The Corsham Area Board is scheduled to meet to appoint a chair and vice-chair for the forthcoming year. The board will also be asked to appoint a lead councillor to the Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG).

Appointment of a Representative to the LHFIG

The board is scheduled to consider the appointment of a lead councillor to the LHFIG. The LHFIG operates as an informal working group, making recommendations to the Area Board for approval.

According to the report pack, the LHFIG's membership usually includes:

• Members of the Area Board
• Town and Parish Council representatives
• Community / Stakeholder representatives

The terms of reference included in the report pack state that the LHFIG aims to have no more than 10 representatives, but this may not always be possible in larger community areas. The terms of reference also state that representatives should provide feedback to their organisations regarding the work of the LHFIGs, and be mindful of the needs of the community when making recommendations. Recommendations to the Area Board will usually be reached by consensus, but can be agreed by a show of hands if necessary.

The LHFIG's terms of reference are set out in Appendix 1 of the report pack, and include making recommendations to the Area Board regarding small-scale transport schemes. The funding allocation is a mixture of highways and council capital funding and can only be used to provide new and improved highway infrastructure. It is suitable for schemes that improve safety, increase accessibility and sustainability by promoting walking, cycling and public transport and improve traffic management. The LHFIG cannot fund revenue functions, such as routine maintenance schemes or the provision of passenger transport services.

Appendix 2 of the report pack provides examples of projects which can and cannot be funded by LHFIGs. Examples of projects that LHFIGs can fund include pedestrian improvements, cycle improvements, bus infrastructure, traffic signing, new road markings, speed limits, waiting restrictions, footpath improvements, drainage, street lighting, and traffic management measures. Examples of projects that LHFIGs cannot fund include routine maintenance, service subsidy, promotional campaigns, SID equipment¹, and improvements for individuals and properties.

As a general rule, an asset should exist at the end of the project, i.e. something new that wasn’t there beforehand.

Appointment of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

The agenda indicates that the meeting will begin with the appointment of a Chairman for the forthcoming year, followed by the appointment of a Vice-Chairman. According to the report pack, the Democratic Services representative will call for nominations for the position of Chairman and preside over the election. A Member’s nomination must be seconded to be valid, and a Member shall not be nominated in their absence without their written consent. The report pack outlines the procedure for the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, including scenarios with one, two, or three or more valid nominations.