Agenda item

To include:

·         Review of Pavements

·         Community Awards

·         Changes to the Electoral Registration System

·         Chippenham Campus Project ‘Equality & Inclusion’ workshop

·         Project IMPRESS Initiative

·         Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service Consultation

The following Chairman’s Announcements were included in the agenda pack were noted:

·       Review of Pavements

·       Chippenham Area Board Community Awards

·       Changes to the Electoral Registration System

·       Chippenham Campus Project ‘Equality & Inclusion’ workshop

·       Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service consultation

Skatepark Project

The Chairman gave a brief update, points made included:

·       Timeline – Evaluation of the responses from interested suppliers to the pre-tender qualification questions (PQQ) would be undertaken over a two week period by Wiltshire Council Procurement (financial) and Ridge (technical).

·       Technical Aspects – Topographical and ground investigation surveys had been completed. Reports had not identified any significant items of concern (no contamination etc).

Environmental/Habitat survey had been completed. The report did not identify any significant issues that would impact on the proposals.

Desktop Flood Risk Assessment had been completed.

Acoustics report was available as prepared by Mach Acoustics.

·       Planning position – Liaison  with the Planning Authority had confirmed that planning statements would be developed for inclusion within a planning application, including:

Community consultation (as had already been undertaken)

Design and Access Statement, covering the rationale for the design and matters relating to access and equality under the Equality Act 2010.

In accordance with the guidance, it was proposed to request formal pre-application advice from the planning authority, in advance of the planning application expected to be made around the end of 2014.

·       Approach to Consultation - The view of the planning officer was that had been considerable consultation undertaken already on the proposal and that in this context and given the scale and nature of the development proposals itself, further consultation with all parties on such matters was neither necessary or beneficial. This position was also informed by the fact that any application would be subject to statutory consultation procedures.

A question was raised AlanGould - Chippenhamresident re the Skatepark Working Party.

Why isthere atotal refusalto meetor listen to localcouncil taxpayers inSadlers Mead andQueen Mary'sStreet, and other interestedlocal people, tohear theirviews whichare likelyto improvethe quality of theapplication andthereby avoidgreat dissentwhen theapplication is considered?

Why doesthe WorkingParty insistthat therewill bean opportunity toexpress views when theapplication issubmitted, whenthat islikely tobe toolate totake benefit from theinformation and viewswhich canimprove theapplication?

Does theBoard support,or notsupport, itsown environmentalpolicy whichis to "involve thelocal people"?  Does the Board supportthe principalof the exerciseof localdemocratic involvement?  Ifso, itshould instructthe Working Party tolisten tothe viewsNOW,whenthey canbe ofuse.

And whileitisat it,the Boardmight examinewhy itsofficers goout oftheir ways to turndown requestsfor information madeunder theFreedom of Information Act.

The Chairman advised Mr Gould that there had been a long consultation that had involved local people, and that Wiltshire Council officers had never been obstructive in this matter.

Cllr Peter Hutton advised that the proper process was to submit a planning application, this was the way forward.