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 and Democratic Services Officer.

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

Apologies were received from Cllr Linda Conley, Gwen Allison – Bradford on Avon Town Council, Terry Biles – Westwood Parish Council and Alan Mines – Wingfield Parish Council.

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

Agenda item 5iii Youth Grants, St Laurence School – Cllr Malcolm Hewson, family member who attends St Laurence School.

Agenda item 8 Kingston Farm Briefing – Cllr Malcolm Hewson, lives in the locality.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Bradford on Avon Area Board meeting held on 9 January 2013.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Bradford on Avon Community Area Transport Group meeting held on 4 March 2013.

Decision

·       The minutes of the Area Board held on the 9 January were approved and signed as the correct record.

·       The minutes of the Bradford on Avon Community Area Transport Group meeting held on 4 March were approved and signed as the correct record.

Councillor Keith Brendish of Wingfield Parish Council announced that Wingfield PC was seeking the support of BoA AB in their pursuit of a 30mph speed limit for the village in accordance with DoT guidelines issued in January 2013."

Introduced by Damian Haasjes, Youth Voice and Influence Team. 

RECOMMENDATION: The Area Board agrees to support the following applications to the 2011/12 Youth Budget and agrees to take forward the most popular choices to be funded within the allocated budget of £ 4,700 as selected by the participants in accordance with the participatory process as set out:

1.    Holt Youth Club – requesting £1,896 to keep the club open by paying for an Assistant Youth Worker.

2.    Youth Advisory Group – requesting £350 towards a residential/ long weekend to an outdoor education centre to try activities like rafting, canoeing, abseiling and climbing.

3.    St Laurence School – requesting £510 to purchase 3 benches to equip an outdoor seating area for sixth formers.

4.    Barnardo’s Short Breaks Club – requesting £375 towards Climbing, Trampolining and Horse Riding Activities for young people with learning disabilities.

5.    Bradford on Avon Cricket Club – requesting £986 to establish youth cricket coaching and matches for children aged 5 - 11 years.

6.    Winsley Cricket Club – requesting £900 towards the costs of the Under XI’s to attend an indoor cricket tournament at the Lords Indoor School.

7.    Anastasia and Natalya Thomas – requesting £1,004 towards the costs of running a Science Fair for Bradford on Avon primary schools.

Total Bids: £6,020

Total Fund: £4,700

 Process:

1.Young people will pitch their projects and/or show a short DVD clip of what they want to do with the money.

2. Having regard to issues of value for money, project quality and community     benefit, the audience will vote for their favourite project through electronic voting handsets.

3. The scores will be ranked and grants will be awarded to the top ranked projects, within the available budget.  

Short break while young people leave.

Damian Haasjes from the Youth Voice and Influence Team at Wiltshire Council introduced the projects and outlined the process that each of the youth projects would be judged against:

1. Young people pitch their projects of what they want to do with the money.

2. Having regard to issues of value for money, project quality and community benefit, the audience vote for their favourite project through electronic voting handsets.

3. The scores are ranked and grants awarded to the top ranked projects, within the available budget.

It was agreed that the Area Board would support the applications to the 2012/13 Youth Budget and agreed to take forward the most popular choices to be funded within the allocated budget of £4,700, as selected by the participants in accordance with the participatory process as set out above.

Results

1.     Barnardo’s Short Breaks Club – awarded £375 towards Climbing, Trampolining and Horse Riding Activities for young people with learning disabilities.

2.     Holt Youth Club – awarded £1,896 to keep the club open by paying for an Assistant Youth Worker.

3.     Science Fair – awarded £1,004 towards the costs of running a Science Fair for Bradford on Avon primary schools.

4.     Bradford on Avon Cricket Club – awarded £986 to establish youth cricket coaching and matches for children aged 5 - 11 years.

5.     Youth Advisory Group – awarded £350 towards a residential/ long weekend to an outdoor education centre to try activities like rafting, canoeing, abseiling and climbing.

Decision:

·       That the Bradford on Avon Area Board agrees to support the applications to the 2012/13 Youth Budget and agrees to take forward the five most popular choices listed above, which would be funded within the allocated budget of £4,700 as selected by the participants in accordance with the participatory process as set out.

The Chairman thanked all the young people for their hard work in presenting their projects.

Note:

It was agreed retrospectively by the Area Board members to grant St Laurence School Sixth Form £100 from the Youth Grants underspend towards the purchase of benches for an outdoor seating area.

i)                 Air Quality Alliance – next steps.

ii)               Neighbourhood Plan for Bradford on Avon. 

iii)              Shadow Community Operations Board – update.

iv)             Social Media Seminar – Thursday 21 March, Bradford on Avon Library at 5.30pm.

v)               Area Board Achievements 2009 – 2013.

Wiltshire Police

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue 

NHS Wiltshire

The Following Chairman’s Announcements were tabled and noted:

i)                 Air Quality Alliance – the next step is to establish a Steering Group of key stakeholders for an initial meeting on Thursday 13 June 2013.

ii)               Neighbourhood Plan for Bradford on Avon – the final consultation sessions would be held in the Bradford Library on Thursday 14 March and Saturday 16 March, between 10 am and 1pm. 

iii)              Shadow Community Operations Board – the Chairman gave an update.

iv)             Social Media Seminar – promotion of the new community blogsite at a seminar on Thursday 21 March, Bradford Library at 5.30pm.

v)               Area Board Achievements 2009 /2013 – a display and report were available for information at the back of the venue.

Partner Updates

Wiltshire Police (Inspector Lisette Harvey) – the report contained in the agenda pack was noted with the point that there had been several thefts from barges moored on the Kennet & Avon Canal. Police patrols had now been stepped up on the tow path.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (Mike Franklin) – the report contained in the agenda pack was noted.

