Dorset Remains in Tier 2

The Government has announced that Dorset remains in Tier 2 after they re-examined the tier system.

Several factors are considered when looking at the tier system. Along with headline infection rates, the Government also looks at the infection rate in older people, the impact on the care sector and pressure on local hospitals – all of which continue to be a concern in the area.

The Director of Public Health for Dorset and BCP Councils commented: “Although people may feel frustrated and disappointed by this decision…Tier one restrictions would not be enough to continue to bring our rates down, and we would risk having to go back into tougher measures.”

Dorset is the 6th lowest in England, according to the latest rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for every local authority area in England. However, over the last week the rate has increased to 45.4 per 100,000 people compared to 39.6 a week ago. Recent figures also show four more coronavirus patients have died in Dorset hospitals. We’re simply not ready to move to Tier 1 yet.

Your G.P. will contact you re: being vaccinated.

Please follow the Government guidelines and stay safe!

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#SameRules,#Covid19,#Coronavirus,#Christmas,#Vaccine,#SouthSomerset,#SomersetWest,#Taunton,#Devon,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Parish Group Council

The focused faces in the photograph belie the festive feel to Monday night’s Group Parish Council meeting. Helen, the Town Clerk reported:

“ It was lovely to see everyone looking so festive thanks to those members of the public who joined us. Another busy agenda, we welcomed Lloyd Curtis back to the Council and paid thanks to Susanna Laurie who has recently stepped down as Councillor for Seaborough. Susanna has made such a positive contribution to the Council and has worked hard to represent and support her community.

The next online meeting will take place on 11 January, please do join us!

Wishing all parishioners of the Grouped Parish a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year.“

Susanna responded “Thank you for the kind words it was a pleasure to be part of this Parish Council, to meet you all and work in such a positive environment. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.”

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Christmas,#Zoom,#Tier2,#StaySafe

Councillor Simon Christopher’s Report – Dec 2020

Here is our local Councillor Simon Christopher’s interim report submitted to the Parish Council’s meeting this evening.

“I am actually writing exactly seven days before the meeting and as a politician famously said, a week is a long time in politics.

I thought I would set out some thoughts at the last meeting of the year. A difficult year in which we have seen so many people rally around to help vulnerable people.

The council has risen to the task of helping the elderly, the infirm and has acted positively to help with the provision of meals to vulnerable children over holiday times. There has of course been financial consequences and the council has had to utilise reserves.

Councillors Jill Haynes and Councillor Tony Ferrari as portfolio holders have written to all Town and Parish Council clerks re the Dorset Council area. The communication is in respect of the Dorset Council Asset review Process, which was presented to Cabinet on 3^rd November 2020.
Extracts include ‘There are a number of (property) holdings which we need to consider in order to rationalize the estate and reduce cash’

‘The desire is to

Create economic growth by creating new homes and jobs
Delivering a more integrated customer focused service, through joint provision with partner organisations
Generate efficiencies through capital receipts and running costs’.

Please contact me if you have not seen the aforementioned email or wish to discuss the matter.

Councillors are currently discussing the budget setting process, primarily:

Children’s Directorate
Place Directorate- including property’s, highways and Dorset Waste
Adults Directorate
Corporate Directorate

There is to be a concentrated effort to achieve savings in contract arrangement without a reduction in service.

The Parish Council will be aware of the considerable correspondence involving Highways and the police about continuing damage to the verges etc at Common water Lane. This is an ongoing matter and many of us are determined that the above authorities are made aware of the continuing concern of residents.

I will be pleased to receive your thoughts on possible changes to Dorset Council car parking charges.

You may have noticed that Dorset Council car parks will be free on Saturday’s in December 2020. (In Sherborne I understand this will be on Mondays)

The mailbag of a Dorset Councillor in a rural ward appears to show continued concern about speeding motorists and I pass on these concerns to the relevant highways officers and other agencies.

Thank you to those Parish Councillors who contact me re concerns about footpaths and I have contacted the officer on your behalf. I continue to request a pavement be installed from Broadwindsor Village to the cricket ground.

I am in touch with officers to make sure drains in Seaborough are properly cleared, as a result of residents concerns.

Rachel Baker, senior communications officer Digital and Change Dorset Council has been publicising the Gigabit Voucher Scheme. An email has come out to John and myself, which has been further circulated and you have comments on this.

On 30^th November 2020 the Government has unveiled its Path to Sustainable Farming.

The reason I draw your attention to this is :

The mere fact that even in the heart of your village you are but yards away from a field managed by members of the farming community.
This will impact on the County Farms Estate of some 46 farms and all our local farmers.

The Government states that it plans to deliver a better fairer farming system in England with the objective of changing the way the Government supports farmers. The roadmap has outlined changes that will come in over a seven year period.

‘The changes will be designed to ensure that by 2028 farmers in England can sustainably produce healthy food profitably without subsidy, whilst taking steps to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare and reduce carbon emissions.

