Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to St Margaret’s Hall, and introduced the Wiltshire councillors who made up the board, as well as the Community Area Manager, the Democratic Services Officer and the Service Director.

The Chairman introduced Cllr Lionel Grundy – Wiltshire Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Childrens’ Services and Cllr Dick Tonge – Wiltshire Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport.

All town, parish and partner representatives in attendance were welcomed by the Chairman.

Apologies were received from Councillor Rosemary Brown – Wiltshire Council, Simon Coombe – Limpley Stoke Parish Council, Alan Mines – Wingfield Parish Council and Steve Figures – Staverton Parish Council.

Decision:

• The minutes of the Area Board meeting held on the 20 July 2011 were approved and signed as the correct record.

• The minutes of the Bradford on Avon Community Area Transport Group meeting held on the 8 July 2011 were approved and signed as the correct record.

The following announcements contained in the pack were mentioned briefly:

i) Establishment of a Bradford on Avon Markets Working Group.

Peter Dunford – Bradford on Avon Community Area Manager was looking for anybody interested to get in touch with him with a view to forming this group.

ii) Updates from Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue and NHS Wiltshire.

All reports were noted.

Inspector Dave Cullop also advised that Wiltshire Police had launched a new telephone number providing people with an easier way to get in touch about non-emergency issues.

As well as making the police more accessible, it was hoped that 101 would reduce the number of inappropriate 999 calls that are made to the force.

The new 101 number was part of a national drive to make it easier to contact the police and report crime and disorder.

iii) Report back from Community Area Young Peoples’ Issues Group held on 6 September 2011.

Kath Browlee, Youth Development Co-ordinator, and young people from the CAPYIG advised that the group had been looking at the following topics:

• Volunteering at a local nursing home.

• Turning some wasteland into a garden.

• Helping people by bag packing in Sainsburys.

• Litter picking at the skate ramps in Poulton.

The CAYPIG were now working towards putting some street lights in an alley way that joins the Youth Club with Trowbridge Road and Poulton. IT was hoped that three lighting columns could be installed.

Peter Dunford advised that he was getting a specification and quotes for installation of the lighting columns and power source; a grant application will be made to the next meeting.

The Chairman thanked everybody for their updates.

i)Nick Helps from Bath and North East Somerset Council presented the case for the action taken by B&NES Council to impose an experimental 18 tonne weight restriction on HGV’s at A36 Cleveland Bridge in Bath.

Why is B&NES Council taking this action?

• Protect World Heritage Site.

• Improve Air Quality.

• Improve the local environment.

Consultation with:

• Highways Agency - Concerned about signage on M4 and difficulty of enforcement.

• Wiltshire Council - Concerned about effect on Wiltshire’s roads (A363/A350).

• Somerset County Council - Concerned about effect on Somerset’s roads esp: Buckland Dinham & Yeovil.

• RHA & FTA - Would prefer that Council plans consider at alternative road improvements.

Proposed HGV Restriction programme:

• Develop signing scheme.

• Consult on draft proposals.

• Consider comments.

• Amend or confirm proposals for experimental scheme.

• Implement experimental scheme Feb/March 2012.

Points made in discussion included:

B&NES officer – the 18 tonne weight restriction at Cleveland Bridge is identical to that on the Town Bridge in Bradford on Avon so there should be no displaced effect of traffic on BOA. Residents on London Road and Bathwick Street in Bath want the same protections on amenity and safety that residents in BOA have. The alternative route forHGVs remains through Bath – from Bristol along the A36 Lower Bristol Road and through Widcombe - and so the anticipated impact on Wiltshire is forecast to be minimal. 

Iford resident – lack of co-operation between B&NES and Wiltshire Councils to tackle lorries crossing the bridge at Iford where there is no restriction on HGVs and the bridge structure is getting weaker and weaker

PC Annetts – prosecution is the LAST resort – need new signage way before lorries arrive at the town

Monkton Farleigh PC – time to reconsider the Beckford Spur from the Batheaston Bypass. Congestion in Widcombe will get worse with the proposed alternative route. Need numberplate recognition for HGVs on Town Bridge as at Queen Square in Bath. Consider imposing a toll – but needs the political will.

