Minutes of the meeting of

							                              Minutes of the meeting of

                 THATCHAM AREA FORUM
              held on Tuesday, 25 April 2006
      at The Burdwood Centre, Wheelers Green Way,
                        Thatcham
Present: Jeff Brooks (A), Sheila Ellison (P), Owen Jeffery (P), Mollie Lock (P), Alexander Payton (P), Terry Port
(Vice-Chair) (P), Paul Pritchard (Chair) (P), Keith Woodhams (P)

Officers Present: Kevin Dennis, Mark Edwards, Sue Gore, Ally Johnston, Linda Pye, Joanna Richardson, Jim
Sweeting, Jon Winstanley

Also Present: Sergeant Andy Bone, CSO Laura Marks, Sue Everett (Thatcham Vision), Neil Whittington, Jenny
Elliott (Thames Water Utilities)

Apologies for Absence: Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Hillier


COMMUNITY SESSION
THATCHAM VISION
Sue Everett addressed the meeting. She asked those present who had already heard about Thatcham Vision and
approximately one third indicated that they had. She explained that Thatcham Vision was an initiative to look at
the needs of the people of Thatcham and its environment. Thatcham Vision was employing two part time people,
Andrew Cooper and Sue Partridge, to work with a wide range of local voluntary organisations to seek the views of
local residents in order to develop an action plan for the next 5 to 10 years.

Sue Everett explained that over the last six or seven months Thatcham Vision had carried out a consultation
exercise, received local feedback and set up key topic teams focussing on what needed to be done within the
Thatcham area. These included teams on Thatcham town centre, transport, the local environment and social and
community issues. She explained more teams were to be developed, including teams to address anti-social
behaviour and also to promote life long learning. She reported that already 40 volunteers were assisting with
delivering Thatcham Vision and a further 90 people had indicated on the questionnaire their interest in getting
involved.

Over the next two months Thatcham Vision would consolidate the feedback and work of the specific teams to
develop a draft Action Plan. This would be made available for public comment and there would be a public
exhibition, giving details of the draft plan, later in the Autumn.

Sue Everett stressed that the development of the Action Plan was just the start and that the key would be
implementing the plan. She said much of the success would be dependent on local residents continuing to
engage with the Vision, to ensure it was successfully taken forward. She also informed the meeting that the
Action Plan would be reviewed each year to ensure it remained relevant to meeting current needs.

Seven priorities had been identified to date which included:

   The need to maintain the village atmosphere of the town centre;
   Maintain safety for both residents and property and address concerns of anti-social behaviour;
                                  THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


   Safe streets for pedestrians – a key issue raised by schools, especially Parsons Down School;
   Mixture of residential and vibrant commercial centre;
   Good access.

Sue Everett said that there was particular concern for community facilities to be based in the town centre, such as
the library service and a police presence.

Sue asked how many had seen the Advertiser newspaper with the Thatcham Vision questionnaire. She said it
was targeted at all residents of Thatcham, a total of 24,000 people, and it was hoped that they would receive
1,000 returns. To date they had received 700.

A member of the public said that she had not returned the survey as she felt that the main points had already
been well made and that a lack of response did not necessarily mean apathy. There were no further questions or
comments from the floor.

RESTRUCTURING OF THE YOUTH SERVICE ACROSS WEST
BERKSHIRE
Kevin Dennis, Youth Activity Manager and Ally Johnston, Area Youth and Community Officer, gave a
presentation on the proposed restructuring of the Youth Service across West Berkshire. The current structure of
the Youth Service had remained largely unchanged since 1999. Four Area Teams were created alongside an
Activities Team but the four areas were not consistent in size or population, some being predominantly rural and
others in the more urban areas of Thatcham and Newbury.

Kevin reported that the Ofsted Inspection in 2002 had provided positive comments on the Service but
recommended that there was a need to look at the structure of the Youth Service and to increase the presence of
core youth work values into the Activities Teams. Other key areas which had an impact on Local Authority Youth
Services included:

   Every Child Matters – focused on five key areas and set 20 key targets
   Children’s Trusts
   Transforming Youth Work Agenda
   Extended Schools
   Joint Area Reviews – these would look at the whole of the Education and Youth Service areas
   Youth Matters – Green Paper

Consultation on the proposed reconfiguration of the Youth Service had been undertaken with staff, key
stakeholders and were being presented to members of the public via the Area Forums. It was proposed that the
four area boundaries would be redrawn into six Area Teams with a maintained youth centre at the hub of each
area. The hub for Thatcham would be the Moorside Community Centre. These new areas would mean that
budget and staff resources would be provided more equably and efficiently. The core focus of the Youth Service
would be on the 13-19 year old age group. This age band had been set by the Government and 80% of funding
would be spent on this age group. However, the West Berkshire Youth Service covered the broader 11-25 year
age band and additional resources and careful prioritisation would be required in order to cover these areas.

