Agenda item

Chairman's Welcome, Introduction and Announcements

·        Review of Special Educational Needs provision.

 

·        Flooding: request for information from Parish and Town Councils.

 

·        Gypsy and Traveller Consultation.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Bowerhill Village Hall.

 

The Chairman introduced Stuart Wheeler, (Wiltshire Council cabinet member for Leisure) who was in attendance for this meeting.

 

The Chairman then introduced all the Wiltshire Council members in attendance as well as Niki Lewis (Service Director) and Sarah Howes (Youth Co-ordinator, Melksham).

 

 

Chairman’s Announcements

 

Review of Special Educational Needs provision.

 

  • Consultation on the Review of Special Educational Needs Provision – over recent months Wiltshire Council officers had worked with schools, parent representatives and other people to review Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in the county.

 

The review relates to the whole of Wiltshire.

 

Any questions about the proposals or the consultation process can be sent in the first instance to Tracy Gates, SEN Project Officer either by phone, 01225 756170 or email, tracygates@wiltshire.gov.uk.

 

 

Flooding: request for information from Parish and Town Councils.

 

  • Flood Packs – proposed new flooding legislation had placed on Wiltshire Council the responsibility for putting in place local strategies for managing flood risk. Two flood working groups had been set up to cover the County, as part of this work Wiltshire Council was collating information on flooding and drainage issues and would like town and parish councils to gather information using the flood packs provided which could then be used to feed into the process.

Completed packs should be returned at the next Melksham Area Board meeting on the 26 May.

 

  • Flood Fair – the first “Flood Fair” for town and parish councils would be held on the 14 April at the Olympiad Leisure Centre, Chippenham from 10am – 2pm. The purpose of the flood fair was to raise awareness of flooding and drainage issues.

 

  • The next Operational Flood Working Group meeting will be on Wednesday 12 May at Derby Court, White Horse Business Park, Trowbridge.

 

 

 

 

Gypsy and Traveller Consultation.

 

  • Wiltshire Council is preparing a plan that will identify land for gypsy and traveller sites and include a policy for assessing the suitability of other sites the Council is asked to consider through the planning application process.

 

The Council has a responsibility to plan for the housing needs of everyone in the Wiltshire community. 

 

An 8 week consultation on the issues and general approach to identifying land for new gypsy, traveller and show people sites is to start on Tuesday 6th April and continue until 5pm on Friday 4th June 2010. This is the first stage in the process of preparing a Gypsy & Traveller Site Allocations Development Plan Document.

 

The purpose of the consultation is to:

 

Discuss the ISSUES around providing new sites.

Develop a METHOD for assessing what is a good location for new sites.

Invite LAND to be put forward to be considered as possible new sites. 

 

All information relating to the consultation will be available from the end of March on the planning policy pages of the Council’s web site (www.wiltshire.gov.uk),   in the main Council offices in Chippenham, Devizes, Salisbury and Trowbridge and available at local libraries.

If you would like to discuss the issues involved in this consultation in more detail drop in events are being held at the following locations between 4pm and 8pm:

 

Neald Hall, Chippenham                              Wednesday 5th May 2010

Wessex Room, Corn Exchange, Devizes  Tuesday 11th May 2010

Salisbury                                                        Thursday 13th May 2010