Major incident in Amesbury and Salisbury
Community update meetings
Two further community meetings are being held in Amesbury and Salisbury. Residents will have the opportunity to hear updates and ask questions and raise issues.
The meetings will be held on Tuesday July 24 at Salisbury City Hall from 6.30pm, and on Wednesday July 25 at The Stonehenge School, Antrobus Road, Amesbury, from 6.30pm.
If you are unable to get to the meetings they will be live streamed on our Facebook page.
More than 250 people were updated on the latest situation at the meeting at Antrobus House on July 10. If you would like to watch the previous public meeting in Amesbury, you can watch it on our Facebook page.
Baroness Scott has issued a statement regarding the additional support package we've received for Salisbury and Amesbury.
Free business advice and support
Free business advice and support is available to businesses in Amesbury and Salisbury. Business advisors are available at the Enterprise Centre at The Old Fire Station, Salt Lane, Salisbury. If you have any concerns about your business, you can access emergency support.
Download an application form for financial support. Please complete this form then arrange an appointment or drop in at The Old Fire Station. You will need to provide trading figures to show how your business has been impacted.
Business advice sessions
Drop-in business advice sessions are being held at Antrobus House, Amesbury SP4 7HH, 10am-12 noon on Thursday 19, Friday 20, Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 July.
Business survey
If your business has been impacted by the Salisbury and Amesbury incidents, please take a few minutes to complete this online survey. The data will be used to report to government in order to make clear the need for resources to assist recovery in the area.
Free business advice and support
Free business advice and support is available to businesses in Amesbury and Salisbury. Business advisors are available at the Enterprise Centre at The Old Fire Station, Salt Lane, Salisbury. If you have any concerns about your business, you can access emergency support.
Download an application form for financial support.
Please complete this form then arrange an appointment or drop in at The Old Fire Station. You will need to provide trading figures to show how your business has been impacted.
Business survey
If your business has been impacted by the Salisbury and Amesbury incidents, please take a few minutes to complete this online survey. The data will be used to report to government in order to make clear the need for resources to assist recovery in the area.
Latest statement from Baroness Scott
I would like to update council members of the latest situation regarding the incident and ongoing investigation in Amesbury and Salisbury.
I am sure that, like myself, you will have been shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of Dawn Sturgess on Sunday evening and will join me in sending our sincere condolences to her family and friends. We must acknowledge the role of Salisbury District Hospital that worked tirelessly to treat Ms Sturgess following exposure to the nerve agent Novichok.
Her partner Charlie Rowley is still being treated in Salisbury hospital and he is in a critical condition. Our thoughts are also with him, his family and friends during what is clearly a difficult time for them all.
Having a death occur in our local community; particularly in such extraordinary circumstances is undoubtedly affecting those who live and work there. Our role is to support our partners whilst they carry out their investigation into this dreadful crime.
As I am sure you are aware, this incident is now being investigated as a murder and is being led by the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing Network supported by Wiltshire Police.
Our responsibility as Wiltshire Council is to be a vital link with local communities to make sure that we keep people informed of the latest information as it becomes available. This is a fast-moving situation, the like of which we have never experienced in Wiltshire before, and we understand that people are concerned; particularly those in Salisbury and Amesbury.
It is also important that we provide support to those directly affected and to the most vulnerable in our communities, who are finding this incident extremely upsetting and difficult. It is important to reassure our communities and the current advice from Public Health England is that the wider risk to public health remains low. I would refer anyone with concerns to the health advice available on Public Health England’s website which is also posted on our dedicated Salisbury page on the council’s website, or to contact the helpline that has been set up on 0800 092 0410 or 020 7158 0124 to respond to any health concerns.
It is vital that we continue to assist local businesses and yesterday I announced that in Amesbury we have lifted the parking charges on our Central and Church Street car parks and we will be visiting all local businesses to assess their needs and provide any support that is needed.
People can now park free of charge from 12pm Monday to Friday and free all day at the weekend. We will continue to work with our communities in Amesbury and Salisbury to support them during this testing time. Since the first incident occurred in March they have shown just how resilient and determined they are in the face of unprecedented challenges and I am sure that this will continue. We will do all that we can to help both these communities affected get back to normal.
