Agenda item

To receive a presentation on the Salisbury Plain Sustainable Communities Study from Richard Brown of Drivers Jonas Deloitte.

Richard Brown, of Drivers Jonas Deloitte, gave a presentation on the Salisbury Plain Sustainable Communities Study. Richard explained that he had been appointed by Wiltshire Council to undertake the study as part of the Military Civilian Integration Programme.

The presentation, which could be found as part of the agenda document, summarised the main outcomes of the study, the timescales for the different stages of the study, and an exploration of the key pros and cons of having a large military presence in the local area. It was the latter issue that Richard wanted to obtain responses to from people in attendance at the meeting. The following points were raised:

·         David Wildman of the Tidworth Chamber of Commerce felt that there was a vast amount of rented accommodation in the area that far outweighed private home ownership. The introduction of more key worker housing schemes would be beneficial. It was also important to create the right type of jobs, both to attract people to the area and to encourage them to stay.

·         Humph Jones of Tidworth Town Council felt that a military presence in the area did not have a negative impact on crime and anti-social behaviour, and thought that crime was generally low and dealt with very well. He also announced that the study’s consultation had missed the parish and town councils.

·         Graham Wright of Durrington Town Council commented on the isolation of Larkhill and felt that opportunities for housing and jobs were needed in order to retain struggling local shops. It was also important to keep in touch with parish and town councils.

·         In response to a query that arose regarding school performance, Andy Schofield, Principal of Wellington Academy, commented that he did not feel that any such issues were related to the military presence.

·         Councillor Richard Clewer commented on the pressures that military families face and the stress that this causes, particularly for the school children. This was something that Wiltshire Council was already working to address, but needed to be considered further as part of this study.

·         Col Paddy Tabor agreed with Councillor Clewer’s comments and reiterated that a lot of families were finding this extremely difficult, particularly in Bulford where a recent Tour in Afghanistan had put a lot of strain on families. Col Tabor also agreed that there was a lack of appropriate housing for the military population and families were sometimes forced to move further away, leaving them isolated.

·         Ken Beard of Ludgershall Town Council commented on ‘Area 19’ and enquired whether this site would proceed. Area 19 was a patch of land north of the cricket pitch in Tidworth where 360 homes were planned for the military. Col Tabor stated that the development of Area 19 was definitely required, but that there were financial constraints and Bulford was the first priority.

·         In response to a comment regarding the issue of noise pollution, particularly for the outlying areas, Col Tabor stated that a road had been partly constructed to remove some of the military traffic from the main roads. The noise from firearms and helicopters, however, was likely to increase due to more training exercises that were required.

·         David Brown of Chute Parish Council announced that there were generally no negative impacts felt by the people of Chute by having the military presence in the area. Everleigh Parish Council concurred with this.

Richard Brown thanked people for their comments and suggestions and encouraged people to complete and return the questionnaire that had been circulated with the agenda papers.