Parish Newsletter

Information from Wiltshire Council for town and parish clerks

September 2009

Welcome

In this September issue of our newsletter we report back on the success of the first new area board meetings which took place in the summer and invite you to come along to the September meetings, we ask for your help in the monitoring of grit bins this winter, invite you to apply for funding to enhance play spaces in your area and highlight some interesting events taking place this autumn.

Many thanks

Rachel Baker

Editor

rachel.baker@wiltshire.gov.uk

Great support for new area boards

More than 1,500 people attended Wiltshire Council’s new area boards where issues of genuine local concern were identified.

Eighteen area boards met for the first time during June and July giving local councillors, parish councils, partners and the public the chance to come together to tackle community concerns.

More than 250 issues have been submitted so far to be dealt with by the boards. People will be able to view issues and keep track of how things are progressing by visiting the Wiltshire Council website – www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboards – or by contacting their community area manager.

Please come along to your next area board meeting – area board meetings begin again early this month. For dates of the next meeting of your area board click on http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/communityandliving/areaboards/areaboardsmeetings.htm

Everything to play for

Wiltshire Council has secured ‘playbuilder status’ as part of the government’s ongoing commitment towards children’s play – and town and parish councils are invited to apply now for funding.

Playbuilder funding is to improve or enhance play spaces for children aged eight to 13.

Those play spaces will be built in conjunction with Play England’s ‘design for play’ (http://www.playengland.org.uk/resources/design-for-play.pdf)

A key emphasis is on innovative, natural and wild play spaces where children and young people are involved in the design and decision making processes.

You are invited to apply for year two funding and we are particularly keen for parish councils to work together to ensure more children are able to access these play opportunities.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Ed Angelo at tempeycc1@wiltshire.gov.uk for an application pack. Applications need to be submitted by midnight 25 September 2009. If you have any queries please contact play development advisor, Niki Willows at niki.willows@wiltshire.gov.uk

Wiltshire grit bins – we need your help!

Wiltshire Council has over 1,200 grit bins spread around the county.

As you can imagine, that’s a lot of bins to keep track of during the winter season – and we need your help.

We would like parish and town councils to assist us in the management of their local grit bins.

We would like any new requests by their residents for grit bins and the re-filling of grit bins, to go through the parish and town councils.

The parish and town councils can take a view on the requirement for a bin and then contact Wiltshire Council through ‘Clarence’. Your local knowledge can help us make informed decisions on where new grit bins are needed.

Last winter gave us a good indication of the bins that needed to be kept in place, we had approximately 400 bins requiring refilling.

We will shortly be sending you a plan of the bins that we have identified for removal. You will receive this by the end of November. If the parish wish that a bin stays, and can keep us informed of its need to be filled and overall condition, it may not be removed.

If you have any comments or enquiries on this matter please contact diane.ware@wiltshire.gov.uk

Consultation about bus tokens, taxi vouchers and railcard vouchers

Wiltshire Council is consulting on the future of the bus tokens, taxi vouchers and railcard vouchers that are offered as alternatives to the Wiltshire Bus Pass.

For historical reasons these alternatives are available in north and west Wiltshire, but not in south and east Wiltshire. The use of these alternative concessions has declined in recent years and it is proposed to stop issuing them after the current financial year.

There will be no changes to the Wiltshire Bus Pass scheme. The consultation particularly seeks to identify whether extra support would be needed to alleviate hardship in certain cases. The consultation closes on 30 October 2009.

For more information contact Ian White, Head of Service – Passenger Transport, 01225 713322, ian.white@wiltshire.gov.uk

Amesbury’s main shopping area transformed

Two years of enhancement work has seen the transformation of the main shopping area in Amesbury.

These improvement works were completed in July and have been very well received by residents and businesses.

The project was undertaken by Wiltshire Council as part of its Local Transport Plan. Read more here http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/parishnewsletterhome/amesburysalisburystreetimprovements.htm

See the wood for the trees this autumn

The Cranborne Chase Woodfair comes to Wiltshire on 10-11 October at the Larmer Tree on the famous Rushmore Estate.

