Agenda item

The (ADM) Area East Development Manager, with the aid of a power point presentation provided members with an overview of Area East progress and achievements during 2014/15. The following themes were highlighted

Priority Theme 1: Town centre and neighbourhood management: -

·         The Market House, Castle Cary where a full programme of activities in had been organised

·         Market Towns Investment Group:

·         A total of £32,155 had been secured for Market Towns in Area East:£16,000 towards improving the Riverside Walk in Bruton; £12,500 towards extending Millbrook Gardens Car Park in Castle Cary; £10,000 towards Moor Lane cycleway and footpath and £3,645 towards the transport interchange improvements in the Memorial Hall Car Park;

·         Support and develop Town Team type work in market towns:

·         Deanesly Way - a short life action group: a new residents’ Welcome Pack was printed and distributed; Pressure maintained on developer to progress play, education and highways infrastructure. Opportunities to integrate new families with existing facilities explored eg: free membership at Wincanton Sports Ground, Investigation into emergency health care provision and close links were developed with MoD and Housing Associations.

Priority Theme 2: Economic Development, job creation and regeneration schemes HoW Leader Programme will be formally launched in June 2015 and £1.4 million of funding over 5 years has been secured.

·         Investigate work hubs

·         Invest in Wincanton High Street – enhanced RSI (Retail Support Initiative)

·         Seven RSI grants had been awarded this year against works to the value of £12,320;

·         Marketing of Area East an Inward investment website and brochure had been produced and the Market Town app was now available which features 9 market towns including Wincanton, Bruton and Castle Cary, and the re-launch of the Heart of Wessex Rail website;

·         Other regeneration projects included the Ilchester travel plan and Limington to Yeovil cycle path and the long awaited sign for the Wincanton Business Park;

·          Business led regeneration of which a good example was Hauser and Wirth in Bruton;

Priority Theme 3: Community-led planning and development the Queen Camel Neighbourhood Plan draft was complete, and the final formal consultation was set for May 2015 prior to the Test of Conformity and then a Referendum.

Other neighbourhood and community planning included:

·         Neighbourhood Plan in Wincanton;

·         Area Designation agreed;

·         Project Group gathering baseline data with support;

·         Neighbourhood Plan in Castle Cary;

·         Consultation on designation of area.

Support Parishes with Parish Plans; the draft Henstridge plan was complete; the Consultation phase for the Charltons parish plan was underway and an update of Parish profiles showing local infrastructure would be given after the elections. 

Support for Community Groups: 27 community groups had been funded and supported including 2 start-up grants for new organisations.  A report regarding community groups would be produced in the summer.

Priority Theme 4: Improve access to services and facilities to reduce inequality. A high quality access point and advice service is run for the public at Wincanton reception where there were a total of 4,454 enquiries of which 2,342 were for core services.

A creative social project - ‘Men’s Shed’, Wincanton had been started at the Balsam Centre for isolated and older men based on woodworking activities using natural materials, 29 men were supported.

Other support was given to:

·         Youth and Play

·         Community-led youth work in the Area

·         3 youth clubs;

·         Playdays supported in Wincanton and Bruton;

·         Transport hub multi-agency working group;

·         Improvements to access points in Wincanton;

·         Smart system to integrate access to services;

·         Better community buildings;

·          7 village hall schemes supported in 2014-15;

·          Local activities and facilities for village communities;

Priority Theme 5 Effective democratic engagement: A successful Annual Parish Meeting was held in January 2015 where 15 Parishes were represented. The meeting focused on:

·      Community-led renewable energy schemes

·      Parish Ranger scheme

·      Use of new technology for Parish marketing and communication

In conclusion the ADM confirmed that many projects and programmes would continue into 2015-2016, the new 4-year term would start in May 2015 and the Area Development Team would be updating Parish profiles and an Area East Committee workshop would be held in July 2015 in order to agree Development Plan priorities

In response to a query regarding the proposed cycle way from Ilchester to the Naval Base at Yeovilton the ADM said that it was part of the transport plan and she would chase the matter up with her colleague in SCC.

Members thanked the Neighbourhood Development Officers for the invaluable work they carried out from the area offices.