Tonight’s meeting of Broadwindsor Group Parish Council will be held at Blackdown Village Hall at 7.30pm.
The full agenda may be downloaded HERE.
Item 5a is Cllr. Simon Christopher‘s report which follows at the end of this agenda information.
Item 5c Broadwindsor Parish Council Vacancy, Broadwindsor Ward.
Item 8 includes to approve payment of £5,000 for Comrades Hall Management Committee (Short-Term Loan) for the village green project at Bernards’ Place.
Item 9 has 2 Planning Applications:
Planning permission for P/HOU/2022/05487, 12 Yarnbarton, Broadwindsor, DT8 3QW was Granted.
Item 14 addresses the management of the MUGA.
Item 16 looks at Communications within the Grouped Parish area.
Item 17. HIGHWAYS
- a. Appointment of Footpaths Officer
- b. Grouped Parish Speed Limits
- c. War Memorial Project Update
- d. Management of Hursey Common
- e. Flood Wardens
The Editor will be readdressing the matter of a Hedgehog sign on the Beaminster road.
The full agenda may be downloaded HERE.
The press and public are invited to attend. Under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014, members of the public may now film, photograph and make audio recordings of the proceedings of the formal Council meeting, though not, under current legislation, of the Public Participation session, as this is not part of the formal agenda of the meeting. Recording activity should be respectful to the conduct of the meeting and behaviour that disrupts the meeting (such as oral commentary) will not be permitted. Any member of the public shall not speak for more than five minutes. A question asked by a member of the public during Public Participation shall not require a response or debate during the meeting though the Chairman may direct that a written response will be provided subsequent to the meeting.
Cllr. Simon Christopher’s report (as received)
It appears that this Autumn there is a great deal of change , perhaps it can also be said that there is a great deal of uncertainty……
There is a great deal of interest in Dorset being named as one of 38 local authorities that may see the creation of Investment Zones.
As I see it, Investment Zones would have at least four main interesting aspects :
Firstly, generous business rate treatment for businesses
Secondly, 100 per cent capital allowances for tax purposes for business
Thirdly, generous National Insurance reliefs
Fourthly, what is described as simplified planning arrangements
I will offer some thoughts on each of the above:
Firstly With respect to small businesses, small business rates relief has been enjoyed by micro businesses for many years.
Traditional farms are exempt of course. The proposed new business rate relief would therefore be a benefit skewed towards those with larger business premises.
Secondly, with respect to capital allowances, all but the largest of businesses can already write off capital expenditure on plant and machinery for tax purposes in the year of acquisition of the asset . Thus except for large businesses there will be no tax advantage of being an Industrial Zone
You wonder if Investment Zones favour large scale premises who pay business rates as mentioned above.
Thirdly the National Insurance benefits clearly have the greatest attraction for larger scale, labour intensive or major added value employers rather than small employers .
Fourthly I now turn to the idea of simpler planning proposals,
This would clearly be of concern for instance were the arrangements for an Industrial Zone to incorporate part of the Dorset AONB and were the AONB to be put in jeopardy.
I can see why you might think Investment Zones, with a light touch attitude to planning, might be more beneficial for disadvantaged perhaps urban areas of Dorset with high levels of deprivation rather than for rural areas .
Cabinet of Dorset Council agreed an update to the Local Development Scheme (LDS) at its meeting on Tuesday (4thOctober). The revised LDS (as agreed) sets out the anticipated milestones for key stages in the preparation of development plans. The LDS needs to be reviewed from time to time to ensure the milestones are as accurate as possible so that communities are aware of when a development plan that we are preparing is likely to be reaching a key milestone such as a formal consultation stage.
Project and event funding for cost-of-living challenges, arts, museums, heritage, community, physical activity and play activities.
Dorset Council project funding can help you to make a difference to people living in our communities.
Grants from £1,000 to £5,000 are available to groups who support the council to meet its core priorities.
Round 4 of the Community and Culture Project Fund will open at 9am on Friday 4 November 2022.
In addition to supporting the themes in round 3, the next round will prioritise grants to applicants that address and support the cost-of-living challenge for vulnerable communities and those most in need in the Dorset council area. The types of cost-of-living projects that can be considered will focus on:
o community warm spaces especially in rural areas
o community food projects including lunch clubs and dinner clubs
o foodbanks
o low level Mental Health projects
Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Culture, Communities and Customer Services said:
“We’re encouraging community groups to apply for the next round of funding. Last time around, we distributed over £35,500 to local groups including theatre companies, groups that help people with learning disabilities, energy champions and efforts to improve recycling of waste. This time around, we will prioritise groups who have a focus on supporting people through the cost-of-living challenge, but also welcome applications from other groups too.”
For more information criteria, how to apply and support with your application, visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/community-and-culture-project-fund. The page will be updated as more details become available.
I was sent a copy of the application to the Dorset Council Capital Leverage Fund by the Broadwindsor Village Green project group . The group aims to enhance this outdoor facility by reconfiguring the green to include new, challenging, and inclusive play equipment and open up space at the lower end for community events, outdoor exercise classes and gym equipment. The stated aim is to enhance the facility and contribute to healthy living .
As this project for capital funding through the Capital Leverage Fund is intended to take place within the Dorset Council ward I am pleased to represent, my views were sought by the grant making panel. .
I was asked to provide commentary on the suitability and indeed the need for their project.
Clearly, my enthusiastic support of this project was noted and I was informed that following the Grants panel meeting held on Thursday 29 September the panel has approved a substantial grant of £15,000 to the group.
The panel had by their own admission to make some difficult decisions and the volume of applications was very high . However, in conclusion this Broadwindsor application has been looked on very favourably by the panel acting for the Dorset Councils Capital Leverage fund.
I was formally thanked by the Grants Monitoring Officer for my feedback and support for the application. I must confess, this was particularly pleasing at a time when perhaps, politicians are not universally popular …….
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| I attended a constructive meeting of the West Dorset Western Transport Action Group. |
Clearly there is the possibility of changes to the mini budget and it would be more appropriate to further discuss the impact of wider economic influences on Dorset Council when the consequences of the Chancellors early return from the United States are known and the impact on prevailing interest rates, liquidity and inflation.
Best regards
Simon
Councillor Simon Christopher
The Dorset Councillor For the Marshwood Vale Ward
077988 33715
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