BBC news reports that binmen in West Wiltshire have voted to take industrial action after a disagreement over pay for new employees.
GMB members who work for FOCSA in Trowbridge have given notice of strike action on 25 May and 6 June.
The union also announced an overtime ban on 25 May and on 7 and 8 June.
The union is in dispute with the firm about lower rates of pay for new employees compared to workers already under contract.
GMB had until today to decide on industrial action following talks with FOCSA arbitrated by conciliation service Acas.
FOCSA stated previously that if the strike were to take place, the company would ensure it had "minimal impact" on the recycling and waste services provided to residents in West Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Council has not yet made any announcement about the strike and how it will respond.
Lib Dem Group Leader Jon Hubbard commented, "It is really important that Wiltshire Council steps in and ensures that Wiltshire residents don't suffer as a result. It is unfair that services funded by the taxpayer may be disrupted because a private company is trying to increase its profits."
Hitachi want to move from Canal Road in Trowbridge to a greenfield site near the White Horse Business Park. They held a consultation for villagers on May 8th at the Progressive Hall. North Bradley Parish Council have already objected to the "proposed erosion of green space buffer zone (which has not been allocated as employment land in the Wiltshire Core Strategy)," and have also stated that there are ample suitable brownfield sites in and around Trowbridge. The proposed site is the field west of the A363, opposite the car showrooms.
Wiltshire Council takes 803 days on average to complete an adoption. The average for England is 625 days. The most efficient council in the region is Bristol at 478 days, whilst neighbouring Bath & North East Somerset take 512.
Wiltshire Council has issued its first Sexual Entertainments Venue license. Club Rouge in Salisbury has been operating for some time, but changes in legislation meant that it needed an SEV license in addition to the normal liquor and entertainment permits.
At a licensing sub-committee meeting held in the Guildhall objectors to the club quoted the WC guidance, which says new licenses should not be issued to such establishments if they're near residential properties, or establishments such as schools or places of worship.
A rail service from Westbury to Birmingham Moor Street, passing through Chippenham, Swindon and Oxford, is being proposed by a Co-operative Society.
"GO-OP" say they're in the final stages of preparation of their application for a Track Access Contract to the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR), and are looking for support for the project.
Less than a month after declaring an official drought, the Environment Agency now says it's over. No sooner was the drought announced than the rains began to fall - last month was the wettest April since records began. The forty days of rainfall has restored many rivers and reservoirs, easing the pressure on the environment.
The Environment Agency will continue to keep drought status under continuous review. It stresses that low groundwater levels remain a concern across England, with many still around 1976 levels and unlikely to return to normal levels before winter.
There have been two successive dry winters in the South West and 16 of the last 25 months have had below average rainfall. The cumulative rainfall total from October 2010 to March 2012 was the lowest for the same period since 1921/22 and is the second driest on record.
The Heritage Journal asked the question of WC leader Jane Scott. The council thinks the visits of the torch will create lots of international media attention for the settlements on the route. This may be naive given that the torch in its seventy long days crossing the UK is unlikely to the main news across the world on many of those days, but a visit to Avebury or Silbury Hill might have made an impact. See what they say at:
Members of Wiltshire Council western area planning committee overturned a recommendation from planning officers who wanted to throw out the scheme for a cinema, supermarket, restaurants and pub on the Bowyers site in Trowbridge. However the committee wasn't able to approve the application outright. Instead it will have to be brought back in six weeks time with details of all the conditions and legal agreements which could allow it to proceed. Then it would have to be referred to a government minister. If he agrees, only then could a permission be granted.
Wiltshire Council has announced that there will be no parking charges in any WC car parks on June 3rd, 4th or 5th as the county celebrates the Jubilee. In Salisbury the City Council car parks will also be free, as will the park and ride on the Monday and Tuesday, though it won't be operating on the Sunday, and on the two Bank Holidays the buses will run to a Saturday timetable.
