IT was wonderful to see so many fresh and young faces to bring new ideas and a different perspective at Chippenham Town Council’s first full meeting on Wednesday, May 17. I’m looking forward to working with all members over the next four years to deliver positive projects for the people of Chippenham.
Standing as a councillor can be a daunting experience and trying to please all the people all the time, is impossible. 
While I do try very hard, I can only deal with issues which are brought to my attention and would also like to encourage residents to use the My Wiltshire app to report issues directly to Wiltshire Council where possible. 
In the Hardenhuish ward, I am continuing to work with officers on a list of issues and I will be prioritising these by putting children and safety first.
As a town, there are exciting opportunities ahead of us through the devolution process and Chippenham Town Council must find a way of working positively with Wiltshire Council to successfully deliver the best outcome for the people of Chippenham. 
The new houses coming to the town also represent income and I’m determined that Chippenham must be more than a commuter town. I strongly believe that the people of Chippenham deserve something in return for the new housing developments on the horizon and my focus is to ensure that we get as much as possible including infrastructure, jobs and local amenities.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank residents in the Hardenhuish ward who voted for me and assure those who did not vote for me, that I’m very happy to represent them with any issues they would like support with.
Coun Melody Thompson
Hardenhuish ward
Chippenham