It’s that time of the year where the main political parties hold their national conferences and there is a huge amount of focus on the various policy announcements coming out of them.
I’ve just returned from a few days at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, at which I was really pleased to be able to have the opportunity to speak on some topics of real importance to Wiltshire and some of the ways that we have tackled our challenges head on.
Of course, many of the challenges we face aren’t unique; for example, all local authorities are trying to find ways to deal with rising demand with reduced funding – however, it’s good to be able to talk to our counterparts across the country at events like these to share knowledge, understanding, and of course solutions.
One of the main topics that came out of the Conservative Party Conference was that of housing; which, incidentally, is one of the biggest challenges we face in Wiltshire. Interestingly, Council Leaders across the country regularly ask: ‘how do we build the homes that Britain needs?’ and I was fortunate enough to be able to speak on the subject at the conference.
Did you realise that by 2025 our population in Wiltshire will increase by 9 per cent– that’s an extra 42,000 people who will need somewhere to live!
Moreover, people are also living longer – by 2025, the amount of people aged over 75 will increase by 68%; this means that we will need more properties with adaptions for those with disabilities.
All in all it is clear to see that we need more homes, and lots of them at that. However, it is important that we ensure that these are the right homes, built in the right way and in the right places, with the right infrastructure surrounding them.
Our houses need to be built sustainably, in a way that builds strong communities and not in a manner that purely just puts a roof over people’s heads.
Personally, I don’t think there is a better example of this than our army basing programme, again which is something that I highlighted at the conference.
This programme will bring 4,000 service personnel, along with 3,200 family members from Germany to Wiltshire by 2019, as Salisbury Plain becomes the largest military training area in the UK.
Indeed, while we welcome this as an opportunity to strengthen our connection with the military, it’s not without its challenges.
For example, we have worked very closely with the MoD to ensure that this programme is a success. I was really pleased that the recent peer review of our work on this programme was so positive and my thanks go to the many of you who I know were involved in this; your contribution should not be under-estimated.
As part of the planning agreement for 917 army homes near Salisbury, there will be significant investment in community infrastructure – in schools, road improvements, community facilities, recreation, sports facilities, a medical facility and cycle paths across Salisbury Plain’s communities.
As you can see, this programme isn’t just about building the homes that Wiltshire needs, it’s about building a community for the future.
There wasn’t an off-the-shelf solution to this challenge; a unique situation required a unique solution and, of course, that is so true of many of the challenges we face.
One of the things I took home from the conference was that solutions to the problems we collectively face can be found in the same way – by getting the right people to come together and look creatively at what can be done.
I always like to say that every challenge has a solution.
Working together is the key; that is what has always worked for us in Wiltshire and I am certain that this will always continue to be the case.
Jane
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