News

Wiltshire Police will be holding a Community Consultation at Bouverie Hall, Pewsey from 9am to 10am.

Wiltshire Police will be holding a Community Consultation at Holy Cross Church, Great Bedwyn from 12.00 noon to 1pm.

The A346 is going to be closed from 7pm to 6am this weekend, on Friday 17th January from 7pm to 6am Saturday morning, and on Monday from 7pm to 6am Tuesday 21st January, between Marlborough and the Wootton Rovers turning.

Follow the link for real-time updates to this or any other road network information https://one.network/?tm=141659274

January is usually a time to look ahead to the year and make some fresh plans.

Our team welcomes two new faces this month: a new craftsperson and community ranger, both of whom will be regularly visiting Savernake Forest to look after the site. With the return of a community ranger to the team, we hope to resume our volunteer group in due course – we will keep you posted on the Forestry England – Savernake Forest Facebook page.

January is a particularly exciting time at Savernake Forest as we welcome bird nesting season. One of the early signs that birds are preparing for nesting is increased birdsong, signalling a call to attract mates and mark out their chosen territories for nest building.

You may also notice birds becoming skittish in behaviour as there’s an urgency in the air to pair-up, claim their patch, and breed. You’ll probably spot your local birds gathering nesting material such as twigs, grasses, or moss

Goshawks are known as the ‘ghost of the forest’ for its elusiveness. Listen for their distinctive call on a clear, cold morning at the end of January. If you are lucky, you may see one fly above the forest with its potential mating partner and perform what is known as a ‘sky dance’.

The way in which we care for the forest wildlife is guided by the Savernake Forest Plan, which we are currently developing, and shall share for consultation later this year. A forest plan directs our forest management activities over a 10-year period. Our work will be guided by the commitments we made in the Our Shared Forest land management plan.

Ongoing wet ground conditions continue to affect timber harvesting as we pause to protect valuable soils. The work we resumed last autumn – previously delayed from winter 2023 – will hopefully restart in the summer.

Work to thin trees at Bedwyn Common, Cobham Frith, and Chisbury starts soon, subject to contractor availability. As at Savernake, we will ensure ground damage is limited as much as possible.

As always, if you have any questions on the work we are doing at Savernake Forest, please email westengland@forestryengland.uk

by Nikki Morgans, Area Forester

Please report any issues in your communities using MyWilts as usual.

Wiltshire Council is posting and sharing regular travel and flooding updates on their social media

To be alerted when water levels rise, people should also sign up for flood warnings and know what to do in case of flooding.

Useful links:

• Flooding information
• Sign up for flood warnings
• Flooding emergencies - Who to contact
• What to do during and after a flood
• Flooding advice for homeowners
• Flooding advice for businesses
• Sandbags information

Every home and business in the UK has the legal right to request a decent, affordable broadband connection.

From 20 March 2020, if you can’t get a download speed of 10 Mbit/s and an upload speed of 1 Mbit/s, you can request an upgraded connection. You can make this request to BT on 0800 783 0223.

Am I eligible?

When you contact BT or KCOM they will have 30 days to confirm if you’re eligible, and how much it will cost to build your connection.

• Your home or business will be eligible if it:
• has no access to existing decent broadband;and

will not be covered by a public broadbandscheme offered by the UK and devolvedgovernments in the next 12 months;If you currently only have access to a decent service that is priced over £56.20 per month, you’ll also have the right to request a universal service connection.

What will it cost? 

If the cost of building or upgrading your share of the network connection is £3,400 or less, you won’t have to pay for this work to be done. If it will cost more than £3,400 to connect your home, and you still want a connection, you will have to pay the excess costs. If you want to do this, BT/ KCOM will conduct a survey and give you a quote within 60 days. You will pay the same price for your new broadband service as anyone else on the same package, and no more than £56.20 a month. How long does it take to set up? Most people will get a connection within 12 months, but it may take up to 24 months for some.

If you love getting out and about but also want to support a cause in achieving its aim, then becoming a Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust (WBVT) Collection Box Volunteer. This could be the right step for you. You will be involved in displaying our collection boxes in your local community to help raise funds for WBVT.

In this community-spirited volunteer role, your support will include getting involved in the following:

• Getting out and about to display our iconic collection boxes in your local community
• Networking with organisations to share our cause and encourage them to display our collection boxes
• Maintain an accurate list of the location of the collection boxes and the dates on which they have been replaced or emptied
• At suitable intervals be responsible for the collection and replacement of these collection boxes
• Being an ambassador for WBVT

You'll ideally:

• Have good organisational skills to organise distribution of collection boxes
• Have good communication skills to spread the word about WBVT
• Be looking to commit to 8hrs a week which is flexible to allow you to enjoy a work-life balance

· The minimum age of this volunteer role is Over 18 and you will require your own vehicle, insurance, and Driving Licence

If you don’t feel you tick every box but are sure this role is the one for you, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to suggestions and are very happy to chat with you to find out what’s possible, so please just get in touchtoni@wbvt.org

The following is a quick guide to what is and isn’t the responsibility of the Fire and Rescue Service when storm damage occurs:

Local authority information is as follows:

• Swindon Borough Council – call 01793 445500 or report online.
• Wiltshire Council – call 0300 456 0105 or report online.