News

Savernake Volunteers: meet next on 7 October – first Wednesday monthly 10am at Eight Walks.

The group will be starting a new project at Crockmere Pond having completed work on Birch Pond.Anyone interested in joining the volunteers should contact Mark Maynard the ‘Community Ranger’ who leads the group on 07831 354 204.

We’ve finished at the pond and the contractor has been called in to start digging it out over the winter. Thanks everybody for making such a fantastic job of it – you’ve made it possible for us to minimise the amount of contractor time spent on this – which means that we can get more pond work done this year than we would have been able to.

Our next mission will be clearing regenerated conifer near Crockmere pond. The idea is that, long term, we’ll be returning some of the areas with conifer plantation on them back to broadleaf. When those conifers are considered to be mature enough, we’ll do the usual thing of selling them and having them felled. The area will then be planted up with some kind of broadleaf cover (no detail on the exact composition just yet). The problem we have is that the conifers have been reproducing in the interim and we have a number of small conifers that are of no commercial value. The big felling companies won’t take them, but they’ll be unwelcome competition to the broadleaves that we end up planting amongst them.

Our job then, is to work through these blocks and fell any small conifers that we encounter to give the broadleaves a better chance in the future.

HUGS - the Help Ukraine Group Support organisation is collecting essential items to send to frontline communities in Ukraine. If you can provide any of the following items please take them to Burbage Village Hall on 29th September, or contact the organisers Tony: 07999 693399 or Mandy : 07762 935804 www.facebook.com/helpukrainegroupsupport 

MEDICAL • IN DATE medications including painkillers; all vitamins; haemorrhoid cream/suppositories • medical & surgical supplies & first aid kits • dressings & bandages • burns dressings & trauma bandages • athletes foot sprays & creams • insect repellent; anti-itch cream • sunscreen; hay-fever remedies • gym/rehab equipment

SANITARY & TOILETRIES (unopened) • hard soap, shampoo, toothbrushes/toothpaste • unscented anti-chafe talc, deodorant • disposable razors, shaving gel/foam • disposable nappies, tampons, sanitary products • washing powder, washing-up liquid, loo rolls • baby wipes, facial wipes

CLOTHES & FOOTWEAR (only as listed) • clean hiking boots, insoles & new warm socks • good condition trainers, new light-weight socks • dark colour fleeces, plain t-shirts • military grade camo kit (adult sizes) • dark colour adult waterproofs • jogging bottoms, new dark underwear (M/F) • thermal wear

TOWELS & BEDDING (clean & unstained) • blankets : cellular & fleece only • good condition towels • bedding : NOT duvets or pillows

OUTDOOR LIVING • tents (min. 4 person) • groundsheets, roll mats, sleeping bags, camp beds, folding camping chairs, tarpaulins • Thermos flasks (metal-lined); camping food • hand/foot warmers; foil blankets

FOOD (dry & non-perishable; no jars) • rice, pasta, porridge, tinned meat/fish • coffee, tea, energy bars, wrapped sweets • dried mixed fruit, nuts, dates

ELECTRONICS & OPTICS (in working order) • unlocked tablets, laptops, smart phones (all with chargers if possible) • LED hand/head torches (rechargeable, battery or solar, preferably with red light option) • batteries (AAA, coin-cell, button batteries) • power banks; chargers (mains or solar) • binoculars/monoculars

TOOLS (only as listed) • generators & power tools • new & good used spanner & socket sets • car accessories: battery chargers, tyre inflators, jump leads, tow ropes, winches • mechanics' gloves (L & XL); heavy-duty wipes • new hand axes; sets of screwdrivers, sets of drill bits; wire cutters, pliers • duct tape; WD40 & lubricating oil

PET ITEMS • dog/cat food, animal meds, other pet products

All items CLEAN and ready to use please and NO OTHER ADULT CLOTHING at this time.

If you live in Wiltshire and you're struggling to afford heating oil for the winter, you may be eligible for financial support. Apply now to ensure you are prepared for winter.

Visit https://voucherfund.co.uk/wilts-crf-oil/ to see if you are eligible and https://www.cse.org.uk/my-home/advice-projects/warm-and-safe-wiltshire/ for advice on staying warm.

You can download a copy of the Marlborough Area Board Road Safety Update here.

WIltshire Council are encouraging everyone to sign up for Paperless Billing for your Council Tax Bills to help them to reduce paper waste and protect the environment.

In December 2025, Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet agreed proposals to keep waste and recycling services sustainable, cost-effective, and ready for upcoming national requirements.

Kerbside Recycling
The current system will stay, with improvements at the Material Recovery Facility to boost recycling. Residents will receive extra bags for flexible plastics and an indoor and outdoor caddy for food waste by 2027, meeting new statutory rules.

Future Collections
A public consultation in early 2026 will explore moving household waste collections from fortnightly to every three weeks in 2027. With food waste and flexible plastics removed, bin waste will drop, cutting carbon and costs.

Household Recycling Centres (HRCs)
Purton and Lower Compton HRCs to close in August 2026 due to high costs of extending existing contract arrangement and making necessary improvements. Closing these sites helps protect other essential council services. A booking system trial will start at four sites to improve safety and reduce congestion. Plans for a new northern HRC will follow within 3–4 years. 

Service Delivery
A Local Authority Trading Company will manage kerbside collections and recycling operations from July 2026. Other contracts will be extended to 2033–2034, including green waste composting and residual waste disposal. These changes will help Wiltshire lead in sustainable waste management and deliver long-term value for residents. 

https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/15485/Agreementmade-on-proposals-to-cut-costs-and-improve-thesustainability-of-waste-and-recycling-services

To report cyber crime and fraud go to the UK's Home for Reporting Cyber & Fraud - https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/

These publications give visitors compelling reasons to choose Wiltshire for their next short break or longer stay, together with all the information you need to plan the perfect trip. These are distributed digitally via our channels and via third party digital channels.

Please view the It’s Time for Wiltshire map here and the It’s Time for Wiltshire Visitor Guide can be seen here. All our digital publications, including our Wiltshire towns and villages map can be found on our website

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

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.