The A-road through West Lavington has been renewed and the finished surface is a huge improvement. Last week, following scrutiny of the resurfacing schedule for the wider Devizes area, I asked for Market Lavington’s B3098 to be re-prioritised.
The stretch between the West Lavington crossroads and Lavington School is particularly bad and whilst I appreciate prioritisation is the correct approach so that the worst and busiest roads are fixed first, it is important that quieter village roads are not constantly overtaken by A-roads elsewhere.
Last month I mentioned that Wiltshire Council has been able to allocate an EXTRA £10m over the next two years to spend on filling potholes, road resurfacing and verge repairs. We are also spending an additional £1m on extra gully cleaning. This is vital if we are to fight back against the weather patterns which see extreme temperatures crack road surfaces, huge rainfall wash material away and freezing temperatures blow the surface apart.
I urge you to watch the recent Panorama episode “Paying More for Less: Councils in Crisis”, on BBC iPlayer. Wiltshire is in a really strong position financially, able to invest in infrastructure, avoid closing services, and gaining national recognition for successes. Panorama will show you the issues councils are dealing with and how many are failing. You will hopefully see just how lucky we are in Wiltshire and how much worse things can be without capable management.
Since my election to Wiltshire Council back in 2021, alongside supporting residents on local issues, I have been working hard as Portfolio Holder for Education across the county. I helped create and promote the Wiltshire Learning Alliance which brings Wiltshire schools together to share knowledge and improve academic outcomes. Three months ago we saw Wiltshire’s Children’s Services judged Outstanding (incredible in the context of the Panorama episode). More locally, I lobbied hard for Lavington School’s bid to create a permanent sixth form, pushing our local MP and the Education Minister to acknowledge the strong case presented by both the school and Wiltshire Council. I am incredibly pleased to report that the school was successful in its bid and will be able to offer post-16 education from September next year!
I have recently moved across from Education and taken a Cabinet position in charge of Environment & Waste. This will be a new challenge for me but one I aim to see equal success with. The “Environment” part of the role is very broad and incorporates Climate Change, Public Protection (Trading standards, Licencing etc), World Heritage Sites (Stonehenge, Avebury etc), and Waste and Recycling; something for everyone!
The main point I want to make is that my work with local residents across The Lavingtons remains unchanged. You will still see me at all parish council meetings and I remain committed to helping you with any local issues you may have so do not hesitate to drop me a line.
You may contact me about this or any other matter by email to dominic.muns@wiltshire.gov.uk or by phone on 07585 394 178.