Run by the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB this two day event acts as a showcase celebrating woodlands and traditional rural life and is the largest regional woodfair.

For more information go to www.woodfair.org.uk

Introducing Wilton area highway depot’s new office manager

Ali Theobald has retired from her post as divisional office manager at Wilton Depot on 2 July 2009 after 24 years service to Wiltshire.

She has been replaced by Ray McKenzie who started on 17 August.

Ray is looking forward to continuing Ali’s good working relationships with the parish councils in the south of the county on the parish steward scheme and will be happy to assist with any other divisional highway office matters.

Inside Justice Week this October

Plans are currently taking shape in Wiltshire and Swindon for this year's Inside Justice Week 2009 campaign, which will run from 17-24 October.

Inside Justice Week is a major public initiative that aims to open up the criminal justice system to the public through a week of co-ordinated events. It will seek to explain how the system works and show the people involved in delivering justice today.

Visit http://lcjb.cjsonline.gov.uk/Wiltshire/3092.html for more information.

Want to get back into netball?

Then come along to Trafalgar School at Downton and Downton Leisure Centre every Wednesday, from 2 September to 9 December 2009.

It takes place from 7pm – 8pm for first five weeks at Trafalgar School and 8pm – 9pm for the remainder of the course at Downton Leisure Centre.

For more information please contact sports development officer, Karlene Jammeh, Wiltshire Council, on 01722 434437 or email karlene.jammeh@wiltshire.gov.uk

Bird plan takes off

A pioneering project to reverse the decline in farmland bird populations has taken wing in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The South Wiltshire Farmland Bird Project is part of the South West Farmland Bird Initiative (SWFBI), a £400,000 partnership project to help birds associated with arable farmland.

The project will work with farmers and other partners within the south Wiltshire countryside, one of the four areas recognised as being nationally important for farmland birds in the south west.

It will focus on increasing the populations of six key bird species associated with arable farmland: lapwing, grey partridge, turtle dove, yellow wagtail, tree sparrow, and corn bunting. Additionally, other species will benefit such as the skylark, brown hare and rare arable plants like prickly poppy and corn marigold.

For more information contact project officer, Tracy Adams, on 01725 517417 or email tracyadams@cranbornechase.org.uk

Find out more about road safety

Travelling plays an important role in all our lives - whether going to work, school, shopping or leisure.

Wiltshire Council’s road safety team looks at ways to improve the behaviour of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Find out more about the role of the road safety team and its casualty reduction report.

You can also order your copy of the road safety handbook, go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/parkingtransportandstreets/roadsafetyandsafesustainabletransport.htm

Hills Waste’s annual review for 2008/09 now on-line

Contractor Hills Waste Solutions Ltd has produced an annual review of the waste management services it provides for Wiltshire Council.

A copy of the review for can be viewed at: http://www.recycleforwiltshire.com/images/stories/annualservicereview2009-finalb.pdf

This report will be considered by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee environment task group in October (date to be confirmed).

If you would like to comment on the review or the service provided by the contractor please send you comments by 18 September 2009 by email to: wastemanagement@wiltshire.gov.uk or by post to: Waste Management Services, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN.

Corsham - a true market town again

Tuesday 8 September sees the return of Corsham’s weekly market, after a gap of almost 11 years.

And a monthly farmers’ market also starts on Saturday 19 September.

Both markets will run from 9am-1pm in the High Street, near the Martingate Shopping Centre and short-stay car park.

The weekly market will have stalls selling everything from fruit and vegetables to cards and tools and the farmers’ market ¬– which takes place on the third Saturday of the month - will feature a great range of locally produced fresh food.

Improving access in local communities

The Wiltshire and Swindon Countryside Access Forum and Wiltshire Council’s rights of way team are managing a small grant scheme to help parish and town councils improve access to countryside and local services for their residents and visitors.

This is called the Parish Improvement Grant Scheme, or PIGS as it has become to known, and is now in its second year.

If you would like more information on the scheme go to www.wiltshirelaf.org.uk or contact the rights of way team on 01225 713349 or email CADO@wiltshire.gov.uk.