Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council news from Ernie Clark.

A scheme which Wiltshire Council doesn’t publicise too well is their Assisted Bin Collection Scheme. Under this scheme anyone who is elderly/infirm etc. can apply to have their wheelie bins collected from their door rather than being expected to have to pull it themselves along their front path to the roadside. If this scheme might apply to you please get in touch either with myself or WC.

The review of parking restrictions in the parish has moved a step further. Wiltshire Council has drawn-up draft plans for four new/extended sets of double yellow lines and two relaxations of one hour time limits. The draft plans can be viewed at www.hilpertonparishcouncil.org.uk and they will go out for formal public consultation later this year.

The cows in The Gap are currently calving so please be very careful near them, especially if you have dogs with you, and NEVER walk between a cow and her calf. In fact, the best advice is to stay well clear of them altogether.

I have asked the WC planning team for information about how they are monitoring the number of houses being built at the ‘East of Trowbridge’ site as this will trigger the Hilperton Relief Road being built.

The reply I received is 'The Council is keeping a watch on this development. The number of houses occupied was 99 on April 1st this year. The trigger for the completion of the road is 450, or August 22nd 2016 as a backstop, so we are still some way off the trigger either in completions or the backstop date. Neil Tiley in the Council’s Spatial Planning Team records the number of housing completions each year in April, so it would be worth seeking an update from him next April on the number of houses completed here by then.’

This seems a rather ‘wishy-washy’ approach and I intend to ask for a rather more pro-active approach to the matter.