April 2005 April Community Plan Community Community Plan Community Westbury Area Westbury Westbury Area Westbury This document is printed on paper from sustainable source. Westbury Area Community Plan West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust If you would like to comment on this Community Plan, or become involved in supporting any of the areas identified, please contact the Westbury Area Community Assistant on 07837 359 523. Westbury Area Community Plan CONTENTS Page no. 1. Welcome and Introduction to the Westbury Area Community Plan 4 2. Strategic Themes and Key Actions 6-33 Education, Skills and Learning 6 Environment including Countryside and Land-based Issues 10 Transport 12 Crime and Community Protection 16 Westbury-under-the-Playne, as the town was Economy 18 once called, is situated below the vast chalk Social Care and Health 22 Culture 26 escarpment on the edge of Salisbury Plain. Housing and the Built Environment 30 On travelling eastwards towards Devizes one 3. Westburys Parishes - What you said 34 comes across the parishes of Bratton, Edington with Tinhead and Coulston. Dilton 4. Community Involvement listening, taking part Marsh stretches Westward on the other side and working together 36 of the town with Hawkeridge and Heywood 5. Taking the plan forward 37 on the northern side of the community area 6. Keeping the plan up to date 37 toward Trowbridge. The town and these parishes form the Westbury community area 7. Abbreviations and Glossary 38 and are all included in the Community Plan. 3 Westbury Area Community Plan 098 B3 1 A350 Colston Hawkeridge Heywood B3098 West Wilts Edington Trading Estate Bratton Welcome to Westbury Westbury White Horse Dilton Marsh Westbury Leigh the Westbury Area A3098 A36 Community Plan On behalf of the community planning partnership for Westbury, Funding for this project which has included establishing the I have pleasure in presenting the very first Community Plan for partnership, consultation and printing and distribution of the the Westbury community area. The plan has been developed plan, has been received from the Market and Coastal Towns after much consultation with people living in Westbury and the Initiative, Wiltshire County Council, West Wiltshire District Council surrounding villages. The work has been co-ordinated by Westbury and Westbury and District Community Development Trust. Many Area Action Group or WAAG, which is the community planning other organisations such as Westbury Town Council have partnership for the area. The partnership is made up from people contributed their time and support to the plan. Many individuals living in the area and many organisations including the County, have also given their time and commitment to the process. District, Town and Parish Councils, Westbury and District Community Development Trust, voluntary groups, the police, The plan is one of twenty community area plans which have been faith communities, youth representatives and schools. developed across Wiltshire. Each district also has a Local Strategic Partnership or LSP. West Wiltshire LSP will address The Westbury Area Community Plan addresses the needs and common issues arising from the Community Area plans from aspirations of the community in the Westbury area. The overall Westbury, Warminster, Melksham, Bradford on Avon and aim of the plan is to improve the quality of life by helping to Trowbridge. There is also an overarching partnership for Wiltshire create the community and environment that people would like called the Wiltshire Strategic Board who have produced a strategy to live in. It highlights where actions and improvements need called A County Fit for our Children. These three tiers will to be made. The aim of the plan is to make a difference and to work together to ensure that services are provided which are see real outcomes where it matters in the community. tailored to local need. The plan will help to direct the work of organisations and groups operating in the Westbury area so that their programmes of work reflect the vision, needs, and aspirations of the There are many priorities and ideas for projects in the plan which communities they serve. The have been identified through consultation with the people of Now we have County, District, Town and Westbury. These are detailed in section 2 from page 6. One of Parish Councils are signed up the most important themes that has emerged through consultation the priorities, to support community is how much people like the community they live in. People planning and the services they value the friendliness of Westbury and the surrounding villages the next step provide will be based upon and the beautiful countryside in which they live. the issues identified by is to work the community. Other Following the publication of the plan, WAAG and some of the together to organisations involved with organisations within the partnership will be developing project the partnership include plans for the priorities and seeking funding to implement them. make things local businesses, voluntary Wherever possible, the service plans of local authorities and other organisations, faith agencies will also incorporate the wishes expressed in this plan. happen. communities, the police and Implementing this plan will help to improve the quality of life schools. The plan will help to for people who live in the community area. Details about how inform the work of these this will be done are given on page 37. organisations. Also, new groups may be set up to work on particular areas of the plan. The plan will be reviewed and updated to ensure that the priorities Many of these projects will require funding from external agencies within it are being carried out and to ensure that it remains up such as the Lottery or grant-giving Trusts. Some of the projects to date and relevant to the people of Westbury. are short term and can be implemented within 1 to 3 years, or sooner. Some of the projects will be more long-term. A start I would like to thank all the people who have been involved in will be made on all projects as soon as possible. producing the plan including those who have responded to surveys. Your time and commitment is much appreciated. To make sure that as many people as possible have been involved in developing this plan, there have been numerous consultation Rev. Paul Richardson, events since the establishment of the partnership in 2002. You Chair, Westbury Area Action Group can see the details about participation in the plan on page 36. April 2005 5 Westbury Area Community Plan 6 Westbury Area Community Plan 2 2005 2010 Strategic Themes and Key Actions The current picture The Westbury community area has 7 Priorities and projects have been divided into 8 themes primary schools and a secondary for the Westbury Community Plan. These themes are school with a sixth form, Matravers, It would be also used by the Wiltshire Strategic Board and the West located in the town. good if there Wiltshire Local Strategic Partnership. It makes sense There are 2 independent special were more for Westbury to utilise the same broad themes so that schools for 16 23 year olds and one better linkages can be made to other partnerships and for 11 18 year olds. There is also a evening organisations. All of the issues raised within these branch of Wiltshire College in classes in the themes have been identified by the people of Westbury. Westbury town centre providing computer based and other courses. villages and the surrounding parishes. These are shown in detail A wider range of courses are available in the following pages. in Warminster and Trowbridge. Dilton Marsh, consultation Westbury has the 3rd lowest Education, skills and learning proportion of people with post 16 (This theme includes schools and further and higher education, qualifications (2001 census). It also has a lower number qualifications and training, adult education and lifelong learning) of people with degrees than the Wiltshire and National average and a lower number of professional categories. The Vision for the Westbury area is to ensure good quality education is available and to support and encourage lifelong learning. Included in this What you said vision is the need to raise the level of basic skills and One of the issues identified through consultation in to ensure that a wide variety of both formal and Westbury is that people would like to have more informal learning opportunities are available to all opportunity and choice in the range of both daytime members of the community, whatever their age or and evening learning opportunities available to them. background. Education and lifelong learning are Local centres such as Matravers school and the primary seen as crucial to the long-term growth and prosperity schools could be used more. of the community. Education, skills and learning - continued Your concerns What is happening The next steps Targets and milestones Partners involved Lower percentage Sixth form at Matravers School Increase support for Homework clubs set up in Library, WCC, WTC, obtain higher level Lifelong Learning Partnership homework clubs in library by end of 2005 parishes, Schools qualifications from Learn Direct library and in villages area NEETS for 16 19 year olds Library services Look at use of mobile Survey demand for clubs Connexions learning centre in villages Summer 2005 Skills4Business inc. IIP and Free2Learn Improve the links between Establish round-table by Matravers School, Modern Apprentice scheme schools, colleges and end of 2005 Wiltshire College, employers