OurCommunity Plan

The Stonehenge Community Area Including the parishes of: Allington, Amesbury, Bulford,

Cholderton, Durnford, Durrington, Figheldean, Firsdown,Idmiston, Milston, Newton Tony, Orcheston, Shrewton,Tilshead, Wilsford, the Winterbournes, and Woodford.

2004-2009

Stonehenge from the east © Salisbury District Council/Steve Day

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The South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance is apartnership of the public, private, voluntaryand community sectors in Salisbury andSouth Wiltshire.

Its mission is to work together to create “asafe and caring place, where it is easy to getabout and where value for money servicescontribute to a high quality of life andenvironment, with equality of opportunity forall”. The following strategic priorities havebeen adopted for 2004 – 2009:

● Access to services (including rural transport)

● Affordable housing

● Crime and anti-social behaviour

● Alliance partners as exemplary employers(healthy workforce, green organisations, basicskills for all employees).

Our community,Our vision

● Churches Together● Council for Voluntary Service● Environment Agency● Government Office for the South West● Learning and Skills Council (Wiltshire

& Swindon)● Salisbury College● Salisbury District Council● Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust● South Wiltshire Action against Poverty

● South Wiltshire Economic Partnership● South Wiltshire Primary Care Trust● The Army● Wiltshire Association of Local Councils● Wiltshire Constabulary● Wiltshire County Council● Wiltshire Fire Brigade● Wiltshire Racial Equality Council● Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

www.southwilts.com/site/swsa

South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance partners

Great Durnford

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The most vital part of any consultation is tolisten. The diagram on page 4 explains some ofthe ways in which we listened to you inproducing this plan. In 2003, the SouthWiltshire Strategic Alliance distributed aCommunity Questionnaire to 49,000households across the district. 37% werereturned, of which 4,164 were from yourcommunity area. The results from thequestionnaire showed your priorities across thearea and these were:

1. Looking after the Roads

2. Vandalism & Anti-Social Behaviour

3. Reducing Crime

4. Cleanliness of Roads, Streets & Open Spaces

5. Activities and Facilities for Teenagers

6. Housing Local People can Afford

Many people also took the time to writecomments about the specific issues that werecausing concern under those headings.

We also used:

● Information from previous communityplanning workshops.

● Information from a panel of local residentsknown as ‘People’s Voice’ and from a panel

of young people known as ‘Tomorrow’sVoice’.

● The Northern Area Young Persons’ Reportwhich highlighted a wide range of issuesaffecting them. It was produced in 2003 as aresponse to a questionnaire distributed inthe streets, youth clubs, libraries, and schools.

● The Amesbury Vision Statement.

● Networking, which included meetings withparish, district and county councillors, theNorthern Area Committee, and discussionswith groups, representatives fromorganisations, as well as individuals.

● Data from Council Tenants aspiration surveyin September 2004

planHow this was put together

contentsHow we listen to you 4

What is the Community Plan? 5

The Stonehenge Community Area 6

Planned future developments 8

What has been done so far 9

Issues and Action Plans 10-23

Useful contacts and map of the area 24

Printed on recycled paper. December 2004.

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How we listen to you

The People’s Voice

Northern Area Committee(Salisbury District Council)

Community questionnaire

Young People in Amesbury,Bulford, Durrington – a Report

The Amesbury Vision Statement

Village Design Statements

Village Plans

The Amesbury Town Plan

The Northern Area Safety Group,incl. Tenant Participation Panel

Working Group Meetings

Networking

CommunityPlan

How we are consulting

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What is theCommunity Plan

The Community Plan publishes the results ofwhat local people want to see and it sets outpriorities for action to improve the quality of lifein our community area.

This Plan will:

● Help us to identify our priorities, needs,concerns and aspirations

● Influence partner organisations of theAlliance to address local priorities andpromote projects that are a direct responseto local needs

● Lead to the appropriate action to meet theseneeds and priorities

● Provide valuable data for attracting externalfunding for specific projects

● Help community groups by showing what isbeing achieved and how the partnerorganisations can support their work.

