With Calne Town Council's Amenities, Conservation & Sustainability Manager, Councillor Celia Stevens and I worked with Caitlin at Wiltshire Council's Grant Application and Planting Support (GAPS) team apply for funding to plant trees and hedgerows. This was an exhaustive project taking place over many months including desktop surveys and creating location maps, along with onsite visits throughout Calne.
I am pleased to report that we have been successful in our grant application for substantial tree and hedgerow planting across Calne, which will result in close to 70 trees being planted at various locations in Calne and around 250 metres of hedgerow at Beversbrook Sports Facility.
The total fund which covers the initial purchase and planting of the trees as well as 15 years of future maintenance came to over £40,000.
Victoria Terrace is named for Alexandrina Victoria (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901). Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death and Empress of India from 1 May 1876. Her reign lasted for 63 years, 216 days, second only to our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Victoria reigned during a time of massive expansion for the British Emprire and the people of the Victorian Era were well known for their knowledge and daring in all things engineering, scientific, industrial, and military.
Providence Row, Victoria Terrace
Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert in 1840 and to reinforce the connection of this street name to Queen Victoria, the impressive Albert Villa (1 Victoria Terrace) sits on the corner of North Street and Victoria Terrace, completing the pair.
Victoria Terrace was built mostly by 1885, with one set of terraced housing, Providence Row built in 1870 by Mr. James Cleverley who acquired the land from the estate of George Shadforth Ogilvie. Victoria Terrace continued as a private road, at least until 1890, however it seems that there was resistance from the property owners at the time in passing the street over to the authorities, even when the authorities had paid for improved sewers in 1889[1]. However, in 1890, when they asked the council for a street lamp to be erected, the Clerk took no time in writing to them to advise that as long as the street remained private, the responsibility was theirs, and further to this, the authority was now calling upon the property owners to install a lamp![2] Unfortunately the saga does not appear to continue in the newspapers.
References: [1]'Victoria Terrace Sewer' Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, Thursday 18 April 1889 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000360/18890418/065/0007 [Accessed on 1 October 2019] [2] 'Calne Urban Saniatary Authority and the Infectious Disease (Notification) Act' Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, Thursday 23 January 1890 [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000360/18900123/065/0008 [Accessed on 1 October 2019]
The path is the only formal entrance to the North End Play Area from the Amberley Close side. Residents and other play area users who needed to access it via prams, mobility scooters, scooters, etc., had problems managing the rough surface of the path that had not been tarmacked. This path had deteriorated significantly over the past few years. During and after periods of rain, it became a series of puddles, leading users to avoid it and use the grass instead. For some, this entrance to our facility was not accessible at all.
This path experienced high usage in the mornings and afternoons during term times, as parents and guardians took their children to Fynamore School.
Now that the work on the path is complete, I would like to share some background information on why this project took a while to reach its conclusion.
I first began working on this project about a year ago when I submitted a Highways Improvement Request. It was at this point that I discovered that from a Highways perspective, Wiltshire Council would not be taking this footpath into Highway Maintainable at Public Expense – even though this path is owned by Wiltshire Council. This was quite a surprise, as Google Maps showed the path in 2016 with the gravel in reasonable condition (at this point, I still don’t know who financed or installed this path).
I began working with Cllr MacNaughton on this issue, raising it with Streetscene Engineer Andrea Begent. Andrea put in a lot of work to see how this issue could be progressed, but unfortunately, Wiltshire Council would not accept this path as a highway and therefore would not release any funding for its improvement. Unfortunately, Streetscene was not able to fund this project either, as it was beyond the level of funding they could access, and no money was available from Facilities Management at Wiltshire Council.
During this period, I kept Calne Town Council Officers updated regarding this ongoing issue. I am grateful that our Director of Council Services took an interest and put it on the Amenities and Facilities Committee agenda for December 2024, with an options report from our Amenities, Conservation & Sustainability Manager. During that discussion, as a committee, we unanimously resolved to delegate this project to our Amenities, Conservation & Sustainability Manager, who wished to request Wiltshire Council to use any overspill from works at High Street for this project. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and funds were immediately released for this project from the Housing Income community benefit budget line.
It is wonderful to see this path completed. 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝, particularly my fellow Calne Town Councillors who agreed to release the funds for this path knowing that while it is Wiltshire Council land, it is our residents in Calne who will benefit from this more accessible path, which is a vital link to our play area at North End.
School Road connects Lickhill Road to Beversbrook Road, the northern distributor route. This was created as part of The Calne Consortium's Lansdowne Park development and is named as it runs alongside the Persimmon-built Fynamore Community Primary School. In the past, the land used to be part of Calne's North Field.
