Local Government – Page 9 – dannyhowell.net

The Wiltshire Core Strategy Has Been Backed By The Government

Tuesday 2nd December 2014

The Wiltshire Times online is reporting that the Core Strategy, the blueprint for Wiltshire’s future, has been backed by the Government:

“A blueprint which sets out how Wiltshire will grow and develop over the next 12 years has been backed by the Government.

Wiltshire Council’s priorities for building homes and creating jobs has been signed off by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate and can now be formally adopted and used to steer development and growth across the county.

The Wiltshire Core Strategy, which has been developed in conjunction with local communities over five years and has heard from hundreds of organisations, business and residents during public consultation, was given the stamp of approval by senior planning inspector Andrew Seaman yesterday.”

Warminster Town Council To Update The Warminster Flood Plan

Tuesday 25th November 2014

WARMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL IS TO UPDATE THE WARMINSTER FLOOD PLAN ~ RESIDENTS ARE ASKED (BEFORE THURSDAY 11TH DECEMBER 2014) TO LET THE COUNCIL KNOW OF PLACES IN WARMINSTER THAT HAVE FLOODED IN THE PAST OR ARE AT RISK OF FLOODING IN THE FUTURE

Following the excessive rainfall of last winter Warminster Town Council asked residents to let them know of any problems they had experienced with flooding in areas that had not previously been identified as at risk. Many people came forward with photographs and evidence that will be used to help update the Warminster Flood Plan in readiness for the coming winter. The Flood Wardens Working Group is meeting on Thursday 11th December to start on the updates and the Town Council is asking for anyone who has been affected by flooding to contact the Council if they have not already done so, in order that a fully comprehensive plan can be drawn up.

Warminster Town Council.
Warminster Civic Centre,
Sambourne Road,
Warminster, BA12 8LB

Telephone: 01985 214847
Email: admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk

Are Warminster Town Council And Its Neighbourhood Plan Working Group Taking Flooding Issues Seriously?

Saturday 22nd November 2014

Al Wright, writes ~

With the National Planning Policy Framework guiding how new development should be handled with the very clear statement that flooding is a key part of the policy and that in the preparation of all plans it must be accounted for, ensuring that development is placed in the least flood risk areas and does not increase flood risk to others, can Warminster Town Council and its Neighbourhood Planning Work Group explain what information they are using regarding flooding, and flood risk in the area?

Warminster Town Council, earlier this year, claimed not to be holding flood records and the Environment Agency (EA) Flood Report for the town back in 2005 recommended much more information was needed including Lidar, Flood Infrastructure Assessment, a Surface Water Management Plan and more accurate Flood Storage Area details in order to safely add more development in the town due to all the flooding incidents without information as to the causes of these floods.

To my knowledge the required town-wide assessments have not been done.

If going forward, flood risk is not clearly and accurately accounted for, won’t this mean the plan will be refused as inadequate? Or are the council ignoring flood risk as per usual hoping it will not be mentioned as an issue like the severe flooding last year that conveniently received no press coverage and no action by either Warminster Town Council, Wiltshire Council or the Environment Agency.

To view the extent of flooding on Boreham Road, Warminster (for example), click on the links below and see if you think it should be ignored.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=41-PukBbRvw

m.youtube.com/watch?v=KlpnOiIRi6w

m.youtube.com/watch?v=_nvO6Ch6Uis

I hope both Warminster Town Council and the Warminster Neighbourhood Plan Working Group are taking flooding seriously in their plans as the effects of not doing so are clearly shown in the videos above and damage to cars, property and potentially to people should not be down-played by the town council just because it is not happening to them.

Upward Trend Revealed By Warminster Survey Is A Real Good Factor For The Town Says Mayor Andrew Davis

Friday 10th October 2014

“Warminster is on the up,” according to Warminster Town Council. In a Town User’s Survey undertaken by the Economy and Tourism Group of the Council in July 2014, shoppers in Warminster rated the town highly and it would appear that people’s perceptions of Warminster are changing for the better.

The survey is undertaken each year with the help of volunteers from Warminster School. Over 200 people were interviewed. Councillors at the Town Development Committee meeting on 6th October 2014 were delighted to see the positive results. Although there were some areas of criticism – such as unsightly scaffolding – the retail offer, markets and leisure facilities were all rated 64% positive. In addition the town centre was rated 97% positive for ease of walking around the town, 94% positive for customer service and 92% positive for access to services, safety and convenience to home.

“This upward trend is a real feel good factor for the town,” said the Mayor of Warminster, Councillor Andrew Davis. “Let’s hope we can continue to build on this.”

Unconstitutional Meeting Wants Development Line For The Town To Be Extended To Include Home Farm ~ Time For EBRAG To Come Together Again

Friday 29th August 2014

Paul Macdonald writes:

Warminster Town Council at a full meeting of the members which was not open to the public but had ‘invited’ others, have decided that the development line for the town should be extended to include Home Farm and the water meadows up to the river Wylye. I will not attend meetings like this out of principle. The town clerk has now been (improperly in my view) instructed to produce a report based on the discussions at this unconstitutional meeting as the response to the consultation by Wiltshire Council for a review of the settlement line for villages and towns as requested by the Core Strategy Inspector. It is time for EBRAG (the East Boreham Residents Action Group) to come together again.

