Issue - meetings

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named above for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public received in accordance with the constitution. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named above (acting on behalf of the Corporate Director) no later than 5pm on 14 February in order to be guaranteed a written response. Questions received after this deadline and no later than 5pm 16 February 2017 before the meeting will receive a verbal response. Please contact the officer named on the first page of this agenda for further advice.

Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent. Details of any questions received will be circulated to Councillors prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

The Chairman stated that there we four members of the public who wished to speak regarding Motion No. 41 - Protecting Wiltshire's Rights Of Way For People.

The Chairman invited Nigel Walsh, Brian Cudby and Andrzej Zieleniewski to address the meeting, and noted that Graham Lee would make his statement just prior to the consideration of the motion later on in the meeting.

Issues raised by the speakers in support of the motion included: the importance of the work of volunteers in maintaining and supporting the footpath network; how restrictions in funding could hamper efforts; the role of footpaths in promoting the economy and improving health; and the need for equipment to take on larger projects.

The Chairman thanked the speakers for their comments, and commended the valuable work of volunteers in supporting the footpaths in their communities.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named above for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public  received in accordance with the constitution. Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named above (acting on behalf of the Corporate Director) no later than 5pm on Tuesday 16 February 2016. Please contact the officer named on the first page of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Councillors prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

The Chairman drew the meeting’s attention to the questions, received from Mrs Anne Henshaw, Ms Krystyne Freeman and Mrs Philippa Clarke, and answers circulated in the agenda supplement. The Chairman gave them each an opportunity to ask a supplementary question.

Mrs Anne Henshaw thanked Mr Gibbons, the Monitoring Officer, for his response and asked; with reference to the case judgement quoted in the letter whether the decisions in question made could be considered to have been made in a fair and evidenced manner. She went on to argue that the public’s perception of the decisions made was that they were opaque.

The Leader stated that she did not have anything further to add to her written reply.

Mrs Krystyne Freeman asked whether the issue of seismic testing, including the structural testing of buildings near affected sites, would be included in the review of the Minerals Plan.

Mrs Philippa Clarke thanked Councillor Toby Sturgis for the response and asked, making reference to the reply, whether it was possible to clarify what the minimum, in relation to the level of site-based monitoring and reporting, would be.

Councillor Toby Sturgis stated that he understood that this minimum level was set nationally, and would respond in writing to clarify this matter.

The questions and responses are attached as Appendix A to these minutes.