Agenda item

To receive any verbal updates from Partners and Community Groups present, including:

·       Police – Neighbourhood Teams

Inspectors Tina Osborn & Al Lumley

·       Fire & Rescue

·       Youth

To note the following written updates attached to the agenda:

a)    Police

b)    Consultation Portal

c)     Wiltshire Council Items for Information:

·       Ash Dieback (slides & paper)

·       Climate Strategy & Natural Environment consultations

Note: Speakers are reminded that they each have a 3 minutes slot, unless they have previously discussed alternative arrangements with the Community Engagement Manager.

Warminster CPT

Inspector Al Lumley provided an update from Warminster CPT (Mere & Tisbury), which covered most of the South West Wiltshire Area Board. Inspector Lumley compared Warminster figures with the rest of Wiltshire, noting that there were very similar overall trends. In 64 percent of stop and search cases no items were found, which was in line with the Wiltshire average.

He then identified four key priorities for the area:

• Speed enforcement was a particular issue due to the rural road network. It was seen as a priority to support Speed Watch teams.

• Inappropriate use of E scooters was becoming an issue, so there a focus on education and targeting persistent offenders.

• There was a focus on rural crime as, during harvest, there had been a spike in the theft of GPS equipment.

• Concerns existed about an increase in catalytic convertor theft given that they were a particular focus of criminal gangs in rural locations.

Salisbury CPT

Inspector Tina Osborn, spoke about the priorities for the part of the Area Board covered by Salisbury CPT.

The key points raised were:

• Speeding was a key focus with increased patrols in Netherhampton Road in Harnham as well as The Avenue in Wilton.

• E scooters were also identified as an issue, as they had been in the Warminster CPT.

• Proactive operations had been carried out with other police forces to combat rural crime.

• The coming months were likely to see in increase in poaching and hare coursing, so visibility in rural areas was due to be increased.

In response to questions about whether a team could be deployed in Dinton to support the Speed Watch team, the inspector stated that they would get out to support the team if capacity allowed. Dinton was covered by Amesbury CPT but Inspector Osbourn also worked in that CPT.

Youth Update

Community Engagement Manager (CEM) Karen Linaker spoke about plans for a programme of activities in the autumn and the Christmas holidays as part of the FUEL Programme. She also noted that each Area Board was running a youth survey throughout September and October in order to get the views of as many young people as possible.

Jakki Farrell, from the charity Seeds4Success, provided an update on the FUEL Programme, a free holiday activity and food project run during school holidays throughout 2021. She noted that they worked with Mere School and Mere Foodbank to run a series of activities throughout the summer. Whilst priority was given to those pupils needing free school meals, activities were also open to other pupils.  The activities, heavily assisted by young leaders, ran for four days per week over four weeks. Between 67 and 77 pupils attended each week. In total 36 different pupils took part in the scheme that had one of, free school meals, an EHCP, or were a Child Looked After. It had not yet been confirmed whether the scheme would be repeated in 2022 but Jakki was encouraged that lots of new young people were coming forward. 

On top of this, events had continued to be run through the Local Youth Action Scheme, including clearing footpaths. The children participating in this scheme had also enjoyed a reward day at Alton Towers. It was reported that the first face to face session of the new LGBTQ+ Group had also taken place at Burcombe Village Hall and future sessions would be arranged for the third Wednesday of each month.

Ash Dieback

The Chairman drew the Area Board’s attention to documents in the agenda pack relating to the issue of Ash Dieback. She pointed out that further useful information about tree planting was available on the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) website. An informative video has also been circulated with the minutes, see below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=fY-vnm7yAfQ&feature=youtu.be