Decisions

To ask the Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene & Flooding to consider whether Wiltshire Council should apply to the magistrates’ court for an order stopping-up (i.e. extinguishing) highway rights over a section of highway adjacent to the property known as 1, The Ham, Kington St. Michael, on the ground that the section concerned is unnecessary for public use or any other highway-related reason.

The section of highway is shown cross-hatched on the plan at Appendix 1. Photographs are shown at Appendix 2.

Following consultation with officers I give notice that I intend to make the decision set out in the attached report. If you would like to make any representations to me on this issue, please do so by 24 March 2025.

The report seeks approval to commit an additional £0.225m for Dorothy House services, subject to annual uplifts, as part of the £9,893,967 of the Better Care Fund (based on 2024/25 values) to the ICB Community Health Contract from 2025-2032 (with a potential for a further 2 years to 2034).  Other than the additional £0.225m this was previously agreed in principle at the July 2024 Cabinet based on provisional figures, and in September 2024 Cabinet approved revised figures .

Approval is also sought to delegate authority to the Director of Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, SEND and Inclusion to authorise all activities related to the mobilisation and monitoring of the contract for the ICB BSW Community Health Services on behalf of Wiltshire Council.

Following consultation with officers I give notice that I intend to make the decision set out in the attached report to commit an additional £0.225m of the Better Care Fund. If you would like to make any representations to me on this issue please do so by 19 March 2025.

Resolved:

1. Note the contents of this report.

2. Cabinet is concerned about the substantial negative impact of the proposal and lack of detail and information from the applicant and delegates to the Director of Planning and Economy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic Planning to formalise the additional planning issues raised during the meeting of cabinet on 4 March for submission as part of the consultation

3. Agree the proposed response to Island Green Power for this statutory public consultation, including the council’s request that a supplementary public consultation be held, as follows:

That Wiltshire Council objects to the application on the following grounds.

Whilst not opposed to the principle of the development of solar farms in line with the National Planning Policy Framework this Council is increasingly concerned at the concentration of solar farms, battery storage and associated infrastructure in Wiltshire. Some villages are now completely surrounded by solar farms and their continued concentration represents a significant cumulative impact and industrialisation of the countryside.

Wiltshire Council therefore calls on the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to define more closely what is meant by ‘cumulative impact’ regarding solar farms, battery storage, and associated infrastructure and to take clear steps to ensure that solar developments are more evenly spread across the UK and not concentrated in specific areas effectively industrialising the countryside. 

We would also ask for clarity of the priority given to ensuring that food production and farming are not destroyed as industries in specific areas through an excessive concentration of solar farms given the massive impact that would have on the rural way of life in villages that have been farmed for time immemorial.

                                               i.     Firstly, there would be appreciable environmental and ecological harm caused by the laying of 13 miles of cable across the countryside and the associated works to lay it.  This is only seen as essential because of the location of the farm in relation to the grid link.  This is an unacceptable degree of harm to accommodate what is clearly an unsustainable location for a solar farm.

                                             ii.     The fact that there is no local grid connection or potential for a grid connection highlights that the proposed solar farm is in an unsustainable location for the proposed usage.  A solar farm should be located close to a grid connection.  The fact that no evidence can be shown of attempts to locate the farm closer to the grid connection demonstrates that this is being driven by the availability of land for solar development rather than the suitability of land for solar development and on that basis it should be rejected.

4. Agree the proposed delegated authority provisions outlined below to enable the council to fulfil its statutory duties with regard to the Development Consent Order (DCO) process for this solar farm development scheme.

1)    Endorses the response to Public Consultation document, as set out in Appendix 1 subject to amendment in (2), for the purpose of submission to Island Green Power.

2)    Authorises the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member(s), to:

3)    Delegated authority to be granted to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to prepare the Local Impact Report on behalf of the council and submit to the Planning Inspectorate in accordance with the timetable for the examination process.

4)    Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to make minor amendments to the Local Impact Report to rectify such matters as typographical or grammatical errors.

5)    Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to formally contribute to, agree and sign a statement of common ground to be submitted to the Examining Authority of the Planning Inspectorate in accordance with the timetable for the Examination process and within the terms of the council’s Local Impact Report.

