Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from:

-       John Brewin

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2024.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2024 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.

The Chairman will give an update on outcomes and actions arising from previous meetings of the Area Board:

·       Cost of Living Update – January 2025

·       School Appeal Panel Member Recruitment

·       Local Elections – May 2025

·       Devolution Update

The following written Chairman’s updates were received and noted:

·       Cost of Living Update – January 2025

·       School Appeal Panel Member Recruitment

·       Local Elections – May 2025

·       Devolution Update

The Board is asked to note the following Information items:

• Community First
• Update from BSW Together (Integrated Care System)

The following written updates and information items were received and noted:

• Community First
• The update from BSW Together (Integrated Care System) was not available for this meeting

Written Updates

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

·       Neighbourhood Policing Team

·       Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service – Quarterly update - Link to YouTube video update 

·       Kennet and Avon Medical Partnership - Update to follow

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

•       Health & Wellbeing

•       Youth

•       Environment

•       Pewsey Community Area Partnership

•       Parish Councils

Written Updates

The Board received updates from the following:

·       Neighbourhood Policing Team

The Area Board received a written update and presentation from Insp Garett, Wiltshire Police, which included detail about the Neighbourhood Policing Team, the community commitment, crime statistics for Pewsey between November and December 2024 including comparisons with previous years and the previous 2 months, with a deep dive into burglary crime, local priorities and updates in relation to the Pewsey area, local links and how to become involved in receiving the latest news and alerts by signing up to the Community Messaging Service. 

Members and Area Board representatives commented on hare coursing, attendance rates for burglaries, a thanks for the Police PSCO’s attending Parish Council meetings and other events and action on shoplifting.

The Chairman thanked Insp Garett for attending the Area Board meeting and his comprehensive report and responding to questions.

·       Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service 

The Area Board watched a video update from the Fire and Rescue Service.

·       Kennet and Avon Medical Partnership – an update was not available for this meeting.

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

·       Health & Wellbeing

The Strategic Engagement and Partnership Manager reported that a workshop on loneliness and isolation was held recently and attended by the local Social Prescriber. Outcomes from the workshop included the need for a men’s group, help with driving minibuses, improvements in communications of the activities in the Pewsey area and a bereavement group. The main challenge in all of this remained the need for volunteers and funding. Cllr Wheeler welcomed the workshop, which he had attended and concurred with the comments from the Partnership Manager.

·       Youth

The Strategic Engagement and Partnership Manager explained that progress was being made with the work of the Blue Bus, the youth café and the recently approved Area Board initiative to approve a grant towards helping young people taking up leisure centre membership, which they would not ordinarily be able to afford.

·       Environment

The Engagement and Partnership Lead highlighted the achievements from the last couple of years, including work on energy efficiency, solar panels, the move to electric mowers and availability of thermal cameras to undertake heat loss surveys, an increase in the local community accessing the countryside, and Pewsey Green organised by Kate Silvester and Great Green Bedwyn organised by Jeremy and Sylvia Wyatt.

·       Pewsey Community Area Partnership

The Area Board received an update from the PCAP representatives Susie Brew, Dawn Wilson and Colin Gale as follows:

-       The winter railway works along the west railway had now been completed.

-       The connect service had been expanded to include the Tidworth area.

-       Comments were submitted about the lack of a Freight Management Strategy and the lack of access improvements at train stations in the draft Local Transport Plan 4.

-       Jeremy and Sylvia White were thanked for leading on environment issues and residents were encouraged to attend their meetings.

-       The Memory Café and movement to music classes continue

-       Cost of living food  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

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

Remaining Budgets if all grants are agreed:

Area Board Initiatives:

Community Area Grants:

Older & Vulnerable Grants:

Young People Grants:

Delegated Funding

The 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:

• None

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

The Area Board considered one application for Area Board initiative funding, four applications for Community Area Grant funding, three applications for Older and Vulnerable Grant funding and two applications for Young People Grant funding.  The Chairman invited a representative of each application to give a brief overview of their project to the Area Board.

Decision:

To approve the following grant funding:

1. Area Board Initiative

·       Tackling loneliness and isolation – to award £1,000

2. Community Area Grant funding

·       Rushall and Charlton St Peter Village Hall – to award £1,800 towards a community storage shed

·       Upavon Village Hall – to award £3,458 towards flat roof repair

·       Pewsey Vale Rugby Football Club – to award £864.69 towards an external canopy to Club House covering spectator area

·       Pewsey Vale Youth FC – to award £4,458 towards parking at Pewsey Vale Youth FC

3. Older and Vulnerable Grants

·       Milton Lilbourne Village Hall - to award £1,500 towards heating improvements

·       Pewsey Vale Tourism Partnership – to award £1,213.83 towards printed Walking leaflets

·       Thursday Friendship Club Great Bedwyn – to award £1,000

4. Young People Grants

·       Milton Lilbourne Parish Council – to award £3,000 towards a youth basketball area

·       Upavon Parish Council – to award £2,000 towards Blue Bus Monthly Services

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

Cllr Oatway asked if there was any information about members of the community who received hot meals as part of the Community Meals Initiative run by Positive Community Action at Wesley Hall, Pewsey.

Future Meeting Dates (7.00-9.00pm):

• 20 May 2025 – County Hall, Trowbridge - Election of Chair and Vice-Chair
• 9 June 2025 - Great Bedwyn Village Hal
• 22 September 2025 - TBC
• 24 November 2025 - TBC

For information on applying for a grant or grant application deadlines for these meetings, contact the Engagement and  Partnership Lead, Caroline.LeQuesne@wiltshire.gov.uk

The Area Board noted the following future meeting dates (7.00-9.00pm):

• 20 May 2025 – County Hall, Trowbridge - Election of Chair and Vice-Chair
• 9 June 2025 - Great Bedwyn Village Hal
• 22 September 2025 - TBC
• 24 November 2025 - TBC

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending.