Agenda and minutes

There were five written public questions, a copy of the questions are appended to these minutes at APPENDIX A. The responses were not part of the meeting but are appended to these minutes at APPENDIX B.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Clare Cape due to another commitment and Councillor Jenny Budgell due to illness.

All Members of the Town Council are reminded to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests they may have in any business of the Council, its Committees or Sub-Committees, in accordance with the latest approved Code of Conduct. Councillors are reminded to declare any dispensation granted in relation to any relevant matter.

Councillor Liz Alstrom declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 13, Memorandum of Understanding between Wiltshire Council, the Town Council and the Town Team/Chamber of Commerce, as a Wiltshire Council representative on the Town Team appointed by the Area Board.

To receive the draft minutes of the Council meeting held on Wednesday 27 September 2023. Minutes require a proposer and seconder for approval (copy attached).

The minutes from the meeting held on 27 September 2023 were proposed by Councillor David Poole, seconded by Councillor Pete Cousins and with all in favour, it was;

RESOLVED that:

The minutes from the meeting held on 27 September 2023 were approved as a correct record and were signed by the Chair.

i. To receive any announcements from the Mayor.

ii. To receive a list of engagements undertaken by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor since the last Council meeting held on Wednesday 27 September 2023 (copy attached).

i.             a) The Mayor highlighted the White Ribbon coffee morning on Friday 24th November to fundraise for the White Ribbon Charity.

b) The Mayor announced the recent Book and Bake sale raised £466.94 for the Mayor’s chosen charity, Doorway. Another Book and Bake Sale would be held on Friday 15th of December in the Neeld Foyer to raise funds for Doorway. Councillors, Officers and residents were invited to join the event between 9.30am and 1pm to purchase refreshments, baked goods and either new or second hand books.

ii.           The list of engagements undertaken by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor since the last Council meeting held on Wednesday 27 September 2023 were noted.

To receive an update from Wiltshire Police (copy attached).

The Sergeant updated on the current policing priorities within the Chippenham area including community engagement, shoplifting, crime rates, mental health, anti-social and driving offences.

Councillors raised issues including drink spiking, drivers not slowing down at pedestrian crossings, speed awareness, thefts from vehicles and anti-social behaviour. The Sergeant updating on actions that had been taken and were ongoing to address these issues and highlighted the importance of locking vehicles and houses at night and reporting incidents so the police are aware and can investigate. It was noted that communication with residents is done mainly through social media and engagement events.

The Chair thanked the Sergeant for attending the meeting and answering Councillor questions.

RESOLVED that:

The report be noted.

The Chair invites all Councillors to raise any queries or questions on the work being undertaken by Committees, purely for information only. To receive the following:

a.       Amenities, Culture & Leisure Committee

The draft minutes of the meetings held on 13 September 2023 and 01 November 2023 (previously circulated).

b.       Planning, Environment & Transport Committee

The draft minutes of the meetings held on 14 September, 05 October and 26 October 2023 (previously circulated).

c.       Strategy and Resources Committee

The draft minutes of the meetings held on 06 September and 18 October 2023 (previously circulated).

d.       Human Resources

The draft minutes of the meeting held on 02 November 2023 (previously circulated).

a.       Amenities, Culture & Leisure Committee

The minutes of the meetings held on 13 September and 01 November 2023 were presented by Councillor Declan Baseley with all matters resolved.

b.       Planning, Environment & Transport     Committee

The draft minutes of the meetings held on 14 September, 05 October and 26 October 2023 were presented by Councillor Matthew Short with all matters resolved.

c.       Strategy and Resources Committee

The draft minutes of the meeting held on 06 September and 18 October 2023 were presented by Councillor Pete Cousins with all matters resolved.

d.       Human Resources

The draft minutes of the meeting held on 02 November 2023 were presented by Councillor Desna Allen with all matters resolved.

To receive the notes from the Community Safety Forum meeting held on 06 October 2023 for information only (copy attached).

RESOLVED that:

The notes from the Community Safety Forum meeting held on 06 October 2023 were noted.

To receive the minutes from the Youth Council meetings held on 19 September and 17 October 2023 for information only (copies attached).

RESOLVED that:

The notes from the Youth Council meetings held on 19 September and 17 October 2023 were noted.

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Community Services relating to a request from the Town Centre Partnership Board to seek the views of the Town Council upon options for the River Green Corridor project (copy attached). A representative from the Environment Agency will be in attendance to answer technical questions relating to proposed schemes.

The Director of Community Services presented the report regarding a request from the Town Centre Partnership Board on the views of the Town Council in relation to options for the River Green Corridor Project. Councillors were asked to consider whether they supported the principle of a scheme, and work between the Town Centre Partnership Board and the Environment Agency to define and further consult upon a scheme that responds positively to the findings of the One Plan which is viable and can be delivered within timescales. Councillors were also asked to consider which of the following three options for the scheme would be the preferred option based upon evidence provided:

a) Replace the Radial Gate as it is at present

b) Remove the Radial Gate with the channel upstream naturalised to create a wilder feel similar to that south of the town centre to maximise the ecological value

c) Remove the Radial Gate and replace with a series of weirs to retain some amenity use while still providing some ecological improvement

The Chair welcomed the Chippenham Gate and River Avon Project Lead from the Environment Agency who was in attendance to answer any technical questions relating to the proposed options.

Councillors questioned the scheme options and commented on flood risk, environmental factors, consultation process, amenity use, funding availability and lack of detailed information in relation to cost-benefit analysis for each scheme option.

The Environment Agency representative confirmed that the current radial gate does not act as a flood defence but was installed to maintain an upstream water level. It was noted that whatever is there, has no impact downstream and does not regulate flow; the flow is always the same, the radial gate only regulates the water level. If the radial gate does not open and close as it should it causes an increased flood risk. There was a major incident in October caused by a storm where the gate had a tree stuck underneath it. This incident heightened the need to implement a project to prevent this happening again.

The next stage is to define a preferred option, this would be consulted on before the detailed design stage, there would then be further consultation including on construction impacts. The Environment Agency will keep people informed and the important role of Councillors to share the views of residents was acknowledged. 

It was confirmed that no funding had been removed for any scheme, funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will contribute a large amount towards the scheme and it is usual to source partnership funding to close the funding gap. It was noted that it may be easier to access certain funding sources related to environmental or amenity benefits with schemes b and c rather than the like-for-like replacement in option a.

The Chief Executive highlighted that within the timeline, the Town Council had this opportunity to express their preferred option as part of this process if they so wished.

Councillor Desna Allen proposed that Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Resources relating to investment advice. Councillors to consider a proposal to engage a professional specialist investment advice firm to advise the council on its investment strategy as recommended by the Strategy & Resources Committee (S&R) at its meeting on 18 October 2023 (copy attached).

Cllr Angie Litvak-Watson left the meeting.

The Director of Resources presented the report regarding a proposal to engage a professional specialist investment firm to advise the Council on its investment strategy as recommended by the Strategy and Resources Committee on 18 October 2023.

Councillor David Poole raised concerns over the cost of the consultancy fees. Councillor George Simmonds supported the proposal noting the small proportion of the budget compared to the value of the Council’s equity portfolio.

Councillor Gemma Grimes supported the proposal subject to the inclusion of ethical investments that can add benefit. The Director of Resources confirmed that if the proposal was supported there would be ongoing conversations and any amendment to the Investment Strategy would be a matter for Full Council.

The difference in skills and expertise for treasury management and accountancy were highlighted.

With the majority in favour, it was;

RESOLVED that:

i) Council delegated authority to the Chief Executive to enter into an agreement for the engagement of a professional specialist investment advice firm on a 3-year retainer contract to provide investment advice to the Council;

ii) Council approved unbudgeted expenditure of up to £4,000 for this year (2023/24) and inclusion of £12,000 in next year’s budget (2024/25).

Councillors are requested to submit any questions relating to this item 48 hours in advance of the meeting so that information can be sought from Wiltshire Council

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Resources relating to a request that councillors consider the Chippenham Town Council (CTC) response to Wiltshire Council’s consultation on possible changes to Wiltshire Council’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2024 onward (copy attached).

The Director of Resources presented the report regarding a request from Wiltshire Council for a Town Council response on possible changes to Wiltshire Council’s Tax Reduction Scheme.

The Director of Resources outlined the impact of these changes would result in changes to the tax base. There would be fewer people paying the precept and therefore the precept would be spread across a smaller tax base. If all options being proposed by Wiltshire Council are implemented, that would result in a 0.2% decrease in the number of houses paying precept which is a swing of 0.9%. Instead of the precept being diluted across a larger tax base, there would be the opposite effect and a greater impact than the percentage that the Council raises in precept to the typical Band D taxpayer.

Councillors considered the questions in the consultation and with the majority in favour, it was;

RESOLVED that:

Council delegated authority to the Chief Executive to complete Wiltshire Council’s Tax Reduction Scheme consultation response on behalf of the Town Council with the responses below:

Question 7. Do you agree with the proposal to raise the maximum CTR entitlement up to 90% of the customer’s council tax liability? - Yes

Question 8. Do you agree with the proposal to disregard Universal Credit income? - Yes

Question 9. Do you agree with the proposal to change the way in which the applicable amount for a customer in receipt of Universal Credit is calculated? - Yes

Question 10. Do you agree with the proposal to restrict CTR to the maximum liability of a Band D property? – Don’t Know

Question 11. Do you agree with the proposal to change the way in which a new application for CTR can be accepted and maintained? – Don’t Know

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Community Services regarding the depot at Stanley Park Sports Ground and to seek approval for additional capital expenditure to enable completion due to unplanned and unforeseen circumstances (copy attached).

