Agenda item

To note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the last LHFIG meeting held on 7 May 2024, as set out below and in the attached report.

Recommendations:

To add the following Issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding (where indicated) Refer to APPENDIX 2

·       Melksham Town / Melksham without / Semington village - Allocate the sum of £4000.00 for the formal advertisement and implementation of parking controls (Waiting restrictions) at various agreed sites.  3rd Party contribution of 25% (£1,000) to be agreed with town / parish councils.

·       Keevil Kerbing works. – Allocate sum of £10,010.00 with 25% contribution (£2502.50) from Keevil Parish council.

To discuss the LHFIG Local Contributions Review.

Further information on the LHFIG process can be found here.

Cllr Mike Sankey introduced the minutes and recommendations from the LHFIG meeting held on 7 May 2024. After which, it was;

Resolved:

The minutes of the Local Highways and Footway Improvement Group

meeting held on 7 May 2024 were agreed as a correct record as well as approving the following spending recommendations within:

To add the following Issues to the Priority Schemes List with funding (where indicated) Refer to APPENDIX 2

·         Melksham Town / Melksham without / Semington village - Allocate the sum of £4000.00 for the formal advertisement and implementation of parking controls (Waiting restrictions) at various agreed sites. 3rd Party contribution of 25% (£1,000) to be agreed with town / parish councils.

·         Keevil Kerbing works. – Allocate sum of £10,010.00 with 25% contribution (£2502.50) from Keevil Parish council.

A discussion then took place regarding the TRO referenced within the recommendations, to which the advertising arrangements for which were discussed and how discussions for how this could be improved were taking place in the background. It was noted that there would be a public consultation for the traffic order via Wiltshire Council and during this period the Town Council and Members of the public could submit any questions and comments.

A motion was raised by Cllr Jon Hubbard that TROs affecting Melksham residents should be advertised within the Melksham Evening News, which was seconded by Cllr Mike Sankey. An amendment was made to the substantive motion that this motion be brough back to the next meeting of the Area Board for timing reasons. Both the substantive and amended motions were carried.

A further discussion then took place regarding LHFIG Funding Contributions and the Chairman noted that it was agreed at the last meeting of the Area Board, that clarity would be sought around LHFIG Funding Contributions. Since this meeting, Officers had gone away and have sourced minutes from the LHFIG meeting, which took place on 4 August 2022, which stated that:

Each Council should be committed to part-fund each project: financial contributions will normally be expected at a rate of 50% for the larger Councils (Melksham Town and Melksham Without) and 25% for the other smaller Councils.

Cllr Alford stated that the word “normally” was key to the contributions as this would allow smaller parishes to come forward and suggest alternative funding models as otherwise there would be an expectation for small parishes with few electors and tiny precepts to fund expensive projects.

Cllr Hubbard stated that Melksham North was one of the most deprived electoral wards in Wiltshire and that Melksham Town was one of the most deprived towns in Wiltshire with one of the lowest levels of disposable incomes. It was suggested that with the current contributions, deprived areas would be expected to subsidise work in the most affluent areas.

The Chairman proposed the following motion that Each Council should be committed to part-fund each project: financial contributions will normally be expected at a rate of 50% for the larger Councils (Melksham Town and Melksham Without) and 25% for the other smaller Councils, which was seconded by Cllr Phil Alford.

Cllr Jon Hubbard requested a recorded vote on the motion, which was as follows:

For – Cllr Jonathon Seed, Cllr Nick Holder, Cllr Jack Oatley, Cllr Phil Alford

Abstain – Cllr Mike Sankey

Against – Cllr Jon Hubbard

The motion was therefore carried.