verge – damage caused by HGVs. Cllr Bob Jones to follow up.

 

Railway Bridges resurfacing – concerns were raised re the proposed resurfacing of the road from the Town Hall to Station Road in Royal Wootton Bassett and the congestion that this would cause. Cllr Chris Hurst to follow up.

 

Well done to the Royal Wootton Bassett Sports Association for their superb club house and for hosting the meeting.