A NEW interactive platform that helps people find out what life is like in their community area has been launched by Wiltshire Council and Melksham residents are being encouraged to take part.
Wiltshire Council regularly pulls together the latest data to paint a picture of everyday living across its 18 community areas. Called the Community Area Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (CAJSNA), it uses more than 140 indicators across 10 different themes including children and young people, health, housing, safety and the environment.
Melksham’s residents are being encouraged to dive into the information and then complete a short survey to share what they think the priorities should be for the future.
The feedback from residents and data from the CAJSNA will help to inform future decision making for the council area and help shape future planning.
Cabinet member for public health, cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, said, “The Community Area Joint Strategic Needs Assessment is rich in detail on what life is like in Wiltshire. You can find out about the big themes around health, education and environment and cost of living for example, but it also gives more granular detail on the average cost of heating, lighting and hot water for your area, how many affordable homes are needed, or how many people are providing unpaid care.
“This is a vital exercise to help us understand what our priorities need to be. However, it isn’t the complete picture. We need people to come forward and take our short survey to tell us what their priorities are and what matters to them. Gathering all this information together means we can provide an informed vision and action plan for how we move forward in the future. Our area boards use this information as a tool to set their local priorities and allocate resources, so it is important that people contribute and have their say. I’d encourage as many people as possible from all age groups to be involved in this important process. “
People can access the short survey until 5 May 2024 at https://surveys.wiltshire.gov.uk/s/ad7x4r
The survey also has a link to the CAJSNA data which is available at https://www.wiltshireintelligence.org.uk/cajsna/