Tag: #CllrSimonChristopher

Cllr. Simon Christopher’s Report On Waste Management – Sept 21

Following Dorset Council‘s announcement last week about the difficulties they are having, mainly due to the national HGV driver shortage, Dorset Cllr. Simon Christopher issued this report at Monday night’s BWGPC meeting:

Dear Councillors

Having supplied  a report devoted to Common Water Lane, I now report separately on a most important matter. Central to the work of Dorset Council is the collection of waste.  The National lorry driver shortage is impacting on kerbside collections and litter bin emptying across Dorset.

Indeed the effects of the National HGV driver shortage added to the continuing impact of Covid are starting to be felt across Dorset Council’s waste services as collection rounds feel the strain.

As recently reported in the National  the impact of the driver shortage is being felt by councils across the county . In Dorset some crews are regularly having to work overtime and often at weekends, which is not sustainable. These pressures come on the back of a year of increased household waste amounts as more people have been working from home.

Dorset Council Senior officers recently briefed local MPs on the issues currently impacting Waste collections , street cleansing and bin deliveries in the hope that a long term solution can be found.

Recruitment of drivers in Dorset has always been challenging particularly due to high local housing costs but the current wide scale staff shortages across all depots are unprecedented. The Council currently has multiple vacancies and drivers and Loders across their waste team, along with some absence due to sickness and others on planned annual leave.

All employees across waste services  are working hard to ensure that key waste services continue to run throughout this challenging time.

Dorset Council are having to temporarily suspend or delay some garden waste collections so that crews can be ready deployed to support vital rubbish food and recycling collections.

If any garden waste collections have to be cancelled stood down Dorset Council will automatically apply a discount to next years subscription fee.

Litter bins are being emptied less frequently in some parts of the county and new bin deliveries are also being delayed.

Councillor Jill Haynes portfolio holder for Customer and Community Services has said  “We are proud to provide one of the best kerbside collection services in the Country under normal circumstances . Bit I’m afraid the current situation is both unprecedented and un sustainable”.

Council Haynes has added   “While we will continue to ensure that Dorset’s waste is dealt with as best as we can there and do whatever is necessary to address local concerns we need actions to be taken by central government to address the National drivers shortage and help to mitigate the continuing effects of the pandemic”.

“I want to thank the hard working waste services crews and admin  staff , who are doing a brilliant job  under very different circumstances “.

“I also want to thank the people of Dorset for their patience and understanding as we tackle the issues at hand, most of which are outside of our control “.

Rather than continuing the commentary I would ask that you please e mail if you have queries for me to answer. If I do not know the answer myself I will contact the portfolio holder, the excellent Councillor Jill Haynes!

Best regards

Simon

Councillor Simon Christopher
Dorset Councillor Marshwood Vale
077988 33715
cllrsimon.christopher@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Edited by: Wendy Shields.

Read Cllr. Simon Christopher’s Report on Common Water Lane by clicking HERE.

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The River Char Project

Broadwindsor’s Group Parish Council have agreed ‘in principle’ and will provide a letter of support for the River Char Project. The source of the Char is said to be on the flanks of Lewesdon Hill and other tributaries run down from Bettiscombe and Marshwood. Its valley quickly broadens to become the Marshwood Vale which, as its name suggests, is characterised by clay soils and lies wet for much of the year.

The Char is approximately 16km long. The entire catchment is in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the coastal strip, known as the Jurassic coast, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Medium to large dairy units dominate much of the area with agricultural land use in the catchment being nearly all permanent and temporary grassland. The exception to this is maize cultivation, the extent of which varies from year to year. The river is not formally fished and, it is believed, has never been stocked resulting in an unusually ‘natural’ brown trout population of high conservation value.

To view the full map of the River Char sub–catchment – Click HERE to download the pdf file.

For more information and to keep up to date on the project itself – Click HERE.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#DAONB,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#RiverChar,#RiverCharProject,#UNESCO,#ParishCouncil,#CllrSimonChristopher,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Remember To Vote Today

Polling stations opened at 7am this morning at The Comrades Hall, Drimpton Village Hall and Blackdown Village Hall.  They will remain open until 10pm.

Your vote is to elect the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset.  You do not have to take your voting card, providing you are registered to vote. Please wear your face mask (unless exempt) going into the Polling station.

**You are also being asked to provide your own pen/pencil to mark your ballot paper**

Read more about the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)‘s responsibilities HERE.

For more information on the Candidates, please click HERE.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Elections,#Vote,#YourVoteIsYourVoice,#DorsetCouncil,#CllrSimonChristopher,#PCC,#APCC,#CutCrime,#PoliceThePolice,#BeSafe,#StaySafe