Trevor Carbin Liberal Democrat

Despite having declared a climate emergency earlier in the year, Wiltshire Council still sees more roads, more car-based housing estates and more 'growth' as the way forward. Here's the press release. Note the greenwash, in that a tiny fraction of the bid is for 'cycling and walking routes' , which will probably be inconvenient, unnecessary, or in the wrong places. Anyone can walk and cycle in and around Chippenham at the moment.

The result of the by-election held on Sept 19th was:

Alan Rankin, Lib Dem, 587

Suzanne Wickham, Con, 778

There was a 14% swing from Con to LD. Turnout was 38%

Should people in Mere be allowed to take a safe and convenient short cut from The Square across a private car park to North Street? The route avoids Manor Road, where danger from motorists is a concern for residents. The owners of the properties say it shouldn't become an official footpath, whereas the town council and many people who've used the route over the years say it should.

Wiltshire Council's 'cabinet' initially decided to close the Children's Outdoor Education sites at Oxenwood and Braeside. Following a public outcry it subsequently deferred the closures until at the latest January 2020 to allow for negotiations and possible transfer arrangements to be made.

An 'Outdoor Education Task Group' was set up, and this group was instrumental in getting a change of heart from the administration and an agreement to look at alternatives to outright closure and disposal of the sites.

The revised application for a hotel, gym and library in Salisbury's Maltings has been unanimously approved by the Strategic Planning Committee.

The plans, submitted by developers Janus Henderson, include the demolition of the existing building on the former British Heart Foundation store at 30-36 Fisherton Street and the construction of a new building that will accommodate a library and separate gym on the ground floor, and an 86-room hotel on the first and second floors.

Whilst the headlines have focused on the tumultuous events in Westminster, last week marked an important moment in Brussels as the MEPs returned to the Parliament. Since their election, our Liberal Democrat MEPs have been at the heart of the action in the European Parliament and leading the campaign to Stop Brexit.

In an open letter to MPs, three Health organisations - The King's Fund, the Health Foundation and Nuffield Trust, - have summarised the areas where the impact of a no deal Brexit could be felt most sharply in health and care.

These are:

One: Staffing. The current problems would be exacerbated by emigration, financial uncertainty, and the 'hostile environment' towards foreigners.

A planning application has gone in for a new 'Community Policing Hub' on the site of the old training centre on The Avenue.

The current copshop on Station Road, described as 'one of the oldest and most dilapidated buildings on the police estate', would be sold.

The new facility would simply re-use the training centre building and car park, with a few changes to the structure plus the installation of a perimeter fence. The building would be in use 24 hours a day, with officers working in shifts.

A couple of years ago Wiltshire Council decided to register land in Wootton Bassett as a Town or Village Green (TVG). The owners of the land, Cooper Estates, claimed the council was wrong to do that because the site was within the town development limits, and the law says you can't register a TVG if the land is allocated for development.

The good news here is the possibility of improving the town for pedestrians and cyclists - Trowbridge is a lousy place for cycling at the moment with only a few derisory and inconvenient tracks. It's unlikely there'll be much improvement as WC doesn't recognise the problem, but there is at least some hope.