Wiltshire Council Highlight Progress and Work Ahead to Tackle Challenges

Wiltshire Council has published an annual report on its Our Wiltshire Plan, highlighting the progress it says it has made over the past year, the difference it is making across the county, and the challenges that remain.

Our Wiltshire Plan 2025 – 2035 is the council’s business plan. It sets out what the council wants to achieve, how it intends to work, and its wider ambitions. The council confirmed it would provide an annual update each year to detail the progress made.

The Our Wilshire Plan Annual Report highlights some of the work the council has done against each of its priorities, which are:

• Supporting people throughout their lives
• Ensuring safe and resilient communities through robust safeguarding and enforcement
• Delivering opportunities for our young people and a child-friendly Wiltshire
• Enhancing and protection our environment for future generations
• Promoting healthier lives
• Helping the economy work for everyone
• Creating well maintained, safer roads, and more accessible, greener transport
• Making culture for everyone

There are case studies woven throughout the annual update to demonstrate the real impact on people and communities that are benefiting from council services.

Through the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme, Wiltshire Council helped Chippenham pensioner Les make his home warmer, safer and more energy efficient. Improvements included an air source heat pump, insulation, solar panels and battery storage. Les now feels more comfortable, demonstrating how home improvements can enhance residents’ wellbeing and quality of life. Les said: “It’s made a lot of difference to how I feel. The solar panels are amazing; I’ve got a battery pack with it as well. I’m really pleased and feel a lot more comfortable now.”

And some of the other highlights mentioned in the report include:

• £201m invested in the county’s infrastructure through the council’s capital programme – the largest in the council’s history
• £13m+ planned savings achieved and balanced budget
• 13,746 potholes repaired and 118.7 miles of road and footway treated successfully
• £534m investment across economic programmes, with an estimated 840 jobs created and 1,680 safeguarded
• 502 affordable homes completed
• 284 formal enforcement actions on fly-tipping, including 79 Fixed Penalty Notices, 12 successful prosecutions and 121 statutory notices.
• 194 households prevented from becoming homeless
• 75.3% of five-year-olds achieving a Good Level of Development, 3% above the national average
• 2,593 smoking quit dates were set, the highest number in recent years, with a 42% quit rate
• 3.6m leisure centre visits and 7% increase in library visits (1.447m visits in total)
• 99% of primary and 98% of secondary applicants were offered a place at one of their preferred schools
• 942 doorstep crime prevention visits by Trading Standards, recovering £204,940.
• 50 school representatives attend the council’s Wiltshire Schools Solar Showcase, sharing practical options for funding solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage installations
• 102 of the council’s 172 fleet vehicles are now electric or hybrid.

Throughout the annual report, there are links for people to find out more information about some of the projects and work the council is involved in.

While the report highlights significant progress across a range of services, it also recognises the challenges that remain, including growing demand for services and continued financial pressures with savings to be made. Priorities for the year ahead include further improving support for children with SEND, investing in roads and transport, increasing social rented housing, preparing for changes to waste collections and continuing action to reduce carbon emissions.

In his foreword to the report, Cllr Ian Thorn, Wiltshire Council Leader, said: “This report is important because it shows how we are delivering on the priorities that matter most to residents. It provides an opportunity to be open about what we have achieved, where challenges remain, and how we are responding.

“Like councils across the country, we face growing demand for services and continued financial pressures. Where improvements are needed, we remain committed to learning, scrutiny and continuous improvement. My thanks go to our staff, councillors, partners and communities for everything they have contributed this year. This report reflects what can be achieved when we work together, and we remain committed to keeping that conversation going as we deliver the ambitions set out in Our Wiltshire Plan.”

A public-friendly version of the annual report highlights some of the work carried out during the year. A more detailed report, also publicly available, is primarily aimed at councillors and committee members to help ensure the plan is effectively scrutinised and that they have as much information as possible. Every quarter, the council also formally reports on its performance, which helps it stay on top of its targets and make changes where needed.

Full Council received the Our Wiltshire Plan Annual Report on 20 October. The reports can be found at https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=16439

Both the Our Wiltshire Plan and Annual Report can be found at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council-democracy-business-plan