Due to the time approaching 9.30pm, in accordance with Standing Order 15.7, the Chair proposed the extension of the meeting until 9.45pm, this was seconded by Councillor Liz Alstrom, and with the majority in favour the meeting continued.

The Director of Community Services presented the report requesting a further £20,000 in capital to complete the Stanley Park Depot project due to unforeseen circumstances following the groundwork starting an attenuation tank was discovered.

It was confirmed that the original contingency budget of £6,000 had been used.

With all in favour, it was;

RESOLVED that:

Council approved an additional £20,000 of Capital Expenditure to complete the build of the depot.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Democratic Services regarding a request from Wiltshire Council to sign the Memorandum of Understanding which formalises the working arrangements that are currently taking place between Wiltshire Council, the Town Council, and the Town Team/Chamber of Commerce in relation to economic development within the town (copy attached).

Councillor Liz Alstrom declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 13, Memorandum of Understanding between Wiltshire Council, the Town Council and the Town Team/Chamber of Commerce, as a Wiltshire Council representative on the Town Team appointed by the Area Board.

The Head of Democratic Services presented the report outlining a request from Wiltshire Council to sign the Memorandum of Understanding which formalises working arrangements that were currently taking place between Wiltshire Council, the Town Council and the Town Team/Chamber of Commerce in relation to economic development within the town.

Councillor Liz Alstrom supported the role of the Town Team and the work being done on the quarters.  

Councillor Gemma Grimes questioned the difference between the Town Team and the Chamber of Commerce. The Chief Executive confirmed that the town previously had a successful Chamber of Commerce, now the Town Team have started to work in partnership with the remainder of the Chamber.

It was noted that by signing this there would be no changes to staffing resources.

Councillor Andy Phillips left the meeting.

Councillors requested that officers investigate to ensure that the Memorandum is not legally binding and would support it subject to this being made clear, the Chief Executive would also run past the solicitor as a matter of good practice. With all in favour, it was;

RESOLVED that:

i) Councillors agreed to the Chief Executive signing the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Town Council.

ii) Council decided to progress the Memorandum of Understanding with the wording at section 3.2 of the report subject to clarifying that the Memorandum is not legally binding.

iii) Following the meeting, the following wording was added to the Memorandum in accordance with the above resolutions:

“The Town Council’s current Corporate Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026 comprises of six corporate strategic objectives;

•        Provide and develop facilities and services that are accessible inclusive and promote health and well being.

•        Play and active role in the future development of the town through collaboration with partners, stakeholders and our community.

•        Help to create a future that is carbon neutral, environmentally sustainable and resilient to the impact of climate change.

•        Maintain and create opportunities to enhance our green spaces and provide a clean and safe environment.

•        Provide and develop facilities that promote Chippenham as an attractive and vibrant market town and celebrate its rich history, heritage and culture.

•        Maintain effective and efficient governance and management of resources.

The aim is for this Corporate Strategic Plan to help drive the Council forward over the next four years, delivering the vision of ‘improving the quality of town life for present and future generations’.

Nothing in this MOU will be construed as creating a partnership or joint venture.  No one Party shall represent itself as being the agent of the other Party and nor is any Party authorised to commit the other party to any arrangement with a third party.

This MoU is agreed in good faith by the Parties on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67.

To note the urgent action form relating to a decision made by the Chief Executive to amend meeting dates due to Local Plan consultation response deadline (copy attached).

RESOLVED that:

The urgent action form regarding a delegated decision made to move meeting dates to respond to the Local Plan Consultation was noted.

i.             To receive feedback from Town Councillors on significant work they are involved with including ward work.

ii.           To receive feedback from Town Councillors nominated by the Council to outside bodies on significant work they are involved with.

iii.          To receive feedback from Wiltshire Councillors on significant work they are involved with.

iv.          To receive any updates on meeting membership changes from the Democratic Services Team.

v.            To receive ideas for potential Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) projects funded by the 85% of CIL that Wiltshire Council retain from development within Chippenham to be forwarded to Wiltshire Council by the Chief Executive.

i.       There were no updates from Town Councillors on significant work they are involved with.

ii.      Councillor John Scragg updated on the activities of the Wiltshire Association of Local Councils (WALC), a copy of this statement is attached to the minutes.

iii.     Councillor Nic Puntis highlighted his role as a Wiltshire Councillor on the Board of Wessex Regional Flood & Coastal Committee (WRFCC) and encouraged Councillors to raise queries with him in relation to the river project and flooding. 

          Councillors Liz Alstrom and Kathryn Macdermid highlighted their roles as Wiltshire Councillor co-chairs of the Local Youth Network and updated thar there would be a collaborative teen event planned in April.

Due to the time of the meeting approaching 9.45pm, no further items were

considered and the Chair referred to the date of the next meeting.

To consider any items for communication and any items to be consulted with the Youth Council.

This item was not considered due to time constraints.

The next meeting of Full Council will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 10 January 2024.

The next meeting of Full Council will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 10 January 2024.