Wiltshire Council and Trowbridge Town Council agree transfer of grounds maintenance services and community assets in the town

Local people in Trowbridge will have more say on how grounds maintenance and streetscene services are run in the town, as Wiltshire Council agreed to pass several services and assets to Trowbridge Town Council.

The transfer means that Trowbridge Town Council takes responsibility for grounds maintenance - such as grass cutting - and streetscene services in the town, while also taking over the town's market, some amenity areas, Southwick allotments, and some church yards in the town.

The transfer gives the town council autonomy to manage these services and facilities as it sees fit, giving it an opportunity to focus to local priorities without any input from Wiltshire Council. Similar transfers have already taken place in Chippenham, Salisbury, Bradford on Avon, Devizes and Pewsey. 

Cllr Phil Alford, Cabinet Member for Asset Transfers, said: We are pleased to be working with Trowbridge and handing over local services to the town council.

Like the town council, our role continues to evolve and as we take on an ever more strategic role, focusing on Adult Care Services, Children's Services, Planning, Highways and other county-wide responsibilities, we are looking to encourage town councils to take on more ownership of their local environment.

Giving towns the opportunity to enhance the quality of local services to meet the needs of their community is an integral part of this process, and having Trowbridge Town Council join Salisbury, Devizes, Chippenham and Bradford on Avon is a key step in this journey.

Cllr Stewart Palmen, Leader of Trowbridge Town Council, said: I am very excited that Trowbridge Town Council are taking on these services from Wiltshire Council, they will enable us to improve our green spaces and help ensure that the town centre is kept clean and tidy so that Trowbridge becomes a town we can all be proud of.

We set out our strategy many years ago to take back local control of those things which are local and now we are delivering against that objective.

The Town Council has listened to residents and is taking responsibility, offering greater local level flexibility and improved responsiveness to your priorities, whilst continuing to invest in services and facilities for Trowbridge.