Friday 25 May 2012

Hello everyone,

We’ve been waiting for this week for so long and it hasn’t disappointed! On Tuesday and Wednesday the Olympic Torch Relay passed through seven of our communities and it was an incredibly proud moment for us all.

From Southwick to Royal Wootton Bassett our communities shone, and I’d like to thank everyone who worked hard to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. From the start we knew marshalling the route was always going to be very important as this is such a high-profile event and millions of people across the world were watching as the torchbearers carried the torch through our county. I’d like to thank our extremely professional staff and volunteers who cleaned our towns, managed the parking issues, marshalled the route and supported the towns and schools to deliver the most incredible and memorable event.

I was delighted to be invited to be part of the lunchtime stop at Clarendon College in Trowbridge on Tuesday. So many young people will have great memories of playing a major part in the Olympic Torch Relay.

I still can’t quite believe the thousands of people who lined the streets to support the torch and were part of showcasing their towns. The weather this week has been beautiful and our towns and communities looked fantastic and each of them had an atmosphere I shall never forget.

We now know what to expect when the torch returns to our county on July 11 and 12.  It’ll be more of the same as communities really embrace the spirit and show quite literally the world just what a great county Wiltshire is and we have another major event with the 2012 Festival of Celebration in Hudson’s Field on July 11 to celebrate the torch’s overnight stay in Salisbury. This will be a fun-packed summer event for the whole family. More acts have been finalised and Bjorn Again is the headline act. If you’ve been watching the Torch Relay evening events you will be aware of the big crowds turning out to watch the LOCOG concerts. We have estimated around 20,000 people and seeing the reaction to the Torch we think this will be about right. We will need a lot of support from many of you for these two days as we want this event and the Torch relay route to be another huge success for Wiltshire.

Even though July 11 and 12 seems a long way off the time will go very quickly and there is still a huge amount of work and planning that needs to be done.  I hope all of you that have been involved in working the events this year have found the experience enjoyable and a good opportunity to work with colleagues in a different environment.

I visited almost all of the towns on the route and had the biggest sense of pride. I was quite choked at how County Hall looked with hundreds of children picnicking and enjoying the entertainment on the lawn. It was great to see the building and grounds being used for the public – that’s how it should be.

I for one am so excited to welcome the Torch back in July and I look forward to seeing many of you as you help to keep our towns safe whilst everyone enjoys this once in a lifetime event.

Jane

Friday 4 May 2012

It’s been a busy but hugely exciting time since I last managed to sit down and write my last blog.

2012 – A Year of Celebration is in full swing and started in style with the fantastic Diamond Jubilee Celebration Event in Salisbury on Tuesday.

The day was a great success. It brought all the community areas together. I was incredibly proud that Her Royal Highness the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited eight of the medieval-style tents each showcasing one of our community areas. They both saw just how interesting our county is as they viewed everything from Pewsey’s Wiltshire-horned sheep to Westbury’s prehistoric sea reptile fossil!

We were overwhelmed by the number of staff who wanted to be part of this historic day and helped to make it run as smoothly as possible. I have to say a huge thank you to all of you who braved the elements and were there on the day. It’s a testament to the great job you all did that as I walked around Cathedral Close I saw so many happy, smiley and contented people in the crowds.  It was a long day but all the hard work from everyone involved was really appreciated.

It may have been torrential rain in the morning but as soon as the Queen arrived at Salisbury Train Station the sun came out and families from across the county attended and enjoyed everything from battle re-enactments to Morris dancing. It really was a very special occasion and one I, and I know thousands of others, will never forget.

This year is all about making memories and creating a legacy and this happened when Wiltshire communities came together to celebrate and showcase what they do so well. The event received huge media coverage and really put us in the spotlight.

There will be plenty more happening soon, as no doubt you are aware the Olympic Torch comes to Wiltshire in a little over two weeks and we have our festival of celebration taking place in Salisbury on July 11. There is so much still to plan and lots to look forward to.

We’re extremely privileged as the Olympic Torch is coming in and out of our county for two legs of its relay around the country. This will be another opportunity for us as a council to really showcase Wiltshire and all the great things it has to offer.

This week we were able to confirm Wretch 32 as LOCOG’s main headline act at the 2012 Festival of Celebration in Hudson’s Field. Now I can’t say I’m overly familiar with his music but I know a lot of people are really pleased he’ll be there.  You never know, after hearing his performance, I may be first in line to buy his new album! Already confirmed to perform at the festival are the Shine 4 Wiltshire winners the Salisbury Plain Military Wives Choir and the bands These Days and City Stereo. We’ll be confirming lots more exciting acts soon so please keep checking the festival website www.wiltshire.gov.uk/festivalofcelebration

Finally I’d like to say thank you for all of your hard work during this busy and important time for the county and I look forward to updating you again very soon.

