Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

All 18 area boards have now held their first meeting.

More than 1,500 people attended Wiltshire Council’s new area boards where issues of genuine local concern were identified.

Eighteen area boards met for the first time during June and July giving local councillors, parish councils, partners and the public the chance to come together to tackle community concerns. Area boards enable people to take part in local decision making and to raise questions about local service delivery. It also gives people the opportunity to discuss subjects they feel strongly about.

A wide range of issues were brought to the attention of the boards. Rural speeding, road repairs, traffic, transport and activities for young people were among the most common. A great variety of other subjects specific to local areas were also raised at the meetings such as dropped kerbs, pedestrian access and local development.

Young people were also present at many of the meetings and shared some of their concerns, which included travel and transport issues and challenges around the perception of young people.

More than 250 issues have been submitted so far to be dealt with by the boards. People will be able to view issues and keep track of how things are progressing by visiting the Wiltshire Council website or by contacting their community area manager.

Feedback indicates that area boards are a resounding success with those attending giving an average satisfaction score of 76 per cent. The council believes that the informal style of the meetings, where people can come together as a community and discuss issues, contributed to their success. This provided a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

There was a meeting of area board chairmen on Tuesday evening so that they could share their thoughts on how things had gone at the first meetings. The next 'round' of area board meetings will commence in September.