It was hoped that the Area Teams would be smaller and would therefore be more focused and would provide a
local response to young people’s aspirations. There would be an increase in frontline staff which would mean that
a larger number of youth workers would be on the street. Increased provision would be provided through the
refocusing of Activity Centres. Agreed standards had been set by the Government and it was hoped that there
would be enhanced opportunities for school partnerships. Kevin stated that the reconfiguration would provide an
enhanced service to young people and their communities.

Ally Johnston reported that she had recently been out at night from 11pm to 1am in order to engage with teenage
children. However, each area was different and it was hoped that the proposals outlined above would mean that
the youth workers could be more responsive to the needs of the geographical area which they covered. They
                                  THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


would be able to identify and target hotspot areas. Ally responded that she was aware of the issues in Thatcham,
particularly at Henwick Field and North Thatcham, and that in future an enhanced provision would be available for
Thatcham. Members stated that it was encouraging that the Service would work with children from 13-19 but that
problems were also experienced with children aged from 9 to 12 years of age. Kevin responded that a different
department within the Council dealt with children of that age although they were limited to the resources
available. In response to a query raised about what businesses and residents could do to support the Youth
Service, Kevin stated that financial input from businesses would assist in working with children outside the 13-19
age band and that volunteers were always being sought from local residents to work with the children. Kevin
stated that the Service had been working with children in the 19-25 age group who had just completed a Princes
Trust Programme in order to build on their self esteem. Of the eight who had started the Programme, six had now
completed the Programme and had been successful in getting jobs.

The Chairman thanked Kevin and Ally for attending the meeting and giving a presentation.

THAMES VALLEY POLICE
Sergeant Andy Bone and Community Support Officer Laura Marks attended the meeting to take questions from
the floor. Sergeant Bone stated that at the next Area Forum meeting the Police would attend to give an update
on Neighbourhood Policing.

One local resident who lived and worked in Thatcham said that she had felt that there was no longer a Police
presence in Thatcham. The Shopsafe scheme had been abandoned since 2003 and the shop keepers
experienced lots of trouble from kids, particularly in the school holidays, with windows being broken etc. Their
behaviour was intimidating for shop keepers and old people. Sergeant Bone responded that the Police were
looking into reinstating the Shopsafe scheme and were in discussion with retailers about how the scheme could
be improved. Sergeant Bone stated that the lack of Police presence over the Easter period had been because
some members of the team had been taken at short notice and seconded to a Crime Task Force in another area.
Thatcham would still have been covered, particularly during peak times and Officers had been back out on the
streets and at full strength for the last week or 10 days. CSO Laura Marks also stated that Officers found it as
frustrating as the members of the public to be taken off the street when that was what they had been employed to
do and stressed that it had been a decision taken by Senior Officers.

A query was also made as to what had happened to the Community Support Officers (CSOs). Laura stated that
she was a CSO and that they worked in shifts from 8.00am until 1.00-2.00am in the morning. Their role was to
target anti-social behaviour and under age drinking etc. The CSOs would visit all the premises in Thatcham who
sold alcohol and this included shops and public houses. However, many of the young people were not purchasing
alcohol from shops etc. but were being given it at home. The CSOs would take the drink away from young people
who were under age but stressed that parents should not have given it to them in the first instance.

Mr. Gerry Cottam stated that the windows in his premises had been smashed on numerous occasions and
although he had reported these incidents no action had ever been taken by Police Officers and in some instances
he had never even had a phone call or visit from the Police. He found this distressing and frustrating and felt that
this was a downside to the centralisation of the call centre. Sergeant Andy Bone stated that all incidents should
still be reported and that when the call was made a request should be made that the information should be
forwarded to the Thatcham Police Team in order that an Officer could follow up. Every call that was made to the
Response Centre was graded in order to ascertain the type of response that was required. Weekly Task Group
meetings were held in order that resources could be targeted into problem areas to provide reactive policing as
quickly as possible. If these incidents were not reported then they would not show up on the Police radar that this
was a problem area. Laura Marks stated that residents of Thatcham had a Neighbourhood Policing Team who
were passionate about their role and would always try to ensure that they got back to people no matter how trivial
the incident.

