We use cookies to collect information about how you use wiltshire.gov.uk We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services multi-award-winning construction company Beard Construction was appointed by the council to carry out the works.   with work formally getting underway from 11 November.   A number of significant changes will take place at the centre The current gym will remain in use while the new gym is being constructed and there will be no change to swimming pool access or changing There will be some disruption to group exercise classes during the project with fewer classes available and classes being relocated to the main sports hall - but there will be more classes at Leighton Sports Centre in Westbury to offset this There will be some reduction in car parking spaces throughout the project the squash courts will be permanently removed at Warminster Sports Centre as a result of these works with customers encouraged to use the facilities at Leighton Recreation Centre which is just a short distance away.    Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Leisure said: I am pleased to confirm when work starts on the significant improvements to Warminster Sports Centre which will make the fitness facilities more modern and accessible and will encourage more people of all ages to access them.   The plans for Warminster Sports Centre have been well informed by evidence that shows there is demand for the enhanced facilities we will be providing We have the unique responsibility to not only ensure this type of project is a viable commercial venture but to also serve our communities and ensure their health and wellbeing is well supported.  and the work we're carrying out at some of our other leisure centres and we're looking forward to the positive impact they will have.   We thank our loyal customers for their patience while these works are carried out and we assure that any disruption during this period will be well worth it come the end result.  The work at Warminster is due to be completed in spring 2025 These works follow recent improvement works being completed at Lime Kiln Leisure Centre Royal Wootton Bassett; The Olympiad in Chippenham; Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury; and Devizes Leisure Centre Improvement works will also begin soon at Marlborough Leisure Centre and Springfield Campus.    We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. 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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports The Ajax programme will deliver a family of tracked digitally-enabled vehicles with a range of weapons and sensors delivering transformational change in capability to the British Army The £17 million infrastructure project at Warminster Garrison will provide a synthetic training facility to support Ajax Regiments based within Salisbury Plain The project is being delivered by Aspire Defence on behalf the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) Following the start of construction in October 2023 the internal fit-out of the building is now underway in preparation for installation of the Ajax simulation capability next year The building is on track to complete in autumn 2025 and will support a suite of state-of-the-art driver This will enable ‘real-world’ training to military personnel who will be in operation of Ajax vehicles with the Royal Dragoon Guards as custodians of the facility The Warminster Garrison Ajax facility is progressing at an impressive pace and will deliver a critical capability to the army This project demonstrates the significant investment underway across our estate to modernise our training infrastructure and deliver benefits for our people Representatives of Army Infrastructure and the Armoured Cavalry programme (centre) inside the Ajax facility under construction at Warminster Garrison This new infrastructure is a vital component of the Ajax programme It allows the appropriate technical solution to train our Service Personnel and enables a reduction in running costs platform wear and dependence on live training areas DIO MPP (Major Programmes and Projects) Director Army It is excellent to see the progress that has already been made on this impressive facility Continued collaboration between our project team and Aspire Defence will ensure that construction remains on track to meet the infrastructure requirements of the Army’s Armoured Cavalry programme In addition to the Warminster Garrison project Ajax infrastructure has already been delivered at Tidworth Garrison and Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain Training Area where the Ajax simulation capability is now being installed We are proud to be delivering this project for DIO to support the British Army which showcases Aspire Defence’s ability to successfully deliver quality infrastructure on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the army This first-rate facility supports the contemporary vision of training that’s in keeping with the modern army and its readiness for today’s challenges Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Multi-award-winning construction company Beard Construction has been appointed by the council to carry out the works Construction work will start on a number of significant changes in late October/early November The exact date of the start of the works will be confirmed soon Royal Wootton Bassett; The Olympiad in Chippenham; Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury; with improvements at Devizes Leisure Centre also nearing completion Improvement work will also begin soon at Marlborough Leisure Centre said: I am pleased to confirm more details on the significant improvements to Warminster Sports Centre which will make the fitness facilities more modern and accessible and will encourage more people of all ages to access them but to also serve our communities and ensure their health and wellbeing is well supported and we're looking forward to the positive impact they will have and we assure that any disruption during this period will be well worth it come the end result The work