White Horse Way is named for the white horse chalk figure up at Cherhill. This horse first carved in 1780, was famously designed by Dr. Christopher Alsop (also Allsup). He apparently gave instructions on the placement of small white flags via megaphone while standing at a distance. Originally the eye of the horse was created by placing wine bottle upside down into the ground. Apart from when the horse was camoflaged during WWII, the horse has been well maintained, originally by the owner of the Manor at Cherhill. However, these day it is a local committee plan maintenance, which included a massive restoration in 2002. Regular re-chalkings take place with Cherhill Scout Group re-chalking the horse in 2019.
Calne Leisure Centre, 2019.
White Horse Way leads to the Calne Leisure Centre (during the 1990s, called White Horse Leisure Centre), which was opened in 1976, upgraded in 1997-98, and is being turned into Calne Community Campus during 2019/2020 thanks to a £3 million investment by Wiltshire Council. The road also provides access for Kingsbury Green Academy.
Between 1876 and 1988, three generations of the Buckeridge family ran a shop that began as a grocer's and wine and spirit merchants business, at the corner of Market Hill.
Kelly's Directory, 1915
The business started with Albert Wilkinson Buckeridge (1838-1923). After the First World War, his son, Launcelot John (1886-1977), took over the business. Following the Second World War, Launcelot's sons, David, Paul, and Ted went into partnership, running the business until they sold the business upon retirement in 1988.
This was a successful business, which had a bottling plant and warehouse at the back of the shop and up in Castle Street. All beers and wine would arrive in large containers, to be transferred to smaller bottles and labelled. This included Guinness, with the Buckeridge's being one of the few licensed to bottle this drink under their own name. Along with supplying the local clubs and pubs with drinks, they were also known for their cheeses.
Cheese is something they decided to specialise in, along with wine and beer, when the supermarkets began to appear in the 1960s.
After 1988, the shop became Unwins, followed by the New Wine Shop. Unfortunately the shop was left empty in 2019, and we await a new occupant in this prominent shop.
For 112 years, this family business, at a prominent location, was an important part of Calne's history. In addition to the shop, they had a . So, it seems only right that these steps are known for the family that would have used this route so often.
References: Information from Calne Heritage Centre
Referendum on the Calne Community Neighbourhood Plan 2
for the Calne Town and Calne Without Parish has been announced by Wiltshire Council.
A referendum will be held on the following question:
Do you want Wiltshire Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Calne and Calne Without to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?
The poll will take place on Thursday 27 February 2025. Details on how to register to vote is shown on the notice.
Likely to be unable to vote in person? You can request a postal vote.
1. The poll will take place on Thursday 27 February 2025.
2. Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Tuesday 11 February 2025. Applications can be made online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
3. Applications for postal and postal proxy votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Electoral Services, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 8JN by 5pm on Wednesday 12 February 2025. Applications can be made online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
4. Amendments or cancellations to existing postal, postal proxy and proxy votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 12 February 2025.
5. Applications for a Voter Authority Certificate or an Anonymous Elector's Document valid for this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 19 February 2025. Applications can be made online at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
6. Applications to vote by proxy must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 19 February 2025. Applications can be made online at www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.
7. A person can apply to vote by 'emergency' proxy if they learn they cannot go to the polling station because of their occupation, service or employment, or a medical condition, illness or disability arises, after 5pm on Wednesday 19 February 2025. Applications must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Thursday 27 February 2025.
8. Full details of upcoming polls including timetables, forms to register to vote and results can be found by scanning the code.
I greatly appreciate the efforts of Wiltshire Council officers in moving forward with the two significant matters I submitted on MyWilts.
These include the pruning of the hedge at Newbury Avenue green space. This was pruned a few years ago to help reduce antisocial behaviour in the area. After growing significantly, it has now been pruned again, making the area more welcoming.
Also, resolving a rocking manhole cover that was frustrating residents due to the loud noise generated when vehicles drove over it. While this job took longer than expected due to a backlog, it is good that it has been completed.
If you have an issue that you think Wiltshire Council can help with, head to MyWilts and raise an issue:
At the tail end of 2024, I spent some time taking the FILCA course and signing the Positive Conduct equals Positive Democracy charter.
The Financial Introduction to Local Council Administration (FILCA) course is an online, self-paced program designed to support new Responsible Financial Officers (RFOs) and other local council officers. It covers essential financial knowledge over five modules, including council finance basics, budgeting, and financial regulations.
On 27 November 2024, I signed the Positive Conduct equals Positive Democracy Charter which encourages local councillors and clerks to pledge high standards in public life. It aims to promote positive conduct, support good practice, and facilitate honest conversations for effective local democracy. More information can be found here: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/positive-conduct-democracy
I also took part in webinars on such topics as emergency planning, the climate emergency, and chairmanship training to keep up to date with topics that impact the council and can be used to inform actions going forward.
As always, please get in touch if there is anything you feel I can assist you with.
