Agenda item

Written Updates

The Board is asked to note the following written and online updates attached to the agenda:

·       Neighbourhood Policing Team

·       Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service – Quarterly update - Link to YouTube video update 

·       Kennet and Avon Medical Partnership - Update to follow

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

•       Health & Wellbeing

•       Youth

•       Environment

•       Pewsey Community Area Partnership

•       Parish Councils

Written Updates

The Board received updates from the following:

·       Neighbourhood Policing Team

The Area Board received a written update and presentation from Insp Garett, Wiltshire Police, which included detail about the Neighbourhood Policing Team, the community commitment, crime statistics for Pewsey between November and December 2024 including comparisons with previous years and the previous 2 months, with a deep dive into burglary crime, local priorities and updates in relation to the Pewsey area, local links and how to become involved in receiving the latest news and alerts by signing up to the Community Messaging Service. 

Members and Area Board representatives commented on hare coursing, attendance rates for burglaries, a thanks for the Police PSCO’s attending Parish Council meetings and other events and action on shoplifting.

The Chairman thanked Insp Garett for attending the Area Board meeting and his comprehensive report and responding to questions.

·       Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service 

The Area Board watched a video update from the Fire and Rescue Service.

·       Kennet and Avon Medical Partnership – an update was not available for this meeting.

Verbal Updates

To receive any verbal updates from representatives, including:

·       Health & Wellbeing

The Strategic Engagement and Partnership Manager reported that a workshop on loneliness and isolation was held recently and attended by the local Social Prescriber. Outcomes from the workshop included the need for a men’s group, help with driving minibuses, improvements in communications of the activities in the Pewsey area and a bereavement group. The main challenge in all of this remained the need for volunteers and funding. Cllr Wheeler welcomed the workshop, which he had attended and concurred with the comments from the Partnership Manager.

·       Youth

The Strategic Engagement and Partnership Manager explained that progress was being made with the work of the Blue Bus, the youth café and the recently approved Area Board initiative to approve a grant towards helping young people taking up leisure centre membership, which they would not ordinarily be able to afford.

·       Environment

The Engagement and Partnership Lead highlighted the achievements from the last couple of years, including work on energy efficiency, solar panels, the move to electric mowers and availability of thermal cameras to undertake heat loss surveys, an increase in the local community accessing the countryside, and Pewsey Green organised by Kate Silvester and Great Green Bedwyn organised by Jeremy and Sylvia Wyatt.

·       Pewsey Community Area Partnership

The Area Board received an update from the PCAP representatives Susie Brew, Dawn Wilson and Colin Gale as follows:

-       The winter railway works along the west railway had now been completed.

-       The connect service had been expanded to include the Tidworth area.

-       Comments were submitted about the lack of a Freight Management Strategy and the lack of access improvements at train stations in the draft Local Transport Plan 4.

-       Jeremy and Sylvia White were thanked for leading on environment issues and residents were encouraged to attend their meetings.

-       The Memory Café and movement to music classes continue

-       Cost of living food vouchers were still available, and residents were encouraged to apply for them.

-       The Pewsey Vale Tourism Partnership completed the improvements to access rights of way. 

-       A successful grant application to provide a number of kissing gates and replacement stiles in the Pewsey area.

-       The positive impact of the BBC dramatisation of Wolfhall on the Partnerships website

-       Working with Transwilts on a film to promote the Pewsey Area between Great Bedwyn and Pewsey.

-       Teamed up with Railwalks to publicise the area with website links on each other’s websites

-       Great Western Way media event in March 2025

·       Parish Councils

Rushall Parish Council – Colin Gale promoted the Best Kept Village competition and indicated that applications for this would be available very soon.