Agenda item

To receive the following announcements through the Chairman:

·       Cost of Living Update

·       Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance (BSW Integrated Care Board) Update

·       Wiltshire Climate Strategy Delivery Plans

·       Community First Update

·       Wiltshire Council Grants for Electric Vehicle Chargers

·       King Charles III Coronation - Community Celebrations

·       Proposed Police Precept Increase for 2023-24

·       Wiltshire Families and Children’s Transformation (FACT) Partnership Family Help Project Background Briefing

·       Shared Lives and Future Area Board Items

·       Cabinet Discussion on the HIF

·       Abbeyfield School Expansion Plans

The Chairman made the following announcements, which were contained in the agenda pack.

·       Cost of Living Update

The Chairman drew attention to a briefing note attached to the agenda pack from the Engagement and Partnerships Team from Wiltshire Council, which outlined the role of Area Boards and examples of how they can support the cost of living in Wiltshire. In addition, attention was drawn to a further Cost of Living update included within the agenda pack, which detailed how Wiltshire Council is focusing on three principal areas to meet the Cost-of-Living crisis. Namelysupport for Businesses, Staff and the People in Wiltshire communities. Under each of the three principal areas within the update, guidance and information was provided as well as useful contact details.

·       Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance (BSW Integrated Care Board) Update

The Chairman noted that within the agenda pack was an update from the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance (BSW Integrated Care Board). The updated provided an overview of the role of the VCSE leadership alliance as well as noting the progress which had been made so far within the voluntary sector over the past 18 months.

·       Wiltshire Council Climate Strategy Delivery Plans

The Chairman noted that attached to the agenda pack was a briefing note, which set out details of the new delivery plans to support the Council’s adopted Climate Strategy. It was noted that Two climate strategy delivery plans have been developed using evidence from the Pathways studies as well as input from officers across the council and councillors, in particular Cabinet and the Climate Emergency Task Group. Both plans would cover the period 2022-24. In addition, next steps were outlined in the briefing note as well as how the plans will provide a valuable framework towards the Council’s seven delivery themes of climate strategy.

·       Update from Community First

The Chairman drew reference to an update included within the agenda pack from Community First. The update covered their recent AGM and Awards celebration, which took place on 12 October 2022 as well as a volunteer recruitment campaign and current vacancies that they were looking to recruit to. The following Enquiry Form allows those interested to get in touch with Community First for more information.

·       Wiltshire Council Grants for Electric Vehicle Chargers

The Chairman drew attention to the agenda pack which included a briefing note that acted as a follow up to the well-attended EV Charging Infrastructure for Town & Parish Councils Webinar that took place on 14 of September 2022. Included within the briefing note was links and materials which would allow interested parties to progress their intentions to have EV Chargers in their communities.

·       King Charles III Coronation – Community Celebrations

The Chairman drew attention to the agenda pack which included a briefing note which aimed to ensure that communities wishing to celebrate the King’s Coronation were signposted to the council’s web page where they would find the appropriate tools, support, and guidance to apply to hold a community party. Further details could be found within the agenda pack.

·       Proposed Police Precept Increase for 2023-24

The Chairman drew attention to the agenda pack which included a briefing note which outlined that a survey to gauge public reaction to a proposal which could see the average police precept rise by up to £15 a year had been launched by Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner. The briefing note acknowledged that an early indication of a 1% increase in the Government’s grant would mean that if the police precept stayed at the current rate of £241.27 for a Band D property, Wiltshire Police would have to make £5.5m worth of savings. Further information as well as the link to access the survey was available within the agenda pack.

·       Wiltshire Families and Children’s Transformation (FACT) Partnership Family Help Project Background Briefing

The Chairman drew attention to the agenda pack which included a briefing note that explained that Wiltshire’s multi-agency FACT partnership had identified how partners work together as a system to provide early intervention and prevention (Family Help) as a priority transformation activity for the next two years. These new Family Help arrangements would ensure that children, young people, and families would be able to access the right help at the right time through a co-ordinated approach to prevention and early intervention. Further information was included within the pack regarding what the project would aim to deliver across Wiltshire as well as a pilot that was set to take place in Warminster and Westbury.

·       Shared Lives and Future Area Board Items

The Chairman updated the Area Board that the following items would likely be heard at the next meeting of the Chippenham and Villages Area Board on 13 March 2023:

·       A presentation from the Wiltshire Council Shared Lives Team

·       A presentation from local housing supplier, GreenSquareAccord.

·       An update from a representative from Chippenham Hospital.

·       Cabinet Discussion on the HIF

The Chairman noted that recently at the Cabinet meeting, which took place on 13 December 2022, Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, MCI, Economic Development, Heritage, Arts, Tourism and Health & Wellbeing presented a report which provided an update on progress of the Future Chippenham programme since the Cabinet decision in July 2022 to pause design work subject to reaching agreement on the revised Grant Determination Agreement (GDA) with Homes England. The link to the report as well as the minutes and meeting recording could be found via the following link:Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 13 December 2022, 10.00 am | Wiltshire Council

·       Abbeyfield School Expansion Plans

The Chairman outlined that Abbeyfield School recently held a drop-in session on Wednesday 11 January to enable people to view plans for a proposed three-phase expansion to the school.

·       Robert Whitrow – Chairman of Langley Burrell Without PC

The Chairman and Area Board paid respects to Langley Burrell Without Parish Council Chairman, Robert Whitrow who had passed away on Saturday 7 January 2023.