Councillor Carbin – TRO will begin in Spring 2012 and will be reviewed after 6 months. Highways Agency will need to signpost the new HGV route at M32 and M4 motorways. Air quality in Staverton should be measured. Wiltshire should consider a lorry ban on Staverton Bridge.

Councillor Conley – deeply dissatisfying, a terrible imposition. Signs are always ignored.

Councillor Hewson – 17.5 tonne weight limit on Town Bridge is now ‘out of date’ and should be reconsidered. Concern re. impact on Staverton of HGVs accessing trading estates in Westbury 

Holt PC -  signs are ignored, noise and air pollution from HGVs is rising.

BOA resident and haulier – the origin/destination of most traffic is between South Wales and the south coast port at Poole. Lorry drivers will not drive an extra 9 miles to M4 Junction 17 as lorry fuel consumption is only 7 miles per gallon and so may continue to leave at M4 Junction 18 and, avoiding Bath, try to get back to the A36  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Martin Litherland – Head of Waste Collection at Wiltshire Council, updated the board on changes to waste and recycling collections in the Bradford on Avon community area which would see the introduction of a new plastic bottle and cardboard collection service from October 2011.

As a result of Wiltshire Council becoming a Unitary Authority in April 2009, there had been four different waste and recycling collection services available to residents, depending on where you lived. This costed different amounts, had differing recycling levels and was not a fair service for residents.

From October the council will be rolling out service changes so that everyone receives the same level of service, beginning with fortnightly plastic bottles and cardboard recycling collections using blue-lidded bins.

In late February 2012, the council will roll out fortnightly non-chargeable garden waste collections, using green lidded bins, for the north, east and south of the county. Residents will need to opt-in to receive the service, ideally by 30^th September, and should complete the opt-in form online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/waste if possible.

Alternatively residents can complete the FREEPOST form found in the latest edition of Your Wiltshire magazine, or in the "Coming Soon" leaflet which had been sent out in the post to all residents from week commencing 4th July. If residents already had a garden waste bin, they did not need to re-apply, and their collections would carry on as usual.

Points made in discussion included:

• Will the Bradford on Avon recycling centre remain?

a.    Yes, but once the new door step service is fully operational this would be reviewed.

• Will tetra paks be recycled under the new scheme?

a.    Not at the present, these are difficult to recycle.

The Chairman thanked Martin Litherland for his presentation.

Councillors considered five applications seeking 2011/2012 Community Area Grant Funding:

Decisions:

i)Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon requested £1000 for a walking, cycling and bus map of Bradford on Avon – this application was deferred to the November meeting pending further information.

ii)Bradford on Avon Rowing Club be awarded the reduced sum of £1,116 to purchase a new boat for recreational rowing. This reflects the resources held and potential income generation to the club of the new boat.

Reason

The application demonstrates a link to the Bradford on Avon Community Plan and Wiltshire Local Area Agreement through its contribution to improved leisure provision, to activities for young people and to healthy lifestyles.

iii)Winsley Village Hall Management Committee awarded £2,026  for the installation of new heaters.

Reason

The application demonstrates a link to the Bradford on Avon Community Plan and Wiltshire Local Area Agreement through its contribution to village services and to culture, leisure and sporting provision in the community.

iv)Deferred grant application by Saxon Church and St Mary Tory Trusteeship awarded £600 for directional signage. Agreed subject that no planning permission is required for the signage.

Reason

The application demonstrates a link to the Bradford on Avon Community Plan and the Wiltshire Local Area Agreement through its aim to protect local heritage and to stimulate tourism and spending in the local economy  

iv)Councillor led grant application

Councillor Carbin, on behalf of Holt village, awarded £5,000 towards a zebra crossing at The Common, Holt as matched funding to an application to the Substantive Highways Scheme.

Jim Lynch – BOACAP Project Officer gave a brief overview of the Community Area Partnership’s application for core funding of £ 9,415 for 2011/12, a deferred matter from the meeting on 20 July.

Decision

·         That the Bradford on Avon Area Board approve the first tranche of core funding to the Bradford on Avon Community Area Partnership.