News

Do you have a query about your water bill, how to save water and prevent blockages, or your water and sewerage services?

@wessexwater will be holding drop-in sessions at Chippenham Library on Monday 18^th November 2024 to answer all of your water related questions. The drop-in session will be run between 10am-11am, with bookable slots available between 11.30am and 2.30pm.

To find out more, visit: https://www.wessexwater.co.uk/community-drop-ins

Wiltshire Council has started the annual process of ensuring the county’s electoral register is up to date, which helps ensure you don’t lose your chance to vote on decisions that affect you.

Each household will receive at least one form of canvass communication (email, letter, or form) asking for confirmation of who lives at the address, to check who is eligible to register to vote.

Not all households will receive an email, letter or form at the same time. The form or email will have clear instructions as to whether each household needs to reply.

Emails will be sent this month to those people the council has email addresses for, with forms posted to relevant people from September.

The quickest and easiest way for you to confirm details on the Electoral Register, once you have received the instructions, is by using the secure online system atwww.householdresponse.com/wiltshire and the security codes provided on the email or letter. Wiltshire Council may email more than one person in the same household, but only one person from each household needs to respond if necessary.

More information can be found at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/elections-annual-canvass.

Are you planning to study a vocational course, qualification or undertake an apprenticeship from September?

Wiltshire Community Foundation offers grants to young people in Wiltshire and Swindon who need support with the costs of studying vocational subjects such as business, engineering, IT, health and social care, hairdressing, beauty, childcare, cookery, plumbing, construction, electrician and many more……

Grants of up £1,000 are available to support the cost of books, resources, equipment, study/field trips, IT and software, and travel.

To learn more or to apply for a grant visit our website here or use our online application form: Vocational Grant Application Form.

Wiltshire Police is urging anyone who has concerns about the safety of public places in their area to report it via a dedicated service.

StreetSafe allows people to report any issues like poorly lit streets, abandoned buildings, or vandalism, as well as instances where they feel unsafe due to someone following or verbally abusing them.

This is completely anonymous and takes no more than a couple of minutes.

By completing the report police can target the main areas of concern and work with partners to make the county a safer place to live.

Click on this link for further information StreetSafe Wiltshire | Wiltshire Police

Click on the link to report:  StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk).

Wessex Water is upgrading Milbourne Water Treatment Centre to improve reliability of the water supply to customers. This work will involve installing a new booster pump station to ensure supply to all customers in the event of an unplanned issue at the treatment centre.

Work will start on Tuesday 28 May 2024 for approximately four months and the upgrade will take place without interruption to local water supplies.

All the work will take place within the existing site which is near Monks Park. Some work may be visible during construction and there will be additional traffic using the access track to the site.

There may be some noise disruption while this work is carried out, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.

Water supply services can be used as normal unless advised otherwise.

Wessex Water will shortly be writing to local customers to advise them about this work and a copy of the letter can be accessed on the link below.

Please scan the link to complete an online survey being run by Wiltshire Council.  The aim is to gather information about what local people feel are the important themes and priorities for their area. The short survey asks people to choose their key themes and then, for their top three, tell us further detail about those issues. It shouldn’t take any longer than 10mins to complete.

The responses will help to inform Wiltshire Council’s planning for the coming years and also help to shape Malmesbury Area Board’s priorities for the coming year. They really want to hear about the issues that are important to local people so they can channel resources into making changes where they’re wanted.

Please click on the link below to read the most recent Force update from the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police.

L-R: Jilly Rice, Emma Rice, Roger Budgen, Chair St. Paul Malmesbury Without PC, Martin Rice, David Hide, Chairman MLOF, Ray Sanderson.

Milbourne, in St. Paul Malmesbury Without, is the latest local parish council to receive a life-saving defibrillator from the Malmesbury League of Friends (MLOF).

The defibrillator is installed in an old telephone box in Milbourne Lane and has been dedicated to former local resident Phil Rice, who sadly passed away last year. He had been a MLOF trustee and was very active in the local community.

21 local parish councils have already received funding from MLOF to install defibrillators in their villages and others are still considering the offer from MLOF for funding towards their installation.

Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) have been described as the single most important development in the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest. Designed for use by untrained lay persons, they have improved the outcomes of literally thousands of people who have suffered from cardiac arrests.

MLOF chairman David Hide said: “We are delighted to have worked with another local parish council to enable it to have access to this potentially life-saving equipment.”

St Paul Malmesbury Without Parish Council Chairman Roger Budgen said: “We are very grateful to MLOF and to be able to dedicate the defibrillator to Phil Rice, a wonderful local resident who did so much for Malmesbury and District”.

You may already have seen some of the following press releases  Road safety campaign launched following the death of 13 people on Wiltshire's roads so far this year | Wiltshire Police and Road safety campaign 2023 | Wiltshire Police due to the increased number of people killed or seriously injured on Wiltshire’s roads.

The cost of living crisis means that many of us are finding it difficult to manage rising energy, food and other costs.  Malmesbury Town Council, Wiltshire Council and other local organisations have partnered together to provide a network of support and information to help people cope with the crisis.  You can download the advice on the link below. 

St Paul Malmesbury Without Parish Council

WESTPORT WARD

The Parish Council has a vacancy remaining from the May 2021 election for a Councillor, which will be filled through the process of co-option.

Co-opted Councillors have the same rights and responsibilities as those who obtain office through election. They are expected to attend the regular meetings of the Council and also to serve on a number of committees. All meetings are normally held on the 4^th Wednesday of the month. The role is varied and enables local people to use their skills and experience to enhance the work undertaken by the Council for the benefit of the community.

· Do you want to serve your Community?

· Do you have time or expertise which could benefit your Community?

· Do you want to make a difference to those around you?

· Are you concerned about your local area?

· Do you want to represent the views of local people?

If you would like to make a difference, and be involved in shaping the future of your local Community, why not step forward and apply to fulfil this role? All members of the community are welcome to apply.

If you are interested, please click on the attached expression of interest form.

If you would like more information, please contact the Clerk at clerkspmw@outlook.com or 07859 937917

To be able to stand for co-option to a local council, an individual must meet certain qualifications (by law), these are:

· Over 18 and a UK, Commonwealth, ROI, or EU Citizen and

· An elector for the parish, or

· For the last 12 months, have occupied land or premises in the parish, or

· Work in the parish (principal or only place of work), or

· Reside within 3 miles of the parish boundary

Please see attached leaflet for further information and an application form.