The strategy sets out proposals to ensure future growth is delivered in a managed way, which balances growth with protection of the local environment. There are limited options for accommodating growth in south Wiltshire due to environmental constraints and the strategy sets out what are believed to be the right locations.

The cabinet of Wiltshire Council, recognising the importance of having a strategic plan in place, wanted to ensure that sufficient opportunity was provided to allow local communities to make representations on the soundness of the strategy. The views and comments will be summarised and considered at a special council meeting in October, prior to submitting the document for consideration by the Secretary of State. Representations made during the consultation period will be fully considered by an independent inspector.

The consultation period will start on 10th August 2009, ending on 30th September 2009

Details of the Strategy will be presented to the Salisbury, Amesbury, Southern and South West Wiltshire Area Boards at special meetings in September, at which representatives of the parish and town councils will be present.

15th September, Southern Wiltshire Area Board Meeting, Trafalgar School, Downton, 7pm

Public exhibitions will be held in the south Wiltshire area prior to Area Board Meetings between 12.30 pm and 7.00 pm on the following dates.

11 August and 1 September, Guildhall, Salisbury
2 September, Victoria Hall, Tisbury
3 September, Antrobus House, Amesbury
7 September, Michel Herbert Hall, Wilton
8 September, Lecture Hall, Mere
10 September, Memorial Hall, Downton

The strategy document will also be made available for viewing at Salisbury, Amesbury, Downton, Durrington, Mere, Tisbury, Wilton and Warminster libraries, as well as the main council offices around the county.

It will also be available to view and download on Wiltshire Council's website www.wiltshire.gov.uk from 10 August 2009.

Wiltshire Council would like to invite you to take this opportunity to find out more about the Core Strategy and its implications for your area.

Our Place in the Future Response

The Downton PC has submitted their repsonse to the forward planning consultation carried out some months ago. Click here for more details.

A new environmental group for Downton

- Looking at water efficiency

A new project to look at saving water is just getting underway in Downton. At the first session on 12th June, a small group of people got together to share views and opinions on how we can be more efficient in conserving water in our homes and gardens and what methods could be used to get the whole of Downton to become ‘water wise’.

Click here for notes from the last meeting. The Downton water project is part of a larger project set up by the Environment Agency, who want to find out what methods really make a difference to changing peoples attitudes to water saving. Downton has been chosen because of its size, its strong community links (such as The Cuckoo Fair) and its proximity to natural water courses.

We would love more people to come along to future meetings – either as individuals or representing one of the various groups in the community. At this stage the project is about thoughts and ideas, but will soon be getting practical initiatives going. If you want to get involved, either at the ideas stage or by offering help with practical stuff – or both, or if you want to know more, please contact sally.scholefield@resourcefutures.co.uk

Please see diary page for details of the next meeting. Do come and join us to help Downton become ‘water wise’.

Environment Agency water safety warning

The Environment Agency is urging young people planning to go swimming, fishing, cycle or simply hang out with friends down by their local river over the summer holidays to be aware of the dangers posed by fast-currents, cold water, structures such as weirs and locks, and unstable riverbanks.

The Agency in partnership with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) has produced a ‘Be Safe around water’ leaflet designed to be sent to both primary and secondary schools throughout the region.

Nick Gupta, Wessex Area Manager for the Environment, said: “Each year around 50 children under the age of 16 drown. It is third most common cause of accidental death amongst youngsters.’

In June this year, 18-year-old Jonathan Morton drowned in a tragic accident in the Hampshire Avon river at Downton.

‘Jonathan’s death is a reminder of the dangers that swimming in rivers or the sea may present. Now as the school holidays approach children need to be especially aware of the risks.’

The leaflet was sent as a pdf file to the education departments of Somerset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall county councils, who then used their own web-based systems to cascade the message to all their local schools.

The Environment Agency promotes the use of water for recreation purposes and also wants to warn of the dangers.

Water may look safe, but it can be dangerous. Young people may swim well in a warm indoor pool, but that does not mean that they will be able to swim in cold water.