● Stimulate interest and involvement increating stronger and better communities inour area.

If our Plan is to succeed, then it willdepend on you becoming involved.Your contribution is extremelyimportant to the success of this plan.

Actions that need to be takenforward by the community havebeen highlighted in the action planby a k symbol.This plan is not the end of the consultationprocess. Work will continue around specifictarget groups, topics and geographical areas asnecessary.

In particular, we recognise that we haveprobably not fully addressed the needs of lessaccessible groups. Work to remedy this iscontinuing, and priorities and actions will bereviewed in light of this.

In addition to the work that has been carriedout at community area level, Local Parish Plansand Village Design Statements are currentlybeing developed in Durrington and Porton(including Idmiston and Gomeldon).

Amesbury has also received funding from theMarket and Coastal Towns Initiative to producea Town Plan. These local plans will help usbetter understand ‘real’ local community needsas well as highlighting key needs andaspirations. By the time this Plan is reviewed infive years’ time, we hope that many moreparishes will have a Local Parish Plan.

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This stretches from the slopes of SalisburyPlain to the outskirts of the city of Salisbury. Allof the community area except Firsdown iscovered by the Northern Area Committee ofSalisbury District Council. A map of the area isincluded on the back cover of this plan. TheNorthern Area Committee also covers thefollowing seven parishes which are in theWilton Community Area: Berwick St John,Great Wishford, South Newton, Stapleford,Steeple Langford, Winterbourne Stoke andWylye.

Our area includes the World Heritage site ofStonehenge, evidence of our Community’sancient and mysterious past, as well as some ofmost modern research facilities in the countryat Boscombe Down and Porton.

The original settlements were along the threeriver valleys – the Till, the Avon, and the Bourne– and it is only comparatively recently that therehave been developments away from the valleys,with the creation of garrisons at Bulford andLarkhill, the airfield at Boscombe Down, andvery recently, light industrial development atSolstice Park and housing projects at BoscombeDown and Butterfield Down.

Amesbury is the main urban centre with arange of shops and services. It is the secondlargest settlement in South Wiltshire.Durrington and Bulford have grownconsiderably in size in recent years.

Commuting into Salisbury seems to be evenlymatched by residents travelling north toemployment in the military establishments.

The Ministry of Defence has considerableinfluence on our Community, with largeestablishments at Boscombe Down, Bulford,Larkhill, Porton Down, and WinterbourneGunner.

In the 2001 census, the population of our areawas 30,143, which is larger than most Wiltshirecommunities. The Community Area has ayoung population, with just 14.7% of thepopulation over the age of 65 (Wiltshireaverage is 18.9%) and 21.7% under the age of16 (Wiltshire average is 20.5%).

The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 showsthat the Community Area as a whole is not verydeprived. It has two wards just in the mostdeprived 25% in the County and two wards inthe least deprived 25%. Although theCommunity Area has no wards that are

StonehengeTheCommunity Area

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especially deprived, it has few that are veryhighly ranked either. However, Amesbury hasthe third worst score (out of 137 wards inWiltshire) on education, skills and training. TheWoodford Valley comes sixth in Wiltshire forlack of access to services and the Till Valleycomes eighth in Wiltshire for access to housing.

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) provides anoutreach facility in Amesbury on two days aweek. This is based in the old health centre,next to the library, and provides clients withfree debt and benefits advice.

A detailed socio-economic profile of the areahas been prepared by Wiltshire County Counciland is available onwww.intelligencenetwork.org.uk

The Community Area has many advantages

that make it a good place in which to live andwork:

● It is an area of great natural beauty, rangingfrom the tranquillity and charm of the rivervalleys to the open rolling downlands ofSalisbury Plain

● There is much of archaeological andhistorical interest, including the AmesburyArcher, Durrington Walls, Figsbury Rings, theKing Barrows, Stonehenge, Woodhenge, andVespasian’s Camp

● Compared with the rest of the country, it isone of the safest areas in which to live andwork and we have one of the best levels ofhealth

● The unemployment rate is low at 2.14% andnew developments in the area will open upfurther opportunities for economic growth.

