Agenda item

a.Background to Melksham campus and wider campus programme – Cllr Jonathon  Seed.

 

b.Update on the Woolmoore Farm development – Cllr Jonathon Seed.

 

c.Melksham Campus Project Board

 

·       The membership of the new Melksham Campus Project Board to be agreed – Cllr Jonathon Seed.

 

d.Melksham Campus position and work of the Board, including timescales – Cllr Jon Hubbard.

 

e.Melksham Town Council – Cllr Jon Hubbard.

 

f.Q & A

 

g.Campus workshop (30 mins) – Cllr Jon Hubbard.

 

 

The Chairman gave a brief overview of the most recent Melksham Community Campus project developments, and advised that:

 

·       Bulldozers were now on site at the Woolmore Farm site.

 

·       The budget for Melksham House was now in place.

 

·       The need to establish a Melksham Project Board.

 

 

Ceri Williams - Senior Community Organisational Transformation Manager, Wiltshire Council then outlined the Melksham Campus current position.

 

Points made included:

 

•        Overview of the Woolmore Farm project.

 

•        Melksham Market Place options.

 

•        That the Melksham House site would be vacant from July 2016.

 

•        Ongoing positive dialogue with Melksham Town Council over the use of shared communal space.

 

 

Melksham Campus Project Board

 

The Chairman then outlined the aim of the board:

 

To work with council officers, residents, clubs, groups and partners to put forward campus recommendations to the Area Board within a timely manner, which delivers a campus for the Melksham community area within the agreed budget.

 

Councillors were then asked to vote on the formation and membership of the new board.

 

Decision

 

•        That the Melksham Area Board agrees:

 

•        The proposal is to create a new Melksham Campus Project Board, recognising the Town Council involvement and the necessity to tighten the links between the three key organisations; Wiltshire Council, Melksham Area Board and Melksham Town Council.

 

•        The Melksham Campus Project Board would be determined by the Melksham Area Board and should consist of a mutually agreeable representative as follows:

 

 Three members of the Melksham Area Board, with Cllr Jon Hubbard to  Chair.

Two members of the Melksham Town Council

 

•        The Melksham Area Board shall recommend three Councillors and the Town Council will recommend two Councillors. Appointments would be voted on at an Area Board meeting by the Melksham Area Board members. 

 

•        The aim of the board was as follows:

 

•        To work with council officers, residents, clubs, groups and partners to put forward campus recommendations to the Area Board within a timely manner, which delivers a campus for the Melksham community area within the agreed budget.

 

•        The Melksham Area Board recognises the vital contribution that the Melksham COB had provided over the past 4-5 years, with each volunteer contributing a great deal of time, effort and expertise in bringing the development to its current position. The proposal was that the COB would continue as an advisory group, working alongside the Campus Project Board. They would provide information and advice when required and would act a scrutiny group on proposals put forward by the Campus Project Board. 

 

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard then outlined the current Campus position.

 

Points made included:

 

•        £16M budget to deliver the Melksham campus and the market place development.

 

•        That the current schemes were unaffordable.

 

•        Looking at ways to deliver all of the proposed facilities by increasing the capital available.

 

•        Potential Town Council involvement, including the integration of the Assembly Hall.

 

Cllr Terri Welch – Melksham Town Council advised that upkeep costs for the Assembly Hall were costly, with the building suffering from major roof issues, which would need addressing.

 

That a new Assembly Hall would be an opportunity to integrate a new build into the Campus project, if the right deal for Melksham residents could be agreed with Wiltshire Council.

 

 

Cllr Jon Hubbard then outlined the two proposed Market Place redevelopment schemes:

 

•        Option 1 – A scheme which would deliver a remodelled pedestrian market place. This scheme would include new street furniture with a new well providing a focal point. The finishes would be to a high specification to create an aesthetically pleasing and inviting environment.

 

•        Approximate Cost £850,000.

 

 

•        Option 2 – The functionality and layout would be exactly the same for the second scheme. The materials used would, however, be of a lower specification. The paved market place would be replaced with tarmac and minimal street furniture would be supplied.

 

•        There would be scope for additions to be made to the scheme in the future.

 

•        Approximate cost £260,000.

 

The attendees were then given the opportunity to ask any questions re the campus project.

 

 

Campus Workshop

 

The attendees were given the opportunity to discuss and then answer the following three questions:

 

1.     What are the three most important elements that you would like to see in a new Assembly Hall?

 

2.     In principle, would you support the sale of land in and around the Melksham House site, to increase the campus budget to help deliver all of the facilities identified in the original scheme?

 

3.     Of the two market place schemes proposed, which would prefer to see delivered?

Note: Funding that will be used on the market place comes directly from the campus budget.

 

The feedback on the three questions would then evaluated and discussed later during the meeting.