Jane

Thursday 5 April

I am very aware that I have not blogged for a while and can only apologise and put it down to finding the space to reflect on what’s been happening and translate this into something readable and hopefully interesting and informative!

I can’t believe that in less than four weeks the Diamond Jubilee event in Salisbury will take place. Block out your diary on 1 May as we know following a recent meeting with all the communities across Wiltshire that this is going to be an event to remember. We invited all the community areas to update on their plans for exhibiting at this event and how they will promote what makes them unique and special. I have to say I was overwhelmed by their response. People are brimming with ideas about how to showcase their communities at the medieval themed event in Cathedral Close which will be packed with jousting tents, entertainment and activities.

A senior member or members of the royal family will also be attending the event and I am just so proud that they will get the chance to see what makes Wiltshire so very special.

This year is a real opportunity to showcase everything our city, towns and villages have to offer, promoting businesses and showing visitors just how great this county is – I can’t thank everyone enough for seizing this opportunity with enthusiasm and creativity.

The Diamond Jubilee event and the Olympic Torch Relay Route, which will be travelling through the county in May and July, means we will be in the spotlight this year. The torch route has been announced along with the list of torch bearers and the towns are planning how they will bring the route to life.

And the Festival of Celebration at Hudson’s Field in Salisbury on July 11 will be the culmination of the torch route. I’m sure many of you will be aware that the Salisbury Military Wives won the Shine 4 Wiltshire competition and will perform alongside LOCOG’s act as part of the entertainment programme. We will be announcing all the full line up of acts soon and it promises to be a great event for Wiltshire.

To make sure all the events are a success, we need support with marshalling and other key roles. I understand that the corporate leadership team has asked all the service directors to nominate 8 or more staff to be involved in the events. This will be a great opportunity to work alongside people you don’t normally get the opportunity to work with and to build some lasting relationships. I know you will enjoy the experience and your help is most definitely needed and vital to making this year a success!

Without a doubt the next four months are going to be very busy and exciting but we need to all recognise the impact these events will have on the economy. In these tough times we all need to use every available opportunity, and what better way than making sure the millions of people from across the world who will be tuning in to watch the Olympic torch route and the royal visits can see for themselves just how beautiful and vibrant our communities are.

Speaking of the economy ...we have had some good news; we found out we were successful in a bid for up to £4m funding to help create and support up to 450 new businesses in Wiltshire and Swindon. It was announced as part of the government’s budget. Swindon and Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership will be part of a pilot to support local people to start up new businesses, with a focus on military personnel and their spouses – we are very proud of our close ties with the military and this scheme is great news.

This just goes to show there are all sorts of innovative ways in which we can boost our economy; from securing multi-million pound grants to showcasing communities as the Olympic Torch followed by the world’s media visits.

I would like to talk a bit about our services and the steps we take to continually improve. We are a listening council.  We talk to a lot of people, organisations and businesses in so many different ways and we act on what is said. Last month Ofsted inspected our safeguarding and looked after children services. Councils don’t often talk about inspections before reports are published but I want too. These inspections are tough but absolutely necessary and we are determined to learn from this. We are awaiting the official report which will highlight areas where we need to make improvements, as well as parts of the service that we are doing well. We are already taking action to make improvements.

And...the campus programme, which will totally transform how services are provided in local communities, took another step forward when the planning application for the new Corsham Campus was submitted. This is a radical programme which will see key services brought together reducing our need for out dated and inefficient buildings. This will save taxpayers millions as well as improving services. The programme is about finding out what communities want and need and then supporting them in delivering it. Each campus will be as individual as the community it serves – we are listening to local people and empowering them.

More soon....I promise...

In the meantime, have a good Easter break everyone!

Jane.

Thursday 16 February

Is it just me or does time seem to go so fast these days! I can’t believe it’s already mid-February and that we’re about to set next year’s budget and that we’re only 78 days away from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee big event at the Cathedral Close in Salisbury and now less than 100 days away from the Olympic Torch coming into Wiltshire on its trip around the country.

The last two weeks have been especially busy as we completed the staff forums. The corporate directors and I met and talked to over 2,500 of you about the council’s plans and priorities for this year. It was good to take some time to reflect on the many achievements and tangible outcomes that we have delivered over the past few months. As a result of our good management we are in a position to propose a budget for next year that continues to invest money into key front line services and protect the most vulnerable in our communities.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t still have challenges and tough decisions to make, and that we will also need to continue to find efficiencies so that we can align resources where they are most needed.