Solstice Park will be one of the largest business parks in the South

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Amesbury is considered to have potentialfor significant economic growth in the next tenyears and more. Two major sites are proposedfor economic development in the area atSolstice Park and the Salisbury ResearchTriangle.

At 160 acres (65ha), Solstice Park will be one ofthe largest high-quality mixed-use businessparks in the south of England, and already hasthe benefit of planning permission. Solstice Parkwill be a fundamental driver in the plannedexpansion of the local economy, whosepopulation is expected to grow by nearly 10%in the next 10 years. Solstice Park lies betweenthe A303 and Amesbury.

The construction of an all movements junctionand bridge on the A303 at Folly Bottom wascompleted as part of this new development inMay 2004. The site requires extensive structurallandscaping – more than 50,000 tonnes ofchalk is being re-distributed on the site. SolsticePark will include industrial and office uses, plusa 140 bedroom hotel, petrol filling station andrestaurants.

The Salisbury Research Triangle (SRT) is

centred on the three research and developmentestablishments at QinetiQ Boscombe Down:

● the aircraft test and evaluation centre formilitary aircraft and associated equipment

● the Health Protection Service (HPS) at PortonDown which studies micro-organisms andhealthcare

● the Defence, Science and TechnologyLaboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down which hasan international reputation in the field ofchemical and biological technology.

As part of the development of the SalisburyResearch Triangle, 5ha of land is allocated atPorton Down for the first phase of a new buildBioScience Centre, to be used by companiesrequiring the co-locational benefits of thespecialist facilities and expertise available atPorton Down: biotechnology, healthcare andpharmaceuticals. DSTL plans to transfer 850jobs to Porton Down by the end of 2007.

Major improvements are planned for theStonehenge World Heritage Site, withdiscussions underway for a multi-million poundheritage centre. A decision on whether a £200million road tunnel should be built past thestones is pending.

Plannedfuture developments

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What has been doneSince the first Community Plan was produced in1999, our Community has:

1. Established a Safety Group for theCommunity Area that meets regularly and hassuccessfully addressed a number of issueswithin our area.

With funding from the Community SafetyPartnership and Amesbury Town Council, theGroup has purchased 50 doorstep cameras andinstalled them in the homes of elderly andvulnerable people. More cameras are to bepurchased and installed in other areas. Fundingto put in 30 security lights is also available.

It has helped establish an Alcohol Free Zone inAmesbury which has resulted in a decrease inalcohol-related incidents. Amesbury, Bulfordand Durrington Councils have encouraged localshops to join forces in not selling alcohol tothose aged 21 and under.

2. Set up a group to consult with young peopleabout specific issues affecting them. Itproduced a detailed report in 2003

At the suggestion of a group of young people,and after consultation with them, DurringtonParish Council has provided a skate board parkwhich is now operational on the RecreationGround.

The following projects havebeen initiated in the Community

● Installed new zebra crossings in BoscombeDown and Durrington

● Designated Community Support Officerswho have been a valuable support to ourlocal police force in Amesbury, Bulford, andDurrington.

● Established a computer suite in the libraries

● Extended the length of stop of the ‘mobilelibrary plus’ to half a day.

● Improved drainage in the Till Valley andestablished a flood warden’s line

● Developed a new procedure in which theCommunity works with the PlanningDepartment to consider the viability of shopsin Amesbury before planning permission forchange of use is given

● Encouraged the Salisbury College OutreachLorry to be used across the area.

● Kidz Kamps held at Durrington SwimmingPool for young people aged 8-14 years.During the summer holidays 2004, 40participants took part in sports and games atboth Durrington Pool and Five Rivers LeisureCentre in Salisbury.

so far

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Transport

FootpathsWe would like new footpaths and cycle waysto be created. These include, among others:Gomeldon to Porton, Porton to Idmiston,Durrington and Bulford to Amesbury.

