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Wiltshire Council news from Ernie Clark.
Welcome to my November e-newsletter.
Consultation on proposed new parliamentary constituency boundaries is underway until the 5th December. The latest revision is NOT good news for Hilperton as we have been moved into the South West Wiltshire constituency with Trowbridge. This will, in my opinion, make it ‘easier’ for Trowbridge Town Council to possibly subsume Hilperton in the future. For many years we have been in a different constituency to Trowbridge. Details can be found at www.bcereviews.org.uk
The parish council working group (Hilperton Area Action Group) is continuing its work re the Wiltshire Council (WC) Local Plan. The plan is now not due to come back for public consultation until well into 2023! One of the matters concerning the group is planning application PL/2022/07977 for the construction of 37 houses on land north of Devizes Road. Have a look on the WC planning portal and add any comments you feel should be made. There are fears that this site could become the major access to land north-east of the village.
The Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG) comprises all the Wiltshire Councillors for the Trowbridge Area and meets about four times a year. One of the things it will be looking at for the 2023/24 financial year is the provision of new dropped kerbs. If you are aware of any road in Hilperton parish which is in need of provision, please let me, or a parish councillor, know as soon as possible.
WC has issued new draft guidelines for the rules relating to the placing of Speed Indicator Devices. I am due to meet a WC highways officer later this month to hopefully finally draw this long-running matter to a conclusion.
Recent government legislation means that any Neighbourhood Development Plan more than two years old(!) does not carry ‘full weight’ where planning decisions are concerned – total madness and a slap in the face for local democracy. The parish council will be considering whether it wishes to ‘update’ the Hilperton plan as it is three years old.