Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from:

Terry Mockler – Hankerton Parish Council

Sid Jevons – Great Somerford Parish Council

Ellen Blacker – Dauntsey Parish Council

Dave Wingrove – Ashton Keynes Parish Council

Ashley Stopforth – Luckington Parish Council

Franchesca Caton – Malmesbury Town Council

John Tremayne – Easton Grey Parish Council

Kath Brownlee – Army Welfare Service

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2014.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 November 2014 were presented.

Approved

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a true and accurate

record.

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

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

The Chairman will provide information about:

a.     The Core Strategy

b.     Application for Designation of Crudwell Neighbourhood Area

c.     Wiltshire Council Financial and Service Plan Public Meetings

d.     Paper 10: Integrated Performance Management Report

e.     Dementia in Wiltshire: The Role of Healthwatch Wiltshire

The Chairman and Area Board members made the following announcements:

a.       The Core Strategy

Cllr Sturgis announced that the Wiltshire Core Strategy had been recommended by Cabinet on 16 December 2014 for adoption, and would go to full Council on 20 January 2015.

Subject to approval this would be the end of a five year piece of work. The Core Strategy would form part of the Council’s Policy Framework, which the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan would form a part. It would provide effective policies to ensure sustainable development for Wiltshire.

b.      Application for Designation of Crudwell Neighbourhood Area

An application had been received for the designation of Crudwell Parish as a Neighbourhood Area from Crudwell Parish Council. People were invited to submit comments on the application during the consultation period, which would end at 5pm on Wednesday 4 February 2015.

Following the consultation period Wiltshire Council would consider the comments received in determining the application to ensure that the area was appropriate. The decision would then be published on the Council’s website.

c.       Wiltshire Council Financial and Service Plan Public Meetings

A series of meetings were to be hosted by Wiltshire Council to outline the financial and service plans for 2015 and the future.

The meetings would share plans for the next year and hear public views and suggestions. Members of Cabinet would be in attendance at the events to discuss challenges in more detail.

d.      CCG: Integrated Performance Management Report

An announcement was given which provided an update on the CCG and the Integrated Performance Management Report.

e.       Dementia in Wiltshire: The Role of Healthwatch

Healthwatch Wiltshire would bring together local charities in Wiltshire to form a partnership which would monitor and support the new Wiltshire dementia strategy. Those included would be representatives from Alzheimer’s Support, Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK Wiltshire, Age UK Salisbury District, Carer Support Wiltshire and the Swan Advocacy.

At least 100 local people across the county would also be brought together to monitor how services worked in a series of workshops. The aim was stated as making sure that the voices of local people were ‘centre stage’.

f.        Presentation of MBE to Hector Cole

Malmesbury Area Board offered their congratulations to Great Somerford resident Hector Cole. Mr Cole had recently been awarded an MBE for his services to heritage crafts, specialising in the forging of medieval arrow-heads.

Decision

To write a letter of congratulations from Malmesbury Area Board to Hector Cole MBE.

g.      Malmesbury Extra Care Scheme

A planning application for the extra care scheme on the Burnham House site on Hodge Lane had been submitted on 22 September 2014.

The decision had not yet been published due to ongoing discussions in relation to Section 106 planning obligations.  The decision would be issued after these had been finalised.

The Area Board will be asked to confirm the membership changes to the Community Area Transport Group (CATG).

a)    To confirm the appointment of Mandy Thomas from Leigh Parish Council, following nominations from the Minety division.

The Area Board were asked to confirm the membership changes to the Community Area Transport Group (CATG).

Decision

To confirm the appointment of Mandy Thomas from Leigh Parish Council to the CATG to represent the Minety Division on Malmesbury CATG.

Claire Studdart, Housing Options Manager, will be in attendance to provide a presentation on the new Housing Allocation Policy and to answer any questions.

Claire Studdart, Housing Options Manager, was in attendance to deliver the presentation on the new Housing Allocation Policy.

The Housing Allocation Policy had been reviewed following the Localism Act 2011 and the introduction of greater freedom with regards to housing. A wide consultation had taken place with the public and numerous partners, with over 900 responses received. The policy was approved at Cabinet in November 2013 and the eight week transition period began on 9 December 2015.

The main change was the focus on providing local homes to local people. In order to apply for housing a local connection to Wiltshire would have to be demonstrated. Local connections included: close family (those who had been lived with for five or more years), employment, or a current residence. Reasons for exclusion from the register had also been introduced, these included: immigration status, rent arrears, and antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs).

The bandings had been revised into grades one to four in order to gear the policy towards the highest priority applicants. Allocations would be made in line with the bedroom standard to allow people to apply for houses matching their bedroom need.

