Agenda item

To note the written reports and receive any verbal updates from the following:

·       Wiltshire Police

·       Warminster Garrison

·       Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum

·       Town and Parish Councils Nominated Representatives

Updates were received from the following partners:

·       Wiltshire Police

The Area Board noted written updates attached to the agenda. In addition, Inspector Lou Oakley provided a verbal update which covered the following points:

·       Overview of the geography of the area and the team was provided.

Business Crime

·       It was noted that nationally the Police had experienced increased numbers of retail crime and had not been supporting retailers with an increase in assaults on shopworkers. Therefore, there was set to be a delivery plan to tackle business crime with Inspector Oakley having been made operation lead for the County.

·       Work was being undertaken with the Police Business Analyst to consider data around where crime was taking place, by whom and the reason for any increases.

·       An Offender Intervention Panel had been set up with partners to identify the root cause for problems in order to prevent re-offending.

·       Retail Groups had also been set up across the County to try and build rapport with retailers and to build trust which could lead to increased reporting.

·       PC Hamel had provided packs for retailers which covered key matters as well as how to report crime and guidance regarding the processes followed by the Police.

·       A big operation was set to be ran next week with additional support to be provided by the response team; involving high-vis foot patrols, plain clothes officers and mobile patrols in rural areas.

Youth Anti-Social Behaviour

·       There has been an ongoing issue with Youth ASB for a period of time.

·       The PCC has provided funding for detached youth to take place in the Warminster area.

·       Warminster Town Centre has also been added as an ASB hot spot area for government funding towards overtime officer patrols.

·       Synergy Courses (formerly Salamander) had been piloted in Warminster and were set to be ran in February and March 2025, with 8 children partaking in a course over 5 days with input from Fire and Rescue, NHS Emergency Medicine, Wiltshire Police, and the Army. A key element of the course is follow up support, and at the end of the course each child had the opportunity for a 1-1 to talk about what further support they needed; each child has been offered and accepted, a SWIFT Plus Trusted Adult for 6 months.

·       Sadly, though the Police Chief Constable had wanted to establish a Cadet Unit in Warminster, this had not started yet due to a lack of volunteers.

Rural Crime

·       Rural officers have supported and assisted in operations over the past months both inside and outside of the County.

·       Work is being conducted to visit farmers to provide reassurance.

Drugs

·       Work relating to Drugs has not gone un-noticed or ignored, with 5 drugs warrants issued over the past 8 weeks as well as 3 arrests having taken place in the Warminster area.

After the verbal update, there was time for the following questions and points to be made:

·       Feedback was provided that it was assuring and a deterrent to see officers out on the streets, to which it was noted that the Mobile Police Van would also be out in rural communities in January.

·       It was stressed that the Police deal with any kind of shoplifting regardless of the value of the goods being stolen.

·       Feedback was provided that though Parishes receive reports, it would be positive for communications to focus on headlines, with it suggested that if an annual report of headlines was to be submitted ahead of AGMs in April and May it would be positive.

·       Clarity was provided that the Salamander Courses had stopped following cuts to prevention work by the Fire and Rescue service.

·       Regarding the Cadet scheme, it was outlined that another recruitment drive would take place for volunteers in January.

·       A discussion took place about the grant funding available through the PCC’s office.

·       Warminster Garrison

The Area Board noted a written update attached to the agenda.

·       Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum

The Area Board noted a written update attached to the agenda and received a verbal update from David Reeves, which covered the following points that there had been some positive ideas discussed recently and that the Warminster School Tech Club was looking to find a new home after being required to leave the Civic Centre, with a possible venue cited as the Athenaeum.

The Area Board paid tribute and gratitude to the Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum for their outstanding work.

·       Town and Parish Council Nominated Representative

The Area Board noted a written update Warminster Town Council which was attached to the agenda. In addition, The Area Board received a verbal update from Cllr Sue Fraser on behalf of Warminster Town Council that Warminster would be electing a further two Town Councillors in May, meaning that they would have fourteen elected Members rather than the previous twelve and that volunteers were welcomed.

The Area Board received the following verbal update from Cllr Neil Carpenter on behalf of Corsley Parish Council. The update covered the following points including that Cllr Carpenter had been working with Cllr Bill Parks and Andrew Murrison MP to investigate an issue relating to Selwood Housing as to why for the same house type and council band, Selwood Housing was charging between £590 - £1,100 a year for sewage management due to the homes not being on the main sewage network. It was also noted that there was no discount for being on benefits or for single occupancy and that it was suggested that this was an issue taking place in other areas such as Crockerton.

Cllr Bill Parks outlined that the Wiltshire Council Member who sits on the Selwood Housing Board had raised this with a Director of Selwood who had provided a response to all involved including Andrew Murrison MP. It was suggested that this issue was not exclusive to Corsley and that it would be useful for residents to provide further data on the matter to support investigation of the issue. It was also noted that a Director for Selwood Housing had offered to meet with people in Corsley, therefore it was suggested by Members that they could potentially be invited to a future Area Board meeting.