NHS Wiltshire - the report contained in the agenda pack was noted.

The Chairman thanked everybody for their updates and for attending the meeting.

Laura Gosling - Senior Transport Planner, Wiltshire Council.

Simon Fisher/ David Moss - HCZ Working Group.

Laura Gosling – Senior Transport Officer, Wiltshire Council gave an overview on the report on the public consultation and presented a report that sought the Area Board’s approval of the Bradford on Avon Historic Core Zone (HCZ) Phase 1 proposals and support to continue development of the scheme. 

Questions raised from the floor included:

Q. There are concerns that the removal of the pedestrian crossing in Market Street would have a negative impact on the elderly and vulnerable groups in the town.

A. These concerns had been taken on board, with the proposed use of tactile strips and kerb lines.

Q. What type of street furniture would be installed to be in keeping with the Historic Core Zone?

A. No decision had been made as yet, discussions would be taken place with the Historic Core Zone Group etc.

Q. Do the new proposals meet concerns raised by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Organisation?

A. Where possible the scheme proposals take into account recommendations from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Organisation.

Bradford on Avon Town Council resolution:

On the 26^th February 2013, Bradford on Avon Town Council agreed the following:

Historic Core Zone

i)                 A film of pedestrian friendly traffic measures in Poynton in Cheshire was shown and was well received.

ii)               The minutes of the Historic Core Zone Working Group meeting held on the 20^th February with the results of the consultation had been circulated prior to the meeting along with the Vulnerable User consultation document and the Equality Analysis produced by Wiltshire Council.

iii)            David Moss, the Chair of the Historic Core Zone Action Group presented the amended proposals for phase 1 of the HCZ advising that the amendments were to include making the pedestrian crossings more prominent in the scheme including use of striping to make it more obvious that they were crossing points.  It was also proposed to include more informal crossings at the top of Market Street so that drivers would be more prepared when reaching the other crossings lower down.  Use of bollards in strategic positions and a review of the wording /design of the gateways were also suggested as amendments. 

iv)             After a significant debate it was proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Cllr Repton and with all in favour RESOLVED to support Phase 1 of the Historic Core Zone proposals in the Market Street, Church Street Scheme as amended and request that Wiltshire Council now proceed.

Decision:

·       That the Area Board approves the Phase 1 proposals, in line with the Bradford on Avon Town Council resolution outlined above, and supports the continued development of the scheme.

The Chairman thanked Laura Gosling for her presentation.

James Child - lead development partner.

Chris Beaver - GL Hearn planning consultants.

James Child - lead development partner and Chris Beaver - GL Hearn planning consultants gave a presentation to highlight a proposed application for employment and residential uses on a site at Kingston Farm, Bradford on Avon.

Points made included:

•        Reversing 20-year employment decline in BoA by retaining existing high-skilled jobs and creating space for an additional 300 new jobs for the town.

•        Meeting strategic housing allocation for BoA with 138 high quality family homes, including 20% affordable and a range of price points, phased over a period to 2019.

•        A multi-million pound package of community benefits for roads and public amenities.

•        New purpose-built 27,000sqft factory for Anthony Best Dynamics. Retain 45 high value, high skill existing jobs. Create 35 more jobs.

•        New purpose-built 34,000sqft work-hub for small businesses in the creative and IT technology sectors. Space for up to 250 new jobs.

•        Convert existing 11,000 sqft ABD space for Moulton Bicycle Company. Retain 17 high value, high skill existing jobs.
Create 23 more jobs.

•        Housing agreed by Wiltshire Council as delivering the bulk of the remaining Core Strategy strategic requirement for Bradford on Avon through to 2026.

•        138 beautifully designed homes, from two-bed apartments to
five-bed houses, including 20% shared equity or social rent.

•        Gardens, allotments, woodland, fields and an environment rich in wildlife, trees and planting.

•        £0.8m of offsite infrastructure – storm relief for Springfield, new roundabout at New Road/Holt Road junction, improved pedestrian access to town centre, contribution to Historic Core Zone.

•        Foot and cycle ways bypassing Holt Road from New Road to Cemetery Lane.

•        £0.9m contribution to BoA schools.

•        Up to 5MW electricity generation from 15ha. of solar panels contributing to carbon neutral BoA.

•        New open space and amenity for residents and people of the town.

Questions from the floor included:

Q. Will the proposed employment space remain as employment space, or be re-designated as residential, as Linden Homes are seeking with Kingston Mill?

A. The bulk of the employment space is not speculative, like Kingston Mill, it has end users who are waiting to occupy the premises. The Work Hub is being developed in association with the backers of the Glove Factory at Holt. 

Q. Are extra amenities proposed?

A. Developer contributions would be made to Wiltshire Council for education, highway and open space improvements. The developers have also been in discussions with local GP practices and are considering support to the air quality campaign for investment in pedestrian and cyleway improvements, an electric bus and electric charging points in the new houses.

Q. Is the project fully funded?

A. Yes, it is not reliant on raising capital from investment markets. James Child has invested much of his own money into the scheme.

Other points made included:

·       Residents of New Road and Springfield were concerned that they would take the brunt of extra traffic generation if the scheme was given the go-ahead.

·       The forecasts of minimal traffic impact on the Town  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Wednesday 29 May - St Laurence School (extra date)

Wednesday 17 July – Westwood Social Club

Wednesday 19 June 2013 at Westwood Social Club.

PLEASE NOTE: THE PROPOSED MEETING DATES ON 29 MAY AND 17 JULY ARE CANCELLED.