Another local resident recalled a situation last year when children had climbed up trees and were throwing
branches at passing cars. This incident had been reported but no-one had responded and residents were left to
                                  THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


deal with the issue themselves. Sergeant Bone responded that at busy times Officers could not always respond
as quickly as they would like due to limited resources.

Councillor Owen Jeffery stated that since the introduction of Community Support Officers there had been a more
visible presence in Thatcham and this had already made a difference which was a step in the right direction. In
respect of Shopsafe, the Town Council had a few years ago put £10,000 into the budget for CCTV cameras and
this amount had decreased over the last few years. He felt that alternative initiatives should be used to fund
CCTV and that therefore the Town Council budget for CCTV could perhaps be used to fund radios for the
Shopsafe scheme instead.

Councillor Terry Port asked if the Thatcham Police Team were up to strength in regards to staffing levels.
Sergeant Bone responded that an additional Officer would be starting in July which would mean that the Team
would be half a post short of the level that it should be.

A query was raised about the “Police Operation in Progress” signs which had been seen across the District.
Sergeant Bone reported that they were not a hoax and that they were an indication to members of the public that
increased operations were taking place in the area.

LOWER WAY SEWAGE WORKS, THATCHAM
Neil Whittingham from Thames Water gave an update on improvement works to the site over the last few years
and what works were planned to take place in the future.

Neil Whittingham reported that in 2004 an Odour Survey had been undertaken on the site which clearly showed
two main problem areas for odour – the large tanks for the storm water and the sludge treatment building. As a
result of that survey new storm tanks had been installed which included an automated cleaning device within
each tank. A new Grit Dewaterer and SAS Tank Odour Cover had also been installed on the site which coupled
with improved housekeeping had improved odour levels from the site. A further survey had been undertaken in
April 2005 and it was confirmed that a 50% reduction in odour levels had been achieved.

Neil confirmed that Thames Water were continuing to improve housekeeping and odour awareness on the site
and they were working closely with the Council’s Environmental Health Section to investigate any complaints. A
new Inlet Pumping Station would be included on the site as part of the Lower Way Sewer Project. In the future it
was proposed to improve the CESS Input facility which was a particularly odorous part of the site and also to
investigate options to reduce the odour from the sludge handling. Trials for the sludge handling would be ongoing
over the next few months and a new process would then be introduced.

Councillor Keith Woodhams thanked Neil Whittingham for inviting Members to look around the plant and for
listening to the residents and keeping them updated on improvements to the site which included improved
housekeeping. He also thanked other colleagues from Thames Water who had managed to shave six months off
the closure of Lower Way in order to lay new pipes. Councillor Woodhams enquired whether a new Odour Survey
would be carried out this year. Neil Whittingham confirmed that a further survey would be undertaken in the
Summer this year. The two previous surveys had been carried out in April and therefore they had a benchmark to
work from. This year it had been decided to undertake the survey in the Summer months when the odour was at
its worse and then to carry out a further survey at the same time next year. In response to a query from a
member of the public, Neil Whittingham confirmed that the site at Thatcham would never be up to the same
standard as that at Reading. Improvements would continue to be made to the site at Lower Way using new
technology in order to reduce odour as much as possible.

GREEN LANE, THATCHAM
Jon Winstanley, Principal Engineer, West Berkshire Highways and Engineering, gave a presentation to the Area
Forum on the traffic calming and highway safety proposals for Green Lane and Church Gate.

Green Lane – Issues
 Heavy traffic flows during peak hours;
                                  THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


   Majority of traffic was rat running;
   High speed of traffic compared to the nature of the road;
   Lack of footway on west side and no crossing points was dangerous to pedestrians;
   Lack of clear pedestrian routes and fears for pedestrian safety.


Church Gate – Issues
 Considerable problems caused by on-street parking;
 Vehicles driving on footway;
 Intimidating conditions for cyclists.

