The Malmesbury Area Board met to discuss community grants, local highway improvements, and updates from partner organisations. The board approved several grant applications for local organisations, including the Oaksey Indoor Bowls Club, Malmesbury Bowls and Social Club Limited, and Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club. They also received updates on local policing, youth initiatives, and highway projects.

Area Board Funding

The Malmesbury Area Board approved several grant applications for local initiatives:

• Malmesbury Health and Wellbeing Forum: £500 was awarded for Techie Tea Parties, which provide mobile phone support for older and vulnerable adults.
• Oaksey Indoor Bowls Club: £1,465 was granted to the Oaksey Indoor Bowls Club to purchase a starter kit, including a mat and bowls.
• Malmesbury Bowls and Social Club Limited: £2,500 was allocated to the Malmesbury Bowls and Social Club Limited for a riverbank flood mitigation project. The project aims to remove silt and trees from the riverbed to reduce the risk of flooding.
• Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club: £2,100 was approved for the Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club to replace the safety handrail at the club's entrance.
• Malmesbury Abbey Music Society: £500 was granted to the Malmesbury Abbey Music Society for the Malmesbury Young Musicians program, which allows young woodwind players to work with professional musicians.
• Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club: £1,520 was awarded for additional youth sessions at the Malmesbury Amateur Boxing Club, expanding the number of sessions available to young people under 25.
• Caerbladon CIC: £1,000 was approved for the Let's Create Art workshops, which will provide free art sessions for young people and a young person's art exhibition at the John Bowen Gallery.

The board also noted a previously approved delegated funding allocation of £205 for the Malmesbury Communities Day 2025.

Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG)

Councillor Elizabeth Threlfall provided an update on the LHFIG meeting held on 14 October 2025, noting that £75,210 had been committed to new schemes this financial year, leaving a remaining balance of £23,694.

The update included the following points:

• Work on the Easton Grey bridge had been completed.
• Dangerous parking in Dark Lane and Horsefair in Malmesbury was discussed, with a need to extend existing yellow lines to protect access for emergency services.
• An Atkins Survey would be conducted in several villages to investigate potential changes to speed limits.
• Villages have been installing white gates or signs to demonstrate that drivers are entering a village, which has had a positive effect on speeds and driver behaviour.

The board agreed the minutes of the LHFIG meeting as a correct record.

Police Update

Inspector Scott Anger provided an update on behalf of Wiltshire Police, including:

• A fifth student officer would be joining the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Policing Team in January 2026.
• The team had attended Remembrance Day, Safer Business Action Week, Op Scorpion (drugs), Op Sceptre (knife crime), and a meeting with MP Dr Roz Savage to discuss local issues.
• The Mobile Police Station had visited Waitrose, Malmesbury, The Ship, Luckington, and Minety Village Hall.
• Enforcement outcomes included a drugs warrant and 58 speeding tickets issued in the past three months.
• Future consultations, community events, and operations were planned.
• The priorities for Malmesbury remained as drugs/anti-social behaviour, roads policing, and rural crime.

Inspector Anger clarified that community consultations were an opportunity for members of the public to ask the police questions. He noted that the police try to attend already organised events and take the Mobile Police Station to locations for those who cannot travel to consultations.

He also addressed concerns about the frequency of police visits to speeding locations, stating that there was a careful balance to advertising such attendance and that parishes could notify the police with areas of concern directly or through councillors.

Area Board Priorities

Strategic Engagement & Partnerships Manager (SEPM) Andrew Jack provided an overview of collective Wiltshire Area Board Funding, noting that the 18 area boards had awarded a collective total of £852,967, supporting 455 projects. He noted that 99.4% of projects were deemed to be self-reported as successful.

He also provided an update on actions related to the priorities identified at the last meeting:

• Men's Shed: Malmesbury Town Council had agreed to take on the lease of the site for the new shed, and sub-surface surveys had been conducted.
• Public Living Room: The living room was successful and popular, taking place in Malmesbury Library on Tuesday afternoons. The Area Board has provided funding for refreshments and improved furniture/storage.
• Food Ladder: A workshop took place on 16 September, and community leaders were encouraged to apply for funding to support projects.
• Active Travel: An online workshop and in-person site visit had taken place, and sustainable transport planners were developing new routes.

Other Announcements and Information Items

The board also discussed the following items:

• Age UK Wiltshire Newsletter: Councillor Chuck Berry noted the new hot meal initiative, which involves dropping in and checking on people whilst providing them with a hot meal.
• Family and Community Learning Impact Report 2024-25: Councillor Martin Smith outlined that this report covered the community-based learning taking place in Wiltshire delivered by Wiltshire Council and partners, with the main areas involved being wellbeing, confidence building and developing independent living skills.
• Beyond Dementia: Councillor Chuck Berry outlined that this report was regarding both those exhibiting signs of dementia and those providing support for people with dementia. Beyond Dementia is a Wiltshire charity that provides advice, support and care to people living with dementia and family carers.
• Wiltshire Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Survey 2026: Councillor Gavin Grant noted that a survey would be taking place to build on the previous youth survey conducted with Malmesbury School and that conversations had restarted with the school on how the involved age cohort might be supported.
• Wiltshire Youth Council Elections: Councillor Gavin Grant noted that Wiltshire Youth Council Elections would take place in schools in February 2026.
• Winter FUEL Programme: Councillor Elizabeth Threlfall outlined that the school holiday programme involved performing arts and holiday activities for children who were carers or qualified for free meals, and that the deadline to sign up was 12 December 2025.
• Sherston GP: Councillor Martin Smith provided an overview that two years ago Sherston GP had been threatened to be merged with the Malmesbury Primary Care Centre, which had led to public outcry.
• Wiltshire Council Parking Plan: Councillor Martin Smith outlined that the Wiltshire Council Parking Plan was included within Agenda Supplement 2.

Local Youth Network (LYN)

Councillor Gavin Grant reported on the Malmesbury Local Youth Network (LYN) meeting, highlighting the grant applications recommended for approval and the upcoming Wiltshire Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Survey 2026. He also praised Richard Pomfrett and his Stay Safe Initiative.