Pewsey
Pewsey Area Joint Strategic Priorities
Pewsey Area Joint Strategic Assessment
Cllr Jerry Kunkler
Chair of Pewsey Area Board
Since the last Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments (CA JSAs), we have worked to improve outcomes for our communities and there are many examples of great locally led projects that have made our community area a better place to live, work and visit. Through the Area Boards there is a growing level of community involvement in decision making and the information presented here will allow us to go further to ensuring that we focus on creating healthy and vibrant communities. As well as the challenges we face there are many opportunities for us to make our community stronger.
This new assessment allows us both to focus on the future and to reflect on all we have already achieved.
Pewsey
Pewsey Community Area covers 268km2 of rural countryside in the middle of Wiltshire known as the Pewsey Vale. It is dominated by one settlement, the ancient village of Pewsey. The community area covers a broad and rich valley between the Marlborough Downs to the north and Salisbury Plain to the south and extends to Wiltshire’s eastern boundary.
The surrounding area is one of small villages and large farm estates and is very rural in nature. There are 26 parishes across the community area and no towns, although the major village of Pewsey serves the function of a small town and acts as the main local service centre. However the nearby towns of Marlborough and Swindon and Salisbury provide local alternatives. Swindon, with its large retail centre, is 40 minutes away by car.
Pewsey is a popular commuter village with easy access to London, thanks to the rail station and good access to the M4. There is a military base at Upavon which, as part of the local military estate, is now being used as a station in the Salisbury Plain Super Garrison.
Our Community Area JSA for 2016
What we’ve changed since 2013/14
Children and Young People
People in Pewsey Community Area wanted to provide affordable transport for young people and families to the local Health and Wellbeing Centre. The planning application for the centre, which includes a new indoor wheeled sports area for young people, was approved in September 2016, construction will commence in Spring 2017 and transport options will remain a priority for 2016-2017.
The Area Board and Local Youth Network continue to promote young people’s services and opportunities across Pewsey Vale, to fund a variety of activities (including leisure, wellbeing and social based projects) and to provide support to youth groups in Pewsey, Grafton and Great Bedwyn.
Smoke free playpark signage has been installed at Pewsey Youth football ground and at playgrounds in the parishes of Pewsey, Great Bedwyn and Manningford.
Community Safety
Addressing anti-social behaviour was agreed to be a priority in Pewsey. A regular Canal Forum for all stakeholders has been set up, initially run by the Canal & River Trust, and latterly by Wilcot & Huish with Oare Parish Council. The Pewsey area Crime and Community Safety forum (recently disbanded) has been meeting with parish councils and partner organisations, such as the Neighbourhood Policing Team, on a quarterly to discuss and address local policing and community safety matters.
Culture
In 2014 it was decided that a visitor's guide to Pewsey would help promote local heritage and the arts trails. The Pewsey Vale Tourism Partnership now has 25 members, a Pewsey Vale Trail leaflet has been produced and the partnership is promoting Pewsey through their website and on social media.
Economy
To promote and develop local business a directory has been produced along with a Pewsey Vale Visitor Pass, a collection of special offer vouchers to encourage visitors to make the most of local businesses.The national Small Business Saturday campaign involved 25 local businesses and a Pewsey business networking event was arranged to promote the next campaign and the Tourism Partnership’s Business to Business network.
Health & Wellbeing
Local people hoped to help improve uptake of NHS Health Checks which were promoted at area board meetings and using the Our Community Matters blog.
The Pewsey Vale Dementia Awareness Group (PVDAG) was formed to provide communication and improve awareness around dementia. PVDAG runs a monthly memory café and produces a quarterly newsletter promoting local groups and services. Local leisure centre and library volunteers have also been signed up as dementia friends.
Age UK and Pewsey Area Board have developed a Partnership for Older People (POPP) by bringing together voluntary and community organisations, service providers, parish councils and volunteers to target social isolation and wellbeing across the community area.
Housing
In 2014 it was agreed that the proposal for 40% affordable housing should be a local priority. A referendum was held in 2015 and voters supported the decision for Wiltshire Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Pewsey area to help it make planning decisions in the area.
Leisure and Transport
To address the issue of rural transport and to increase access to services Pewsey Community Area Partnership (PCAP) worked closely with Devizes CAP, Devizes Passenger Transport Group and Wiltshire Council to design a new innovative local bus service. The timetable for the new service, which launched in February 2016, is informed by locally organised public consultation events and surveys and has better connections to train services at Pewsey station.
Cllr Jerry Kunkler
Chair of Pewsey Area Board
Since the last Community Area Joint Strategic Assessments (CA JSAs), we have worked to improve outcomes for our communities and there are many examples of great locally led projects that have made our community area a better place to live, work and visit. Through the Area Boards there is a growing level of community involvement in decision making and the information presented here will allow us to go further to ensuring that we focus on creating healthy and vibrant communities. As well as the challenges we face there are many opportunities for us to make our community stronger.
This new assessment allows us both to focus on the future and to reflect on all we have already achieved.
Download the Pewsey Community Area Joint Strategic Assessment via the button below
To find out how Pewsey Community Area compares to other Community Areas on a specific theme please visit the relevant Key indicator page.
Additional population, deprivation and life expectancy data can be found in the Pewsey Your Community Data pack (click here to view the PDF)
Download the Pewsey Community Area Joint Strategic Priorities via the button below
At a Community Event in Pewsey, residents voted on which issues to prioritise locally. The full range of issues that could be voted on, as well as those selected as local priorities can be found on a summary slide, accessed by the button below. The items shown in red are those that have been selected by the local community as priorities in Pewsey Community Area.