Agenda item

To receive the following announcements through the Chairman:

·       Healthy Us Weight Management Programme

Healthy Us is a free 12 week course open to anyone living in Wiltshire, aged 18 or over, with a BMI of 28 or above. Referrals for the virtual courses starting in January 2021 are now being taken. Please see https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-weight-adults for more information or email health.coaches@wiltshire.gov.uk.

·       COVID-19 Community Packs

Wiltshire Council has created an updated community pack of information to help support communities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it contains information and advice on issues such as restrictions, testing and support. Find the pack online here: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-coronavirus#community-pack

·       Census 2021

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March. The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. We encourage everyone to take part. See  https://census.gov.uk/ for more information.

·       Local Plan Review Consultation

As part of the Local Plan Review consultation, taking place from Wednesday 13 January to Tuesday 9 March 2021, Wiltshire Council are planning to host a series of live online consultation events for communities and other stakeholders. The Devizes event will be held online at 7.00pm, Wednesday 27 January. For more information or to book your place please go to https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-policy-local-plan-review.

The Chairman made the following announcements:

·       Healthy Us Weight Management Programme

The Chairman gave details regarding the ‘Healthy Us’ free 12 week course. Which was open to anyone living in Wiltshire, aged 18 or over, with a BMI of 28 or above. Referrals for the virtual courses starting in January 2021 were now being taken. Please see https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-weight-adults  for more information or email health.coaches@wiltshire.gov.uk.

·       COVID-19 Community Packs

The Chairman gave details on the latest COVID-19 rates and reiterated the governments ‘Stay at Home’ message and that everyone should act as if they had the virus. It was also announced that Wiltshire Council had created an updated community pack of information to help support communities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which contained information and advice on issues such as restrictions, testing and support. The pack could be found online here:www.wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-coronavirus#community-pack  or see page 13 of agenda for more details.

·       Census 2021

Census day would be on March 21, but households across the country would receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March. The census was a once-in-a-decade survey that gave the government the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. Everyone was encouraged to take part. See  https://census.gov.uk/ for more information.

·       Local Plan Review Consultation

As part of the Local Plan Review consultation, taking place from Wednesday 13 January to Tuesday 9 March 2021, Wiltshire Council were planning to host a series of live online consultation events for communities and other stakeholders. The Devizes event would be held online at 7.00pm, Wednesday 27 January. For more information or to book your place please go to https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-policy-local-plan-review. Supplement 1 also gave more details.

·       North Wessex Downs VIP project

The North Wessex Downs VIP project was looking to replace a 4km section of the National Grid’s overhead electricity transmission line to the North of Devizes with an underground connection. 11 pylons would be permanently removed from the landscape significantly enhancing views north of Devizes in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Further details could be found at http://northwessexdowns.nationalgrid.co.uk/project. It was hoped that the team could update at a future area board.

·       Wiltshire Council Investing in Devizes

·       The Chairman invited Cllr Philip Whitehead to update the meeting. Cllr Whitehead explained that Wiltshire Council invested in all Wiltshire towns and wanted to highlight investments Wiltshire Council had made in Devizes in the last few years. For example:

o   The Market Place and Shambles had been transferred to Devizes Town Council at no cost;

o   The canal towpath near Devizes was widened to 1.2m and resurfaced along its length;

o   Over £350,000 worth of works to improve London Road/Windsor Drive;

o   Many other roadworks, such as Bath Road and Nursteed Road;

o   Over £250,000 to refurbish Devizes Library to create the Hub;

o   Working with businesses to enable them to stay in Devizes, for example purchasing land for them to use long term; and

o   The Devizes Gateway project.

·       Newman Road Bus Gates

It was announced that the bollards which enforced the bus lane at Newman Road had been removed due to problems with water damage and maintenance issues. The bus lanes would now be enforced by ANPR cameras.