6)    Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to prepare on behalf of the council and submit to the Planning Inspectorate:

a.    An adequacy of consultation representation

b.    Representations on the Environmental Statement

c.    A Written Representation on the application.

7)    Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to formally respond to the Examining Authority’s Inspector’s questions in accordance with the timetable for the examination process during the course of the Examination and also to make comment on the submissions of other parties including the Applicant.

8)    Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to formally represent the views of the council at the preliminary meeting, any topic specific hearing and subsequent requirements in accordance with the timetable for the examination process during the course of the Examination, within the terms of the council’s Local Impact Report.

9)    Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to add formal comments on the draft requirements (conditions) and planning obligations of the Development Consent Order.

10)Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to carry out all non-statutory community benefit negotiations and to make decisions relevant to such negotiations in connection with or arising from the Lime Down Solar Park scheme.

11)Delegated authority to be given to the Director of Planning, Economy and Regeneration to carry out all statutory functions of the council under the Planning Act 2008 as both Local Authority and Planning Authority in connection with the Lime Down Solar Park scheme.

Reason for Decision:

Wiltshire Council is the Host Authority for this NSIP scheme, and one of the key statutory consultees. By providing a detailed response to the scheme’s statutory consultation, the council has an opportunity to influence the scheme’s further development and refinement by the applicant. The council will continue to work with Island Green Power and other key stakeholders to further develop the scheme proposals in advance of the DCO application being submitted.

Resolved:

1.    To note the council’s approach to climate adaptation using the Risk Management Policy as set out in the Adaptation Delivery Plan (Appendix 1) and Adaptation Reporting Power 4 (ARP4) report (Appendix 2).

2.     To endorse the Adaptation Delivery Plan, subject to any comments, to be approved by the Corporate Director for Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste and Environment, as per delegated decision.

3.    To note the approach set out in the Adaptation Delivery Plan to ensure that climate risk and associated mitigating action is embedded in the council’s business as usual delivery and governance.

Reason for Decision:

To introduce the draft Adaptation Delivery Plan, and to provide an opportunity for Cabinet to comment on the draft, with any necessary adjustments made before final approval.

To bring to the attention of cabinet that vulnerability to climate change is a strategic risk for the council, which means it is recognised as a significant and long-term risk that would impact across the wider council and would significantly impact the council’s ability to achieve its strategic priorities.

To provide awareness of the processes that the council has put in place to manage risk from the impacts of climate change.

Resolved:

1.    To note the detail in the draft Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Setting Study set out in Appendix 1.

2.    To approve the draft document (Appendix 1) for public consultation from 5th May 2025

3.    To delegate to the Corporate Director Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Development and Strategic Planning, the authority to undertake the final stages associated with the preparation of the draft document for public consultation, including any minor textual changes in the interests of clarity and accuracy.

Reason for Decision:

To seek Cabinet’s approval to go to public consultation of the draft WHS Setting SPD. 

Resolved:

That Cabinet notes:

1.    The opportunity to close or move homecare services from the current framework contracts in 2026, with contract extensions already agreed until 2026.

2.    That significant co-production activity has supported the development of the preferred option to commission a joint homecare framework for adults and children.

3.    A range of commissioning options have been considered, supported by national benchmarking. (Options detailed at 116. In this paper)

4.    Demand has been evidenced, and it is important to strengthen and develop the homecare market to enable the Council to deliver its legal requirement under the Care Act.

That Cabinet approves:

1.    The decision to commission a joint homecare framework for adults and Children’s.

2.    That officers continue to undertake to prepare the procurement programme of a new adults and children’s Framework contract for home care, for implementation from the 1st of April 2026.

3.     Due to the contract value, officers to bring back to cabinet a final paper requesting approval to proceed to tender in July 2025.

Reason for Decision:

The purpose of this paper is to provide the Cabinet with a review of current homecare arrangements, consider possible commissioning options and recommend the joint procurement process for adults and children’s home care.

The term Homecare is intended to cover the full range of care provided in a customer's home – domiciliary care, supported living, personal care and all service lines have been reviewed and aligned to Homecare as appropriate.

