Facing the challenges together

This week I had a once in a lifetime experience when I was formally welcomed into the House of Lords – it was the most memorable day and it was also a real joy to have my friends and family with me to see my introduction.

I was asked by the media, as I have been many times, if I will continue as council leader now that I need to attend meetings in London.

My answer is a resounding yes.

I have no intention of stepping down as leader and my priority remains the council and the people of Wiltshire. I intend to manage both roles and I can do this because I have an amazing team supporting me – not just my cabinet colleagues and corporate directors, but all of you that do such a great job to make Wiltshire a success.

My new role in the House of Lords is an opportunity for me to be a strong voice for both local government and Wiltshire at a national level, particularly on legislative changes that will impact on our services and residents. I see this as my personal challenge and one which I really look forward to.

Recently, the corporate directors and I have been talking to staff and the public about the challenges the council is facing. One of the great responsibilities that falls to local authorities is being able to identify both challenges and opportunities. Very often understanding the latter can go a long way to addressing the former.

As I have said many times previously, these are tough times for the public sector. We are living through significant austerity and we are seeing a massive rise in the demand for some services.  These are challenges we face with our local communities. That’s why our emphasis is to continue to focus on empowering communities to help them become stronger and able to cope.

Wiltshire residents were recently invited to hear about and discuss the challenges facing the county in 2016. These meetings are a great opportunity for us to speak face to face to residents about our future plans and to hear their views on what we could do differently. These are dynamic meetings, with great questions and some good debate. I was very pleased to see so many people attending.

Yesterday (5 Nov) the first of our annual staff forums took place. These forums are always incredibly useful for me and the corporate directors – not only to recognise the excellent work we have delivered, but to also talk to everyone about what we face in the coming year, and, most importantly to have feedback on how you think we are doing.

I look forward to balancing my commitments in London and Wiltshire, and while our county may be defined by its rural geography, it is also defined by its diverse and vibrant communities. It is these communities that make us strong and able to manage the challenges ahead - together. Like other years we will manage the challenges and seize the opportunities. That’s what makes Wiltshire so special and the place that I am so proud to represent.

Jane.

 

Building a better future for residents

Last week you may have heard some of the media coverage of the Conservative party conference and the Prime Minister’s vow to tackle the country’s deep social problems, boost social mobility and bring in dramatic planning reforms to increase home ownership that will allow the younger generation to get on the housing ladder.

 

I was in Manchester as an attendee at the conference and as you can imagine much of what was raised resonated strongly with me particularly given the issues and challenges that we face in Wiltshire. We know that we have insufficient affordable housing and that demand is high – who wouldn’t want to live in our beautiful county? But, it is becoming totally out of reach for many; particularly our younger generation who have grown up here and want to stay. I am however so pleased that we are taking positive steps to tackle this issue and we are currently at the top of the national league table for assisting would-be homeowners with the options now available in the Help To Buy scheme.  Whether it is equity loan schemes or rental schemes via the council’s Open Market Register - through to shared ownership - a five per cent deposit is all that’s required, which means that owning a house can be a reality for many of our residents.

 

The Chancellor also stated that this autumn the Government will take measures to increase the number of affordable homes available for sale, give housing association tenants the right to buy, and encourage an increase in home building making it easier for developers to build on brownfield sites. Proper housing provision is an essential part of our nation’s fabric. We all aspire to make a home for ourselves and our family, and as a council it is a priority for us to do all we can to support housing provision and the affordability of this housing.

 

Talking of housing, last week, by coincidence, we welcomed a peer review team to Wiltshire to take a look at all of our housing services. A peer review is always a valuable opportunity to learn from others about what we can do better in the services we provide and I’m looking forward to receiving their final recommendations and actions to take forward.

Back at the party conference, George Osborne also announced that the Government is going to allow local authorities to keep the rates they collect from businesses.

This was widely covered by the media and it is good news for us. £26 billion of business rates will be kept by local councils instead going to Whitehall. Currently, the Government collects much more in business rates than it gives back to councils in grant finding. The local government grant will therefore be phased out over time. Given the reductions we have faced and continue to face in our grant funding, this is not a surprise, and in our bid for more devolution - which I talked about in my last blog - this was one of our requests for increased power.

Devolution as I previously stated is not just about money it’s about empowering local communities and encouraging greater co-working with our public sector partners so that we agree a shared vision for Wiltshire and we all work towards this pooling our resources and money.

In my view the Government knows, like we do, that if they are to deal with the financial challenges ahead, they have to do things differently and be more innovative and devolve powers where it makes sense to do so. We strive to empower our local communities and to devolve services and funding at local level. I am very much looking forward to the Government devolving more to local authorities so that we can do even more to improve the quality of life for Wiltshire’s residents and businesses.