is due to be completed in spring 2025 with fewer classes available and classes being relocated to the main sports hall - but there will be more classes at Leighton Sports Centre in Westbury to offset this. The council is contacting leisure members and customers directly about this Regular updates on the works will be available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure/warminster-improvements While the big guns of the regional press study the gloomy portents about ‘news aversion’ and ‘platform resets’ the independent sector of smaller publishers are still queuing up to have a go I saw this on Facebook so it must be true: ‘Deliverers wanted for the Warminster Journal Isn’t that the Warminster Journal that published its last edition on December 13 last year bringing to an end 143 years of publishing in the Wiltshire town with the mournful headline The front-page copy read: “It is with sad hearts that we must tell you this is the last Warminster Journal we are publishing During the covid period many advertisers moved away from publications like ours onto online sales and they never came back.” as confirmed by another Facebook post which said: “We are devastated to confirm that the rumours are true Editor Ray has concluded this week to cease publication for good and has informed staff today We are reeling at the abrupt decision just before Christmas We have done all we can and tried to serve our community as a newspaper should.” Under the headline ‘The Warminster Journal is Coming Back!’ Joe McCann operations manager for Wiltshire Publications the independent newspaper group that produces the nearby Frome Times the White Horse News and the Melksham News announced: “We’re thrilled to announce that the Warminster Journal is under new ownership!” And he revealed: “As part of this exciting new chapter we’re relaunching this much-loved publication in early 2025.” McCann explained that it will follow the same successful format as the other titles delivered free door-to-door (hence looking for those deliverers) with a free online edition available for everyone The Warminster Journal was nothing if not idiosyncratic Described by a fellow ex-editor turned media pundit (take a bow Steve Dyson) as “a time-capsule from front to back page” it still persisted to the last with Every Word Of The Headlines Capped Up style favoured by American titles the Journal had its genesis as a product of a printers Coates and Parker trace their history back to 1799 Benjamin Coates founded the Warminster and Westbury Journal and Wilts County Advertiser as a weekly broadsheet newspaper in November 1881 “The paper was the result of meticulous planning and some considerable investment in staff and machinery,” says the company website “An extension to the premises had been built for the machine room the previous year and occupied half the garden using the wall to support the roof – planning regulations were no doubt a little less prescriptive in those days.” Fast forward to 2024 and a message on that same website says: “The Warminster Journal has been published since 1881 and was the ideal paper for advertising your business or event in the Warminster and Westbury areas publication has now been suspended.” who doubles up as a producer and presenter for Warminster Community Radio paid homage to the venerable title via one of the newest of mediums in a YouTube video: “This has been very sudden although at the same time People have been getting news online for years now and of course by its very nature news in the journal can be a week old or more.” hats off to Wiltshire Publications for stepping up As McCann says: “It would have been a shame to lose a newspaper with such a long and proud history In an era when local newspapers are in decline it’s something to be celebrated that we are bucking the trend.” past Stonehenge and the modern wonder of the world that is Reading scene of another independent newspaper ‘takeover’ which has served the riverside town and its neighbouring villages since 1892 was in January sold by the Higgs Group to Baylis Media which also owns the Maidenhead Advertiser and the Slough and Windsor Express said the Higgs Group has had a close association with Baylis for many years and is sure that the deal would allow the Standard to continue to thrive He said: “We have come to understand Baylis Media’s commitment to publishing quality local news is a very close fit to ours its local community and its customers.” With its lovely Old English masthead and commitment to all things local – ‘Neighbours unhappy with retirement village plans’ covers a lot of bases – the Standard would be a revelation not only to that nice Mr Zuckerberg but also some of the homogenous group-think products from the big regional publishers who has been with the company since 1955 put it: “During that time many local newspapers have been taken over by large groups and “Although I retired from the board as long ago as 2008 I have always been proud that the Standard has continued for so long as an independent voice for Henley and its environs.” managing director of Baylis Community Media CIC said: “We are delighted that we now publish the Henley Standard We are aware of the unique position that it holds within the town and are proud to be the custodians of this wonderful newspaper.” What is a Community Interest Company (CIC) Over to those kind people at gov.uk: “CICs are limited companies which operate to provide a benefit to the community they serve The purpose of a CIC is primarily one of community benefit rather than private profit.” “CICs will become established as a brand of company that the public recognises and trusts and whose social purpose they understand.” which is why the set-up has proved so appealing to small media businesses from the five title Post community newspapers to Social Spider Community News which produces five local news publications in northeast London via Hartlepool Life – “the free and weekly local newspaper The Louis Baylis Charitable Trust funded the purchase of the Henley Standard on behalf on Baylis Community Media CIC are very focused on independent