Unconstitutional Or Secret Meeting ~ Call It What You Will ~ Warminster Town Council Seeking To Extend The Development Boundary For Warminster To Include Home Farm At Boreham And The River Wylye Watermeadows ~ Councillor Paul Macdonald Says Warminster Town Council Are Acting Improperly

Friday 29th August 2014

Warminster Town Councillor Paul Macdonald has posted the following comment on the East Boreham Residents Action Group (EBRAG) Facebook page, alerting the community to a rather alarming piece of news ~ that the Town Council are seeking to extend the development boundary to include Home Farm and the lush watermeadows adjacent the River Wylye ~ this has been initiated at a meeting to which the public were not informed or invited.

The proposed extension, controversial to say the least and against the majority wishes of the community, will have huge detrimental effects on the farm land, green lanes and wildlife-rich meadows on the eastern side of Warminster, impacting in a devastating way on the residents, fauna and flora of Boreham and Bishopstrow. Councillor Macdonald accuses the Town Council of acting improperly. He has written:

“Warminster Town Council at a full meeting of the members which was not open to the public but had ‘invited’ others have decided that the development line for the town should be extended to include Home Farm and the water meadows up to the river Wylye. I will not attend meetings like this out of principle. The town clerk has been (in my view) improperly instructed to produce a report based on the discussions at this unconstitutional meeting as the response to the consultation by Wiltshire Council for a review of the settlement line for villages and towns as requested by the Core Strategy Inspector.”

A Meeting Between Warminster Information Centre Representatives And The Finance And Assets Committee Of Warminster Town Council

Monday 30th June 2014

Notes from a meeting held between representatives from Warminster Information Centre and the Finance and Assets Committee of Warminster Town Council, held on Monday 30th June 2014 at 6.30 p.m.

Present: Councillors Steve Dancey, Keith Humphries, George Jolley and Pip Ridout, Michael Mounde and David Gill (rep. Warminster Information Centre), Heather Abernethie and Veronica Mills.

Pip Ridout asked whether the £7,000 that the Town Council pays to the Warminster and Villages Development Trust for Citizens Advice Bureau and Cornerstone covered the full running costs of the building. Michael Mounde said the money was for rent and was paid on to Wiltshire Council. The Development Trust subsidises the Information Centre. Pip Ridout felt there was the possibility of cross-subsidisation as the Town Council was contributing to all three groups that used the building. Michael Mounde did not agree. The Town Council funds Cornerstone for rent only while it becomes established, and Citizens Advice Bureau is a mixture of rent and services. The Warminster And Villages Development Trust pays a subsidy to the Information Centre from the monies it gets from a variety of sources.

David Gill suggested that the Council needed to establish whether it wanted the Information Centre, and why. There should be an overall marketing plan for the town. If that plan decrees the town wants an Information Centre then it was necessary to establish how to fund it. The Town Council should work in concert with Warminster Information Centre to establish a plan and how to execute it. Warminster needs an upbeat message to reflect the true vibrancy of the town. He felt that Enterprise Warminster was not able to develop a marketing plan and that leadership should come from the Town Clerk to improve the message. There was no clear way to measure the return on the Council’s marketing spend as it stood.

Keith Humphries felt that a specification could be drawn up and put out to tender – the Information Centre or Visit Wiltshire, for example, could bid for it. George Jolley was concerned that if there was no support from the Council for Warminster Information Centre this would result in job losses. There is £19,000 from the Council going into the building but the Council is not getting the service it would want. David Gill felt this was due to poor executive management from Warminster And Villages Development Trust and lack of leadership from the Council. Pip Ridout said this was because the Council had not been encouraged by Warminster And Villages Development TrustVDT to be involved in WIC. Heather Abernethie felt there was a difference of opinion over the issues, but that the town needs something other than the current service.

David Gill said there is a need to demonstrate how investment brings return in the long term. The skill sets in Warminster Information Centre and the Town Council can be used to bring more to the town. Keith Humphries pointed out that 52% of respondents from the recent campus consultation said tourist information was a high priority, and less than 10% said it was not important. Steve Dancey said that when Andover Tourist Information Centre closed three years ago there were complaints at the time but not for long. However
he would not wish to see Citizens Advice Bureau and Cornerstone threatened with closure. David Gill pointed out that Warminster Information Centre sold £10,000-worth of Christmas cards last year on behalf of charities with no income for themselves. This was good for the town. The coverage of the Warminster Wobble in The Guardian was thanks to Warminster Information Centre. Warminster And Villages Development Trust pays £750 membership fees to Visit Wiltshire so the coverage of the Wobble was as a result of this.

Warminster Town Council Have Issued A Statement About The Proposed Redrow Homes Development Off St. Andrews Road

Monday 17th February 2014

Statement regarding proposed development by Redrow Homes at St. Andrews Road, Warminster.

