Official opening of Porton Science Park and the Year of Engineering

September 21 marked the start of the autumn equinox, and doesn’t it feel like the summer months are a distant, albeit warm, memory.

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons – it’s the time of year when nature makes its colourful transition towards the colder winter months. Wiltshire, in particular, becomes a glorious canvas of rich autumnal shades as the trees shift from vibrant greens to yellow, gold and warm glowing fiery reds. The transition is quite breathtaking and reminds us all just how beautiful the place we live and work in really is.

I have always said that we have so much to celebrate in our county from our beautiful countryside steeped in history, to the modern world of science and engineering that we are leading the way in.

Our tradition of technical brilliance stretches way, way back - as far as the West Kennet Long Barrow in 3500 BC, right up to Dyson in 2018 AD.

This awesome legacy came to mind last week at the official opening of Porton Science Park, near Salisbury, which is a new state of the art centre dedicated to the advancement of health and life sciences, which has been a decade in the planning.

I am proud that Wiltshire Council led the way in finding the funding for this project – working with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Public Health England and the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Even before I had the honour of unveiling the plaque to officially open the centre, three-quarters of the units have been occupied by pioneering enterprises who are pushing back the frontiers of science and re-engineering the 21^st Century and creating prosperity and jobs in the county.

It’s humbling to think that in the not-so-distant future, the world will welcome scientific discoveries that were conceived right here in Wiltshire.

That’s why it’s so good that we will be hosting the Science and Engineering: What Wiltshire has to Offer exhibition in County Hall next month (16 October).School and college students, along with teachers, recruiters, leading scientists and engineers and business bosses will participate in presentations and practical, hands-on experience of engineering. The aim is simple - to inspire children to pursue engineering and science as a rewarding, stimulating and satisfying career.

It also offers us a great chance for us to discuss how we can work with them to nurture the next generation of engineers – including our industry-leading apprenticeship programme, which has already set many youngsters on the path to an exciting future.

I’d love to think that the innovators of tomorrow will be as a result of stimulating their interest at this event fuelling an ambition to shape the future and that they will have come from our wonderful, historic and progressive county.

Jane

Summer helping put a spring in the step of the county

What a summer we are having this year – who would have thought that it was as hot here as many tourist destinations abroad. And, wasn’t it just the boost we all needed? The sun and warmth has such a positive impact on everyone, putting a spring in their step and a smile on their face; and with a ray of sun everywhere definitely looks brighter and better.

After the recent events in Salisbury and Amesbury a glorious summer couldn’t have been more welcome. Whilst things aren’t quite back to normal, there are real signs of business as usual and since my last blog - and my apologies for not penning a few words sooner – I have visited and attended meetings in both the city and the town and it’s so good to see everyone out and about and getting on with life.

In my view it’s now time to look forward and focus on getting fully back to normal after what’s been a truly unprecedented period and one which I hope we never encounter the like of again. Life is never predictable and we all know that change is inevitable, but what’s important is how we deal with those changes; particularly those that are least expected. The resilience of our local communities has been a credit to Wiltshire and it’s their strength and determination that will enable normality to be resumed.

The last few months have had an impact on council business and I’m keen that after the summer break we can refocus on the future and our immediate priorities. As we start to plan for next year’s budget and service provision we need to strike that difficult balance of doing what’s needed in local communities against service demands and growing pressures.

Next year Wiltshire will host National Armed Forces Day to recognise and celebrate the work of the military and emergency services that put their lives on the line to protect our country, and this year - closer to home - to protect and support the communities of Salisbury and Amesbury. It promises to be a major event for all the communities of Wiltshire and I’m sure it will mark a positive milestone and give everyone something to look forward to. Let’s hope the sun shines as bright next year too!

Jane

Update regarding the incident in Amesbury

It almost seems unbelievable that in my last blog I was recognising the progress in Salisbury’s recovery and the impending visit of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to mark their support for the city.

Salisbury four months on from the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal was getting back to normal and footfall was starting to improve.

So the shock of the tragic death of Dawn Sturgess has reverberated throughout the city and now in Amesbury, and our thoughts and sincere condolences are with her family and friends.

Her partner Charlie Rowley remains in Salisbury hospital in a critical condition. Our thoughts are also with him, his family and friends during what is clearly a difficult time for them all. 

Having a death occur in our local community; particularly in such extraordinary circumstances will have a huge impact on those who live and work there and our role is to do everything possible to support our partners whilst they carry out their investigation into this dreadful crime.

The incident is being investigated as a murder and is being led by the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing Network supported by Wiltshire Police.

We are a vital link to the local communities and I will make sure that we continue to keep people informed and updated of the latest information. Last night a community meeting was held in Amesbury and more than 250 people attended to hear updates from a panel of local and national agency representatives. They were able to ask their questions and receive answers from those directly involved and leading this investigation. I gave my assurance that further community meetings will be arranged in both Amesbury and Salisbury to keep these communities up to date.

This is a fast-moving and changing situation, the like of which we have never experienced in Wiltshire before, and we understand that people are concerned; particularly those in Salisbury and Amesbury.

