The Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board were scheduled to meet to discuss highway improvements, funding applications, and updates from local partners such as Wiltshire Police and Age UK. Councillors were also expected to discuss the future of area boards in Wiltshire.

Highway and Footway Improvements

The Area Board was scheduled to note the minutes and consider recommendations from the Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) meeting held on 12 November 2025.

A recommendation was made to allocate £10,000 for a substantive bid for a footway/shared use path on the B4042 between RWB Rugby Club and RWB sports club. An additional £10,000 from Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council and £10,000 from Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council was to be sought, subject to agreement.

The Area Board was also scheduled to receive updates on a number of priority schemes, including:

• Manor Hill Speed Limit in Purton
• Common Platt safety
• Purton Stoke speed reduction
• Greatfield near Lydiard Millicent
• C415 Broad Town Road
• A4361 Broad Hinton
• Greenhill Crossroads, Lydiard Millicent
• B4553 Purton Road Cricklade
• Noremarsh Primary School & St Bartholomew's Primary School (The Rosary)
• Manor Hill (North of Manor Hill Farm) Purton
• Cricklade Road / Widham bridge, Purton
• B4696 Braydon Road
• C114 Water Eaton
• Tockenham village

Funding Applications

The Area Board was scheduled to consider a grant application for the Cricklade Memory Cafe for £330. The Cricklade Memory Cafe requested the funding to hold a Christmas party for its members and carers on 17 December 2025. The funding would go towards hall hire, a Christmas buffet lunch, drinks, decorations and entertainment.

The remaining budget for Older & Vulnerable grants was £5,500, for Community Area Grants was £226, and for Young People grants was £19,467.67.

Community Governance Review

The Area Board was scheduled to receive updates on the Community Governance Review (CGR). Wiltshire Council is undertaking a CGR in certain areas, beginning on 19 November 2025.

A CGR is a process to review and make changes to governance arrangements for town and parish councils, to ensure that they continue to be reflective of the identity and interest of local communities, and that they are as efficient and effective in their governance as possible.

A CGR can make a number of changes to parish areas and parish electoral arrangements including:

• Altering, merging, grouping, creating or abolishing parishes
• The naming of parishes and adoption of alternative styles for new parishes
• Parish council size, e.g. number of councillors to be elected, and warding arrangements
• Any other electoral arrangements

The parishes within the Devizes, Marlborough, and Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade Area Boards are to be included in the review.

Spotlight on Parishes and Partners

The Area Board was scheduled to receive updates from key partners, including Wiltshire Police and parish and town councils. Written updates were included in the reports pack from:

• Wiltshire Police Neighbourhood Team
• Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership
• Age UK
• Beyond Dementia
• Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Cricklade Town Council
• Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council

Wiltshire Police

The Royal Wootton Bassett Neighbourhood Policing Team provided an update on their activities since the last meeting. These included:

• Speeding operations
• Community engagement at the Library
• Neighbourhood Watch meeting
• Seizing e-scooters as part of Op Jetsom¹
• Partnership meeting with GSA Housing to address anti-social behaviour
• Pub Watch meeting
• Mini Police intake at St Barts Primary School
• Mobile Police Station at Aldi
• Tack marking event at Toomers Garden Centre
• Car seat safety event with Wiltshire Council Road Safety Team
• Boroughfields Mural painting commenced
• Official unveiling of the Boroughfields mural
• Suspect arrested and charged following criminal damage of the mural.
• Remembrance and Armistice Day ceremonies
• Operation conducted with Trading Standards
• Test Purchase operation regarding vape sales conducted with the Police Cadets
• Safer Business Action Week patrols, consultations and advice to tackle retail theft and ASB.

The Road Safety Update included information on drink and drug driving, community speed enforcement officers, and partnership working. Traffic surveys in Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade from 1 January 2024 to August 2025 were also included, with the report stating that there had been no change since the last survey.

Age UK

Age UK's October 2025 Newsletter included information on daytime discos, wellbeing checks with meals, arts and friendship clubs, community support services, Tai Chi, the Surviving Winter Grant, coach trips, Carers Together Wiltshire's trip to the seaside, and the Big Knit.