Existing footpaths and cycle ways need to beimproved and maintained.

Roads75.6% of residents in the area are dissatisfiedwith road maintenance (People’s Voice, 2003).

Uncontrolled on-street parking near schools isdangerous.

Speeding is still an issue in many parts of ourCommunity Area. Traffic-calming measures orother methods of controlling speeding needto be kept on the agenda (eg for Porton Roadin Amesbury which is used as a cut-through).

It has been identified that there is a clearneed for improvements of the road network,eg at Bulford and other crossroads.

Proposals have been put forward by theGovernment via the Highways Agency to dualthe A303, place it in a tunnel as it passesStonehenge and to bypass WinterbourneStoke. Salisbury District Council supports

these proposals for the improved transportinfrastructure they will provide, the relief itwill bring to the village of WinterbourneStoke, as well as it being an important pieceof the shared vision of returning theStonehenge monument to a setting morerespectful of its iconic world status.

Public TransportOver half of residents use the bus, a highproportion for Wiltshire. The Amesbury area isalready one of the best-served in the Countyand there is no additional funding availablefor new or more frequent services.

Concessionary fares are currently availableonly for the elderly and disabled. 38% ofyoung people claim that poor local transportstops them joining in local activities. The costof extending concessionary fares to childrenand young people county-wide is estimated at£2 million per year.

There is a need for a regular service toconnect the Park & Ride from the Beehive toSalisbury Railway Station, but the current five-year contract does not include links with theRailway Station. This issue can therefore onlybe considered on renewal of the contract.

What are the issues?

What is being done?

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FootpathsParish Councils and their localcommunities to work with WCC to:

● Identify where there is a clear need fornew footpaths and cycle ways, supportedby evidence.

● Feed priorities into consultation on theLocal Transport Plan.

Local communities to monitor thecondition of existing footpaths and cycleways and keep Parish Councils informed

of any problems.

RoadsWiltshire County Council Travelwise team towork with schools through school travelplans.

Local communities and police to identifyparticular spots where there is apersistent problem with speeding and

work with Parish Councils to ensure thatWiltshire County Council place theselocations on the list of schemes awaitingfunding for traffic calming measures.

County-wide target to reduce the number ofpeople killed or seriously injured on the roadsby 40% by 2010.

Public TransportWilts and Dorset bus company haveannounced plans to introduce an off-peakhalf fare pass for young people which willreduce costs for frequent travellers.

SWSA to work to address public transportissues as part of its priority to improve accessto services.

What will be done?

Wiltshire County Council (WCC) has acknowledged that road conditions in the area are poorand as a result has allocated extra resources to resurfacing of Holders Road, Antrobus Road,Parsonage and Highfield Roads in Amesbury. Many local roads in the villages have also hadrepairs and a surface dressing.

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What is being done?

Crime and community protection

Our Community Area is one of the safestplaces in the country, with just 57burglaries in 2002/03, equating to 1.9per 1,000 population (national averageis 8.4).

During the same period, there were 110vehicle crimes (or 3.6 crimes per 1,000population vs a national average of20.8); and 315 violent crimes (10.4crimes per 1,000 population vs anational average of 15.9). Violent crimesinclude minor assaults outside pubs lateat night as well as domestic violence.

Notwithstanding this, there is a fear ofcrime, especially among older residents.91.8% of residents feel safe during theday, but only 53.3% of residents feelsafe after dark.

People in this area feel that burglary(81.8%) and supplying hard drugs(76.9%) are the most important crimesfor the police to tackle.

53.3% of residents feel that anti-socialbehaviour and vandalism increased intheir local town centre or village during2003. This issue was the second highestpriority overall in the 2003 survey to allhouseholds.

The Northern Area Community Safety Groupworks to reduce crime and fear of crime inthe area.

The South Wiltshire Community SafetyPartnership:

● Has appointed an Anti-Social BehaviourReduction Officer who co-ordinates multi-agency responses to anti-social behaviourproblems

● Is funding Parenting Groups inAmesbury and engaging volunteers towork with families who need support.

The military police are working closely withlocal police to reduce anti-social behaviour bysoldiers, particularly on Friday and Saturdaynights.

See pp 16-17 for details of work being doneon drugs issues with young people.

The Salisbury Domestic Violence Forum israising awareness of domestic violence inrural areas as an important issue and ahidden crime, while recognising thedifficulties that victims/survivors have inseeking help and receiving services.

What are the issues?

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What will be done?More doorstep cameras and securitylights to be installed in the homes ofelderly and vulnerable people, allowing

callers to be screened. Local residents tohelp the police identify who would benefitfrom this equipment.

Support the appointment of moreCommunity Support Officers, subject toGovernment funding.

Wiltshire Fire Brigade to encourage greaterfire safety awareness by providing freeadvice to prevent deliberate fire setting andarson.

The extension of Alcohol Free Zones tomore areas.

Police and Parish Councils to review theeffectiveness of the new Licensing Act.

Northern Area Safety Group to expand itsrepresentation to include all parishes in thecommunity area.

The South Wiltshire Community SafetyPartnership is about to undertake trainingfor Parish Councils, Housing Officers,Community Beat Officers and other peoplewho will be able to tackle anti-socialbehaviour together. Crime prevention from a less caring era:

the old Jail at Shrewton

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Countryside

Encourage waste reduction.

Footpaths and open spaces to be keptclear of dog mess.

Keep the area clear of litter and recyclingcentres looking tidy.

Our Community Area is of nationalimportance for wildlife.

Salisbury Plain is the largest survivingsemi-natural dry grassland in theEuropean Union and therefore the mostimportant site for this habitat in the UK.It is both a Special Protection Area,safeguarding the habitat for rare andmigratory birds, and a Special Area ofConservation under the EU HabitatsDirective.

Porton Down, the River Avon andParsonage Down National NatureReserve are also important wildlife sites.

What are the issues?

Country haven: the Avon at the Woodfords

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What is being done?

and Land-based issues

Waste ReductionThere is a household recycling centre atMills Way, Amesbury.

Kerbside recycling of paper, cardboard,tins, glass bottles, organic garden waste,foil and textiles is now available inAmesbury and Durrington. Kerbsidepaper and cardboard collections willcontinue in those rural areas whichcurrently receive this service

Dog MessIt is now permissible to put suitablypackaged dog waste in litter bins.Salisbury District Council policy is not toincrease the number of dog bins in theDistrict due to high maintenance costs. Adog warden has recently been assignedto keep a check on the Nine Mile Riversite in Bulford.

What will be done?Salisbury District Council aims to recycle31% of household waste by 2010. Newmini-recycling centres will be set up invillages.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) is supportinghousehold waste reduction across theCounty and plans to work with communitiesto have one waste minimisation project inthe area.

Refurbiz is a pilot project repairing electricand electronic goods for low incomefamilies and is seeking funding to expand.

‘Rethink Rubbish Directories’ are localinformation guides on recycling, re-usingand reducing rubbish in an A to Z guide.

WWT is currently looking to produce aguide for Amesbury.

A review of street cleaning services acrossthe District will improve effectiveness by July2005. Salisbury district will continue to meetgovernment standards on street cleanlinessevery year (as measured by Best ValuePerformance Indicator 199).

One long-term community wildlifeproject to be identified by theCommunity, with support from Wiltshire

Wildlife Trust to implement the project.

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What is being done?

Children and Young People

Play facilities for younger children aremuch appreciated, but vandalism anddamage cause disappointment forchildren.

Young people are anxious about issuesaffecting them such as drugs, alcohol andbullying.

Young people are concerned about thelack of places for them to meet.

There is a shortage of people workingwith young people’s groups andsatisfaction with youth services is lowcompared with other Wiltshirecommunity areas.

Play FacilitiesPlay areas are currently inspected on a weeklybasis.

Drugs & AlcoholWiltshire Health Promotions co-ordinates thefollowing initiatives which educate youngpeople about the effects of drug and alcoholuse:

● Big Night Out drama presentation exploresalcohol and drugs issues in an appealingformat for secondary school pupils.Performances so far at Upper Avon Schooland Stonehenge School.

● Drugwise peer education project (Year 9) –Stonehenge School took part in the pilot.

● Life Education Centre stimulates primaryschool children to learn all about themselves,

What are the issues?

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including the impact of drugs and alcohol,in a high-tech mobile classroom. AmesburyInfants & Junior Schools and Christ the KingSchool have received visits to date.

Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership is workingwith the Youth Development Service to providedrugs education through dance workshopsand performances to young people in andaround Amesbury.

The Youth Development service has anagreement with the Teenage PregnancyStrategy Board to deliver sexual health projectsand provide advice and information to youngpeople.

Places to meetAs a result of concerns raised by the AmesburyYouth Forum, youth shelters will be erected onHolders Field and the Recreation Ground, and

the latter will include a skate park, subject toplanning permission.

Youth ActivitiesKidz Kamps at Durrington Swimming poolprovide activities for 8-14-year-olds during theschool holidays.

The Youth Service runs a youth work provisionwithin Amesbury Sports Centre and the YouthDevelopment Centre at Durrington.

The Youth Development Service providesoutreach work in Durrington for two evenings aweek and the centre is open one evening aweek.

The Locality Youth Work Team has plans towork with young people using Amesbury YouthCentre to encourage them to bring peers to thecentre (target is to increase contacts with youngpeople to a minimum of 25% of the localpopulation of 13-19-year-olds).

Continued overleaf ☞

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Children and Young People

Play FacilitiesNew play facilities to be put on sites clearlyvisible to the public. Police CommunitySupport Officers to patrol play areas toreduce damage through vandalism.

Places to meetDeveloper contributions are being sought toenable the building of a new communitycentre on the new estate south ofBoscombe Road in Amesbury. Work is likelyto start on the new centre in 2007/08. Aroom may be set aside for exclusive use byyoung people.

Community Planner to work incoordination with Parish Councils andWiltshire County Council to set up a

group to:

● Review existing facilities in theCommunity Area;

● Assess existing resources and establishfuture needs;

● Create suitable meeting places in, forexample, Amesbury, Durrington, Bulford.

Youth ActivitiesUsing external funding, the YouthDevelopment Service will recruit andmanage street Youth workers in the area.

Amesbury town plan and Durrington parishplan will review issues and seek ways toprovide new facilities.

Wiltshire County Council will increase itsprovision of Youth Development work atDurrington to 4 sessions per week by May2005.

In 2005/06, Salisbury District Council will:

● Develop an after-school programme atDurrington

● Support the Sports College & SchoolSports Co-ordinator Programme at UpperAvon

● Develop the multi-use Games Area(MUGA) at Durrington

What will be done?

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Clean open spaces for everyone to enjoy

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What is being done?

Housing and the Built Environment

There is concern about the continuedgrowth of housing developments thatdo not include appropriate amenities.This puts pressure on existing facilities.

Better community facilities needed inAmesbury.

People in Shrewton have indicated theneed for a new community centre.

Provide affordable housing for localpeople and ensure that this remainsaffordable when re-sold.

In September 2004, a survey returnedby 1,785 Council tenants in Durringtonand Amesbury highlighted thefollowing priority issues:

● off-road parking on estates (75.8%)

● maintaining open spaces (70%)

● anti-social behaviour (69%).

The Rural Housing Officer, based inCommunity First, is able to support localParish Councils in conducting localhousing needs surveys and identifyingpotential sites for rural affordable housingprovision.

Salisbury District Council encouragescommunities to promote Rural ExceptionHousing reserved for local people.

