Chippenham is an important centre for employment and business, with a large number of employers. It has a large number of jobs for an area of it size, the 3rd highest in Wiltshire. The manufacturing sector is larger that average 18.5%, compared with 14.66% for Wiltshire as a whole.

The unemployment rate is 2.38%, which is lower than the County average.

Headline Issues

Retailing is very important in the town

Supporting rural & urban Post Offices

Encouraging Village shops.

Education and Lifelong Learning opportunities are recognised as key to long term growth and prosperity of the community. The area has 17 primary school, 3 secondary schools, 1 special school, 1 independant school & Wiltshire College.

New initiatives are currently being introduced to encourage schools to open their facilities to community education.

Headline Issues                                         

Community Access to IT facilities

Wiltshire is currently the safest County to live in, in respect of recorded crime. Wiltshire Constabulary are commited to increasing their visibility, accessibility & reassurance by working to maintain the increase in time spent by officers outside the police station and in public, & by putting more Police Community Support Officers (PCSO's) on the street.

We can all help the police to fight crime and contribute to making our community area a better place to live, work and spend out leisure time.

Here are some useful contact numbers:

Police: 01249 654455 www.wiltshirepolice.uk

North Wiltshire Community Safety Partnership: 01249 706416 www.gosw.gov.uk

Neighbourhood Watch: 01249 449663 www.nhw.wilts.org.uk

Headline Issues

More Visible and Effective Policing

The River Avon and smaller tributaries form the backbone of the area, and we have shaped the landscape over many thousands of years. To the west of Chippenham, away from the wider floodplain lies the edge of the Cotwolds with its concentration of smaller river valleys, ancient woodlands & flower rich grasslands. Within the area there is a Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve (Vincents Wood), 2 Woodland Trust sites, 6 sites of Specific Scientific Interest, 358 footpaths, and we are part of the National Cycle Network.

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Maintain and enhance the character of the local area

Make Chippenham an attractive town in which to live,

work, learn & enjoy leisure activities.

A high standard of transport facilities is vital for the well being of the community.

There is a good mainline rail station in Chippenhma, together with various bus & coach services. There are also good links with the road network & motorway.

Information from this plan will be passed to Wiltshire County Council to to inform the Local Transport Plan

Headline Issues

Parking Provision

Improvements in Public Transport.

There are many contributing factors to the state of people's health such as their lifestyle, income, housing, environment, family & friends.

Along with the rest of Wiltshire the residents of the Chippenham Community Area enjoy relatively good health with longer than average life expectancy and lower rates of illness. There are slightly higher than expected levels of death and injuries from land transport accidents, breaast cancer and colorectal cancer. There are slightly lower than expected deaths form lung cancer, accidental falls and slightly lower occurrence of teenage pregnancies.

Headline Issues

Access to NHS Dentists

Can GP practices and other facilities cope with the growing population of the area?

As the town and surrounding villages develop, it is important to maintain the approximate mix between private & social housing. It is also essential to ensure that there is adequate provision of affordable housing, to enable the local population to enter the housing market. In order to support the increasing populationn, care must be taken to ensure that sufficient services and facilities are in place.

There are 12 Conservation Areas of Special Architectural or Historical Interest, and these must be preserved for future generations.

Headline Issues

Affordable Housing

Sheltered Housing

Community / Village Halls 

Culture, in the form of recreation, sports , leisure & the arts, makes a significant contribution to the quality of community life. Often, volunteers undertake such activities, and their efforts are greatly appreciated. Chippenham is well known for its very successful annual Folk Festival, which has been running for over 30 years. Boasting 200 events over 4 days, the festival attracts both national and international visitors to the area. Chippenham has a cinema and 2 nightclubs in the town, and several pubs in the community area have a late licence and offer musical entertainment on Friday & Saturday nights.

The Plan aims to increase support for community facilities and events, and encourage a range of cultural opportunities for both residents & visitors to the community area.

Headline Issues

Improve outdoor facilities & leisure facilities for young people.

Increase support for community facilities and events.