Warminster Town Council has recently been receiving an increasing number of enquiries from residents regarding the proposed development at St. Andrews Road, Warminster. The Council was first advised of the proposals on 7th January 2014 when Redrow Homes issued an invitation to a public consultation event at Warminster Rugby Club on 23rd January 2014, at which they presented their ideas and plans. All Warminster residents were welcome to attend the consultation, which ran from 3.00 p.m. until 7.30 p.m.

As yet, no firm planning application has been submitted to Wiltshire Council, who publish all planning applications on their website. Once the plans have been put forward, Wiltshire Council will send them to Warminster Town Council for comment. They will be discussed at a future Planning Advisory Committee meeting of the Town Council which will be open to the public and will give residents an opportunity to put forward their concerns. Until the plans are received it is not possible for the Council to give the date at which they will be discussed and unfortunately there is no further information available. The Council can only advise residents that Planning Advisory Committee meetings are held every three weeks with the agendas being published on the Town Council’s noticeboards and website one week before the meetings, so residents should keep checking to find out when the plans have been received.

It is also very likely that this application will attract publicity from the local press. If residents wish to contact the Council with any comments or concerns they are welcome to do so. The Town Clerk has collated all the letters and emails that have been received so far and has passed copies on to the councillors for information so that they are aware of the objections being raised. This information will be passed on to Wiltshire Council once the plans are debated to support any comments made.

For more information contact Heather Abernethie, Town Clerk, Warminster Town Council, telephone: 01985 21484, or email: admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk

Help Needed From The Public To Assist With Flooding Issues In Warminster

Tuesday 4th February 2014

Warminster Town Council is seeking the public’s help to assist with flooding issues in and around the town.

Following the wettest January on record and the continuing bad weather, there are many areas of Warminster that have suffered from flooding not only as a result of excessive surface water run-off but also from a build-up of ground water. Drains are unable to cope with the volume of water either because they are not large enough or because they have been insufficiently maintained. The Town Council has received many photographs from many residents showing flooded areas, and has continued to compile records of this evidence to help inform and update the Warminster Flood Plain.

The Town Development Committee is asking residents to assist the Town Council in gathering as much information as possible by contacting the Council with any details of flooding they may have experienced, including photographs if possible. This will enable the town’s Flood Plan to create a picture of the town and highlight where residents are most vulnerable, so that help can be arranged promptly in cases when flooding seems imminent.

The Town Development Committee has also discussed the need for more flood wardens to co-ordinate assistance in the case of flooding. At present there are only two wardens for the whole town, which makes it almost impossible to respond and communicate up-to-date information with regard any emergencies that may arise. If anyone is interested in volunteering, or wishes to send notification of sites that have flooded, please contact the Town Council, by telephone, 01985 214847 or by email: admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk

Warminster Town Council Have Issued A Statement On Land Registry Unilateral Notice ~ With Regard Lord Bath’s Existing Mineral Rights To His Manorial Land

Wednesday 14th January 2014

Statement on Land Registry Unilateral Notice

Warminster Town Council has been contacted by several residents who have recently received letters from the Land Registry notifying them of the Marquess of Bath’s application to register Longleat Estate’s mineral rights over the land that belonged to the manor centuries ago. This statement is being issued by the Town Council in response to these approaches in order to pass on the information that we have been able to find out so far, and to provide links to the relevant Land Registry websites for more detail. Please note that the Town Council is not in a position to advise residents on any course of action, and this statement is for information only.

Until the Land Registration Act of 2002 interests in mines and mineral rights existed but did not need to be recorded on the Land Register. However, following the Act the interests needed to be recorded by 12th October 2013 in order to be protected. Longleat believes the interest in the mineral rights has been in the ownership of the family for hundreds of years and has registered this interest accordingly. According to Longleat they are not seeking to create any new rights but to protect existing ones, as reported in a statement to Warminster Community Radio.

Residents are concerned about what this application means in the context of their properties. It would appear that these rights and interests have always existed, and for some properties the register may already show that mines and minerals are not included in the title deeds.

If this is the case these home owners will not receive a letter from the Land Registry. This means that one resident in a street may receive a letter while their neighbour does not. For those whose title deeds do not already show that mines and minerals are not included in the property this now needs be entered by law, and the fact that the Marquess of Bath has an interest will be added to the deeds of any property that is affected.

If any property owner believes that this entry should not be added to their title deeds they should be able to prove that the right or interest does not exist or has been transferred to someone else. They can then object to the entry on these grounds, asking for the unilateral notice to be cancelled, using Land Registry form UN4. It does not cost anything to submit this form, and there is no time limit on it. However, any groundless objections will be dismissed by the Land Registry lawyers.

Residents have also expressed worries that following recent publicity these letters have been sent out in order for the rights owner to have access to the mineral rights for the purposes of fracking. The Land Registry Public Guide 25 makes it clear that any oil or gas belongs to the Crown, not to the owners of the land, and they would have to grant licenses to extract them.

The information from the Land Registry can be found on the following websites:

www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/guides/public-guide-25 (from which form UN4 can be downloaded)www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/guides/public-guide-26

For more information (but not advice on course of action) contact Heather Abernethie, Town Clerk, Warminster Town Council, telephone 01985 214847. email: admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk