LOCAL MP, Andrew Murrison, has welcomed Philip Hammond’s 2018 budget. He has been trawling through the Budget’s ‘Red Book,’ published last week, for opportunities for South West Wiltshire.
The MP said, “The big ticket items like NHS, tax bands and Universal Credit apply nationwide and are welcome. But it is often the smaller print allocations that can be used to local advantage.
“So, the announced cut in business rates and the investment in rejuvenation and diversification of high streets applies directly to Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster – and must be exploited. £8million on village halls is obviously welcome in rural Wiltshire as is the pothole cash, since Wiltshire has a very large number of both.
“I’m very pleased with the £25million announced for improving air quality. I now want to know how the new air quality money will help remediate Westbury’s Air Quality Management Area. I’m going to discuss how we can access the cash with the Environment Secretary and Wiltshire Council.”
