Agenda item

The Chairman will provide information about the gypsy and travel site consultation, community flooding, the Wiltshire Intelligence Network, mobile phone safety, consultation on Wiltshire Local Transport Plan 2011-2026 and adverse winter weather.  

The Chairman drew attention to the written announcements included in the agenda pack. The gypsy and travel site consultation had been postponed. The issues consultation used figures proposed in the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy as the basis of future need for Gypsy and Traveller sites. The Regional Spatial Strategy had now been revoked and it fell to local authorities to determine the right level of site provision. The Area Board would be informed once a revised timetable on the provision of new sites for the travelling community was available.

Parish Councils were reminded to return their flooding information request details if they had not already done so. Forms should be sent to Renate Malton (Project Officer) at the address below:

Derby Court

White Horse Business Park

Trowbridge

BA14 0XG.

The Chairman advised parishes that if they had lost their original pack or required an additional one, they should contact Renate Malton, on 01225 712514 or renate.malton@wiltshire.gov.uk.

A new website had been launched to provide access to a wide variety of information and research for Wiltshire. The new site, www.intelligencenetwork.org.uk, was available to all and aimed to support planners and policy makers, community leaders and politicians, voluntary groups and the general public in using accurate data to make informed decisions. For more information, please contact Sally Hunter (Senior Researcher), on 01225 713289 or sally.hunter@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Wiltshire Police had requested the Area Board publicise the website www.immobilise.com. The national property register was running a scheme to help protect your mobile phone and other property. Please visit the website to register your mobile phone for free. This would help Wiltshire Police to recover your property and to catch the thief.

The Council had a statutory duty to review and publish a new Local Transport Plan (LTP) by the end of March 2011. In essence, Local Transport Plans steered the implementation of national transport policies at the local level. In addition, the Local Transport Plan provided the framework for all other organisations with a direct or indirect involvement in transport in Wiltshire. Consultation on the draft Local Transport Plan would run from 4 October to 26 November 2010. The preferred method of communication was for comments to be submitted online at: http://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/portal,where electronic copies of all the documents would be available. Paper copies of the summary document, questionnaire and a reference copy of the Local Transport Plan would also be available from all libraries and main Council offices.

The Chairman explained that Wiltshire Council was looking to expand its partnership working with the city, town and parish councils should problems be caused by adverse winter conditions. Wiltshire Council was encouraging local Councils to record their interest in working with us to help provide services during adverse weather conditions. This could involve being a local agent for storing salt, or refilling salt bins, or mechanical salting of footpaths and roads. Local councils were asked to register their interest via the Community Area Manager, Jane Vaughan, on 01247 721447 or jane.vaughan@wiltshire.gov.uk, before 30 November 2010.