It is a legal requirement for the Council to meet the eligible needs of the residents of Wiltshire and as such providing care at home is an integral part of delivering on this legal requirement. Wiltshire has a stated vision to create stronger communities across the county enabling people to live healthy and enriched lives. One of the main themes of the Wiltshire Council business plan is prevention and early intervention which helps maximise the independence, choice and control for residents in Wiltshire by providing the right accommodation and support in the right place at the right time. This in turn links the business plan, the Independent Living Strategy and the Accommodation strategy and supports the implementation of Autism strategy, dementia strategy and promotes prevention.

We can evidence a growth in homecare demand, with an average 12% increase in demand for adults seen over the last two years. For Children’s homecare activity is significantly smaller than adults but activity by the end of 2024/25 is projected to have doubled from 2023/24. The flexible homecare framework has significantly increased adult capacity in the home care market to meet the increased demand and this has been supported by the national introduction of provider sponsorship licences which has expanded homecare workforce through international recruitment.

Currently homecare is commissioned from three frameworks. Commissioners have established with procurement, that all three frameworks could be closed or homecare services moved from the current arrangements in 2026, affording us the opportunity to consider and agree a strategic approach to the future commissioning of homecare.

In previous engagement activities e.g. accommodation strategy and in the recent engagement work on homecare we have heard the public tell us that remaining at home is their preference moving forward as it will enable them to stay active in and connected too their local communities.

The preferred option of a joint home care framework for adults and children’s is supported as a commissioning approach which will streamline internal council processes, respond to providers concerns of unwarranted variation and a lack of transparency between the current three frameworks, enable a longer-term approach to planning and most importantly ensure sufficient homecare of good quality is available for people living in Wiltshire.

Cabinet is asked to agree the decision to commission a joint homecare framework for adults and Children’s.

Resolved:

To seek approval to undertake the public consultation stage of the draft Wiltshire and Swindon Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS).

Reason for Decision:

As the Responsible Authority for the Wiltshire and Swindon Local Nature Recovery Strategy the council has a duty to undertake a public consultation on the draft LNRS to meet the requirements set by The Environment (Local Nature Recovery Strategies) (Procedure) Regulations 2023.

In the Spring Budget 2023 the Chancellor announced the expansion of Early Years Entitlements. This means that by September 2025 working parents of all children over the age of nine months are entitled to 30 hours of government funded childcare. The DfE has allocated £885,466.40 to Wiltshire Council to support the expansion of places.

This funding will be allocated to providers who are also contributing a minimum of 50% towards the project and the spend will be monitored. Providers will be asked to consider best value for money when appointing contractors to undertake work to create additional childcare places.

The report seeks approval to award the following amount:

Sixpenny         £152,770

I approve the award to Sixpenny as set out in this decision.

This decision was published on 3 March 2025 and will take effect on 11 March 2025.

The nationally funded Supporting Families Programme has 10 headline outcomes, this funding will support young people in the following areas:

•           Getting a good education

•           Improved mental and physical health

•           Promoting recovery and reducing harm from substance use

•           Improved family relationships

•           Children safe from abuse and exploitation

•           Crime prevention and tackling crime

•           Safe from domestic abuse

This funding will enable the development of a youth partnership which will provide:

•           central point of access to the youth sector in Wiltshire and Swindon established

•           Improved information sharing through the Wiltshire & Swindon Youth Work Network (WSYWN) and the Wiltshire Youth Partnership (WYP).

•           increased collaboration in the youth sector for providers and funders.

•           Gaps in youth provision identified and a co-ordinated response in place or planned. 

•           Greater cross-system connectivity.

•           Increased coherent/collaborative commissioning and funding for youth work in Wiltshire and Swindon.

•           Increased capacity for youth work activities in the county, with sustainable source of funding enabling improved training and support to increase our youth work resource.

The report seeks approval to award £100,000 to Wiltshire Community Foundation, Charity Number 1123126

I approve the award of the grant as set out to Wiltshire Community Foundation.

This decision was published on 3 March 2025 and will come into effect on 11 March 2025.

This report seeks authority to implement the amendments to the Area Boards Grant Funding Criteria. The update corrects officer role titles, brings the criteria in line with updated statutory guidance and proposes amendments to the criteria.

I confirm the implementation of the changes to the Area Board Grant Funding Criteria as set out within the supporting documents.

This decision was published on 3 March 2025 and will come into effect on 11 March 2025