We will provide support to those directly affected and to those who are most vulnerable in our communities. Reassurance and calm needs to continue and the resilience of our local communities is being tested now – more than ever before.

The current advice from Public Health England is that “if you haven’t dropped it - don’t pick it up” - the wider risk to public health remains low and health advice can be accessed on a helpline set up to offer reassurance and advice on 0800 092 0410.

It is vital that we continue to assist local businesses to assess their needs and provide support where it is needed throughout this extremely difficult period. On Monday I announced that in Amesbury we have lifted the parking charges on our Central and Church Street car parks to reflect the situation in Salisbury and do what’s right for these communities.

We will continue to work with Amesbury and Salisbury to support them during this testing time. Since the first incident occurred in March Salisbury has shown just how resilient and determined it is in the face of an unprecedented challenge and I am sure that this will continue and that Amesbury will be just as stoic.

We will do all we can to help both these communities get back to normal and move forward.

Jane

Royal visit to Salisbury

Wiltshire has always welcomed the Royal Family and I look back with fondness to the many visits over the years that they have made to the county.

I can still vividly recall the sea of smiling faces, Union Jack flags, and what seemed like mile upon mile of bunting that greeted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh when they visited Salisbury in 2012, as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

These visits engage communities, and all ages turn out to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family members on days that create everlasting memories.

When The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visit Salisbury tomorrow (Friday 22 June) I have no doubt that it will be another of those days and, personally, I can’t wait.

I’m delighted that Their Royal Highnesses are visiting to support the city’s recovery programme, which is making good progress. Amesbury ambulance station is the third site to be handed back this week and Salisbury is getting back to normal.

The city’s ongoing recovery has involved many people from many local and national organisations, and many will be personally thanked for their efforts by Their Royal Highnesses at a special reception at the Guildhall.

Their visit includes a walk through the city’s Market Place and it is hoped that hundreds of visitors will attend to give the Royal visitors a very warm welcome. It will be another day in Wiltshire’s history and a real milestone for the recovery programme. It will showcase Salisbury worldwide as more than forty media outlets will be in attendance, including Australian TV and will help to promote that the city is safe and that visitors and tourists are also very welcome.

This week there is another milestone – as the corporate team and others – including the Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, participate in a cycle of 130 miles around the county for the inaugural Bustard Ride and to raise money for Wiltshire Mind, a charity that does truly exceptional work for the people of our county.

This event will raise a lot of money, at the time of writing this blog £1,550 has been pledged – but perhaps more importantly it will help to raise awareness of the importance and understanding of the issue of mental health. With mental health affecting one in four of us – and loneliness being as damaging to physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day – this is a serious issue which needs to be openly discussed and supported.

The EPIC staff engagement group have also joined in to try and beat the 130 miles, but on exercise bikes located in Trowbridge, Chippenham and Salisbury hubs. I wish everyone taking part – in whatever form – the very best of luck! Please do pledge your support by visiting the donation page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bustard-ride-wiltshire.

Jane

Maltings reopens and a personal achievement

Hello,

Last week saw a significant milestone achieved in the recovery of Salisbury. The walkway and shops in the Maltings shopping centre, reopened to the public over the Bank Holiday weekend and people can now access the city centre from Central Car Park through the Maltings, and support the shops and businesses that have started to reopen.

The site has been thoroughly cleaned following the incident almost three months ago, to ensure that any traces of nerve agent found have been removed by specialists. Working with Salisbury City Council and the Maltings Shopping Centre team we pulled out all the stops to make improvements to this site including brickwork repair, grass cutting, painting and routine maintenance so that it could reopen for the holiday weekend.

It has always been a priority to reopen this main economic thoroughfare, which takes visitors and shoppers from the main car parks to the city centre past the shops in the Maltings that have been directly affected. We hope that people will now visit and support the businesses that were affected and their patience and stoicism during the investigation and clean-up work has to be commended. This reopening reflects the hard work of all the local and national partner agencies who cleaned the site to enable it to reopen and is a big step forward in getting Salisbury back to normal.

On another milestone – but this time a personal one - I am a firm advocate for new challenges and for pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

Last week I did just that and completed my first ever wing walk in aid of Hope for Tomorrow!
I’ll admit to being a little nervous beforehand – and, who wouldn’t be? – But I have to say being strapped to the wings of a plane and 1,000 feet in the air was the most exhilarating experience - and one I would love to do again and would recommend to anyone given the opportunity.

I’m told that more people have climbed Everest than done a wing walk - so I am delighted with my achievement. My thanks go to all of you who pledged support – if you would still like to do so, my fund-raising page can be found online.

So far my five friends and I from the Wings of Hope fundraising team raised more than £16,000, and there is still money coming in.

Hope for Tomorrow is a charity I have supported for many years, and I was pleased to be able to give back a little to an organisation that gives so much to others and to do something new and challenging and feel that sense of achievement.

There are a few pictures here, and you can also watch a short video.