 

Jane.

 

Looking ahead

Is it just me that feels like the warm summer days and holidays seem like a long time ago? The nights are closing in and that distinct autumn chill is in the air, and I have to admit that I have resorted to putting the heating on some nights.

The summer months are a time for holidays to recharge and take some time out from work to reflect and plan ahead. I always enjoy and welcome this time as it allows you that real space that is so precious. The pace of council life is fast and change is inevitable as we adapt to the challenges and demands that we face. Autumn is the time to focus on the budget for next year and how we will address the increasing service pressures. It’s the time that we go out and talk to communities and all of you - at the staff forums - about the future and what we anticipate will be happening.

In my last blog I talked about devolution and how local councils like ours will need to move towards being self-sustaining in the future; particularly given the continuing reduction in government grant funding. Whilst this is a big ask, it’s what we had expected to happen and this summer Chancellor George Osborne called for local authorities to draw up their devolution ‘wish-lists’ and submit these by 4 September.

We submitted a draft which takes us from one council to one Wiltshire focusing on greater working with our partners; police, fire and health, to pool budgets and resources and agree the goals for the provision of public services. We all agree that the health and wellbeing of our residents and protecting those who are most vulnerable is a key priority, along with growing the local economy, delivering houses and supporting our local communities.

At next week’s full council meetings, members will consider the draft submission and what it aims to achieve. The bid could mean that by 2020 the county would have more vibrant town centres, a council that is independent of central government grant, increased volunteering levels and better use of public sector funding, resources and buildings.

Devolution isn’t just about saving money – it’s about how we can make a difference and improve the services and quality of life for people living in Wiltshire. It’s a real opportunity to make the best use of public service resources, funding and estates. I will keep you updated on the government’s response to our bid and the next steps – more about this at the staff forums.

Can you believe it’s almost October and it’s a busy month ahead. As well as working on next year’s budget and plans, we will be hosting this year’s sports awards to recognise the many volunteers who give their time and energy to support our rising sports stars and to provide opportunities for so many young people to participate in sport and activity.

The Wiltshire Assembly also takes place in October and the theme for this assembly is living in a rural county - the challenges and opportunities that this brings. Local communities will be encouraged and supported to look at what more they can do to tackle the issues they face and how they can make improvements in their place. This is devolution – working together – sharing skills, ideas and resources to deliver the services that people need.

I’m looking forward to a busy month ahead and one that will bring people together to celebrate, recognise and talk about what’s good about Wiltshire – and, what could be better.

Jane.

The devolution debate – who really benefits?

It’s that time of year when many of us try to get away on an annual break and we keep our fingers crossed that the sun will shine for us. It’s a chance to have a well-earned rest and have some time away from work to recharge and reconnect with our family and friends. 

I have just returned from a wonderful time spent with my grandchildren seeing different places on a cruise of the Mediterranean Sea stopping off in Venice, Rome, Corfu and Monte Carlo. The weather was glorious and it was so good to have a break and some space to reflect and think about what’s coming up.

Like me, you may have been hearing a lot about the “devolution debate” as David Cameron announced an historic deal that would give Cornwall greater control over areas of public spending that are currently controlled by central government. This recent announcement follows weeks of talk about more devolution for Manchester with the aim of creating a “Northern Powerhouse”. But what does this really mean and who benefits?

In my last blog I mentioned that I had attended the Local Government Association’s annual conference where the theme was all about devolution and the key focus was on how local councils will need to move towards being self-sustaining in the future; particularly given the continuing reduction in government grant funding. 

This is a big ask, but one that we had expected. We all know that we have to look at new and different ways to meet the service and community demands that we face in the future and, we also know that to really address this we will need more power and decision making shifted from Westminster to us as the local authority. After all we are the ones who know our local communities, our demography and our economy. We are best placed to help Wiltshire realise its potential and make the decisions with our communities on what’s needed.

The government knows that by combining authorities efficiencies and improvements can be gained. We’re already ahead of the game on this one - having combined five authorities into one. So for us, in Wiltshire, combined means how we can continue to work with our public sector partners; the police, fire and health to deliver better services and save money through sharing resources and premises.

But the driver for devolution isn’t just about money – I genuinely believe that it will also allow us to improve how we work together and the difference we can make to our local communities and the quality of life for people living in Wiltshire.

Devolved powers will allow us greater freedom to work in a more integrated, economically resilient and efficient way. Take the community campuses; Corsham which is almost fully open (and I’m looking forward to the community open day tomorrow; Saturday 8 August) is already a place where we are working with public sector partners to provide improved services and where we are now able to start to tackle real issues such as loneliness, isolation, dementia, mental health, and lifestyle-oriented health and activity improvements. This is all part of the prevention work that needs to be done if we are to manage the challenge of our changing and increasing older population and the challenge of the health and wellbeing of all ages in the local community. The more healthy and well people are the less pressure there is placed on public services; both now and in the future.

