Minutes to Steering group for TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
22nd May 2009 at Well House Melksham.
Attended:                        
Attended:   Apologies:
Graham Ellis - GE   Nick Field
Lee Fletcher - LF   
Siôn Bretton - SB   
Margaret Willmot - MW   
Jenny Raggett - JR   
Eddy Watts - EW   
Ian Cunningham – IC   
Bob Lee – BL   
Chris Hankin – CH   
Roger Newman - RN   
Dominic Mckeown – DM   
Duncan Hames - DH   
Meeting:
1.   GE suggested that some should take minutes of the meeting and SB agreed. IC asked for a vote of thanks for Siôn who had agreed to take the minutes. Then each of the group introduces themselves.

2.   JR  reported on  Constitution update and there were a number of options in which the group could be formed and they are as follows:
2.1.   Community Interest Company – This can not be political.
2.2.   Limited Company.
2.3.   Loose Partnership or a Partnership.
2.4.    Once agreed on which option we would take, it was suggested we would need the following on the committee:
2.4.1.   Chairperson
2.4.2.   Treasurer
2.4.3.   Secretary
2.4.4.   Reps from Stations/Groups
2.4.5.   Councillors from Town & County
2.4.6.   Chamber of Commerce
2.4.7.   Train Operating Companies
2.4.8.   Person who knows policy – That is for a Local, Regional and whole Country.
2.4.9.   Both Neil Buxton & Brian Barnsley to be advisors. Subject to them agreeing.
2.5.   Bank Account – Our Bankers would need details of the group’s Constitution and ID for the signatories if they do not have a banking relationship with the Group’s Bankers.
2.6.   Meetings to be held monthly (Recommended) with Local Meetings for each of the Stations on the line. These do not have to be monthly but send in reports to main maeeting.
2.7.   Member of ACORB
2.8.   Accountant
2.9.   GE proposed we set up a “Loose Partnership” this was seconded by JR.
2.10.    Committee Members should  register their “Declaration of interest”.
2.11.   In the mean time SB, LF & CH would take on secretary role until the committee had been formally elected.
2.12.   JR would find out how other Local Community Rail Partnership is formed. I.E Heart of Wessex.
2.13.   Constitution committee to work on forming ours by looking at local groups constitutions.

3.   Recent Meeting committee members had attended.
3.1.   Go-Coop (Yeovil) – MW
3.1.1.   30 people attended and they were advise aims of this venture and question could be asked these included Tech questions about trains. A very good meeting.
3.2.   Go-Coop (Trowbridge) - Report from Eddy, read by Lee.
3.2.1.   11 people attended, questions were asked about bus links.
3.3.   Go-Coop (Swindon) – CH
3.3.1.   About 20 people attended but the venue was had to find as well inside the hotel. Questions on finance were asked. Good presentation and GO advise £90K so fare raised from sale of shares.
3.4.   Heart of Wessex Community Rail Working Party meeting - GE
3.4.1.   Very Good meeting on a Friday in Yeovil (meeting held same time & at same venue). Learnt a lot about CRP on how they are run. Reports were presented from Network rail & Rail Operator.
3.5.   WHA+ACA meeting and Salisbury Area Board meeting – MW
3.5.1.   Interesting meeting but littler opportunity to ask questions.
 


4.   Project updated:
4.1.   Melksham Station Adoption Group Project – GE & SB
4.1.1.   Graham read out a list which included Footpath/Cycle path to Spence’s Gate.
4.1.2.   Moving the notice Boards onto platform as the current once had no light to read them at night.
4.1.3.   Station adoption and SB advise he would put this to the next MRDG meeting as Melksham Garden Society did not want to adopt the station.
4.1.4.   MRGD Committee as wells TransWilts would be asked to help with the two Planters
4.2.   Swindon Station Revamp – CH
4.2.1.   This currently taking place.
4.3.   Dilton Marsh Station Artwork Project – CH
4.3.1.   It seems Dilton Marsh School did not want to take part and so they were going to ask Westbury Leigh School and a meeting planed to go through with the school on this task.
4.4.   Melksham Station Artwork Project - CH
4.4.1.   A school in Melksham has been approached and meeting is planed.
4.5.   Westbury Station Adoption Group Project - Various members.
4.5.1.   It was advise that both Transwilts & Heart of Wessex were going to go through the process to adopt Westbury Station.
4.5.2.   In June work on clearing land next to station.
4.6.   Dilton Marsh Timetable Leaflet - CH.
4.6.1.   CH show us a copy of the leaflet to be handout to every household in Dilton Marsh and too delivered over the weekend in time for the timetable change. Every one was impressed with the finished item. 

5.   Service Issues:
5.1.   A quick win was Potential Saturday service issue resolved with FGW by having the morning Westbury to Swindon leave 2 minutes later making a better connection time at Westbury for the Portsmouth to Cardiff Service.
5.2.   - New help points - LF
5.2.1.   Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Melksham were currently having new ones installed and this well take about 3 to 4 weeks to complete.

6.   Duncan Hames arrived to advise he will be given us his support to formation of the TransWilts Community Rail partnership and confirming which groups and originations should be involved with the CRP.
 


7.   AOB

7.1.   GE wants us to work to having the Bus 234 to Melksham showing the information screens at Chippenham Railway Station.
7.2.   IC reported that parking at Stations can be too expensive for short journeys I.E Westbury to Trowbridge, so people will take their car. This is something for us to looking into at a later date.
7.3.   MW thanked Graham for letting the committee use Well House as venue for this meeting
7.4.   LF asked that we post our “Declaration of Interest” onto WWW.twcrp.org.uk.





Next Meeting on 24th July 2010 at Well House.