Jane

Salisbury is recovering

I’m pleased to say that slowly but surely Salisbury is starting to recover. The clean-up of the nine sites potentially affected is well underway and it never ceases to amaze me how flexible and accommodating that people are when faced with the most challenging circumstance.  Wiltshire Police and council staff based at Bourne Hill relocated to vacate the new extension almost two weeks ago and the impact to service users was seamless. This was due to the positive attitude and flexible approach adopted by all concerned and I would like to say thank you. The demonstrable resilience is a credit to all of you and to both organisations. In the circumstances we had to displace some wedding parties and the patience shown by these parties reflected their understanding of what Salisbury has faced and the need to make sacrifices for the greater good and recovery of the city.   

This month – and it’s now May – is a month of events and celebrations – and in my view we all need a little of that right now!

Salisbury Live, which starts this Friday (4 May) and runs until 1 June, is a city-wide celebration of live music and offers five weekends of free live gigs in venues across Salisbury – in total there are more than 100 different acts in 20 venues. From pop,rock and blues to jam nights, there’s something to suit all tastes; download the full programme.

The Royal Wedding on 19 May, will see the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral turn red, white and blue as a free, fun-filled party to celebrate the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The event, starts at 9am and is packed with activities and live entertainment for the whole family to enjoy including a chance to write good luck messages to the Royal couple, and children’s craft sessions with Salisbury Cathedral and CBBC. And, of course, the ceremony will be broadcast live on a 50-foot screen.

Throughout May and June, the Cathedral is also hosting a major art installation, Les Colombes by multimedia artist Michael Pendry, which carries a message of resilience, peace and hope. The installation features a flock of around 2,500 white origami doves that ‘fly’ the length of the Cathedral nave – definitely worth a visit. 

And on 31 May as part of the recovery programme, Salisbury will host cycling’s Grand Final of the OVO Energy Tour Series. Working with Salisbury City Council we are supporting Britain’s leading televised cycle race series which will take place in Wiltshire for the first time, and will showcase Salisbury. This is a free-to-attend event and the race action from the 1.2k Salisbury City Centre circuit will be shown in two hour-long highlight programmes on ITV4 in the UK, as well as in over 100 countries worldwide. Previous competitors include four-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny CBE, Ed Clancy OBE (three-time Olympic champion) and Dame Sarah Storey, Britain’s most successful female Paralympian. I know a call out has been made to encourage volunteers to get involved and to help to marshal the event and I hope you will get involved as this is a real one-off event for Wiltshire and will be a really exciting evening with the races starting in the Market Place at 6pm.

And finally, can you believe that on Monday 21 May, along with five friends from my Wings of Hope fundraising team, I will be taking off from Rendcome Airfield in Gloucestershire on the top wing of a bi-plane to swoop over the Cotswolds at speeds topping 130mph to raise money for Hope for Tomorrow, a charity I have supported for many years. Hope for Tomorrow does an excellent job helping to provide cancer care closer to patients’ homes in mobile cancer units across the country rather than in a hospital and this makes a real difference to people’s lives at a time when they really need it. This Wing Walk experience will be a slightly daunting experience for me and something totally different that I never thought I would do – but, it will be well worth it if it helps to raise funding to support this great cause. If any of you would like to support me in raising as much money as possible for Hope for Tomorrow please pledge your support.

Pictures to follow! 

Enjoy May and celebrate a little…

Update on Salisbury

Following my previous blog, I am pleased to update that the recovery of Salisbury is now well underway and this week plans to decontaminate and clean-up sites affected were revealed and will be discussed at a community meeting in the city this evening.

I have to say that the response from the local community has been so positive given the circumstance that it has faced. The tolerance and resilience shown by everyone will be tantamount to the city’s recovery.

Last weekend I attended the special service at St Thomas’s and was heartened at the energy and passion expressed by so many local people. The reclamation of their city was both cathartic and needed as we move into the clean-up phase of recovery. I was both proud and humbled when thanks were passed onto the council and its staff at the service, for the support and work that’s being undertaken to help Salisbury return to normal.

There is no doubt that it will take some time before things are fully back to normal, but it’s so encouraging to hear that many local businesses and community leaders have said that this is an opportunity to build on the incident and showcase what the city has to offer to a worldwide audience both now and in the future.

For a short period of time both Wiltshire Police and council staff will need to move out of the new building at Bourne Hill offices. This is to allow the clean-up team to carry out the work that’s needed. Services will be relocated during this time and staff were only informed yesterday and have been exemplary in their response; both understanding and can-do and reflecting the community of Salisbury in helping its recovery.

It’s at times such as this extraordinary event in Salisbury that you realise how people come together and respond to what’s needed.

This community bonding at every level whether that’s businesses, community groups, staff working with other teams, partners and national and local agencies that relationships are formed and common goals become the focus.

There is no doubt in my mind that the focus in Salisbury is to get back to normal and its getting there…

Wiltshire needs this beautiful city to thrive and continue to be an anchor for local, national and international visitors. I am totally confident that given the tangible unity and approach across the city that this is happening.

Salisbury is being reclaimed and returning to be even better.