Upcoming daytime discos were scheduled to take place at:

• Royal Wootton Bassett Memorial Hall on 21 November 2025
• The New Vic Theatre, Tisbury on 5 December 2025
• The Neeld Hall Community & Arts Centre, Chippenham on 19 December 2025
• The Great Hall, Trowbridge Town Hall on 30 January 2026

Coach trips leaving from Royal Wootton Bassett were also scheduled to Moreton in Marsh on 11 November 2025 and to Winchester Christmas Market on 9 December 2025.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council

The Chief Officer Report from Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council included information on the Neighbourhood Plan, budget planning, the Bassett Open for Business Forum, Christmas 2025, Coronation Country Park, and grounds maintenance and facilities.

A pre-submission consultation on the Royal Wootton Bassett Draft Neighbourhood Plan was underway, running until 23 November 2025.

Cricklade Town Council

The Cricklade Town Council update included information on the Remembrance Day Parade, buildings maintenance, projects coming up, and youth provision in Cricklade.

Neighbourhood Plans

The Area Board was scheduled to receive updates from local town and parish councils about their neighbourhood plans, including from Adam Gilmore on the Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Reg 15 Neighbourhood Plan.

Our Community Matters

The Area Board was scheduled to receive updates from Area Board members on the Local Area Action Plan, and to consider the findings of the Area Board Grant Survey.

The Area Board Priority and Action Plan included information on:

• Improving the availability / accessibility of supportive community information
• Improving the provision of digital literacy within the area
• Helping move food poverty from relief to community resilience
• Improving active travel options throughout the community area

RWB&C Community Care Group

The Area Board was scheduled to receive an update from the latest meeting of the Community Care Group held on 12 November 2025. Details were also to be provided about a recent cost of living workshop and carers' event.

The Community Care Group - November 2025 included notes from a meeting held on 12 November 2025.

The Report Carers Event Purton - October 2025 included feedback from the Carers Community Event held on 11 October 2025 at Purton Village Hall.

The RWBC Cost of Living Workshop presentation included information on food poverty, research findings, and project ideas for discussion.

Information Items

The Area Board was scheduled to note the following information items:

• Neighbourhood Crime Figures Search by Police Team
• Wiltshire Council Consultation Portal
• Wiltshire Council Information Items:
  • Family and Community Learning Impact Report
  • Wiltshire Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Survey – 5 January to 6 February 2026
  • Youth Council Elections – February 2026

Family and Community Learning Impact Report

The Family and Community Learning Impact Report 2024–2025 highlights the transformative power of adult learning across Wiltshire. It showcases how inclusive, community-centred education delivered in partnership with local organisations has empowered hundreds of residents to build confidence, develop essential skills, and take positive steps in their lives.

In 2024–2025, the Family and Community Learning programme supported 635 individual learners across a range of online and face-to-face courses throughout Wiltshire.

The report stated that learners join courses online or at community venues across Wiltshire, and are supported to set personal goals and share their aspirations with their tutor. The programme provides tailored information, advice, and guidance to help every learner take confident next steps.

The Family Learning Partnerships section of the report noted that referrals for Family Learning courses grew significantly this year, with 265 referrals from schools—a 37% increase and the highest referral source reflecting strong partnerships with schools and Wiltshire Council colleagues. Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, Mere School, and Sheldon School, were the top referring schools, together accounting for 23% of school referrals.

Wiltshire Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Survey

The Wiltshire Council was preparing to launch its next School-aged Children and Young People (CYP) Health and Wellbeing Survey, scheduled to run from 5 January to 6 February 2026. The survey aims to gather insights into the lived experiences of children and young people across the county. The survey will be open to all educational settings in Wiltshire, including primary and secondary schools, special schools, further education colleges, independent schools, and alternative provision settings.

Youth Council Elections

Wiltshire Council's Voice and Participation Service will be holding Youth Council Elections from 2 to 6 February 2026, targeting schools educating 11–17-year-olds. The purpose of the elections is to elect Youth Councillors to represent young people and influence local decisions.

Future Area Board Model

Councillor Mel Jacob, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Engagement, and Corporate Services, was scheduled to provide a verbal update about the future of Area Boards.

Other Matters

The agenda also included time for:

• Apologies for Absence
• Approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 24 September 2025
• Declarations of Interest
• Chairman's Updates
  • Reporting bonfires via Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue's website
  • The winter FUEL Programme
• Get It Off Your Chest - an open, public question and answer session
• Urgent items
• Close and Future Meeting Dates