Jon Winstanley stated that a traffic survey had been undertaken along Green Lane. There was a heavy flow of
traffic during peak hours – 249 (am) and 341 (pm) – which was unusual levels of traffic for such a narrow road.
The survey also indicated that between 55-60% of traffic using Green Lane was through traffic and some vehicles
were doing speeds in excess of 60mph. Jon reported that three options had been considered for Green Lane as
follows:

   Making Green Lane one way northbound – this was felt to be too excessive for the nature of the road;
   Restricting access from the A4 to Green Lane (keeping Green Lane 2-way);
   Traffic Calming – Proposed Scheme – this is the option that residents had been consulted on and included
    the following:

    -   Reduction in vehicle speeds – priority chicanes, extension of 20mph zone, improvement of footway and
        provision of crossing points;
    -   Improvement of conditions for pedestrians along Green Lane and Crown Mead – installation of a traffic
        island and improvements to entrance of Crown Mead;
    -   Removal of on-street parking and improvement of road safety along Church Gate;
    -   Improvement of conditions for cyclists on Green Lane and Church Gate.

Members of the public raised the following concerns in respect of the schemes:

Green Lane

   Many of the vehicles using Green Lane were not rat running but were essential users of the road;
   Residents agreed with the extension of the 20mph speed limit zone but questioned the installation of
    chicanes as it was felt that these would only cause further traffic jams. Jon Winstanley stated that chicanes
    were considered to be preferable to cushions as they would provide crossing points, especially for elderly
    people. There also tended to be mixed feelings in respect of speed humps which were also considered to be
    unpopular.
   One member of the public felt that the proposals would promote speeding traffic and the chicanes would
    cause traffic to queue back onto the A4. Jon Winstanley agreed that some drivers would try to beat the
    chicanes but he felt that the majority of the time they would calm traffic and actually slow it down. He was
    confident that the chicanes would not cause traffic to queue up along Green Lane as they would only delay
    drivers for a few seconds.
   Some residents were concerned that the chicanes would be outside of their driveways which would make it
    difficult to access their properties. Jon assured residents that before actually constructing the chicanes they
    would go out and spray paint them in the proposed locations in order that residents could ensure that their
    ingress and egress was not affected. The Highways Department would also contact any affected residents
    prior to any work being undertaken. The position of the chicanes was not set in stone and adjustments could
    be made wherever appropriate.
   Residents had requested a public meeting to be held in the lounge of Crown Court and they would still like
    this to go ahead in order that they could express their views. Jon confirmed that a meeting had taken place in
    Crown Court and stated that a further meeting could take place there for all affected residents to discuss final
    details of the scheme.
                                  THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


   A query was raised in respect of the traffic calming measures and whether they would prevent HGV lorries
    from using this route. Jon confirmed that HGVs would still be able to use this route but the chicanes may
    discourage HGV movements along Green Lane.
   One resident asked if the lighting could be improved at the northern end of Green Lane. Jon confirmed that
    he would look into the possibility.
   A suggestion was made in respect of installing a mini roundabout at the northern end of Green Lane. Jon
    confirmed that the junction with the A4 was not a suitable location for a mini roundabout. He also stated that
    consideration had been given to making Crown Mead one way but it was not a public highway so this had not
    been possible.

Church Gate

   One resident of Church Gate stated that cars needed to be able to park in this area in order to drop off
    children for playschool and also for weddings and funerals and he felt that 15 spaces would not be adequate.
    He wondered if the area of green space could be used in order to provide 90° parking. Jon stated that 90°
    parking would not be suitable in this area as it would be too dangerous to access and exit the parking
    spaces. The whole idea of the scheme was to improve the safety for parking in the area and there were other
    areas available to park in the town centre.
   It was appreciated that the Council were trying to improve road safety in the area but it was felt that if Church
    Gate were to be made two-way this would only increase traffic speed.
   One resident reported that the new parking spaces would back onto his garden therefore causing light and
    noise pollution and would decrease the quality of life for those residents. He felt that there were plenty of
    spaces within the town for cars to park in order to access the church.

Jon encouraged members of the public to write in and express their views or alternatively to contact Councillor
Paul Pritchard. The consultation period would finish next Friday and a final decision would be made with the
Portfolio Member on 15th June.