This evening we are a holding a community meeting at 7.00 pm at Antrobus House in Amesbury to update on the current position and to provide an opportunity for people to ask questions and raise any issues they might have. The representatives, confirmed so far, from local and national partner agencies that will be attending are:
Myself as the chair of the meeting
- Kier Pritchard, Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
- Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection and Medical Director, Public Health England
- Cara Charles-Barks, Chief Executive, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
- Alistair Cunningham, Chair of the Salisbury recovery coordinating group
- Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner
- UK Counter Terrorism representative
- Ben Ansell, Chief Fire Officer, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service
- Jane Whichello, Deputy Commander (Wiltshire), South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
I will continue to make sure that you are updated as matters progress.
Thank you
CloseBooks of condolence
There are books of condolence for Dawn Sturgess in both Amesbury Library and Salisbury Library until further notice. We would be grateful if asmany people as possible could sign them and leave comments.
The books of condolence will also be available at any future public meetings forall those wishing to sign them.
Major incident: community litter picks update
Due to the ongoing investigation into the major incident in Salisbury and Amesbury, and following the current advice of Public Health England (PHE), we recommend that any planned community litter picks in the Salisbury and Amesbury community areas are postponed until further notice.
As a precaution, PHE's advice to everyone in the Salisbury and Amesbury area is that nobody should pick up any foreign object that does not belong to them.
These could contain (or could have previously contained) liquid or gel.
This means people should not pick up:
- Containers
- Lids
- Syringes
- Needles
- Cosmetics
- Or similar objects, made of materials such as metal, plastic or glass.
The message is: if you didn't drop it, don't pick it up.
We really appreciate and welcome people's enthusiasm to carry out clean-ups and litter picks in their local communities and we hope that we can recommend these continuing, as soon as possible.
PHE's current advice, based on the small number of casualties affected following the recent incident, is that the risk to the public remains low. They will keep this assessment under constant review as further information becomes known.
John Baker House residents
Residents from John Baker House in Salisbury had to be rehoused following the recent incident. Working closely with Sanctuary (the owner of John Baker House), Alabaré, The Foyer Foundation, and other partners, we were able to find alternative accommodation for all the residents who wanted it. Recognising that this is an unsettling and difficult time for them, we are providing ongoing support such as financial advice, clothing, purchasing essential items, and other provisions, so that they have all they need to manage in their alternative accommodation.
The latest information from Public Health England
If you have concerns relating to the incident, please call 0800 092 0410
Information for residents
The city is a vibrant destination for tourists and residents, and it offers a wealth of cultural activity and shopping facilities – almost all of which are open for business.
Police cordons remain in place in the areas which are of specific interest as part of the ongoing investigation. Please do not be alarmed by cordons in place – it does not mean there is any threat to public health, or that the area is contaminated.
CloseThis is an extremely rare incident and a highly unusual set of circumstances – Salisbury is, and remains, one of the safest cities in the country. The risk to the general public is low. Read the latest advice from Public Health England.
CloseAll Wiltshire Council operated car parks in Salisbury are free after midday on weekdays. Before midday on weekdays, usual charges will apply. At the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), all Wiltshire Council operated car parks in the city will be free.
The car parks offering free parking are:
- Brown Street East - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Brown Street West - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Central - Maximum stay all day
- Central - Maximum stay 3 hours
- College Street - Maximum stay all day
- Culver Street - Maximum stay all day
- Five Rivers Leisure Centre - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Lush House - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Maltings - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Millstream - Maximum stay all day
- Salt Lane - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Southampton Road - Maximum stay all day
Salisbury is a great place to visit and there’s lots to enjoy in the city. For a comprehensive list of events in Salisbury, see Salisbury City Council. Click on the links below to find out more about the events, attractions and activities on offer throughout the city.
Get active and stay active in Salisbury
CloseInformation for businesses
We are working with local businesses to help them access support and financial assistance, including insurance claims and business rates relief.
If you own a business and are concerned about the impact the situation in Salisbury and Amesbury has had, call the Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub on 01225 402096. The lines are manned 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, by members of staff who can provide advice and links to a wide range of support. Visit the Swindon and Wiltshire Growth Hub.
You can also call The Enterprise Network Centre in Salisbury (Salt Lane) on 01722 567345. The Enterprise Network Centre will also operate as a drop-in centre for businesses with any queries or concerns and will be open and manned from 9am-5pm, Monday to Saturday.
The government last week announced more than £5 million in additional funding to further support businesses, boost tourism and meet unexpected costs as a result of the incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury.