local journalism and its function within the communities they serve – to inform to question and investigate on behalf of the people.” I had my own brush with independent newspapers when I pitched up as editor of the Diss Express I gave up a comfy berth at the Cambridge (then Evening) News to win a bet that I would become an editor before I was 30 as those well-versed in East Anglia geography will know is in the deep south of Norfolk about 25 miles from both Norwich and Ipswich It was owned by the modestly titled ‘World Media’ and run by entrepreneur Christopher Burr who was also a producer on Terrahawks the sci-fi TV series he created with Gerry Anderson Yes Gerry ‘Thunderbirds’ Anderson I was given two pieces of advice when I scaled the stairs above Fine Fare supermarket to reach the office almost overlooking the famous mere (big lake) in Diss: 1) “There are some very valuable puppets in that cupboard You can guess the rest… 2) “The paper has been around since 1864 so don’t f*** it up now.” covering multiple parliamentary constituencies and local authority areas plus there were the niceties of the Norfolk / Suffolk divide to learn to appreciate with one side declaring a disinterest in the other and vice-versa It was also home to the biggest chicken factory this side of Beijing and a Loch Ness style ‘Monster of the Mere’ so plenty for this young editor to get his teeth into What I learned was that an independent media company could be both entrepreneurial and nimble as well as ruthless A variety of ‘non-traditional’ products came and went including a trade magazine called ‘Van User’ which was motoring along very nicely until some creative accounting was discovered in the commercial department Sandwiched between the daily behemoths of the Eastern Daily Press and East Anglian Daily Times there was plenty of media interest in this Mesopotamia of East Anglia and lots of stories to go at The Diss Express is now in the safe hands of Iliffe Media Group under the stewardship of editor extraordinaire Barry Peters operating from Bury St Edmunds that office up the rickety stairs is no more but I wonder what happened to that cupboardful of puppets… All the latest publishing news straight to your inbox every Thursday Kate Reardon’s first LUXX out this Saturday Guardian Weekly to become weekly news magazine Advertiser and Times to relaunch in full colour Fine-tune your publishing strategy and up your game with our well-respected magazine for senior management Website design by Mission Systems THE Morrisons store in Warminster is set to be affected by a huge shake-up by the supermarket giant Morrisons has announced today (March 24) that it is planning to shut 17 stand-alone convenience stores florists and pharmacies across the country The move comes as the company looks to help mitigate “recent significant cost increases” and 396 employees are at risk of redundancy But it says the majority of affected employees could be deployed elsewhere in the company Included in the list of planned closures is the Morrisons café in Warminster READ MORE: Public steps in to detain men after reports of firearm at Warminster Lidl READ MORE: Warminster man sexually assaulted farm worker colleague, 18 said: “The changes we are announcing today are a necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate Morrisons and enable us to focus our investment into the areas that customers really value and that can play a full part in our growth “Morrisons Cafés are rightly famous for their great quality well-priced food their place in the local community and their appealing mix of traditional favourites alongside exciting new dishes “In most locations the Morrisons Café has a bright future but a minority have specific local challenges and in those locations closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option “Market Street is a beacon of differentiation for Morrisons and we remain committed to it “But as we modernise we are making some necessary changes to the areas of the model which are simply uneconomic “In some stores where we are closing counters or cafés we plan to work with third parties to provide a relevant specialist offer.” “Although these changes are relatively small in the context of the overall scale of the Morrisons business we do not take lightly the disruption and uncertainty they will cause to some of our colleagues “We will of course take particular care to look after all of them well through the coming changes.” Full list of 52 Morrisons cafes set to close: Morrisons Daily convenience stores set to close: Follow us on Facebook Subscribe to the Newsletter Salisbury &Avon Magazine The New Stour & Avon Magazine The Purbeck Gazette with both centres due to benefit from a number of significant changes once the improvements are complete.  the fitness studio is being refurbished and the original fitness suite site is being converted into a flexible community space A new consultation room is also being created in the new fitness suite area.  the fitness suite is being extended and improved the wet changing facilities are being refurbished and extended with a changing places facility also being installed.  Similar improvement projects were completed at a number of other Wiltshire Council leisure centres during 2024 Royal Wootton Bassett; The Olympiad in Chippenham; Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury; Springfield Campus in Corsham and Devizes Leisure Centre.   said: I'm pleased to confirm that the significant improvement works that we are undertaking at both Warminster Sports Centre and Marlborough Leisure Centre are moving along and really starting to take shape Whilst I cannot as yet confirm when the refurbished areas will reopen for use I can assure the communities that the projects are progressing at pace and we'll have some good news soon. I've been to both sites recently and to see our vision start to come to life is very exciting.  