Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council news from Ernie Clark, your Independent councillor.

It has now been confirmed that the ‘Bowyer’ cinema plans will go before the western area planning committee of Wiltshire Council on the 9th May.

It will be interesting to see what comments the planning officer has and, presuming that the recommendation is for ‘permission’, what conditions will be attached to the scheme.

On a similar theme, I understand that L&G has now exchanged contracts for both the Odeon cinema and the Premier Inn hotel on the old Tesco site. I wonder now Trowbridge would cope with fourteen cinema screens?

The south west region (which includes Wiltshire) recently moved to environmental drought status after months of exceptionally low rainfall. Water companies have confirmed that public water supplies are currently unaffected, but the lack of rain is taking its toll on the environment, causing problems for wildlife and wetlands.

There have been two successive dry winters in the south west and 16 of the last 25 months have had below average rainfall. The cumulative rainfall total since October 2010 is the lowest for the same period since 1921/22 and is the second driest on record. Since October 2011 there has been only 71 per cent of the rainfall normally expected. In February, it was less than 40 per cent and in March just 35 per cent.

Wiltshire Council wants to save £250,000 by cutting the number of mini recycling sites and the opening hours at Wiltshire's household recycling centres (HRC). The current policy of opening the HRCs until 7pm on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the summer would be scrapped, with the centres closing at 5pm every evening. The council also believes that following the introduction of kerbside cardboard and plastic bottle collection many of the mini recycling sites will not be needed.

The council is currently consulting on the proposed changes. The consultation process seeks comments and feedback on the proposals by asking respondents to complete a short questionnaire. The consultation process will focus on use of the local mini recycling sites and HRCs, the impact of the changes on residents' opportunity to recycle and the criteria which will be used to determine which mini recycling sites should be removed. The deadline for comments and feedback is 28 May.

As mentioned last month, the village Jubilee celebration is now confirmed for Saturday 2nd June, starting at 1.00pm.