Melksham Area Joint Strategic Priorities
Melksham Area Joint Strategic Assessment
Cllr Jonathon Seed
Chair of Melksham Area Board
Since the last Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments (CA JSAs), we have worked to improve outcomes for our communities and there are many examples of great locally led projects that have made our community area a better place to live, work and visit. Through the Area Boards there is a growing level of community involvement in decision making and the information presented here will allow us to go further to ensuring that we focus on creating healthy and vibrant communities. As well as the challenges we face there are many opportunities for us to make our community stronger.
This new assessment allows us both to focus on the future and to reflect on all we have already achieved.
Melksham
Melksham Community Area covers 99km² and has only one town, Melksham. There are 11 parishes across the community area, which include Atworth, Broughton Gifford, Melksham, Melksham Without, Steeple Ashton, Bulkington, Keevil, Great Hinton, Poulshot, Semington and Seend
One of Wiltshire’s oldest towns, Melksham today has a strong employment and manufacturing base and benefits from having fast access to the motorway network. Its major employers include Cooper Avon Tires and Avon Technical Products and there are business parks and industrial sites at Bowerhill, Avonside Enterprise Park and Challeymead.
The proximity of the market towns of Trowbridge, Chippenham and Devizes (and the city of Bath and Swindon only 30 and 45 minutes away respectively) ensures strong competition between these centres for economic advantage. Melksham town centre provides a range of local services and convenience shopping.
Our Community Area JSA for 2016
What we’ve changed since 2013/14
Children and Young People
Early identification and provision of support to families in need was a priority in Melksham. The Local Youth Network (LYN) consulted with young people about their needs.
Funding was allocated to ensure that children with special educational needs or disability (SEND) were able to use Youth Canoe Club and advice and guidance drop in sessions for young people are now running. Social investment has given disadvantaged young people opportunities to experience trips that may otherwise be out of their reach and a local music festival for young people helped to showcase their talents in a public arena. A schools project across the community area is supporting all local schools to attain a minimum of bronze level on the Healthy Schools programme.
Community Safety
To maximise opportunities for early intervention and to reduce problems related to crime, drugs and violence. Melksham Area Community Safety Group meet quarterly with the police to review priorities. Local CCTV is in operation and 32 local businesses have signed up to a Safe Place Scheme. A successful Neighbourhood Watch scheme is run by a very active local coordinator and new Cold Calling zones have been successfully installed in three separate areas of the community.
Culture
Local people wanted to develop the area’s cultural offering and increase the community’s sense of belonging. Big local events like the Food and River festival, Party in the Park and Melksham Carnival continue to bring people together and in the last year there’s been a canal festival, craft fair and story time sessions for young children.
Local groups include Melksham Seniors, Melksham Gardeners Society, Country Dancers, Ukulele Social Club, Melksham and District History Association, walking groups, sport clubs, scouts and guides and cadets.
Economy and housing
Regeneration of the town centre and working with Wilts & Berks Canal Trust were local priorities and a neighbourhood planning team was formed. Bowerhill and Hampton Park working group have been meeting quarterly and are working closely with local businesses and the Canal Trust has attended the area board.
Environment
The green economy team and Melksham Energy Group attended the area board to educate on green energy and zero carbon technologies. A local Shed Club has been set up and the group have undertaken a number of community projects. The Clean for the Queen event got local people out to improve their town and monthly Town Tidy days are led by the town council.
Health & Wellbeing
Local people wanted to do more to make sure health provision could cope with demand on services. As a result Melksham was the first area where all of the local schools signed up to be part of the Healthy Schools Project and the area also now hopes to become a Dementia Friendly community. These measures, along with the provision of youth counselling services, are helping make the community healthier and more resilient.
Transport
Local people were keen to reduce the cost of local parking costs. A parking review was completed in November 2014, following extensive consultation. Charges are now set on a car park by car park basis to reflect local issues, rather than the countywide system previously in place.
Community
Local people have been involved in the development of the neighbourhood plan and other local decision making through the LYN, the Bowerhill and Hampton Park Business Group and Community Speedwatch. Mobile Speed Indicator Displays are being operated locally by parish councils and litter picking equipment has been distributed to local areas. These changes have empowered local people to help themselves and improve their community.
Cllr Jonathon Seed
Chair of Melksham Area Board
Since the last Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments (CA JSAs), we have worked to improve outcomes for our communities and there are many examples of great locally led projects that have made our community area a better place to live, work and visit. Through the Area Boards there is a growing level of community involvement in decision making and the information presented here will allow us to go further to ensuring that we focus on creating healthy and vibrant communities. As well as the challenges we face there are many opportunities for us to make our community stronger.
This new assessment allows us both to focus on the future and to reflect on all we have already achieved.
Download the Melksham Community Area Joint Strategic Assessment via the button below
To find out how Melksham Community Area compares to other Community Areas on a specific theme please visit the relevant Key indicator page.
Additional population, deprivation and life expectancy data can be found in the Melksham Your Community Data pack (click here to view the PDF)
Download the Melksham Community Area Joint Strategic Priorities via the button below
At a Community Event in Melksham, residents voted on which issues to prioritise locally. The full range of issues that could be voted on, as well as those selected as local priorities can be found on a summary slide, accessed by the button below. The items shown in red are those that have been selected by the local community as priorities in Melksham Community Area.