I want to thank our loyal customers for their continued patience while these works are carried out hopefully you will agree once you see the end results and use the improved facilities that the disruption will have been well worth it We've made this investment in the centres at Marlborough and Warminster to continue to support local people to keep physically and mentally active said: As the main contractor for both sites we are proud to see the transformation of Warminster Sports Centre and Marlborough Leisure Centre taking shape it is especially meaningful for us to contribute to projects that will enhance the health and wellbeing of communities in Wiltshire Beard has a long and successful history delivering sports and leisure facilities and we're committed to completing these upgrades efficiently and to a high standard and facilitating a smooth transition to the improved spaces A structurally unsafe property in the centre of Warminster has been demolished following successful enforcement action by Wiltshire Council had been a long-standing safety concern for the council's Building Control team due to a decline in its structural integrity and the dangerous state of its scaffolding the owner was served notice under Section 77 Building Act 1984 which required for the immediate dangers to be mitigated A subsequent court order from Swindon Magistrates Court ordered the owners to remove all the herbaceous growth from the front and side elevation; reinstate the plywood hoarding to the scaffold to prevent access to the scaffold and the building; remove all loose masonry from the front and side elevations; and ensure a structural assessment is undertaken by a specialist The owner instead elected to demolish the building and these demolition works have now been taken place Demolition of a listed building would usually require listed building consent Section 9 (3) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 allows for emergency situations by providing a defence from potential prosecution where works are urgently required in the interests of public safety or the security of the building Consent for the demolition was given due to the poor condition of the building and due to there being no further safe opportunity for temporary works propping or shoring that could achieve the safety of the building Cabinet Member for Development Management and Strategic Planning said: I'd like to praise the Building Control officers involved in seeing this case through to its conclusion with the building having been an ever-increasing concern since October 2014 As our Business Plan states we have a duty to deliver professional building control services and enforce breaches of planning control in order to protect our residents While we know it is disappointing for the local residents and councillors that ultimately the building has been demolished rather than restored we had a duty to ensure that the site was made safe Date published: 2024-07-12 | Category: Roads, travel and transport A section of the A36 Warminster Road between Limpley Stoke and Monkton Combe will be closed between 12 August and Spring 2025 for essential safety improvement works.   Work is required to stabilise the southbound embankment following cracking in the footpath alongside the carriageway This will prevent further movement and keep the main carriageway safe National Highways will also make drainage improvements to prevent future damage and reduce the need for more closures.  Diversion routes will be clearly signposted and advanced notices have been in place to inform road users of the upcoming closure. The northbound diversion will be via the A361, A350 and A4, the southbound diversion will be via the A4, A350 and A361. The diversion routes can be seen on one.network.  access will be maintained to properties within the closure with traffic marshals on hand to help.  The council has worked with National Highways and Wiltshire Council to ensure suitable engagement and diversion routes were agreed to keep disruption to a minimum After cracking was first discovered in the footpath of the A36 between Limpley Stoke Viaduct and Limpley Stoke Village survey works were undertaken to assess to the cause and extent of the issue.  The repair work will see installation of a concrete piled wall and capping beam to stabilise the embankment as well as new drainage and pavement.  The works will require clearing vegetation and excavation of the cracked pavement sections.  National Highways will also install netting on the rock cutting above the northbound carriageway and undertake repairs to the viaduct and retaining walls in the area Cabinet Member for Transport said: “Unfortunately these are significant works to repair an ongoing issue that will be disruptive for a period of time but what National Highways are doing is absolutely essential.  “We’ve worked closely with National Highways to make sure suitable diversions are put in place the works cause as little disruption as possible and that residents will be kept informed throughout the project.” Senior Project Manager for National Highways and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but need to fix the root of the problem to ensure it doesn’t happen again and that motorists and pedestrians remain safe at all times “We understand that road closures are frustrating we can get this scheme done safely and quickly these improvements will benefit road users and the local community for many years to come.” For more information, including diversion routes, you can visit the dedicated scheme webpage https://nationalhighways.co.uk/a36limpleystoke, contact National Highways on 0300 123 5000 (open 24/7), or email: info@nationalhighways.co.uk.  For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 00:42 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 High pressure brings further fine and settled weather this week Patchy cloud will clear this evening leaving some late sunshine to end to the day though a few showers may graze the south coast Feeling chilly beneath clear skies with a patchy frost possible in rural spots Another dry and settled day with plenty of sunny spells Cloud spilling from the east by the evening Widely dry and settled with high pressure dominating this week Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average