Connectivity is key to a place like Wiltshire. Our market towns and villages, and our outlying farms and cottages, depend on decent transport and decent broadband.
I probably get more correspondence about potholes than any other subject. Driving around Wiltshire, especially when there is water on the roads, is a high-risk venture for tires. The Government has recognised the problem, which is nationwide, by committing an additional £8.3 billion to fixing potholes. In total the taxpayer is spending £27 million a year on road maintenance in Wiltshire.
I always take constituents' complaints about specific road issues straight to the council, and I will continue to fight for faster and more permanent fixes to the craters that pockmark our roads.
I'm pleased that rural travel in Wiltshire is improving. I lobbied Government for a grant to invest in an innovative new bus system, which I'm glad to say we won - so there is now a 'demand-responsive' bus service, called Wiltshire Connect, in the Vale of Pewsey and Marlborough area. Rather than large, and largely empty, buses trundling up and down the same routes every day, Wiltshire Connect responds to the need for travel by picking a route each day that suits the passengers - like a taxi. You can find out more and book your trip here. I will continue to campaign for better public transport across the county.
Broadband coverage has increased markedly since I was elected in 2019, with 94% of homes in the constituency now having superfast broadband availability (capable of receiving download speeds of at least 30 Mbps). But we still have too many areas where the internet is slow or non-existent, either because broadband is still routed through old copper wires or because there's no mobile signal - or both. I will continue to push for a faster roll-out of the gigabit programme, and to raise particular cold spots with BT Broadband.
