Thank you for your hard work this year

Christmas is almost here! I can’t believe how fast 2015 has gone and, like me, I’m sure you are looking forward to having a break and spending some quality time with family and friends.

I know it has been an extremely busy year, and I would like to say thank you for all your enthusiasm, commitment and hard work throughout the year. We have seen a lot of change over the last few years - some driven by increasing service demands and customer expectations - and some as a consequence of the economic climate and the impact that this has had on local authority grant funding.

We know the challenges will continue as we head into 2016. Austerity is not yet behind us and we will need to continue to be innovative and do things in a different way if we are to deliver what our local communities need.

I am extremely proud that you never fail to deliver and to serve the people of Wiltshire so well. We have had another great year and we have made a real difference delivering the three main priorities and achieving many successes. I cannot possibly list them all, but if I focus on our priority areas, we have successfully employed more social workers to support those who are most vulnerable, and we’ve invested in major projects and delivering broadband to help boost the economy and create and protect jobs. Investment to improve roads continues and we helped more people to purchase their own home through the provision of affordable housing.

Our vision to develop stronger communities is a great opportunity for us to work with local people and to do lots more together. We know that healthy, active and resilient communities will do more and delivering events, projects and local services encourages and provides a reason for communities to come together and, when they do, they build relationships, resilience and motivation to do more in their local area.

What a year it’s been - looking ahead we have lots to do including setting next year’s budget and continuing to focus on how we deliver our three key priorities and keep Wiltshire as a great place to live and work in.

And, finally can I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and successful 2016, and a special thank you goes to all of you who will be working or on-call over the festive period ensuring that our essential services are delivered.

Look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Jane

Interesting times

The past few weeks have been particularly busy as I have been settling into my new role at the House of Lords whilst continuing to focus on matters at Wiltshire Council.

Last week’s extraordinary Full Council meeting was truly extraordinary. Members had the opportunity to vote on a raft of recommendations on the Community Governance Review. This was a once in a half-century opportunity to discuss if the existing parish boundaries are best serving the needs of our local residents. The boundaries reflect a town or parish council area and the number of properties paying Council Tax and precepts to that particular town or parish. With the growth in housing this was an opportunity to review the boundaries and make adjustments, where needed.

It was an epic meeting - lasting for the best part of 11 hours - reflecting how important it was that each proposed change should be debated in full, prior to voting. The hard work of the officers and Working Party members - who put forward their recommended changes - was acknowledged a number of times throughout the meeting and I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the huge and challenging task that they achieved.

There is no doubt that interesting times will continue for local government. Like everyone else, I listened with interest to the Chancellor delivering his Spending Review last week. This was the first time a Chancellor combined the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) with a budget statement so he covered a significant amount of information and, more detail on what this will mean for the council, will follow in the coming weeks.

The review raised a number of areas that we need to consider in Wiltshire, including the proposed social care levy, the greater collaboration between public sector services, and the additional need for flooding prevention and highways investment. The government’s focus continues to be reducing the national deficit and taking the economy out of recession.

Public sector workers across the country were asked for their areas to reduce waste and deliver services more efficiently, as part of the Public Sector Efficiency Challenge. 22,000 ideas were put forward reflecting the dedication and support of those who work in the public sector. It just shows how resilient, innovative and determined we have become and in Wiltshire we have proven time and again that we can rise to the challenges put in front of us and do an excellent job. We will need these qualities in coming years as the clear message is that “austerity is not yet over” and to continue to provide the best possible service to our communities we will need lots more ideas and innovative thinking. I know this won’t be a problem for us - having listened to your thoughts and views at the staff forums there is certainly lots more we can do.

I do hope Wiltshire will get a better settlement on the schools funding formula and the proposals for delivering more affordable housing are certainly to be welcomed. There are many residents in Wiltshire who would like to own their own home but do not qualify for social housing and cannot afford to buy a house on the open market. We are committed to working with our partners to provide as many new affordable homes as we can and this additional government support is welcome. 

I’m not sure if you are aware but a new member will be joining the council following a by-election held last Thursday (26 November 2015) for the Salisbury St Edmund and Milford ward.  Atiqul Hoque won by a considerable margin and we look forward to welcoming him.

And, finally, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…last week’s Christmas Wealth of Wiltshire Fayre was a great success and so many local traders took part selling their produce and products. The local choirs were a joy to hear and the buzz in the atrium reminded me of what an excellent community and public space we have created. It made me realise that Christmas isn’t that far away and I was delighted to support the traders by bulk buying bottle holders and other gifts. The rest of my shopping will have to be squeezed in when my diary permits as life continues to be hectic in the run up to Christmas.

Next week it’s the Christmas Carol service and I am really looking forward to a time of reflection and to hearing our wonderful choir and seeing you if you’re able to attend.

Jane

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!