Next year marks the start of the transition where we will begin to move away from the Basic Payment Scheme(BPS) towards new policies that will be co-designed and tested together with farmers, land managers and experts, to ensure that the new systems work for them.

The ‘Path to Sustainable Farming’ document sets out more detail on the changes we are going to make, and what they will mean to farmers.

The key changes include:

Introducing the Environmental Land Management scheme to incentivise sustainable practices, create habitats for nature recovery and establish new woodland to help tackle climate change.
Investing in improving animal health and welfare as part of our sustainable farming approach. This will initially focus on controlling or eradicating endemic diseases amongst cattle, pigs and sheep.
Direct payments will be reduced fairly, starting from the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme year, with the money released being used to fund new grants and schemes to boost farmer’s productivity and reward environmental improvements.
Launching a Farming Investment Fund, which will support innovation and productivity. This will open for applications next year and will be used to offer grants for equipment, technology and infrastructure for the future.
Simplifying and improving existing schemes and their application processes further from January 2021 to reduce the burden on farmers, and we will take a modern approach to regulation, cutting unnecessary red tape for farmers and working together with industry to design a more targeted regulatory system.

In a nutshell, the bulk of future payments will be through the new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), but it will not be fully available to farmers for four years. Meanwhile, cuts to the old scheme will begin in January 2021. By the time the ELM Scheme is fully available, farming businesses face losing 50% of the financial support they previously received. The reliance on BPS for farming businesses of all sizes is it seems, such that farmers may struggle.

The Dorset Local Plan

Many of you will have noticed that there will be consultations in respect of The Dorset Local Plan. The timetable will approximate to:

1^st December 2020 – Details published on the Dorset Council website for discussion at Dorset Council Cabinet

8th December 2020 – Discussion at Dorset Council Cabinet

Mid January 2021 – Consultation period opens for a period expected to be for 8 weeks.

In the event the Cabinet agenda was published yesterday evening and I will be pleased to discuss initial thoughts with you at the meeting this evening.

To quote the documentation:

‘ Having an up to date local place is critical in order to shape the future of the Dorset Council area, providing for development to meet the areas needs and manage decisions of planning applications. Public consultation is a vital part of the process and this consultation will enable a wide range of views to be taken into account in moving the plans forward. The plan includes potential development sites in order to meet the needs for housing, employment and other uses over the period to 2038’

It is proposed that the public consultation takes place for eight weeks starting in mid January 2021. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that face to face consultations are unlikely to be possible but in addition to the document and supporting evidence being available online a range of consultation methods are proposed including online events, social media and copies available to loan in libraries.

After consultation a final draft plan will be published with an opportunity for further feedback and comments before being submitted for examination. At that stage responses will be considered and assessed by the independent inspector who examines the plan.

The intention is to adopt the plan by April 2023 .

Dorset Council has published the Dorset Highways Winter Service Policy and Operational Plan 2020/21. This document has been made available to all Parish Council clerks.

I wish you all a safe very enjoyable Christmas and New Year.

Best regards

Councillor Simon Christopher
Dorset Councillor for The Marshwood Vale Ward
https://www.simonchristopher.info/

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#DorsetHighways,#DorsetLocalPlan,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#Christmas,#Zoom,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Tier2,#StaySafe

Order Your Festive Meat From Our Community Stores

If you can’t get a Christmas slot with any supermarkets and you don’t want to venture out to the shops, then order your festive meat from Broadwindsor Community Stores and support a local business.

View all their Christmas Meats HERE.

Orders MUST be in by Tuesday 15th December.

All local grass fed produce from local suppliers, they ‘order to order’ so no there is no waste.

From MDS Meats in Bridport & Colin Clark & Sons’ Little Angus Butchers at Grimstone, near Dorchester:

As well as fresh whole Turkeys starting at £8.50/kilo and Turkey Crowns at £9.50/kilo you may prefer a Boneless Rolled Turkey Breast?
At £11.25/kilo, enjoy with 500g of Sausagemeat stuffing (chestnut or cranberry) at £5.00 and a tray of Pigs in Blankets, also at £5.00.

Perhaps you’d like a haunch of Venison for your festive table.
At £14.30/kilo, you can order between 1 and 5 kilos online.
Gammon, Pork, Fillet Steak – all of it is available as well as your veggies and other items to make your Christmas meal complete.

Order HERE.

Collect your meat order on Wednesday 23rd December (together with any other online orders of vegetables, fresh, baked or Christmas items you may make by Monday 21st December). Once ordered, your order cannot be amended.Our Community Stores has really excelled itself this year with their offerings of Christmas treats: alcohol, biscuits, shortbread, chocolates, cheeses as well as all your usual sundries and your daily newspaper!
They’ve remained open every day throughout the year and throughout Lockdown, supporting our community and delivering to those isolated and/or vulnerable. And . . . the workers are volunteers!
A huge festive thank you to all!

Please support your local shop!
Stay safe and enjoy a wonderful Christmas!

