Trevor Carbin Liberal Democrat

"It's expensive and inconvenient. Us important people know what we're doing so there's no need for you little people to worry your heads about anything."

There's a kerfuffle at WC following the Conservative leader's decision to cancel the council meeting scheduled for July 19.

Full Wiltshire Council meetings don't happen very often, but when they do they give back-bench councillors of all parties an opportunity to initiate debates and to ask questions of the Administration.

Wiltshire traffic wardens have already taken two days of strike action, and a further 7 days of strikes are planned from 30^th June.

Unlike some other strikes currently in the news, Wiltshire council staff are not in dispute to gain a pay rise, but to prevent a pay cut. Despite some misinformation from the council, the removal of 10% unsocial hours (20% in the case of social workers) would be a reduction of their contractual basic pay, and therefore in both fact and law, a pay cut.

Wiltshire Council is notoriously bad at providing infrastructure which would be genuinely useful for people wanting to get around on foot or on cycles, with highways engineers and politicians suffering from a car-based mindset. However the government is leaning on local authorities to be more active, and is promoting Local Cycling and Walking Plans (LCWIPs), as a way of forcing them to do so. Those who produce good plans will get money to implement them; those who don't won't.

Wiltshire Council wants to spend £27million so drivers can get through Chippenham's M4 junction more quickly.

The junction, which links the motorway network and the A350, A429 and B4122, was last modified in 2018, when traffic signals were installed on the slip roads. However, further improvements are required.

Wiltshire Council will be delivering its Holiday Activity and Food (FUEL) programme again this summer. The programme provides eligible children with food and activities during the school holidays.

The FUEL programme is paid for by the Department for Education and will run for four weeks during the summer holidays from 1 August to 25 August. Eligible families will be able to sign up through their schools.

Or in legalese: "To remove from the Orders the exemption from charging for disabled badge holders, invalid carriages, vehicles in lieu of invalid carriages and drivers with a severe disability issued with a note from Wiltshire Council."

This is part of a series of measures to increase parking charges in the county, some of which require traffic orders. The consultation closed on May 23. Most of those responding strongly opposed the measure, so the WC administration will introduce the new charges shortly.

In the early stages of Covid 19, the government's policy of shifting infected people out of hospitals into Care Homes turned them into killing fields. As well as the direct reduction in numbers this meant that other people were reluctant to make the move into a home. A report to Wiltshire Council's Health committee explains the problem, and the effect it's having on the industry.

The collection days don't change over the Jubilee bank holiday, so please put your bins out on your normal collection day if they are due to be emptied during this period.

However, there is disruption to waste and recycling collection due to staff shortages, so if your bin is not emptied when it should be, just leave it out.

Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) will be open as normal.

Independent reports commissioned by Wiltshire Council have stated the local authority is in a strong position to meets its carbon neutral commitment by 2030, but the county as a whole needs to do more.

Independent consultant the Anthesis Group, specialists in providing support and expertise to organisations looking to be as sustainable as possible, provided the council with a detailed technical study of its, and the county's, climate ambitions,. This has provided the council with a clear picture of the way forward and the progress made so far.

Wiltshire Council thought there was going to be a shortage of pre-school places in Corsham, so on behalf of a provider they spent £46,000 to convert a room in Springfield Leisure Centre. But in fact there is plenty of capacity locally so it wasn't needed, and may have to be de-commissioned, which would cost a further £14,000.