SDC is also committed to not placing anyhomeless household in bed and breakfast,unless there is absolutely no alternativeoption.

Salisbury District Council’s HomelessnessStrategy sets out how the councilsupports and advises customers withhousing problems.

In particular, its aim is to provide apreventative service by offering allcustomers assistance through the BackupService. For example, this provides helptowards rent deposits and rent inadvance.

What are the issues?

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What will be done?Village Design Statements and Parish Planswill be promoted to encourage appropriatedevelopment in the community.

Developer contributions are being sought toenable the building of a new communitycentre on the new estate south of BoscombeRoad in Amesbury. Work is likely to start onthe new centre in 2007/08.

Local people in Shrewton to set up acommunity centre action group, withassistance from the community planner.

Salisbury District Council’s Local Plan Policyand Supplementary Planning Guidance aims

to achieve up to 40% affordable housingrequirements on housing developments.Sites identified in the current plan shouldyield up to 138 more affordable homes inthe area by 2011.

SDC is about to consult on a draft DistrictWide Design Guide which seeks to greatlyimprove the quality of new buildings acrossthe district.

Both previous Community Planning exercisesand Best Value review of the planning servicehave highlighted the need to improve thequality of new buildings as a priority.

SDC aims to include up to 40% affordable housing on new developments

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What is being done?

The Economy

A need for an additional supermarket inthe area.

Preservation of the current commercialand retail outlets in Durrington. Bettershopping in Durrington and Amesbury.

Protect village shops and post offices inour community area to prevent furtherclosures.

Promote the use of local produce.

More broadband in villages.

The supermarket in Amesbury will beimproved. The local plan has allocated theRedworth House site for a largersupermarket. Terms have been agreed withthe current operator which will enable thenew supermarket to be opened by the endof 2005.

Shopping facilities in Durrington are notadequate and this issue will be addressedas a major part of the Durrington ParishPlan.

Parish Councils to monitor usage andsupport custom for their village shops andPost Offices. Salisbury District Council tooffer help and advice to those businesseslooking to diversify into tourism.

First local Food Festival held in Salisbury inSeptember 2004 to help and supportfarmers and local supply chains, due tobecome an annual event

SDC provides up to 100% relief onbusiness rates to general stores, PostOffices, pubs and petrol filling stations inrural settlements where the population isless than 3,000 and certain criteria aremet.

What are the issues?

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What will be done?SDC will promote farmers markets in Salisbury and other areas.

In 2005/06, the District Council will investigate means to strengthen its planning policy toaddress the continuing decline of shops and services in rural areas and in local centres suchas Durrington.

All exchanges in the area will be upgraded by February 2005 to enable access to broadband.

Protected species: village shops and Post Offices like this one in Winterbourne

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What is being done?Long-term PatientsThe Expert Patient programme – designedto empower patients to manage theirown healthcare – is currently holdingcourses in Salisbury. Where there isenough demand locally (16-18 patients),courses can be run in Amesbury.

Elderly & Disabled PeopleAge Concern provides support for elderlypeople leaving hospital by preparing theirhomes for their return and easing themback into home life through practical helpwith shopping, benefits, etc.

The Hospital Alternatives Team, workingwith District Nurses, seeks alternatives tohospital admission in order to avoidinappropriate use of acute hospital beds,a prolonged and unnecessary stay inhospital or inappropriate admission to acare home.

The establishment of new procedures to

Social care and Health

Improve access to NHS dental carewithin the area.

Help for long-term patients.

Elderly and disabled groups in ourcommunity area require active support.

What are the issues?

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help health and social care professionalswork together more effectively (SingleAssessment Process) will improve servicesto the elderly. Direct Payments willincrease the housing and care choices forolder people.

A new Carer’s Support Officer based atBoscombe Down will help improvesupport for carers of older people,including liaising with Link schemes.