Today my cabinet discussed and approved the proposed budget for next year (2012/13) and the key areas for investment. The proposals took into account the feedback from the recent budget consultation forums which we held across the county. Local people gave their views on where they would spend more money and make savings. A popular choice for additional spend was free swimming for the under 16s in the school holidays, and, as a result, I was pleased to propose at cabinet today proposals to reinstate this free swimming for the under 16s, particularly in light of the forthcoming Olympic Games and the need to continue to help combat obesity in Wiltshire children. We always regretted having to stop free swimming when the government withdrew this funding and I am delighted that we are in a position to reintroduce this vital service. The budget proposals will be considered by full council on February 28.

At cabinet today we also discussed and appointed a preferred bidder to develop the Central Car Park and Maltings site in Salisbury. This key redevelopment, which is located in the heart of the city centre, will totally reinvigorate the city and its local economy.

And...talking of Salisbury, we were also delighted to hear last week, from the Palace, that the Queen is planning to visit on the 1 or 2 May and the event we are planning for the 1st of May will be a huge opportunity for us to showcase all our communities and we look forward to welcoming her to Wiltshire. There will be a large event in the Cathedral grounds where all of our local areas have been invited to take part. The theme is democracy as the Magna Carta is held in the Cathedral and there will be a programme of entertainment reflecting medieval times and the wealth of Wiltshire.

With this event and the Olympic Torch Relay we are really going to be in the spotlight this year. We know the world’s media will be highlighting our county and we want to make sure that we use 2012 as a year of celebration and opportunity.

I just hope the time doesn’t keep going as fast as there is so much to do in the next 78 days! I am looking forward to working with some of you on this year’s events as we will need you to help in many roles to ensure we deliver the very best of Wiltshire.

Jane

Tuesday 31 January

Hello everyone and my sincere apologies that I literally ran out of time to write my blog last week! Last week was a really busy week as we delivered the first two budget consultation forums in Trowbridge and Devizes and staff forums for hundreds of staff in Trowbridge and Salisbury and the corporate awards event at Center Parcs.

The budget consultation forums are an opportunity for us to ask the public to make some tough decisions on where money should be allocated in next year’s budget. People attending were given a bag of balls (15 green and 15 red) each with a value of £100,000. The green balls they could spend on more or new services and the red where they would make savings from services to pay for the extra spend. The choices were interesting as we included offering free swimming for the under 16s in the school holidays, to reducing street lighting in community areas, to investing more into local projects or closing toilets. Participants were briefed to make sure that their spend and save had to balance. The initial results were interesting and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out of this week’s forums in Chippenham and Salisbury. The feedback will be incorporated into the budget report for overview and scrutiny and full council on 9 and 15 February.

It was good to see so many of you at the staff forums and to discuss our plans and the focus for this year. The new leadership team and I were pleased to answer your questions and to hear some of your ideas for improving what we do. I’m looking forward to seeing you at the forums this week in Devizes and Chippenham.

The highlight of last week for me was the corporate awards evening. It was both uplifting and inspiring to spend an evening with so many staff who were being recognised for the outstanding work they do. The evening was supported by a number of sponsors and they were overwhelmed by the diversity of what we do and the stories about individuals and teams and the impact they have had on the local communities in Wiltshire.

Some people question the need for these awards, but I have to say that in times of challenge and change it is the drive and hard work of so many of you that really makes a difference. The monthly awards for 2012 will be launched this week and I would encourage you to nominate your colleagues and give them the recognition they deserve for their hard work and commitment to making Wiltshire a better place.

I would just like to say a big thank you from me for the outstanding work that you do.

Jane

Tuesday 24 January

Last week was another interesting and varied week. You may have seen the media attention when we launched our online talent competition ‘Shine 4 Wiltshire’ and you are probably also aware that we decided the future of our Browfort and Bradley Road offices and Urchfont Manor.

The Shine 4 Wiltshire competition was launched with the help of a group of three year old ballerinas and talented gymnasts form the Melksham Gymnastics club and urban dancers. We had a lot of interest and to date 18 acts have been uploaded onto our YouTube channel. We will ask the community to vote on which of these acts they want to appear on stage at the 2012 Festival of Celebration, which takes place on July 11 at Hudson’s Field in Salisbury. It will be really interesting to see who gets chosen as they will support the headline act performing as part of the Olympic Torch evening event.