Priority would first be given to those with a local connection in the parish or town and then the surrounding town, after which it would be opened up to the rest of Wiltshire. There were said to be exclusions to the local connection which included armed services and witness protection.

Outlining the timeline it was noted that from January to November 2014 the IT specification was developed and the new IT system built. Between January and August 2014 the staff and providers were worked with to develop the new procedures, application form, and customer leaflets.

On 11 November 2014 a two week testing of the new system had taken place. Twenty thousand households were written to, informing them of the need to reapply to the register. Work was ongoing in order to get through the reapplications as quickly as possible.

The eight week transition period from the old system to the new system began on the 9 December 2014 and would finish with the official launch on 3 February 2015. The use of both systems until then was said to be resulting in a large workload.

It was asked what the position was on those who could not afford rent, and whether they would fall under the intentionally homeless classification. The homelessness classification was explained as being separate to rent arrears. Strict tests were in place with regards to the intentionally homeless classification. For rent arrears it would be explored as to whether they had acted in good faith or not when attempting to cover rent.

The number of applicants inside each band (as of 3 February 2015) was requested.

A question was asked on people reapplying to avoid paying bedroom tax. People were allowed to reapply under band two on the grounds of financial hardship, along with band three. Figures on how many applicants would be applying as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Carl Davies from Develop will be in attendance to discuss volunteering opportunities in the community area. There will be a short presentation and the chance to ask questions.

The item was deferred until the 4 March 2015 meeting as Carl Davies was unable to attend.

The Police and Crime Commissioner will be in attendance to discuss the upcoming budget.

Clive Barker, Chief Finance Officer for the PCC, was in attendance to deliver the presentation on the policing and crime council tax consultation.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon was consulting on a proposed increase of 1.9% to the police and crime part of the council tax for 2015-16.

Costs to the sector were expected to increase by 1.3%, with a funding gap of between £11-13million. It was explained that 62% of funding came through grants with the remaining 38% from council tax.

The impact of the proposed increase of £3.06 a year (or 1.9%) would provide £345,000 of funding during 2015-2016, and £728,000 in 2016-2017. The remaining funding gap would be filled through working in partnership with Councils and other police forces in order to deliver better services.

Consultation on the increase would end on 4 February 2015, more information was said to be available on the PCC website.

It was clarified that the consultation was on an increase in the police and crime precept, not council tax as a whole. The precept was included and collected as a part of the council tax.

A question was asked on what proportion of the police budget was dedicated to admin. It was stated that what is included as back office may be deemed operational by others. The IT service was completely provided by the Council. Around 15% was dedicated to back office costs. Moving out of Bourne Hill had saved around £200,000, and moving into Monkton Park had saved another £300,000.

The effect of military returning to the area was queried. It was stated that when they return to the area they would be living in the county and paying tax, which would increase funding.

The Shadow Community Operations Board (SCOB) will be in attendance to deliver a presentation and to answer any questions.

Kim Power, Phil Thomson, Catherine Doody, Miriam Nicholls, and Peter Gilchriest were in attendance as members of the Malmesbury Shadow Community Operations Board (SCOB) to deliver a presentation on the campus project.

The SCOB were introduced as a working party and sub-group of the Malmesbury Area Board formed mid-2014. The group constituted of local people with connections to the community area and were supported by the Community Area Manager, Miranda Gilmour and Cllr Simon Killane.

The campus programme was an opportunity to look at whether existing buildings and facilities were being best used and provide the chance to improve them. The first campuses across Wiltshire were approved in December 2011, with more in 2012. The first phase of the Malmesbury campus was approved by Cabinet in November 2014.

Malmesbury’s campus was unique as Malmesbury had already many good facilities such as the leisure centre and library. A large campus was unnecessary but Cotswold House had been identified as the building to invest in.

A plan had been put together over the past few months, including renaming the building, “Riverside Community Campus” to reflect its use by people living across the whole community area.  The aim was to have a multi-purpose centre for the community to use.  It would also have space for council officers to work, enabling them to see customers locally.

Next steps would include getting people involved across the community area, including clubs and courses, volunteering to help run the centre, and bringing ideas back to the SCOB. Those present were urged to join “Friends of Riverside”.

Consultation events would be held shortly and it was hoped that local people would get involved and give their views.

A question was asked regarding what problems there were around the Malmesbury community area that needed fixing. It was stated that Malmesbury still needed more community space, and that this was the chance for Wiltshire Council officers to use, and for police to have drop-in sessions.

It was stated that this was the chance for culture change and to utilise the Cotswold House building to make it a great facility. The Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan would deliver more houses to the area, along with an increased demand for community workshops.

Jim Bailey, Principal Engineer, will be in attendance to present the item. The Area Board will be asked to approve the proposed list of schemes for 2015/16.

