Building a better future?

Porton Down has changed. Not that you’d think so listening to London journalists trotting out the old mantra about ‘the government’s top secret germ warfare establishment’ every time they mention it. For a start, there are two establishments at Porton Down – the Health Protection Agency and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories.

The HPA still focuses on microbiological research and is home to the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response. They protect public health and provide support and advice on infectious diseases and vaccines.

Working at DSTL are 3,500 of the UK’s most talented and creative scientists. They don’t just sit in our beautiful Wiltshire countryside thinking, researching and developing technology. They are on the ground, at sea and in the air every day, alongside British military forces wherever they may be in the world.

A debt of gratitude
So what’s new? For a start, I welcome the change at Government level that acknowledges the contribution of thousands of volunteers who down the years have contributed to the defence and security of the civilian population as well as our armed forces. Fifty years ago, things were very different. Scientific procedures were not as rigorous and the idea of a ‘duty of care’ was in its infancy. Things happened that would not happen today – and for those affected an apology is expected shortly from the government.

DSTL is still leading world-class vaccine development against a variety of threats. Now it is doing much, much more. The analysis of mountains of data reveals patterns of behaviour and networks that yield crucial security information. Much of this is done at the Counter-Terrorism Science and Technology Centre.

The CT Centre responds instantly to rapidly evolving and sometimes evaporating terrorist threats. These remarkable scientists work at home and abroad, across all government departments, to protect the people and infrastructure of our nation.

Good neighbours
Detection of roadside bombs, radiological protection, helicopter safety, airport security, energy supply – these are all in a day’s work for our scientists and technologists. Addicts of James Bond movies and the TV series ‘Spooks’ might be disappointed by the reality of the portakabin approach taken at Porton Down – but surely not disappointed by the real people making it happen, who I was privileged to meet on a recent briefing. Very clever, very talented, very experienced – but living quietly with their families in a street near you and shopping in Salisbury on Saturdays.

The way we live now
Doing my homework for a productive meeting at Westminster with Salisbury Council House Tenants, I was struck by the facts of how we live rather than the political rhetoric. In Salisbury District 110,646 people live in 47,408 homes. Seventy-five thousand people live in 32,000 homes they own – that’s 66.5%. The Council houses 12,800 people in 5,650 dwellings – 12% of the total. Housing Associations provide 1900 homes for 4,700 families – 4% of all houses. Over 15,000 people rent 4,600 units privately (9.7%) and a further 3,400 units (7%) are rented by 2,500 people – mostly Ministry of Defence.

Satisfaction surveys over the years have shown that Salisbury District Council is a good landlord and tenants don’t want the housing stock transferred to another social landlord. But the Government is now penalising Councils – and therefore tenants – who will not dispose of their Council Houses.

Salisbury council tenants pay £18 million a year in rent from which the Government takes £7 million. That rule should be changed. It should all be spent locally on improving social housing and building more homes for rent. This government is not making it happen.

Brave new world?
Meanwhile, the recently-published ‘Salisbury Housing Market Area Sub-Regional Strategy’ has been published as part of the Government’s Regional Spatial Strategy (that’s a plan to you and me) up to 2020. I don’t suppose you even knew it existed! Now you know where all that tax is going…

The Report (258 pages long with 200 pages of appendices) forecasts “high expected levels of economic growth” between now and 2020. It tells us there are currently 24,500 jobs in the Salisbury area – and that this should grow by an extra 13,900 jobs. Where will they all live? This could require over 16,000 new dwellings but 12,440 ‘should be aimed for’ of which 6,000 should be in the City of Salisbury.

Don’t tell anyone, but they also recommend that the Brunel Link and the Harnham Relief Road “should form part of the transport “package” for Salisbury”. Oh yes – and regional stakeholders must work “to achieve a second strategic route into the South West from London utilizing the A303”. Ah-ha! A dual carriageway/tunnel past Stonehenge after all? And in memory of Dr. Beeching, this brand-new Strategy says passing loops are needed on the railway west of Salisbury. The humour of it!

When the Secretary of State, Hazel Blears (MP for Salford), has had time to consider our future, she will issue any changes she wants to the Strategy in the spring. There will then be twelve weeks of consultation before her final decision in the autumn.

These are all big numbers. Salisbury and South Wiltshire will change for ever. Whilst locally we have been drawing up our ‘Vision for Salisbury’, concentrating on the quality of life of our community, the mighty planners at regional level have other ideas for us. I wonder what you think – and what you want for your children and grandchildren?

Robert Key MP
February 2008