The Melksham Area Board met to elect a new chairman and vice-chairman, and to appoint a representative to the Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG). Councillor Jon Hubbard was elected as Chairman, Councillor Jennie Westbrook as Vice-Chairman, and Councillor Andrew Griffin was appointed as the Lead Representative to the LHFIG.

Appointment of a Representative to the LHFIG

Councillor Andrew Griffin, Portfolio Holder for Safety Valve, was appointed as the Lead Representative to the LHFIG¹. Councillor Jon Hubbard nominated Councillor Griffin, which was seconded by Councillor Charlie Stokes, Portfolio Holder for SEND.

The LHFIG operates as an informal working group that makes recommendations to the Area Board for approval. According to the LHFIG's Terms of Reference, the group is normally made up of Area Board members, town and parish council representatives, and community/stakeholder representatives. The LHFIG can have no more than 10 representatives, but this may not always be feasible for larger community areas.

The LHFIG's terms of reference are:

1. Small-scale transport schemes – discretionary funding
   • To make recommendations to the Area Board to determine priorities and levels of expenditure required for small-scale transport schemes in the community area.
2. Small scale transport schemes – substantive funding
   • To submit bids for funding from the centrally held substantive funds. A scheme qualifies as substantive if the estimated cost is more than the total discretionary amount available as part of the group’s annual allocation.

Election of Vice-Chairman

Councillor Jennie Westbrook, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Melksham Area Board. Councillor Charlie Stokes nominated Councillor Westbrook, which was seconded by Councillor Andrew Griffin.

Election of Chairman

Councillor Jon Hubbard, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education, and Skills, was elected as Chairman of the Melksham Area Board. Councillor Jennie Westbrook nominated Councillor Hubbard, which was seconded by Councillor Charlie Stokes.

The Election of Area Board Chairs Procedure states that the Democratic Services representative will call for nominations for the position of Chairman of the Area Board and preside over the election. A Member’s nomination must be seconded to be valid, and a Member cannot be nominated in their absence without their written consent.