Devolution of powers will help us to drive forward the improvements we want to make for our communities; the ones we know are needed. There clearly won’t be a one-size fits all model. What works in Manchester or Cornwall, won’t necessarily work for us in Wiltshire. So our focus, as always, will be to do what’s best for the people of Wiltshire.

Whatever shape the future takes, there will be some really interesting debates coming up and I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that we will face.

If you are having a well-deserved break over the next few weeks, please do enjoy it and as always, my thanks go to all of you for your hard work and dedication to making Wiltshire the great place that it is.

Summer arrives in Wiltshire

I think it’s fair to say that summer arrived last week as we all sweltered in the hottest temperatures seen for years. We put out warnings to older people, parents with young children and people with serious conditions, as we know that they are particularly vulnerable in this type of weather.

We also encouraged people to check on any vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours to make sure they could cope with the heat. Our teams who work with vulnerable people raised  awareness of the importance of taking care in the warmer weather and whilst we have an important public health role to play, isn’t it great to see the sunshine and feel the warmth and it certainly seems to lifts everyone’s mood.

This was evident at recent events across the county at the summer solstice and the Armed Forces Weekend, which is always a real joy and a great opportunity to celebrate the dedication both of our current service men and women as well as our distinguished veterans. We have plenty to be proud of when it comes to our connections to the military in this county.

Last week I attended the Local Government Association’s annual conference in a very hot Harrogate. This is an important date in the local government calendar, and provides a great opportunity to network with other authorities and hear directly from government ministers. This year the focus was on devolution and how local councils move towards self-sustainability; particularly given the continuing reduction in grant funding. All local authorities are being encouraged to look at where they can create a combined authority. This will focus on combining with other councils and/or public sector partners. As we have already combined five authorities into one, our focus in Wiltshire will be how we are sharing premises and resources with the police, fire and health partners to deliver better services and save money. The government is likely to incentivize the creation of a combined authority with one-off funding. My aim is to have a bid for Wiltshire submitted prior to the summer recess. I will keep you all updated on this…

On a separate note, could I just say a huge thank you to all of you who took part and made our second curry and quiz night in aid of Hope for Tomorrow such a big success and so much fun. The event, which was held at City Hall in Salisbury, included an auction, raffle and a curry supper provided by the award-winning Hox Brasserie.

The winning team was ‘TBC’ (Ian Garrod, Surriya Subramaniam, Gary Tomsett and Jo McClay). Congratulations to them, and thank you to everyone who helped to raise more than £1,300 (this included the dress down day held earlier last month).  The money raised will help to provide mobile chemotherapy units across Wiltshire helping to provide treatment to cancer patients living in rural communities.

We have another opportunity to raise money for Hope for Tomorrow when the second Big Walk takes place on Saturday, 12 September. Two routes have been planned for this year’s walk; one starting in central Bath and the other in Pewsey, all participants will end the walk with well-earned tea and cake at County Hall in Trowbridge. Money raised will also support the Young Melksham charity – a local charity working with children, young people and their families in the Melksham Community Area.

As well as raising much-needed sponsorship for these two very worthy causes, the Big Walk  is great for getting active, seeing our beautiful countryside and spending time catching up with friends and colleagues – what more could you want!

Bringing communities together

As you may be aware I am a firm believer that the more we can encourage communities to come together, the stronger and happier they become. I am delighted that earlier this week we provided a unique opportunity for all the communities from across Wiltshire to come together to celebrate and be part of the 800^th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.

Hundreds of people took part in the procession through the streets of Salisbury, with thousands lining the street to enjoy the spectacle. Each of our 18 community areas was colourfully represented, carrying their banners, each outlining their interpretation of the spirit of Magna Carta, as well as their own “baron” – a 9ft-high puppet decorated by the communities they represented.

These great giants danced their way through the streets of the city, arriving at Salisbury Cathedral, which as you probably know is home to the best-preserved copy of the Magna Carta.

The weather was fantastic and there was vibrant samba music, beautiful singing from community choirs, fabulous dancers including Morris men – in fact the city had a real carnival atmosphere. It was a wonderful event and I really was very proud of all those who helped to put the event together and those who participated and showed just how diverse and vibrant our local communities are.

The evening concluded with the pyrotechnic display with all 18 of the barons, as well as an additional character – even taller than the barons - Lady Justice; representing the spirit of justice in Wiltshire. With her dress embossed with iconic images of Wiltshire, she carried a flaming torch to light our way into the future. It really was a spectacle.

