Agenda item

To receive an update from the partners listed below:

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

c.     Community First

d.    Healthwatch Wiltshire

e.    BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Together – Integrated Care Board

f.      Calne Community Safety Forum

g.    Town and Parish Councils.

Written updates were available in the agenda pack from the following partners:

·         Wiltshire Police, pg. 17-26

·         Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, pg. 27-30

·         Community First, pg. 35-38

·         Healthwatch Wiltshire, pg. 33

·         BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Together – Integrated Care Board, pg.31

·         Calne Town Council, pg. 39

The following partners also provided verbal updates:

Wiltshire Police

Sgt Mike Tripp gave an overview of recent operations and community policing work. Key points included:

·         The new Chief Constable, Catherine Roper, was passionate about community policing and keen to improve engagement.

·         Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Mark Cook had been working closely with local schools and youth clubs.

·         There had been fewer incidents of youths coming from Devizes to Calne exhibiting violent behaviour. Community Protection Warnings had been given to several individuals.

·         PCSO Nicole Sheppard was operating again in the Calne Area.

·         Operation Exit had seen the police work alongside licensed premises to reduced anti-social behaviour in Calne and make the public feel like it was a safe environment for an evening out.  

·         The town had recently had an issue with drink related anti-social behaviour, with a particular issue with underage drinkers being supplied with alcohol by older people. However, Sgt Tripp was pleased to say that recent efforts to tackle this issue had reduced the number of incidents.

During the discussion, the Area Board thanked the police for their community engagement work. Cllr Rounds praised the impact that the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable for the positive action they were taking, stating that their work was paying dividends with a noticeable increase in police presence. Cllr Thorn reported that he had attended a Neighbourhood Watch event in Devizes where they had shown an excellent video on online safety and suggested that this topic could be considered at a future Area Board. 

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue

Watch Manager Tom Burns provided an update. In response to a query from the Vice-Chairman about their online recruitment the Watch Manger said they had had a positive response, although did face challenges getting employers to release their employees at the appropriate time. The Watch Manager confirmed that there was no upper age limit for volunteers, although they would be expected to complete a fitness test.

Calne Community Safety Forum

Diane Gooch from Calne Community Safety Forum explained that they received a presentation from PC Jonathan Bourke at their last meeting and were trying to set up safe spaces for people with dementia. An event about understanding dementia would take place in Calne Library at 2pm on 1 June and they would be working closely with local businesses. 

Calne Without Parish Council

Keith Robbins explained that they had recently held their annual Full Council meeting and that road safety had been an important area of focus, particularly in Derry Hill and Studley. The parish council were conducting a survey of footpaths in the area to establish their usage and maintenance requirements. They also aimed to write a pamphlet about the different types of footpaths in the parish.

Cherhill Parish Council

Tributes were paid to David Evans, who had recently passed away, for his community work in the parish. It was reported that his funeral was due to take place at 1pm, on 26 May, at St James’ Church, Cherhill.

Heddington Parish Council

Mark Cawley explained that an IT issue had been resolved so the minutes of their recent meetings were now available on their website.

Hilmarton Parish Council

Shawn Warren-Willcox reported that their play park had now been completed and thanked partners for the financial support that they had provided for the project. The parish council now had funding to install speed indicator devices (SIDs) on the A3102 and were looking at options for funding their installation on posts.

Bremhill Parish Council

The Vice-Chairman of Bremhill Parish Council, Isabel McCord was unable to attend but provided an update to be included with the minutes.

·         Highway related issues were the main concern of residents.

·         The parish council welcomed that the measures submitted to the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group to improve road safety are being included in the Priority Schemes List.

·         The parish council found the All Things Roads meeting useful in raising further issues to improve road safety which they will pursue moving forward.

·         The revised neighbourhood plan is currently with Wiltshire Council for review and advice on how to proceed to completion.

·         The parish council continued to work with community groups and neighbouring parishes to improve biodiversity and the environment. There would be a Himalayan Balsam Bash on the River Marden and its tributaries on 16 June.

·         Strong community spirit and engagement made sure each day of the coronation weekend was celebrated with social events.

Health

During the discussion about health-related issues, members spoke about the challenges in getting NHS dentistry appointments. Cllr Thorn stated that he understood that there were currently no vacancies for NHS dentistry services in the county. He also stated that he would welcome a more detailed report from the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Together, Integrated Care Board.

The Vice-Chairman highlighted that he would welcome a report about the progress towards delivering a new medical centre in Calne, including a timeline of planned works. The Practice Manager at Northland’s Surgery, Allison Ingham, explained that they did not have enough room for staff at their current estate, so several of their employees had to work from home.

The Area Board stated that they would be happy for the Chairman to write a letter to the Integrated Care Board about the delays in delivering the new centre. Cllr O’Neill said that he would welcome an update about the project at a future meeting.