Calne
Calne Area Joint Strategic Priorities
Calne Area Joint Strategic Assessment
Cllr Christine Crisp
Chair of Calne 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.
Calne
Calne Community Area is a vibrant rural area that includes the villages of Bremhill, Cherhill, Yatesbury, Compton Bassett, Derry Hill, Studley, Heddington, Hilmarton and Goatacre. The villages surround the market town of Calne, which is an important service centre for the people who live in the community area.
Residents outside the community area, including Lyneham and some parts of Chippenham, also use Calne as a service centre at times. Calne Community Area covers 133km2 and much of the community area straddles the A4.
In economic terms, Calne is an important local service and employment centre. In addition to shops and offices in the town centre, local employment is provided by the Porte Marsh industrial estate, the Beversbrook Business Park, and a number of larger industries located elsewhere around the town.
The town has a range of small retailers, comprising both local and national companies that gear their products and services to meet the needs of the local population. It also has a few small supermarkets and is enhanced by a weekly general market, monthly farmers’ market and other occasional specialty markets. In addition to employment and shopping facilities, Calne is a focal point for learning and education and it has an impressive Community Hub and Library.
Our Community Area JSA for 2016
What we’ve changed since 2013/14
Children and Young People
The community prioritised addressing child poverty and reducing childhood obesity and in December 2015 a community meeting run by and themed around young people’s issues was attended by over 200 young people.
The Love Calne Love Clean Air group formed to act as the local Air Quality Management group they have developed an ongoing action plan which recognises the problems of vehicle pollution and promotes local actions including tree planting and walking and cyclinginitiatives like the locally supported Beat the Street initiative, which got 24% of Calne’s population out walking or cycling.
The HACCA (Healthy Active Calne Community Area) formed as a result of the last JSA - Cooking for survival sessions were held for young people leaving home and for young carers while the Make Summer Matter project provided young people who had excluded themselves from education with support to get back into learning. The Media Mentors group delivered workshops to other young people, producing pieces of media that tackle body image messages, and Calne Running and Triathlon Team offered starter sessions providing young people with cheaper ways to exercise.
Young people have continued to develop the Calne Bowl Project, including its involvement within the world of alternative sports through the Wiltshire Skate Series, while a sub group of the Bowl developed their ‘Salad Bowl’ project, which won the South West Britain in Bloom award for a young people’s initiative by developing a fruit and salad garden, family seating and a drinking water fountain within the skate park.
Culture
The community aimed to attract more visitors to the Calne Our Place Project has worked hard to identify and promote the area’s unique selling points including the concept of an ‘A4 tourist route’, which has gained support from other market towns and from Visit Wiltshire. The area board has helped to fund the development of a promotional campaign,the Heritage Quarter and the Heritage Centre. It also provided funds to secure the Wiltshire Skate series event in the town.
Health & Wellbeing
The Health and Wellbeing Centre programme in Calne has been developed and the Central Community Hub and Library site is providing a vibrant centre of community led activities and events that aim to promote and enhance local health and wellbeing.
The community was the first in Wiltshire to receive accreditation from the Dementia Action Alliance. This means that, working together, the community has helped to ensure that those living with dementia are respected and able to continue to enjoy living their lives in their own community for as long as possible.
The HACCA group has increased its remit to include adults within its aims to address poverty and obesity.
The area board has been able to recruit volunteers to the role of Older People and Older People Carers Champions who are working with the Calne Health and Wellbeing group to address local issues and develop activities and events, including a new ‘Fitness and Friendship club’ for over 50s aimed at promoting activity and combating social isolation.
Community Safety and Economy
A Positive Tickets scheme, supported by Wiltshire Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner, acknowledges the positive behaviour and work of young people in Calne. The scheme aims to build mutual relationships of trust within the community and Recognises and celebrates good behaviour.
A mentoring and skills swap project is supporting young people who are not ready for employment or training and the Calne Literacy Group is increasing opportunities for people to gain skills and employment,the first local literacy festival (Wordfest) took place in September 2016
Leisure
The local priority was to support a program of accessible healthy lifestyle and social leisure activities.
Alternative sports activities were offered to young people in each parish over the course of 2016. The area board has also committed over £35,000 towards supporting projects including Run England 321 routes, a new playground in Heddington, Goatacre Village Hall refurbishments, Calne Bowls Club, Wiltshire Skate Series, the Go Active Parish Tour and a youth club for young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).
In addition the Calne Leisure Centre has been transferred to Wiltshire Council Management as a part of the Health and Wellbeing Centre programme providing the full Wiltshire Council offer alongside offering further opportunities for development.
Transport
To help improve air quality the ‘Love Calne Love Clean Air' Air Quality Working Group was established and the Calne Area Board is supporting the development of a Community Transport Strategy. Local initiatives include Beat the Street, providing cycle stands at GP surgeries, a Bobbies on Bicycles scheme, a programme of free guided walks and tree planting schemes
Community
The Calne Community Hub and Library aims to provide a central point of community activity - it is also developing a ‘Virtual Hub’ project to provide a channel of communication for people more socially isolated and unable to visit the Hub with details of activities, events and volunteering opportunities.
Cllr Christine Crisp
Chair of Calne 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 Calne Community Area Joint Strategic Assessment via the button below
To find out how Calne 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 Calne Your Community Data pack (click here to view the PDF).
Download the Calne Community Area Joint Strategic Priorities via the button below
At a Community Event in Calne, 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 Calne Community Area.