PRIORITIES to improve the community have been identified in the Westbury Area Community Plan. Key issues for action include encouraging healthy lifestyles, lobbying against car parking charges, and protecting the landscape with an Area of Natural Beauty.
In January, around 100 people from across the community attended a ‘Westbury Forward’ event. The event was held to address the findings of the Joint Strategic Assesment (JSA) for the area, and gave people the opportunity to discuss and debate how the area can move forward. Now, the comments from this evening have been compiled into a working document, the Westbury Area Community Plan, compiled by the BA13+ Community Area Partnership with consultation and research in the area. The BA13+ Community Area Partnership say, “The purpose of this plan is to help groups, service providers, the Westbury Area Board, and Wiltshire Council to tailor their services more specifically to Westbury and the surrounding villages’ needs, as well as provide a guide for community groups and individuals who want to contribute to the community.” Key issues and aspirations identified in the document include: For arts, leisure and culture: • Addressing a campus development • Keeping the town’s facilities open by encouraging people to use them. For children and young people: • Focusing on low-achieving children and young people by raising aspirations and using collaboration between schools and other services. • Focusing on intensive work with pre-school children. For community safety: • Communication and engagement with the community, and instilling a sense of responsibility. Economy, jobs and skills: • Improving infrastructure, which could be addressed by looking at both new and existing sites, improving transport links and access, and enabling sustainable growth through planning policies. • Focusing on young people, by encouraging the development of skills, job clubs, apprenticeships, work experience and internships, training and mentoring, and business clubs. Environment: • Protection of the landscape via an Area Of Natural Beauty (AONB). • Improving water quality by asking for further testing and data. • Reinstate farm at Lafarge • Encourage pride in the area through work with schools on environmental awareness. Health and wellbeing: • Changing lifestyles to encourage healthy wellbeing. Suggested actions include improving education and re-education; encouraging allotments; PSHE specialists in schools; and encouraging health checks. • Single telephone number for health-related enquires; and easy to access information about services available. • More mental health services for all • Better co-ordination for health and social care. Housing: • More affordable homes • Assessment of housing needs. • Creating resilient communities. Transport: • Reduce car parking charges, by lobbying to get Westbury in the lowest band. The working document will be updated regularly as projects progress and new priorities are identified. To obtain a full copy of the plan, or to comment or get involved with projects, please contact ba13. partnership@live.co.uk
