Wiltshire Council passes development on Netherhampton Rd

The controversial housing and business development on Netherhampton Road, has been given the go-ahead from WC at their meeting last week.

I spoke against the development here and voted against it too.  I also said that the council meeting should have been held in Salisbury and not 35 miles away in County Hall.

No-one from Harnham, that i was aware of, was at the meeting.  This is the new democracy from WC.  It is a great pity that local democracy has turned into this.

Ok for the administration though.  All their councillors who had campaigned vehemently against 12,400 houses, had now mysteriously had a change of heart and all voted for it!  What a surprise.

Spoil sports want Charter Fair out!

Well it’s that time of year again.  The Charter Fair has left our City for the 782nd time and the usual suspects are moaning that the Fair should not return to the Market Square, or even to Salisbury itself.

Some of these people are those who promised several years ago to incorporate the Fair & Markets into any redevelopment in the Market Square, but they seem to now have a change of heart.  Is this to use cheaper materials in the Square to save money by any chance?  Perhaps now we know that their ambition is – to destroy our City and its Heritage.

The Fair is for the enjoyment of all; young and old and only three days a year for goodness sake!  Let it remain and to entertain.  I’m sure many people spend their money in the Pubs, Cafes, Restaurants and Shops when the Fair is with us.  I know that is what my family done on the Tuesday.  If the Fair was not there, we would not have gone out.  A Restaurant and a Club benefitted from us that evening.

I will welcome the Fair for its 783rd visit next year, as the 750th Mayor of Salisbury, in our Market Square, where it belongs.

Butts Rd, by the Fire Station, has been mooted as a possible location!  This is just so lamentable.  The August Fair last year, had an extra week there, because it rained so much the lorries were unable to get onto the grass to dismantle their Rides.  And some people want this location used in October!  The Fair would be there for maybe weeks!!

Move it and it will die overnight. 

But watch out, that’s just what some people want!  But not if i can help it.

Southern Planning Cttee – 29th October

The next Planning Committee will meet at the City Hall, Alamein Suite at 6pm on 29th October.  The Public are encouraged to attend. 

Click here for the Agenda:  http://194.72.162.210/documents/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-23227/Agenda.doc

Click here for the Agenda items:  http://194.72.162.210/documents/dscgi/ds.py/View/Collection-1897

Click here for the previous Minutes:  http://194.72.162.210/documents/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-23228/Item_No._02_-_Minutes_of_Previous_meeting.doc

Auditor Slates County Council Accounts after Finding Multi-Million Pound Errors

External Auditors KPMG have slated Wiltshire County Council accounts after finding Multi-Million Pound Errors, one alone involving £42m pounds. The draft accounts, presented to the auditors in July, showed a surplus of £15.5m when they should have shown a deficit of £21.5m. The auditors found basic errors such as including grant income before any claim had even been submitted. They also found that assets had been double-counted.

The auditors report said that “the draft accounts were of poor quality and incomplete”, and they have made 19 heavyweight, detailed recommendations for urgent improvement in the financial management of the local authority.  As of today several significant problems remain unresolved and the accounts will not be approved by the external auditors within the published deadline.

Brian believes it shows incompetence at the heart of the Conservative administration. “This is appalling! In the dry, measured auditor’s language, KPMG have exposed incompetence at the heart of the conservative adminstration of Wiltshire Council. It is hardly surprising that the Tories have just had to admit to a £3.8m projected overspend. How can the people of Wiltshire believe any financial figures the conservatives produce. The conservatives cannot blame this on the government, nor bleat that Wiltshire County Council no longer exists. Wiltshire Council has the same leadership as Wiltshire County Council, the same basic organisation and the same Tories at the very top.“

Extracts from the auditors report:

“In particular, the Income & Expenditure Account contained several errors. The effect of correcting these
resulted in a material effect on the deficit for the year. In the version submitted to the Audit Committee a
surplus of £15.5m was reported but in the latest corrected version this result has fallen by £37.0m to
change to show a deficit of £21.5m.”

“Additionally two of the primary statements, the Cash Flow Statement and the Statement of Total
Recognised Gains and Losses, were not included in this first draft. The Cash Flow Statement and
supporting notes are still not included in the accounts.” (my emphasis).

“The quality of this first set of accounts was very poor, especially given that a specific recommendation
was made in our 2007/08 Report that the Statement of Accounts should be subject to thorough review
before submission for audit.”

Salisbury Charter Fair 2009

The details below are especially for Phil Hope, who reminded me today of this – cheers Phil!  Two mentions, so you owe me a pint! 

The annual October Charter Fair returns to the Market Square on October 19th for the 782nd time.
The Charter Fair, one of the oldest in the Country still held in a City Centre, was granted in 1227 to the Bishop of Salisbury by King Henry III.  The Charter granted permission that a Fair will be held on the third Monday of each October for three days.  The same Charter also granted the City permission to hold a Market each Tuesday, which still applies today.

The Fair was originally held in the Cathedral Close, but was also held in Salt Lane during WWII.  It is now held of course in the Market Square and has been for many years.