Hello,
Cabinet took place earlier today and discussed a couple of
really important issues which will shape our county over the next few years – special
schools and housing.
These are both subjects which really engage people, and the
council chamber was packed for the meeting.
Cabinet agreed to begin a consultation to assess how best to
meet the requirements for special school provision in Wiltshire into the
future. We need an additional 220 places by 2026 for children and young people
with special needs and/or disabilities. It’s really important that children
with special educational needs are given high quality local placements, and in
a large county likes ours it’s essential that these are provided in the right
places geographically, with a balance between the north and the south. It’s not
just about providing the right number of spaces, but about providing inspiring,
state-of-the-art special schools which offer excellence in both education and
outcomes for all pupils.
There was a good deal of discussion and questions about the
draft Housing Site Allocations Plan which sets out how we will plan for growth
and meet housing needs up to 2026, and this debate will continue when the issue
comes back to Cabinet and Full Council before the summer.
Last week in Salisbury we welcomed the United States
Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson IV, who
came to see how the city is recovering following the incident in March. The
Ambassador took in some of the sights of the city before visiting the area in
which the incident on 4 March took place. He was positive about the city and
its recovery, and also praised the community’s resilience. The decontamination
work carries on and we are continuing to support businesses and residents. The
changes to free car parking took effect on Monday and we will monitor the
impact this has.
Fostering Fortnight began yesterday and to coincide with
this we’ve put out a call for more people who can offer a foster home to a
child to come forward. We need to find 120 foster families over the next three
years to cope with the demand, and we need 36 of those this year. You can find
out more at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fostering
We’re always keen to celebrate success – so well done to the
team who were highly commended recently at the Association of Directors of
Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport Annual Presidents Dinner for the
pothole spotter trial. This pioneering project, jointly conducted with York
City Council and Thurrock Borough Council, uses high definition cameras
attached to our waste vehicles to monitor and scan Wiltshire’s roads to
identify potential potholes. The data gathered can then be used to help
inform decision-making about road repairs. A great example of cross-service
working to deliver real improvements.
Looking ahead, if you’re going to be watching the Royal Wedding
and want to do so in a unique way, why not head to Salisbury to join BBC
Wiltshire’s party where the ceremony will be broadcast on 50ft screens outside
Salisbury Cathedral. The event takes place from 9am-4pm, and they’ll be family friendly entertainment, live music
performances and more.
You can see our latest highlights presentation on The Wire.
Alistair, Carlton and Terence
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