Exciting plans for 2012 continue to move forward - the 2012 year of celebration steering board, which I chair, also met last week and discussed plans for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee event in early May in Salisbury. The theme will be the Magna Carter and democracy. All the communities in Wiltshire have been invited to participate and showcase what makes them unique and special.
As I mentioned previously, my cabinet met and made some tough decisions. It was good to see so many members of the public at the meeting, who attended to hear the debate on the future of Urchfont Manor and to share their views on adult education. Others were there to ask questions regarding the core strategy and future plans for growth in our market towns.

You may be aware that we decided to close the Bradley Road and Browfort offices and create a new customer access point in the centre of Devizes. This will obviously have an impact on some of you and we will make sure that those of you who are affected are provided with regular updates.

We also approved the draft Wiltshire Core Strategy - a document that sets out the council’s plans for the development of employment and housing for the future and manages how our communities will change and grow, ensuring they continue to be both vibrant and sustainable. This will now go to Full Council in February where I expect and welcome more debate.

We also agreed to plans for an enhanced service for older people to help them live independently in their homes for longer. These decisions have a real impact on the lives of many local people and are part of protecting the most vulnerable in our communities.

The staff forums were also launched last week and it was good to talk and find out more about what’s important to you, to hear your ideas and to answer your questions. More staff forums will take place this week and I’m looking forward to seeing some of you there.

This week looks like being just as busy and varied as the last. I’ll be going to public budget consultation forums in Trowbridge and Devizes. We’ve made this an interactive meeting asking the public to make real and tough decisions about how they would spend an extra £1.5m on services in their areas, but also where they would save £1.5 m. Their feedback will help to influence next year’s budget.

And, on Thursday it’s the annual corporate staff awards ceremony. Congratulations to all those who have been shortlisted – this is your night. The event has been sponsored and it’s a real opportunity to celebrate the excellent work being carried out by so many dedicated staff. Well done!

Jane

Monday 16 January 2012

A very Happy New Year to you all, although it almost seems too late to say that as it feels a long time since the New Year was rung in!

We always said that 2012 would be a busy and exciting year and even though we’re only 16 days into the year this certainly seems to be the case.

Just last week, we met with all the towns that will have the Olympic Torch visiting them in either May or July and we heard about their initial plans and ideas. We were overwhelmed by the volume of activity being planned and the enthusiasm to use both the Olympic Torch route and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee as a real opportunity to bring communities together to celebrate and showcase what makes them unique and special. We are coordinating all these events and activities and it looks as though from May to August Wiltshire will be both celebrating in communities and together as a county at the big events planned in Salisbury.

This year is an opportunity for us to help these communities to celebrate, making it easy and safe and helping to showcase the talent and diversity that makes Wiltshire so special. Today we launch “Shine 4 Wiltshire”; where local bands, orchestras, choirs, entertainers and dance groups who live in Wiltshire have been invited to link to a YouTube video displaying their talent. The performance must be suitable for a family audience.

Entries will be placed on the council’s 2012 Celebration Facebook page, following the deadline of 26 February, for people to view and vote for their favorites. The act with the most votes will perform alongside a national headline that the Olympics Committee (LOCOG) will stage on the 11 July in Hudson’s Field in Salisbury. The headline act will be announced on 14 February, so I will update you all as soon as we know!

Cabinet meets tomorrow (17 January) and we will be considering the proposal to open a new customer access centre in Devizes – similar to the one on Milford Street in Salisbury. This will be easier for our customers and will help to increase the footfall in the town centre and hopefully help to boost the local economy. We will also consider closing our offices at Browfort, Bradley Road and Urchfont Manor. These closures are part of a huge programme to reduce our number of buildings and offices and save £750,000 each year, which can be reinvested into our key front line services.

Cabinet will also consider the Core Strategy at its meeting. This vital document sets out the council’s plans for development of housing and employment for the future and in particular sets out how our market towns will change and grow. I anticipate that we will have a lot of public attending for this discussion, including developers who have a vested interest in where we are planning future development.

I am really looking forward to seeing some of you this week, as we have the last managers' forum and the first of many staff forums that are scheduled for this month. The forums are an opportunity to meet the new leadership team and to hear the plans and priorities for the council both in the immediate future and longer term. Lots of questions and ideas were raised at the managers' forums which were held before Christmas, and I know that the team is looking at implementing some of the ideas. Your ideas are so important as we continually need to improve and deliver what’s right for the people of Wiltshire.

2012 will be busy, and it will be unique, as the two events; the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, are once in a lifetime occasions. I’m looking forward to us continuing to work with our communities to make sure that we do celebrate and reinvigorate that true sense of community spirit and that we leave a legacy and memories that people talk about for years to come about what a great year it was for Wiltshire.

Look forward to seeing you all soon,

Jane