I was also asked by the media what I would want reflected in a modern version of the Magna Carta. My response is that this is a county that puts the community, the economy and vulnerable people first. It prides itself on being transparent, honest and open in the approach it takes to communities working with the public sector. What we have is a beautiful, healthy, active, creative and enterprising county where partnership working and support for the community is revolutionary – we grow stronger and stronger, and together we make Wiltshire a better place – and this week we proved that!

Next week I’m looking forward to the second curry and quiz night in aid of Hope for Tomorrow, a charity dedicated to bringing mobile chemotherapy units to the county, in order to make treatment more accessible to cancer patients living in rural communities.

The last one was great fun and this time we’re holding the event at City Hall, in Salisbury, on Wednesday 24 June, from 5.30pm to 9.30pm. I’m sure it will be a great night, with a good curry courtesy of Hox brasserie – and all for a great cause. I think there are a few tickets left if you haven’t already signed up your team. Be great to see you.

Jane

 

Encouraging vibrant communities

What a busy few weeks we’ve had; what with the General Election, Cycle Wiltshire, the 70^th anniversary of VE Day and the launch of this year’s Big Pledge, it’s no wonder that we’re almost in June and halfway through 2015!

The election night already feels like a long time ago, but these nights are always a real challenge and hundreds of council staff took on a variety of roles, from manning the polling stations to counting the ballots through the night, and I couldn’t be more proud of their professionalism and dedication and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who worked on the election.

An election count is such a precise and complex process, and I never fail to be amazed at the skills of the team who bring it all together so swiftly and calmly – despite the pressures of working through the night with the eyes of all those agents, journalists, tv cameras and politicians focused on their every move.

As is often the case after an election we wake up to a new Government.  As the Government takes shape and establishes its direction for the next few years, I’m confident that there will be lots of areas that will benefit and complement our work here in Wiltshire.

Of course there will be issues on which we will differ. Last year the council received £119 million from the Government – this year it will get £103.8 million. This was a cut of more than £15 million and we will be urging caution on the new administration when considering the impact of any further reductions in local authority grants.

 
On the rise of the election we turned our attention to the VE Day anniversary with a 1940s theme at our Cycle Wiltshire event. The weather was kind to us, and hundreds of people enjoyed taking part in the various Sportive events and exploring the Sportive Village on the Saturday, while hundreds more lined the streets of Salisbury and Wilton on the Sunday to witness the extraordinary spectacle of the elite riders battling it out in the Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix race.

I had a wonderful time on both days, meeting people who had come from far and wide to enjoy the event, and I know both from chatting to them in the streets of Salisbury and Wilton and reading the positive feedback on social media that everyone had a great time.

We have another landmark event coming up in June with the Magna Carta pageant in Salisbury that will bring communities together from across the county to celebrate the 800^th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.

The celebrations will take place on the evening of Monday 15 June, from 6 – 10 pm, eight centuries to the day since King John met the group of rebel barons at Runnymede and consented to a series of promises for new civic liberties ranging from the protection of church rights to access to swift and fair justice.

The spirits of the barons will be reborn in the guise of a series of larger-than-life 9 foot high puppets, representing the diverse communities that make up Wiltshire. The barons will be paraded through the city from the Market Square to the Cathedral, which itself plays host to the most intact copy of the Magna Carta in existence.

Each of the barons will lead a delegation from each of Wiltshire’s communities. Hundreds will participate in the pageant, and thousands are expected to line the streets of the city as the procession weaves its way to its destination, where dignitaries will take part in the signing of a new Magna Carta statement for Wiltshire in the 21st century.

We are coordinating and managing the event in partnership with Salisbury Cathedral and Salisbury City Council and a range of other partner organisations.

We are relying on the help of staff as volunteers to help marshal and assist with this major event and I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who have volunteered already. These types of events promote great team spirit and relationship building and I am delighted you have signed up to get involved in this one-off major event.

Some of you may also recall the curry and quiz night we held last year. It was a really fun night and raised thousands for Hope for Tomorrow; a charity that provides mobile chemotherapy units that go to people living in rural areas helping them to avoid long journeys to their nearest hospital.

 
We’ve agreed to host another evening. This time it will be at City Hall, in Salisbury, on Wednesday 24 June, from 5.30pm to 9.30pm. Hox Brasserie will be providing the curry and for those of you not familiar with this brasserie, I can honestly say the food is a real treat and the evening will be lots of fun. Tickets are now available and we would like as many teams as possible to take part and raise lots of money for this great charity.

Facilitating the election and delivering big community events like Cycle Wiltshire or the Magna Carta pageant are examples of the diverse work that we do and a perfect illustration of how we support and encourage vibrant communities. Long may that continue.