HIGHWAYS UPDATE
Mark Edwards updated the Area Forum on outstanding highways issues as follows:

Issue                                  Update
Weight limit on Crookham Hill          The Freight Strategy had been adopted by West Berkshire Council which
                                       provided Officers with a framework to move forward. The Strategy had
                                       been submitted to Government at the end of March. Officers would now
                                       need to determine the freight network and this should be completed within
                                       the next six months. During this time Officers would consider whether
                                       Crookham Hill should be included on the freight network or not.
Pedestrian Crossing, Lower Way         Work on the pedestrian crossing would commence once Thames Water
                                       had completed relaying pipes along Lower Way.
Highway Safety Issues along            30mph speed limit was now in place.
Bowling Green Road
Combe Square, Combe Court              H-bar markings would be installed within the next two weeks.
Green Lane – Road safety               Jon Winstanley had given a presentation at the meeting tonight and Mark
improvements                           Edwards encouraged members of the public to write in as Officers did
                                       listen to and take into account all comments received.
Stoney Lane/Hartmead Road              Residents stated that cars were parked on the corner of the junction day
                                       after day and that hardly anyone used the cycle track. Mark Edwards
                                       reported that he had met with Paul Dick from Kennet School. The school
                                       were undertaking surveys and were looking at ways to deal with the
                                       problems although it was recognised that a solution would not be easy.
                                       The Thatcham Parking Study would include Action Plans which would
                                       identify a raft of parking issues throughout Thatcham that would need to be
                                       dealt with.
                                  THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


Thatcham Football Club                The lights were still dazzling cars. Mark Edwards would check to see if the
                                      lights had been realigned on 17th February as stated in the minutes of the
                                      last meeting.
Bridleway from Chamberhouse Mill      Mark Edwards reported that there were no plans to upgrade Bridleway 25
to Crookham Hill Road                 and he would discuss with Owen Jeffery separately.
Harts Hill, Thatcham                  Mark Edwards confirmed that he had spoken with Neil Stacey. The report
                                      had looked at Harts Hill Road in Bucklebury and not where Councillor
                                      Mollie Lock had requested the pedestrian crossing. Mark confirmed that a
                                      further survey would need to be undertaken in the correct location.
Benham Hill Eastbound                 Sue Everett reported that a further accident had taken place in this location
                                      only days after the last meeting. Councillor Keith Woodhams had raised
                                      the issue with Councillor Phil Barnett and it should be considered at the
                                      Newbury Area Forum meeting which was also taking place tonight.
Tesco Store, Northfield Road          Mark reported that this issue was on the list but had not been looked at
                                      yet. A survey would be undertaken. Councillor Woodhams reported that he
                                      had attended a meeting with the Tesco Manager and he had confirmed
                                      that he would try and do all that he could to ease the parking situation
                                      outside the store.

Councillor Owen Jeffery raised concerns in respect of the weight limit on Crookham Hill. Doing nothing was not
an option and he felt that the Council should not delay in achieving an HGV ban on Crookham Hill. There were
road safety and environmental issues to be considered regardless of whether Crookham Hill had been included
on the freight network or not.

Following a request from a member of the public, Ward Members and Officers agreed that they would also
consider putting in pedestrian crossings along Stoney Lane.

QUIETER AND SAFER STATION ROAD, THATCHAM – RESPONSE TO
PETITION
Mark Edwards, Head of Highways and Engineering, reported that he had read the report which had been written
in response to the petition received at the last meeting of the Area Forum for a Quieter and Safer Station Road,
Thatcham. Mark confirmed that he would have written the report in a more positive manner. Every year the
Council reports on the performance and condition of roads in the area and targets roads that are in a poor
condition or are a concern in respect of road safety. In such cases the Council would either resurface or
reconstruct the road as appropriate and Mark considered that Station Road would be one that would need to be
reconstructed. The Road Programme for 2006/07 would be considered by the Executive on 15th June and Mark
confirmed that he would report back to the next meeting on whether Station Road had been included in the
Programme.

At the next meeting of the Village Speed Limit Group they would be considering the policy in respect of where
20mph speed limits were appropriate. Mark reported that the Police would not enforce these limits and it was
therefore essential to use traffic calming measures to encourage drivers to reduce their speed. A speed survey
would be undertaken along Station Road and Mark confirmed that a report would be brought back to the next
meeting.

In respect of the weight limit, Mark asked that Officers should be given time in order to prepare a list of roads
where it was felt that HGVs should be using and to put in appropriate measures on roads where HGV’s were not
allowed. A progress report on HGV routes would be given at the next meeting.

Mark confirmed that he would amend the report so that it was presented in a more positive manner and to include
the recommendations from the meeting. Linda Pye would forward sufficient copies to Mr. Down (76 copies) on
receipt of amended report from Mark Edwards.
                                    THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


A member of the public asked if additional pedestrian crossings could be included along Station Road as there
was only one at present. Mark confirmed that he would look into this request when looking at future traffic calming
measures for Station Road.