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BroadwindsorCommunityStores,#VillageShop,#Christmas,#FestiveTable,#ChristmasDinner,#MDSMeats,#ColinClarkButcher,#LittleAngusButchers,#MerryChristmas,#GetStuffed,#Enjoy,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Church Christmas Services in Broadwindsor

Broadwindsor, St John the Baptist Church

Sunday 20th December – 3.30pm Bernards’ Place
A short service of carols and the Christmas story outside. Please dress warmly and keep socially distanced.
Thursday 24th December Christmas Eve:
Midnight Communion 11.30pm in church
Friday 25th December Christmas Day:
Family Communion 10.30am in church

Seats for both services inside church must be pre booked by contacting Philip Coltart on 01308 867646
or via email philipcoltart@btinternet.com.

The photograph is from mid May 2020 when our church was lit up in blue.

Click HERE to view all the Christmas services across the Beaminster Area Team.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Worship,#ChristmasEve,#Christmas,#Communion,#SocialDistancing.#WearYourMask,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Drimpton Outdoor Christmas Market – Saturday 5th December

This is a jolly post-Lockdown event to be held in Drimpton Village Hall’s car park on Saturday, 5th December starting at 4pm.

COVID guidelines:

Make space!
No hugging friends.
Gel your hands.
Car Parking spaces will be available.
Toilets will be open.
Please bring plenty of £1 and 50p coins to avoid money handling.

In the event of really bad weather they may need to change the date – keep an eye on the Drimpton village website, Facebook and the village notice boards to be kept up to date.

#Broadwindsor,#Drimpton,#WestDorset,#PostLockdown#OutdoorChristmasMarket,#Christmas,#Community,#AdventWindows,#BeKind,#Social Distancing,#WearYourMask,#StaySafe

Drimpton’s Advent Windows Map

Next door in Drimpton, they also will have 24 different windows around their village themed around Christmas. Participants are asked to have their windows lit between 4pm until 9pm.

Above is Drimpton’s map with Broadwindsor’s map below in case you plan to take both villages in and view them all 🙂

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#Drimpton,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Advent,#Christmas,#Fun,#AdventWindows,#Community,#AdventWindowTrail,#AdventWindows,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Advent Windows Go Live on Tuesday 1st December

We have 24 different windows around the village themed around Christmas carols. Each day at 4pm the carol linked to that day’s window will be played in the Square and then the window will be lit.
Across the month the windows will create an Advent Calendar until all are lit by Christmas Eve. We hope to keep the windows lit until 1st January 2021.

Starting at 22 Yarn Barton on the 1st and ending at our Church on 24th, the full map will be displayed on village noticeboards and at the Community Stores.

“Thank you so much to all the people who have joined in with this initiative and been so creative. We wish you all a very happy Advent journey through December.”
– Rev. Jo Neary, Pioneer Priest, Beaminster Area Team, 01308 867816

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#Drimpton,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Advent,#Christmas,#Fun,#Community,#AdventWindowTrail,#AdventWindows,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Join in with Advent Windows

Last month Rev. Jo put out her idea for having Advent Windows for the month of December. Beaminster Team Churches are now promoting the event. Read everything you need to know HERE.

If you live in Drimpton or Broadwindsor please email Rev. Jo Neary, revneary@gmail.com to register your interest. If you live in another village then you will need to get a group of people together to organise your own event but please let her know if you are joining in so you can be included and publicised.

Please sign up for your carol by Friday 23rd October allowing time to fill in any gaps. Spread the idea far and wide as some more people need to be recruited.
On Monday 2^nd November the list will be confirmed, giving everyone four weeks at least to prepare their window. If there are fewer than 24 houses taking part then the Advent trail will start later in the month so that the last window is still lit on day 24.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#Drimpton,#BeaminsterTeamChurches,#Advent,#Christmas,#Fun,#Community,#AdventWindowTrail,#TakePart,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Take Part In An Advent Window Trail This Christmas

Our lovely Rev. Jo has had the most lovely, community spirited idea and needs your participation for the project to be a success. Here are her words:

“Something I had been thinking about for Christmas was a community activity that wouldn’t be Covid 19 sensitive. It is unlikely, I think, that we will be singing carols in the pub this year for example and our community carol services in church would need to be different too. I wondered about an Advent Trail around the village with different window displays every evening in Advent.

If you have a little search around the internet you will find many different Advent calendar ideas from beach huts in Brighton to windows around villages in Nottinghamshire and everything in between. Perhaps if we choose a theme, maybe Christmas carols, make a list of 24 and then families volunteered to decorate a window according to the theme. Then every evening in Advent, perhaps as early as 4pm, the new window was lit up so we could come and look on our evening strolls.

You would need a window visible from the street, as we don’t want to encourage people to walk up drives, but I think we probably have lots of visible windows in Broadwindsor and Drimpton. The final window, 24, probably should be at the church. I’m happy to coordinate the idea but need a bit of local interest to make it succeed. If you think you would like to be part of an Advent Window Trail this December in either Broadwindsor or Drimpton then send me an email to revneary@gmail.com and we can get planning.”

Rev Jo Neary
Pioneer Priest
Beaminster Area Team
01308 867816