**1. Ending the scourge of speculative development**
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Over recent years, our pocket of Wiltshire has taken more than its fair share of housing. Local residents often tell me they feel like they are being bombarded by housing that is not in line with the local plans or is not strategic. I have been banging the drum to successive Housing Secretaries over the years and I have been making our case directly to Michael Gove, the current Housing Secretary. 

While we absolutely need new homes for young people to move into and affordable homes - it needs to be strategic and we need them in the right places for local communities and amenities. Blindly covering the countryside with haphazard developments is unacceptable, as it disrupts village communities and strains existing infrastructure without necessary upgrades.

 

All over our area we have been helpless to developers who have been exploiting our lack of 5-year housing land supply to build bolt-on development after bolt-on development - with next to nothing offered to local residents. 

 

Local residents give up hours and hours of their time and energy to draw up plans for their neighbourhoods - only for developers to bypass this thanks to a loophole. This is completely not acceptable and is why I have been pushing so hard for change to better protect our area. 

 

I have been successful in securing the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework that we need to protect our areas and ensure where there is house building, it is done with the community and not just imposed upon them. The changes that I fought for and won does mean that our local council has much more strategic control and ability to work with the local community to decide the number and location of homes of homes they are aiming to build. For example Wiltshire Council can now overturn unplanned and unwanted applications, such as the Berryfield proposal and the 650-home development on Blackmore Farm.

 

Combined with the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, we are putting local communities in the driving seat and we are placing beauty, delivery of improved infrastructure and local people at the front and centre of housebuilding.


**2. Securing millions to fix and upgrade our roads**
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Many people on the doorstep have raised potholes. 

Whilst the weather at the end of the year and the start of 2024 didn't help, I have been busy making the case for extra funding to help Wiltshire Council to resurface and fix our roads. 

I have been standing up for our community and I have secured a whopping **£𝟖𝟏,𝟖𝟔𝟗,𝟎𝟎𝟎** over the next 10 years. This is a funding boost which works out as an 30% increase for 2023/24 compared to 2022/23.

 

This record level of investment and vote of confidence in Wiltshire comes on top of the extra £10 million of extra funding that Wiltshire Council have recently agreed to invest which is already being spent on preventative maintenance and a road resurfacing scheme including small local repairs to the highways; verge repairs on rural roads and materials support to volunteers working on public rights of way.

As I have been pounding the streets 10 hours each and every day of this campaign and driving from Calne - Colerne and every part of the constituency in between - I myself have noticed the difference in our roads and paths already. I will always stand up for you and your family and be a strong local voice for our community. We won't see all our roads done over night but the two injections of cash is already starting to make a difference. 


**3. Supporting local charities and causes**
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I have always believed in the power of community groups and charities.

 

Over the years, I have always tried to commit as much time as I can to supporting our excellent charities and community groups - including walking the entire length of the Kennet and Avon Canal (87 miles for those who are interested) in just 3 days to raise £7,500 for Holt Pre-School. 

 

I have always and will always support Wiltshire Air Ambulance - who do an absolutely heroic job day-in day-out and I have for the past few years, raised thousands by taking part in their 'It's a Knockout' competition. 

 

We are so fortunate to have such a caring community locally and when I spoke to Deedee from Melksham Free Dinning last year about their concerns - I made it a personal mission to do all I can to help support their amazing work locally. I held a Fish and Chip supper in the Assembly Hall in Melksham where I raised thousands on the night and in the raffle- which has meant that Melksham Free Dinning can continue their work in our community and can offer an extra day. 

 

I am passionate about tackling loneliness and I have held several Over 55's Information and Advice fairs to help raise awareness of the brilliant social groups that meet up locally for a cuppa and a chat. 


4. Statistics over the past year  👇🏻
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**Michelle Donelan**

Promoted by Simon Crundell on behalf of Michelle Donelan, both of 1 Swift Way, Bowerhill, Melksham SN12 6GX

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