This new package is in addition to the £2.5 million that has been made available since March. This funding ensured local businesses were supported, including business rate relief and
The latest package includes:
- £997,000 to support Wiltshire Council’s response and recovery costs. This will help ensure the council's other vital services are not adversely affected by this incident
- £927,000 to provide immediate support to local businesses and to counter their loss of earnings
- £870,000 to boost the vital tourism industry in the region. This includes £570,000 for free parking and park-and-ride services to add to the £1.25m Wiltshire Council has already contributed towards this
In addition, a further £2.5 million in special grant funding was announced to cover extra costs incurred by Wiltshire Police, taking the total provided to the police since March to £4.1m.
Wiltshire Council leader, Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, said: “I welcome the announcement of this support package from Government, and look forward to working with them to provide the essential support the communities and businesses affected by this incident need.”
CloseWiltshire Council will not charge business rates to the eight businesses that have been unable to open under the heading of “occupation prohibited by law”, with effect from 5 March 2018.
If you have a specific query about business rates and/or hardship rate relief, please call 01722 434401 for advice, or email businessrates@wiltshire.gov.uk. Your call will go directly to an experienced business rates advisor, who understands the Salisbury issue.
CloseA simple application and eligibility process form is listed below.
Wiltshire Council is offering a free advice clinic to Salisbury businesses through our partner, Inspire, the Chamber of Commerce organisation for Wiltshire.
A business adviser will be available at our Enterprise Centre at 1 Salt Lane on a drop-in basis to help with any business issues you may have, including marketing, sales, access to finance including cash flow, tax advice, leadership mentoring and more.
You can just drop in or book ahead by calling 01225 355553 and asking for Jade Simons.
CloseInformation for visitors
The city is a vibrant destination for tourists and residents, and it offers a wealth of cultural activity and shopping facilities – almost all of which are open for business.
Police cordons remain in place in the areas which are of specific interest as part of the ongoing investigation. Please do not be alarmed by cordons in place – it does not mean there is any threat to public health, or that the area is contaminated.
CloseThis is an extremely rare incident and a highly unusual set of circumstances. The risk to the general public is low. Read the latest advice from Public Health England.
CloseAll five Salisbury park and ride sites are free until further notice.
The five sites are:
- Wilton, SP2 0BT
- Beehive, SP4 6BT
- London Road, SP1 3HP
- Petersfinger, SP5 3BZ
- Britford, SP5 4 DS
Please note that the park and ride is free if boarding from these park and ride sites only. If you are boarding elsewhere along the park and ride bus routes, standard fares will apply.
See the full park and ride timetables
CloseAll Wiltshire Council operated car parks in Salisbury are free after midday on weekdays. Before midday on weekdays, usual charges will apply. At the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), all Wiltshire Council operated car parks in the city will be free.
The car parks offering free parking are:
- Brown Street East - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Brown Street West - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Central - Maximum stay all day
- Central - Maximum stay 3 hours
- College Street - Maximum stay all day
- Culver Street - Maximum stay all day
- Five Rivers Leisure Centre - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Lush House - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Maltings - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Millstream - Maximum stay all day
- Salt Lane - Maximum stay 3 hours
- Southampton Road - Maximum stay all day
Recovery programme updates
Salisbury's Bourne Hill offices (the new extension), home to Wiltshire Council services and the police station, is currently closed to staff and public. The clean-up there is now complete, but we are using the current closure as an opportunity to undertake refurbishment and improvements to the building over the summer period. This will include general maintenance, new fixtures and furnishings, and improvement to the office space layout; the result will be a better utilised space for both customers and staff.
Front-facing customer services staff (including housing and benefits) will remain at Bourne Hill located in the old part of the building the Registry office. Wiltshire Police contact centre will be located in Salisbury Library.
Services available
The registration office is available to register births, deaths and marriages. Our customer services reception is open should you have any queries relating to any of our services. Should you wish to speak to somebody regarding your council tax, we have an advisor on hand to assist you. Furthermore, if you have a benefit claim you wish to discuss or there's a change in your living arrangements, we have housing benefits and housing options staff available to help with this too. Our advisors are available to help from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.
CloseThere is a multi-agency approach to delivering the clean-up, and specially trained personnel will be undertaking further assessments at the sites. Each site has unique challenges, and as this is methodical work it will take some months, though some sites will be released sooner once they are deemed to be safe.
Safety of the public is, of course, paramount, but the risk to health is low, and the city is safe outside of the cordoned sites. A police presence in the city will continue around the cordoned sites.
Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership has set up a Hardship Fund of up to £100,000, and this has been matched by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), available for business support.
Rate relief funding is available as part of the £1m from central government; while £270,000 is available to support tourism - £200,000 from central government and £70,000 from Wiltshire Council.
For more information, see the 'advice for businesses' section below.
