The Calne Area Board met to discuss community safety, funding for local initiatives, and highway improvements. The board agreed to add a Calne parking review to the priority schemes list and allocated funding of £3,500.00, and also received updates on police activity, local projects, and future plans.

Wiltshire Police Update

The Calne Neighbourhood Policing Team provided an update on their activities and local crime statistics. The report included data on total crime, anti-social behaviour, and further action taken rates, as well as a breakdown of crime types in the Calne area.

The update also highlighted community engagement efforts, such as attending local events, conducting speed enforcement, and working with schools. The team has recently received an electric bike to support their work.

A road safety update was also provided, covering topics such as careless driving, the Community Road Safety Team, and traffic surveys in Calne. The update included data on speeding offences and the work of Community Speed Enforcement Officers (CSEOs).

Bremhill Parish Council reported that road safety and the state of the roads remains a concern for residents, and that they are investigating whether any areas of the parish meet the criteria for additional or changed speed limits.

Area Board Funding

The board considered several applications for community area grants, youth grants and older and vulnerable people grants.

• Wiltshire Scrapstore requested £2,500 towards a new van to cover work in Calne, Chippenham and Corsham.
• Calne Men's Shed requested £500 for specialised heaters and a controller.
• The Rise Youth Trust requested £5,000 for the Calne Safe Spaces project, which provides a safe space for young people on Thursday and Friday nights.
• The Rise Trust requested £5,000 for wellbeing sessions and the Calne Youth Network, which supports young people who may find open access sessions overwhelming.
• Age UK Wiltshire requested £2,000 for Celebrating Age Wiltshire, a creative health and wellbeing project for older adults.

Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG)

The board considered recommendations arising from the latest LHFIG meeting held on 18 July 2025.

The board agreed to add the following issue to the Priority Schemes List with funding:

• 3-24-37 Calne Parking Review 2025 - £3,500.

The board agreed to close the following issues:

• 3-23-8 A342 Sandy Lane Gates & Warning Signs
• 3-23-15 Goatacre Safety Review

Partner Updates

The board received partner updates, including a written update from Derry Hill and Studley Parish Council, who reported that they had agreed to take over responsibility for the production and publishing of inSPIRE, the parish magazine. They also reported that they had completed repairs to the roof of the Well House on Old Derry Hill.

Calne Town Council provided an update, noting that Celia Stevens had been co-opted to fill the vacancy in the South Ward. The council supported a community activities survey for residents aged 55 and over, and a youth survey in partnership with the Area Board and The Rise Trust Youth Team. The council also reported on community initiatives and projects, such as the Calne Summer Calneval, the Calne Town Crier Competition, and the Calne Food Festival & Love Business Fair.

Safe Places Scheme

Councillor Glenis Ansell provided an update on the relaunch of Calne's Safe Places Scheme¹, which aims to provide support for vulnerable people in the community. The scheme involves registering venues that agree to offer help and support to those who are anxious, scared, or at risk. These venues will be identified by a sticker and can provide a quiet place to sit and offer advice. The scheme also incorporates dementia awareness training for participating venues.

Other Information Items

The board received information items on various topics, including:

• Elections Update: Information on postal vote renewals and the annual canvass of electors. Electors were reminded that if they applied for a postal vote before 31 January 2024, their postal vote will expire on 31 January 2026, and they were encouraged to reapply online.
• Reinvigoration of Wiltshire Carers Champions: An outline of the proposal for the reinvigoration of the Wiltshire Carers Champions initiative, which aims to strengthen support for unpaid carers through improved visibility, engagement, and collaboration. The initiative aims to recruit at least one Carers Champion per Area Board to represent unpaid carers, raise local issues, and engage strategically with commissioning to shape future support.
• Citizens Advice Wiltshire: An update on the partnership between Wiltshire Citizens Advice and the Wiltshire Council Engagement and Partnerships team to ensure that local advice and support services are accessible to those who need them most. Wiltshire Money, a project managed and delivered by Wiltshire Citizens Advice, provides a network and strategic framework for organisations to coordinate, collaborate, and share knowledge on financial inclusion issues.
• Community First: An update from Community First, including information on their AGM, youth action Wiltshire, outdoor education, carers together Wiltshire, community organising, GOGA[^3], WALC[^4], village halls, CT/Link schemes, voice it, hear it, community grants, employability programmes, and community insurance. [^3]: Get Out Get Active [^4]: Wiltshire Association of Local Councils
• Age UK Wiltshire: An update from Age UK Wiltshire, including a message from the CEO, a summary of their services, and information on their wellbeing checks with meals service, daytime discos, and other initiatives.