The South West Wiltshire Area Board agreed its priority areas for 2024/25 and awarded a total of £22,325 in grants to 14 local groups. They heard updates from the Police and Crime Commissioner and Salisbury Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Policing in South West Wiltshire

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson, OBE, MPhil, highlighted the fact that Wiltshire Police had come out of special measures and received an 'adequate' rating, following a period of being placed in the Engage improvement process.

The Chief Constable and PCC were determined to build a more efficient and effective force and had made persistent improvement.

Mr Wilkinson praised Chief Constable Catherine Roper for her role in the improvement and anticipated that the force would be rated 'good' within 2 years.

The PCC also gave an update on his plans to create a new policing hub for the south of the county. He stated that two sites were under consideration, one at Old Sarum near Salisbury, and one at High Post on an industrial estate.

The Area Board then heard an update from Inspector Lou Oakley of the Warminster Neighbourhood Police Team. Inspector Oakley detailed their work tackling burglaries in Tisbury, drug crime in Mere and speeding on the A30. The Inspector also highlighted the challenges of recruiting new officers due to the requirement that all new recruits complete a degree apprenticeship.

During the discussion on policing, the Area Board welcomed the news that Wiltshire Police had come out of special measures. A number of concerns were raised about speeding in the local area, including in Fovant, Donhead St Mary and on the A30. The PCC and Inspector Oakley highlighted the important work being done by Community Speed Watch teams and stated that Wiltshire Police was undertaking speed enforcement action across the area.

Salisbury Hospital Update

The Area Board received an update from Tony Mears, Associate Director of Strategy at Salisbury Hospital. He reported that a new ward, Imber Ward, would be opening in June. He also explained that the Integrated Care Board was undertaking a process to commission 63 new healthcare services across BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire.

Area Board Priorities for 2024/25

The Area Board considered their priority areas for 2024/25, informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). The JSNA provides local data on deprivation and other public health metrics. They agreed to continue with their existing priority areas, but to change the wording of two of them. The updated priorities are as follows:

• Youth Engagement and Wellbeing
• Older and Vulnerable Adults Health and Wellbeing
• The Environment
• Community and Road Safety

Councillor Pauline Church was appointed to lead on Youth Engagement and Wellbeing, Councillor Richard Budden to lead on Older and Vulnerable Adults Health and Wellbeing, Councillor George Jeans to lead on The Environment, and Councillor Bridget Wayman to lead on Community and Road Safety.

Area Board Grant Funding

The Area Board considered applications for funding from 14 local groups. In total they awarded £22,325 in grant funding. During their discussions, the Area Board noted that they had received a large number of applications from one-off events and stated that they would develop a framework for future grant applications to support start-up costs and allow events to become self-sustaining.

A360 Road Closure

Alan Harris and Ken Marshall from National Highways gave an update on the forthcoming road closure of the A360 as part of the A303 Stonehenge upgrade. The A360 will be closed between the Longbarrow roundabout and The Avenue roundabout between mid-April and mid-July 2024 to allow for the installation of high voltage cables by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks. They reassured the public that the road would remain open for local businesses and residents to cross. The Area Board raised a number of concerns about the impact of the road closure and about the A303 Stonehenge project in general.

Emergency Contact Hubs

Councillor Martin Wallis from Fovant Parish Council delivered a presentation about their new emergency contact hub, part funded by a grant from the Area Board. He thanked the Area Board, as well as SSE, who part funded the hub, and the local contractors who helped to fit out the building. He encouraged other parishes to set up similar hubs and noted that there was more information on the Wiltshire and Swindon Local Resilience Forum website.

Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group

The Area Board approved the following recommendations of the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) from its meeting on 8 May 2024:

• £6,459.86 for a new 30mph speed limit in Kilmington.
• £3,375 for an ANPR survey in Dinton.
• £2,325 for a speed limit assessment on the A350.

The Area Board also received a verbal update from Peter Binley, Head of Major Highway Projects at Wiltshire Council. He praised the Area Board for their joined up approach to thinking about highways and gave a detailed explanation of the challenges facing Wiltshire Council in maintaining their road network. In particular, he highlighted the difficulties in maintaining rural roads that were never built with an adequate subbase.

Nadder Centre

Councillor Richard Budden provided an update on the Nadder Centre Steering Group. He explained that the group was set up to make the Nadder Centre a success and that more information was available on pages 75 and 76 of the agenda pack. Edd Pooley, the Leisure Area Manager South, provided details on how the Centre was working towards Wiltshire Council's environmental goals and reported on the range of activities and partnerships the centre was involved in.