BUSINESS SESSION
Declarations of Interest
There were no declarations of interest.

Minutes
The minutes of the Thatcham Area Forum held on 26th January 2006 were approved as a true and correct record
and signed by the Chairman.

Traffic Management Works Programme – Approval
Two items on the Traffic Management Works Programme had been carried forward from last year as follows:

   Floral Way, Heath Lane, Bowling Green Road – Signing Improvements to Cycleway – £600
   Harts Hill Road – Improvements to road markings and marker posts - £1,000

These items had been brought to the last meeting and Members had asked for further information on the detail of
the schemes. Neil Stacey had agreed to let Members have these details, however, Members could not recall
having seen them. Mark agreed to check that details of the schemes had been circulated after the last meeting
and it was agreed that approval could be given to Officers via e-mail from the Chair and Vice-Chair for the two
schemes mentioned above once details had been received and considered. Approval for £500 for a Speed
Survey along Station Road was approved at the meeting.

Other items for inclusion on the Traffic Management Works Programme included:

   Falmouth Way, Thatcham - Pedestrian Crossing
   Harts Hill Road, Thatcham – Pedestrian Crossing
   North-east Corner of A4 and Henwick Lane – Installation of Safety Railings
   Station Road, Thatcham – Thick centre road marking

Other items to be considered from West Berkshire Council budgets:

   British Rail sticker on sign post to Reading A4 on roundabout along Station Road
   No entry sign – Thatcham Station
   Junction of Ilkley Way and The Moors – Rough up road surface

Mark would check to see if Green Lane would be resurfaced during improvements to the traffic management
proposals.

Voluntary Sector Small Grants
The Area Forum approved the following Voluntary Sector Small Grants:

Organisation                 Request          Term            Purpose
Berkshire Autistic Society   £500             1 year          Towards the core running costs of the office – rent,
                                                              staff costs, stationery etc.
Berkshire County Blind       £300             1 year          Towards the cost of two club outings and a
Society                                                       Christmas party
Thatcham KATS                £995             1 year          The purchase of microphones and an amplifier
                                     THATCHAM AREA FORUM MINUTES - 25.04.06


Thatcham Town Harriers        £475            1 year         Support for the club’s volunteer coach and referee
Football Club                                                development including 5 people on a level 1 FA
                                                             coaching course and 10 people on a referee’s
                                                             course
Thatcham United               £1,000          1 year         The purchase of a digital projector suitable for
Reformed Church                                              corporate, community, class room and church use
Thatcham Volunteer            £2,000          1 year         Towards the core costs of the Bureau – e.g. rent,
Bureau                                                       insurance, vehicle insurance
TOTAL                         £5,270

The budget available for consideration by the Thatcham Area Forum was £6,552 and therefore any unallocated
budget from this year would be carried forward to 2007/08.

Frequency of Meetings
Members agreed that the frequency of the Area Forum meetings should be increased to six per year as the
agendas and meetings were often too long. A query was raised about why the Thatcham Area Forum meeting
commenced at 7pm rather than 6.30pm as the other Area Forums. It was suggested that this had happened as
the previous Chair had found it difficult to attend meetings which commenced any earlier than 7pm.

Members were concerned that at the last meeting it had been formally agreed that the frequency of meetings
should be increased and yet the same discussion seemed to be taking place at this meeting. Members expressed
their disappointment that three months later no action had been taken. Mark Edwards agreed that he would take
the issue back and investigate what had happened.

One of the main concerns was that the Business Session of the meeting was at the end when Members were
often too tired to make informed decisions. He enquired whether it would be possible to look at the possibility of
having these meetings at a different time. It was agreed that the frequency of the meetings should be increased in
the first instance and monitored to see if the situation improved. If not, then consideration could be given to
holding the Business Session meeting separately.

Nominations for Appointments to Local School Bodies
The Area Forum approved the following new nominations to local school governing bodies:

Sandra Nicholls            Kennet Secondary School
John Hutchings             Parsons Down Infant School
Jennifer Hayward           Parsons Down Infant School
Stephen Lovell             Parsons Down Junior School
Caroline Snowden           Spurcroft Primary School



CHAIRMAN ………………………………………………………..

(Meeting closed at 10.04pm)