The dangers of water include:

The speed of many rivers and sea currents are often well beyond the ability of even the strongest swimmers to cope with safely
Unseen underwater obstructions exist in many places. These can include submerged pipe outfalls and discarded items such as shopping trolleys.
Other hazards such as broken glass and metal that have been illegally dumped can cut and injure. Weeds can also trap the unwary swimmer.
Weirs, locks, piers and other structures demand extra care from users and visitors.

Young people may be able to help themselves and others if they know what to do in an emergency. If they see someone in difficulty, they are urged to tell somebody, preferably a Lifeguard, or go to the nearest telephone, dial 999, ask for the Police at inland water sites and the Coastguard at the beach.

Other tips on the leaflet include:

Don’t jump or dive into rivers or open water where the depth is uncertain. If you can not see the bottom it may just be that the water is not clear.
Be aware of the dangers of structures
Be prepared for cold water or changes in weather
Make sure you are supervised by an adult
Don’t swim where there may be strong currents and undertows

The Environment Agency manages some 1,000km of inland waterway across England and Wales and issues safety advice as part of its role to encourage everyone to enjoy these rivers as well as coastal waters wisely.

The message is clear: Please take care when in, on and around water.

For more information on water safety visit:

http://www.rospa.com/ruadummy2/index.htm

Children and teachers can also find out more on:

www.wow4water.net/ and www.getsafe4summer.org

Downton – Village or Town?

Forward Planning for Housing and Jobs in the next 18 years

You are probably aware that a major forward planning exercise has been underway in South Wiltshire, looking at how the Salisbury District will need to change in the next 18 years - see http://www.salisbury.gov.uk/planning/forward-planning.htm.

Earlier this year, Salisbury District Council (SDC) ran a major public consultation called ‘Core Strategy Preferred Options’. This planning consultation was presented in a thick black book, with a great many background papers that could be accessed online or via the planning office. It was considered by many residents to be a complex and impenetrable consultation, although a lot of people did give feedback.

The consultation looked at ways in which Salisbury and south Wiltshire might accommodate the extra 12,400 new homes and 14,000 new jobs that the national government has requested in this area. This is in addition to the steady level of growth from infill development. That’s an awful lot of new homes and jobs, and it will impact significantly on our communities and infrastructure, including Downton.

The section in the most recent consultation on ‘Downton’ was somewhat ambiguous, with ‘Downton’ having some 10 different definitions across the forward planning papers and presentations. Amongst other things, the word ‘Downton’ has been used to mean a ‘Community Area’ (covering the whole southern part of the Salisbury District), a smaller settlement, a larger settlement, a service centre, a town, and even a main town! Because of this confusion and very widespread concerns about the consultation, timescale and perceived lack of public awareness, Downton and Redlynch District Councillor Jane Launchbury put a Motion to SDC to have a further round of consultation on a revised document. This was agreed by Full Council on 23rd April 2008, and a new document is now being prepared.

It is hoped that there will be a further public meeting in Downton, and that clearer communication about the consultation and forward planning implications will be sent to all residents. In the meantime, you can read the Downton Parish Council’s submitted comments on the ‘Core Strategy Preferred Options’, online here on the village website, or by requesting a copy from the Parish Clerk. You can also look at details of large sites that have been identified as potentially being available for housing sites in Downton, by visiting the Downton Library or looking on the SDC website. The document is called ‘Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment’ (SHLAA).

Specialist consultants have produced an Employment Land Use review, http://www.salisbury.gov.uk/employment-land-review.pdf. This suggests expanding and intensifying the use of the industrial estate in Downton and the possibility of intensifying the use of the Lode Hill industrial site. In SDC’s ‘Our Place in the Future’ consultation last year, 49% of those consulted agreed that new employment sites should be located in Downton.

Forward Planning on this scale, with the huge housing and job numbers that the government has requested, has taken people by surprise. It won’t just affect other communities – it will have significant implications for Downton. So please look out for further opportunities to have your say.

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