Jim Bailey, Principal Engineer, Matt Perrot, Local Highways Community Co-ordinator, and Bill Parks, Head of Local Highways and Streetscene North, were in attendance to introduce the Local Highways Investment Fund 2014-2020.

Investments would target those areas in the worst condition. The scheme was considered by Area Boards in 2014 and the work from that list had either been completed or was to be completed by the end of the current financial year.

The Area Board was asked to review the list and suggest other sites for future consideration.

A budget of £21million was available, with £3million for bridge maintenance in 2015-2016. This was said to be the biggest investment available in a long time.

An update on Holloway Hill was requested. It was heard that this was not on the list of sites for 2014-2015. The project would begin on 3 March 2015, lasting about two weeks. It was confirmed that the resurfacing would be from the roundabout to the river bridge.

The process of closing a road was explained. Fourteen weeks’ notice was required to close a road. This was to allow all utility companies to be informed in order to allow them to sort out any problems they are aware of. Once they had been notified they were not allowed to perform any non-emergency work for two years after work was completed.

It was asked what powers the Council had to deal with utility companies who did not leave the road surface in the condition it had been before work was carried out. Inspectors would keep a check on the quality of the road, and companies could be called back if needed. After utility companies perform works they were responsible for the condition of the road for two years. Town and parish councillors were asked to take note so that they could be chased when necessary.

Decision

1.     To note the progress made on implementing road resurfacing and safety schemes in 2014/15.

2.     To approve the list of proposed highway maintenance schemes in the Malmesbury community area for 2015/16.

Miranda Gilmour, Community Area Manager for Malmesbury, will be in attendance to provide information on “Safe Spaces”.

Miranda Gilmour, Community Area Manager for Malmesbury, delivered a presentation on Safe Places.

A JSA event had been hosted at the beginning of April 2014.  A key outcome was the need to protect and support the elderly and vulnerable. After talking with residents, police and town council it has been agreed that they should endeavour to set up Safe Places across the area to provide support to the elderly and vulnerable when they are out in the community.

Safe Place stickers would be given to businesses to display which would assure those affected that there was somewhere available for then to be supported, listened to, and to wait.

The inaugural meeting would be held 13 February in the hub at Malmesbury Town Hall.

Those interested were asked to contact Miranda Gilmour for more information.

To receive updates from the following partners:

a.     Wiltshire Police

b.     Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c.     Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership

d.     Good Neighbours

e.     Malmesbury Campus

f.      Highway Community Co-ordinator

g.     JSA update

h.     Young people

i.       Town and Parish Councils

a.               Wiltshire Police

Inspector David Hobman was in attendance and circulated a written update.

Up to date information on Neighbourhood Policing Teams, including their membership, events, and current priorities were available on the Wiltshire Police website.

Reported burglaries were higher for the last twelve months than the previous year. This had become a sector priority with additional resources being deployed throughout the area. The number of violent crime offences reported had continued to fall.

In response to a request for an update on cold calling it was heard that local police teams would continue to advise people to not answer the door if they felt unsure. Residents were advised to be suspicious and ensure they do not let them in, along with being aware of any distraction techniques.

b.              Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

A written update was circulated.

Mike Franklin announced that the Combination Order to bring together Wiltshire and Swindon Combined Fire Authority and Dorset Fire Authority had been submitted to the Secretary of State. Subject to consultation and approval, the Combination Order was expected to be made in February 2015. Required legislation would then be passed by the end of March 2015, with the new Fire Authority coming into being on 1 April 2016. “Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority” had been adopted as the name of the new administrative body.

December was described as being a quieter month than the previous year. This contrasted with November, which had seen an increase in serious incidents.

Prevention activities had focused on seasonal home safety, specifically concentrating on heating, candles, and electrical hazards.

Kit Watson, Station Manager, announced that Malmesbury Fire Station was looking for new recruits to their team of on-call firefighters. Wednesday nights were available for those interested to come along and talk to the staff.

c.               Malmesbury and the Villages Community Area Partnership

A written update was provided.

d.              Good Neighbours

A written update was provided.

e.               Malmesbury Campus

The update was provided in the Shadow Community Operations Board (SCOB) agenda item.

f.                Highways Community Co-ordinator

A written update was provided. Residents were urged to use the “app” to report issues and receive a reference number. This could also be performed over the phone.

g.              Joint Strategic Assessment (JSA) Update

There was no update.

h.              Youth Update

The update was provided in the Youth Update agenda item.

i.                 Town and Parish Councils

Kim Power, Malmesbury Town Council, announced that “No Cold-Calling Zones” were easy to set up. They were community-led and usually facilitated by the Town Council.

The Community Area Manager will provide a summary of current community issues and the area board will agree those to be closed.

The following issue has been recommended for closure by the Community Area Manager:

• Issue 3128 - White gates have been installed at the eastern entrance to Charlton village to encourage vehicles to reduce their speed.

The following issues have been recommended to be referred to the Community Area Transport Group (CATG):

• Issue 3750 - Road surface on B4042 between Cowbridge and Lea turning.
• Issue 3743 - Improve safety at B4696/Swan Lane junction, Leigh.
• Issue 3699 - Road safety concerns about Bristol Street, Malmesbury.
• Issue 3661 - concerns relating to single track part of West Street, Great Somerford.
• Issue 3535 - Improve signage to reduce HGVs In Malmesbury town centre.

Miranda Gilmour explained changes to her report regarding issues recommended for closure and referral.

Decision

To close the following issue:

·       Issue 3128 - White gates had been installed at the eastern entrance to Charlton village to encourage vehicles to reduce their speed.

To refer the following issues to the Community Area Transport Group (CATG):

·       Issue 3750 - Road surface on B4042 between Cowbridge and Lea turning.

·       Issue 3743 - Improve safety at B4696/Swan Lane junction, Leigh.

·       Issue 3699 - Road safety concerns about Bristol Street, Malmesbury.

·       Issue 3661 - concerns relating to single track part of West Street, Great Somerford.

·       Issue 3535 - Improve signage to reduce HGVs in Malmesbury town centre.

Ollie Phipps, the Community Youth Officer for Malmesbury, will be in attendance to provide an update on the membership of the Local Youth Network (LYN) Management Group.

The Area Board members will decide the membership of the Local Youth Network (LYN) Management Group.

Councillors will be asked to consider the Youth Grants report and make recommendations on the applications received. The following applications have been received from:

a)    Crudwell Climbing Wall: Are seeking £268

b)    Malmesbury Support Workshops: Are seeking £450 + £600 for 1:1 support. (On the conditions that participation is raised from 6 to 8 young people and the reduced amount of money is agreed).

c)     Community Transport for Later Buses: Further quotes from more bus companies required plus support from the LYN management group following our online questionnaire.

d)    Music Workshops: To be awarded a smaller fund of money once we have more information on how the money will be spent on and how many young people engaged.

e)    Archery: Are seeking £285 plus looking for local providers for long term work.

f)      Brinkworth Board Gaming Group: Are seeking £150 on the condition they will work with me to improve attendance and work with other villages.

g)    Revolution Youth Motor Project: We are holding £1000 ready for the project but will not officially award the money until a storage unit is found and mechanics mat, which I will support.

h)    Skaters of Luckington: Have been awarded no money but offered support to look at future opportunities.

Ollie Phipps, Community Youth Officer (CYO) for Malmesbury community area, was in attendance to provide an update on the Local Youth Network (LYN), present the proposed LYN management membership, and any youth grants.

Kath Brownlee, Community Development Worker for the Army Welfare Service, had provided written updates for circulation. The update listed a schedule of events and regular activities.

The LYN was described as a network for any organisations that worked with young people. Around 140 people were currently a part of it. The LYN launch event had taken place on 9 December 2014 with about 50 in attendance. The LYN would work to achieve what young people in the community area needed, and work had started on the needs assessment for young people in Malmesbury.

Members of the LYN management were to be taken on a trip in order to promote bonding and provide training. The training would include how to evaluate any funding applications they would receive.

The list of recommended youth funding was presented.

Cllr Berry offered support with the archery project, as an archer lived in his parish.

Decision

1.     To award the following funding:

·       Crudwell Climbing Wall was awarded £268.

·       Malmesbury Support Workshops was awarded £450 + £600 for 1:1 support, on the condition that participation was raised from 6 to 8 young people.

·       The Archery Project was awarded £285.

·       The Brinkworth Board Gaming Group was awarded £150, on the condition that they work with the CYO to improve attendance and engage with other villages.

·       To set aside £1000 for the Revolution Youth Motor Project until a storage unit is found and a mechanics mat.

2.     To ratify the proposed membership of the LYN management group.

Councillors will be asked to consider the Community Area Grants report and make recommendations on the applications received. The following application has been received from:

1.     ActivAcre, who are seeking £5000 capital funding towards the major development of Corston and Rodbourne play area.

2.     Minety Pre-school, who are seeking £950 capital funding towards a sink and wet-play area for toddlers.

Miranda Gilmour, the Community Area Manager, outlined the funding report.

Decision

1.     To award ActivAcre £5,000 capital funding towards the major development of Corston and Rodbourne play area.

2.     To award Minety Pre-school £995 capital funding towards a sink and wet-play area for toddlers.

The next meeting would take place on Wednesday, 4 March 2015, 7.00 pm, in the Assembly Room - Town Hall, Cross Hayes, Malmesbury SN16 9BZ.