The Melksham Area Board met to discuss community funding, highway improvements, and youth services in the area. Councillors approved funding for the Corsham Windband Association and Age UK Wiltshire, and also agreed to add a dropped kerb crossing in Bader Park, Bowerhill to the priority schemes list. A decision on funding for a pedestrian refuge island on Eastern Way, Melksham was deferred until the next meeting.

Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG)

The Area Board discussed recommendations from the Melksham Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG).

A decision was made to defer consideration of funding for a pedestrian refuge island and associated footway work on Eastern Way, Melksham, until the next meeting. The proposed allocation was £20,000, with a 33% contribution expected from Melksham Town Council. The reason for deferral was to allow Melksham Town Council to confirm their funding contribution. Some concern was expressed that prioritising the scheme without confirmed funding would tie up officer resources and potentially delay other parishes from bringing forward schemes. However, it was also acknowledged that a pedestrian assessment indicated a significant need for improvement at that location. There were also calls for wider improvements to the road, including refuge points, a speed limit and a weight limit.

The Area Board agreed to add the installation of a dropped kerb crossing in Bader Park, Bowerhill, Melksham to the Priority Schemes List with funding. The allocation for this project is £2,800, with a 33% contribution to be confirmed from Melksham Without Parish Council.

Additionally, a proposal involving Bowerhill (A365) was discussed, where the Highways Officer had identified the cost of implementing bollards, which would be discussed with Melksham Without Parish Council.

A point was raised about the condition of Millennium Riverside Walk and the desire for improvements to be made and progress expedited.

Area Board Funding

The Area Board considered and made decisions on several applications for funding.

• Corsham Windband Association: The board awarded £2,520 to the Corsham Windband Association for their Melksham Primary School Music Development Project. Councillor Jennie Westbrook read out a statement in support of the application on behalf of Councillor Jon Hubbard, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education, and Skills, who was absent.
• Corsham Cricket Club: The decision on the Corsham Cricket Club's application for £4,000 towards a new sports pavilion was deferred prior to the meeting.
• Age UK Wiltshire: The board awarded £2,000 to Age UK Wiltshire for Celebrating Age Wiltshire. Sarah Cardy, Chief Executive Officer of Age UK Wiltshire, noted that Age UK's Melksham Community Support Service won the Local Council Community Project award at the Community First Awards in October. She also expressed gratitude for the £500 contributed by Melksham Area Board which allowed Age UK's first daytime disco to take place in the Assembly Hall, Melksham with around 180 people attending, and announced that a second daytime disco was scheduled for 9 January 2026.

Partner and Community Updates

The Area Board received updates from various partners:

• Wiltshire Police: The board noted the written updates provided in the agenda and supplement, including a Road Safety Update from Wiltshire Police. The update covered the

  FATAL5 education

  campaign, drink and drug driving, community road safety initiatives, traffic survey results, wider work by the Roads Policing Unit, Community Speed Enforcement Officers (CSEOs), partnership working, young driver education, and car seat clinics.
• Town and Parish Councils: Councillor Mary Winterburn, speaking on behalf of Great Hinton Parish Council, thanked the Melksham Health and Wellbeing Group for supporting their recent Heritage Exhibition. Councillor Saffi Rabey, representing Melksham Town Council, reported on a successful meeting between major towns in the county and Wiltshire Council Officers, noting that such meetings would now occur quarterly.
• Spurgeons: Carl Houghton from Spurgeons reported that Melksham was showing good uptake in parenting courses, the outreach programme, and 1-2-1 home support. He noted that activities run over October half-term were free and well-attended, demonstrating a need for free activities. Spurgeons will also be returning to the Foodbank once a month for drop-in sessions to discuss the food ladder¹.

Melksham Local Youth Network

Councillor Charlie Stokes, Portfolio Holder for SEND, provided an update on the Melksham Local Youth Network (LYN), stating that meetings were commencing with involved parties, including Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council, to discuss the network's content and session structure.

Urgent Items

Councillor Nick Holder raised an urgent item regarding Melksham Cricket Club's negotiations with Wiltshire Council for a lease arrangement on additional land to accommodate the club's growth. The Area Board agreed to write to Jenny Rowe, Wiltshire Council Senior Estates Manager, to expedite the lease process, emphasising the community benefit of the arrangement. The discussion also touched on the expansion of Melksham Cemetery, the need for burial space for Melksham residents, and the growth of Melksham Cricket Club.