THERE can be little doubt that the result of the US presidential election will herald a new era in relations between our countries. As ever, we must be prepared to work constructively to ensure that our longstanding political, social and economic ties are preserved and where possible new opportunities can be exploited.

Whatever questions it may raise, the outcome was the outplaying of democracy and politicians must work with the verdict of the people – just as we are doing in this country. Reflecting the will of the people – although on a very different scale – was a prominent theme of the meeting of Salisbury Civic Society that I attended last week.

A wide-ranging and valuable discussion centred on future development in and around the city and how best to strike a balance between the undeniable demand for more homes and facilities, the unsatisfied need for affordable housing and the desire to protect the local environment and green spaces that we all wish to enjoy. Inevitably, a number of people expressed discontent about the role of the local authority and what is often characterised as a ‘disconnect’ between Wiltshire Council and the will of local people.

However, while galvanising local opposition once a development is mooted is seldom a problem, defining the will of the people in advance is less straightforward. For every person who objects to a new estate, there will be another (often no less local) who will buy a house and no doubt several who will apply to live in the social housing on that estate. Taking the step from saying after the event what the community does not want to saying in advance what it does want is a difficult process – but the mechanism exists for it to happen.

Several South Wiltshire villages have shown the way, producing neighbourhood plans setting out plot by plot and housing type by housing type what the community needs and what it simply won’t tolerate.

Most recently Downton is currently preparing to put its local plan to the vote, demonstrating that, where people love their community enough to put in the work, neighbourhood plans can be accomplished on an ambitious scale. I am grateful to Cllr’s Margaret Willmot, James Robertson and others of all political persuasions, who have indicated that a neighbourhood plan for Salisbury City may not be out of reach and may, indeed, be a task that Salisbury City Council could consider championing.

The importance of observing neighbourhood plans is written into Wiltshire’s Core Strategy – the county’s blueprint for future development – and there can be no more powerful way of proving the will of the people than through the democratic process of drawing up and voting on a neighbourhood plan which ideally involves neighbouring parishes. This would mean our shared interest in the wider green environment could lead to a coherent strategic plan to meet the wider long term interests of our beautiful city.