The Chippenham and Villages Area Board was scheduled to consider a range of community funding applications, receive updates from local partners, and discuss local highways and footpath improvements. The meeting was also scheduled to address issues related to community resilience and emergency preparedness.

Funding Applications

The Area Board was scheduled to consider several applications for funding across different grant streams.

Community Area Grants:

• North Wiltshire DAB CIC was scheduled to request £3,000 for a project to provide digital radio for Chippenham and North Wiltshire. This initiative was scheduled to enable various community groups to broadcast content via DAB radio, fostering communication and engagement.
• Chippenham Folk Festival Community Interest Company was scheduled to apply for £663 to fund festival flags for a new entrance and improvements to the existing one, with the aim of increasing donations.
• Corsham Windband Association was scheduled to seek £1,450 for the Chippenham Primary School Music Development Project, which was scheduled to expand instrumental music lessons in local primary schools.
• North Wraxall Community Hall was scheduled to request £5,000 towards upgrading the hall, which was in need of modernisation to better serve local groups and clubs.
• Christian Malford and Foxham Womens Institute was scheduled to apply for £495 towards the replacement of the Christian Malford village defibrillator, as their current unit was no longer supported.
• Christian Malford Village Hall CIO was scheduled to request £5,000 as part of a larger project to redevelop their 100-year-old village hall, which was no longer fit for purpose.

Older and Vulnerable Grants:

• Age UK Wiltshire was scheduled to request £2,000 for their Celebrating Age Wiltshire project, which was scheduled to provide creative arts, music, theatre, and heritage events for older and vulnerable adults in local daytime settings.

Young People Grants:

• Kandu Arts Community Project CIC was scheduled to apply for £5,000 for a youth music group, providing a safe space for secondary school pupils to explore music, rehearse, and record their work.
• Sheldon Road Methodist Church was scheduled to request £1,250 for a young person community engagement project, which was scheduled to include day trips and pantomime visits for disadvantaged and neurodiverse youths and their families.
• The RISE Trust was scheduled to seek £5,000 for their Chippenham Safe Space initiative and to host the Local Youth Network, offering Friday evening youth sessions and detached youth work.
• The Stay Safe Initiative CIC was scheduled to apply for £2,700 for their Boyz 2 Men and Digital Empowerment Programme, which was scheduled to improve young people's wellbeing, safety, and resilience through workshops in local secondary schools.

Area Board Initiatives:

• Chippenham Area Board was scheduled to consider a request for £4,000 towards the Chippenham Teen Takeover 2027 event, which was scheduled to provide free activities and entertainment for young people in Chippenham, with a stronger youth-led approach.

Partner Updates and Information Items

The Area Board was scheduled to receive a variety of written and verbal updates from partner organisations. These included:

• An update from Community First on their activities in October 2026, covering youth action, outdoor education, and various community support programmes.
• A Wiltshire Council update on winter resilience and community emergency preparedness, with an additional update from Cllr Clare Cape on health and social care winter preparedness.
• An update from Alcoholics Anonymous on their services across Wiltshire and Bath, with a focus on alcohol awareness for young people.
• An update from Wessex Community Action on their new brand identity and website.
• An update from the Faith Communities Network for September 2026, detailing progress in developing the network and plans for future engagement.
• An update on Wiltshire Working Well, a programme that was scheduled to offer funded mental health training sessions for workplaces.
• An update from Wiltshire Money on their Community Financial Resilience & Practitioner Support Programme.
• A quarterly video update from the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service for July 2026.
• The Wiltshire Police Violence against Women and Girls Quarterly Report for September 2026.
• Written updates from the Neighbourhood Policing Team, including reports from Insp Simon Garrett.
• Notes from the Parish Forum meetings held on 17 June 2026 and 30 September 2026.
• Verbal updates from other community groups.

Community Spotlight

Cllr Dr Nick Murry was scheduled to introduce an item concerning the screening of the People's Emergency Briefing at Hardenhuish School.

Area Board Funding Opportunities

Ros Griffiths, Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager (SEPM), was scheduled to provide an update on new Area Board funding opportunities, including the Wiltshire Community Lottery, Social Value initiatives, the Wiltshire Voluntary Organisation of the Month Award, the Wellbeing Fund via Crowdfunder, Locally Identified Infrastructure Projects, and Community Resilience Hubs.

Action Plan Updates and Local Highways

Updates from Lead Councillors and officers on the Area Board's action plan were scheduled to be presented. Additionally, the Board was to note the minutes and consider any recommendations arising from the Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG) meeting held on 24 September 2026.

Urgent Items and Future Meetings

Any other items of business that the Chairman agreed to consider as a matter of urgency were to be addressed. The date for the next Area Board meeting was scheduled for 15 February 2027.

Road Safety Partnership Update

An update from the Road Safety Partnership was scheduled to be presented, detailing their work on initiatives such as the #FATAL5 education campaign, speed enforcement activities, and operations like Op Tramline. This update was scheduled to be provided as part of the Partner Updates.

Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG)

The minutes and spend tracker from the LHFIG meeting on 24 September 2026 were to be presented. This was scheduled to include details of active requests, new requests, and the financial position of the group, covering various highway and footpath improvement proposals across Chippenham and surrounding villages. Specific items scheduled for discussion included requests for parking restrictions, dropped kerbs, speed limit alterations, and junction improvements in areas such as Biddestone, Chippenham, Hullavington, and Yatton Keynell.