The Community Planner can help bysetting up an action group involvingParish Councils that will:

● Assess needs of the elderly anddisabled in our Community Area,particularly those who are ‘hard toreach’.

● Give publicity to the work oforganisations working with the elderly ordisabled, such as the Stroke Club, theLink Schemes.

● Attempt to recruit more helpers wherenecessary.

What will be done?The Primary Care Trust will work withothers, through the General MedicalServices contract and initiation of aproject, to develop services which supportpeople with long-term conditions.

The Wiltshire Strategic Board aims forWiltshire to become the healthiest countyin England by 2012.

The South Wiltshire Primary Care Trust willtake over responsibility for dentistry from2005. As part of this new responsibility, itwill seek to improve access to NHS dentalcare in the area as a high priority. Qualityof NHS dental care will also be improved.

South Wiltshire Action Against Poverty toidentify social exclusion and poverty in ourcommunity and put in place measures toaddress them.

Wiltshire Fire Brigade to provide freeadvice and home safety checks ondomestic safety to encourage greater firesafety awareness.

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What will be done?

Culture

There is a need to gain more support formany community organisations in thearea.

Salisbury District Council would like tosee much improved visitor facilities builtoutside of the World Heritage Site.These should help aid interpretation andunderstanding of the wider WorldHeritage Site landscape, as well asproviding information on otherattractions and facilities in the district asa whole.

A local museum in association with thevisitors’ centre would be an asset for thecommunity.

There are 380 Ancient Monuments inthe area, including barrows, prehistoricearthworks and hill forts, a medievalvillage and Stonehenge.

Establish a ‘What’s on?’ guide or, whereone already exists, improve it. Possibly itmight extend to a small communitynewsletter.

District, Town and Parish Councillors towork with English Heritage to encouragethe inclusion of a Tourist InformationCentre at the Stonehenge visitors’centre.

There are major collections ofStonehenge artefacts at both Salisburyand South Wiltshire and Devizesmuseums. Both of these are supportedby the government. New museums arenot being encouraged by thegovernment. However, access to theStonehenge collection could be providedelectronically.

Rural Arts Wiltshire & the participatoryArts Workshops scheme will provide artsservices in the area in 2005-06.

A Wiltshire-wide partnership, includingWiltshire County Council, SalisburyDistrict Council, arts organisations, localgroups and businesses will deliver BigIdeas Mini Operas in Durrington in2005-06.

What are the issues?

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What will be done?

Education, skills and learning

More use needs to be made by thecommunity of school buildings andlibraries, both of which are a muchundervalued resource.

Promote the extension of library openinghours and facilities.

There is a need to increase learning anddevelop particular skills, but travelling toSalisbury College can be difficult andexpensive. Amesbury’s outreach facilityhas recently closed.

Using School BuildingsThe Extended Schools programme will developschools facilities for evening and weekend use bythe community. Schools can be used for physicalactivities and community cafés to reduce isolationand improve health.

Using LibrariesThere are plans to develop Amesbury library in thesame way as Mere library, using it as a one-stopshop for services provided by WCC and SDC. TheTourist Information Centre has already moved intothe library area. This may provide an opportunityto extend opening hours.

Promote the extension of library opening hoursand facilities.

The Community Planner to work with theleader of the WCC Smart Place Project todevelop internet facilities via secure kiosks

placed in library foyers or other suitable places.

Local community to meet with the WCCLibrary service to agree a way forward for re-developing the Durrington library site. This is a

priority for replacement.

SWSA partners to investigate reinstallation of anoutreach facility for the Northern area as part oftheir work to improve access to services.

What are the issues?

If you would like more informationabout any of the priorities shown inthe plan or want to get involved in aproject, then please contact your

Stonehenge Community Planner

c/o The Partnership Team ManagerSouth Wiltshire Strategic AllianceThe Council House, Bourne HillSalisbury SP1 3UZ

Tel: 01722 434641

Email: swsa@salisbury.gov.uk

contact

www.southwilts.com/site/swsaThis booklet is available in large

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