Tag: #ParishCouncil

Monday’s Parish Council Meeting Cancelled

The Parish Council are sorry to report that the February Parish Council meeting has now been cancelled.

The meeting due to take place on Monday, 15th February had already been postponed by one week due to unforeseen IT problems. The next online meeting (via Zoom) will now take place on Monday, 8th March 2021.  Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Please do contact the Council if you require any further information – hello@broadwindsorgroup.gov.uk.

They look forward to seeing you next month!

Who are our Parish councillors? Click HERE.

Scroll#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Village,#BWGPC,#2021,#ParishCouncil,#Zoom,#NationalLockdown,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Parish Council Vacancy By Co-Option

Ahead of this evening’s Parish Council meeting on Zoom, on which you can read more HERE,  the Town Clerk has issued a notice of the casual vacancy for a Parish councillor by co-option in Seaborough.

The full Notice is below.  The closing date for submission is 5pm on 5th February.
Anyone interested should send their CV with a covering letter to the Town Clerk:
Helen Cudmore, The Old School House, Bridge Street, Netherbury, Dorset DT6 5LS
or by email to: hello@broadwindsorgroup.gov.uk.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Village,#BWGPC,#Vacancy,#ParishCouncil,#ParishCouncillor,#CoOption,##2021,#NationalLockdown,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council – Online Meeting Monday 11th January 2021

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council are meeting online using the Zoom platform at 7.30pm on Monday 11th January 2021.  All are welcome to attend.

The full agenda is available to download HERE.

The meeting can be accessed HERE.
The Meeting ID: 874 5530 6004
Zoom is Free! – Sign Up and get it HERE.

Once the minutes of the last meeting have been approved, there are no matters arising. Residents are then invited to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on issues on this Agenda. This will be followed by:
a. Report from Councillor Christopher, Dorset Council
b. Report from Dorset Police

There is a Parish Council vacancy for the Seaborough ward.

Parish Councillors will deliver their community updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are no new Planning Applications to consider but 2 have been approved:

WD/D/20/001069, Higher Farm, Seaborough, DT8 3QY: Approved
WD/D/20/001070, Higher Farm, Seaborough, DT8 3QY: Approved

There will be reports and updates from Broadwindsor Cricket Club on their fundraising, a Working Group Update on Climate Change Emergency and the Allotment Group.

Items in this month’s Highways section include the formal adoption of named verges in Broadwindsor:

a. Report from the Footpaths Officer
b. Verge Management in the Grouped Parish Area
c. To approve request for formal adoption from Dorset Council of named verges in Broadwindsor
d. Common Water Lane Update
e. Damaged Drimpton Bridge Update

Following a report from the Broadwindsor Group Parish Community Land Trust on Affordable Housing and any items of interest for the next agenda, Residents are invited to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on any outstanding issues on this Agenda or raise issues for future consideration.

After the date of the next meeting is established, they will receive the Finance report from the FMR Trust.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#PlanningApplication,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#ClimateChange,#Zoom,#AffordableHousing,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Highways,#FMRTrust,#Tier3,#NationalLockdown,#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.”

Christmas Garland#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 3rd 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

  1. Create economic growth by creating new homes and jobs
  2. Delivering a more integrated customer focused service, through joint provision with partner organisations
  3. 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 30th November 2020 the Government has unveiled its Path to Sustainable Farming.

The reason I draw your attention to this is :

  1. 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.
  2. 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:

1st 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

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council – Online Meeting Monday 14th December 2020

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council are meeting online using the Zoom platform at 7.30pm on Monday 14th December 2020.  You are also invited to join from 7.00 pm with your festive drink and nibbles!
All are welcome to attend.

The full agenda is available to download HERE.

The meeting can be accessed HERE.
The Meeting ID: 925 993 0185
Zoom is Free! – Sign Up and get it HERE.

In the matters arising, there is a Parish Council Vacancy, for the Seaborough Ward.

Residents are invited to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on issues on this Agenda.
a. Report from Councillor Christopher, Dorset Council
b. Report from Dorset Police
c. Co-option to Broadwindsor Group Parish Council, Burstock Ward

An update from Councillors re: Covid-19 and a Union Connectivity Review: Call for Evidence

Once the Finance Report (Balance £39,807.66 as of 30 November 2020) is received and payments approved, there are two Planning Applications to be considered this month:

WD/D/20/002442 – The Old School House, High Street, Broadwindsor, DT8 3QP
WD/D/20/002187 – Ellaway Cottage, Wood Farm, Wood Lane, Kittwhistle, DT8 3LG

With updates from Broadwindsor Cricket Club, the Working Group for Climate Change Emergency and the Allotments, there will also be a website review.

Dog Fouling is included in the items to be addressed in the Highways section:
a. Report from the Footpaths Officer
b. Verge Management in the Grouped Parish Area
c. Maintenance of Signs in the Grouped Parish Area
d. Update on Oak Tree, Crewkerne Road, Drimpton
e. Dog Fouling
f. Common Water Lane Verges Update

The Broadwindsor Group Parish Community Land Trust will deliver a report on Affordable Housing.

The public are then invited to participate, to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on any outstanding issues on this Agenda or raise issues for future consideration.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#PlanningApplication,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#ClimateChange,#Zoom,#AffordableHousing,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Highways,#FMRTrust,#Tier2,#StaySafe

The Official UK Coronavirus Dashboard

Updated late this afternoon, the Government’s UK Coronavirus Dashboard with an interactive map.

You can browse cases data for specific areas within the UK. The map displays weekly data, which are updated everyday. This image shown here is our local area.  Use the slider on the online map to select a week-ending date.

Key to interactive online map:

  • Local view: The default zoom level shows Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLA).
    Zoom in for more details, including Lower Tier Local Authorities (LTLA) and Middle layer Super Output Areas (MSOA).
  • Suppressed rates: MSOA level rates are suppressed where there have been fewer than 3 cases in a seven-day period. This is to protect the privacy of individuals and prevent disclosure.
  • More details: Click on an area to see more detailed cases data for the most recent time period available – including seven day case rates and direction of change.
  • When zoomed to very small areas, data for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are not available.

To view the full interactive map and explore other postcodes, Click HERE.

Output areas (OA) were created for Census data, specifically for the output of census estimates. The UK Census is undertaken every 10 years, with the most recent being on 27 March 2011. If you would like to read more on Census Geography, please click HERE.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#SocialDistancing,#Government,#Community,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#ParishCouncil,#InteractiveMap,#Coronavirus,#Covid-19,#Zoom,#Lockdown,#StaySafe

Councillor Simon Christopher’s Report – Nov 2020

Our local Councillor Simon Christopher has granted permission for his report to be shared to the public via Broadwindsor.

Here is his report:

“I am writing this report after the announcement of the National Lockdown on Thursday 5 November 2020 . I have had a long discussion with the hard working council leader Mr Flower on the impact of lockdown for residents and businesses.

I look forward to the virtual parish council meeting but thought I would share some of my thoughts now.

I have stressed  to Mr Flower the importance of keeping services available to local residents, our transport network and looking forward to the future where we can  for example keep our local leisure centres open. Leisure centres are used often by the young , who have suffered so much by restrictions since March  2020 and by the young at heart and they contribute so much for physical and mental well being.  I have subsequently made all other 81 Dorset Councillors aware of my views.

I appreciate many of us do not use leisure centres for their exercises and I would comment that  I have also spoken with Russell Goff  of Dorset Council re footpaths. Russell  is aware of my concern that all footpaths are open and not blocked.  Russell informs me that there is also a busy programme of stile replacement and footbridge replacement  Should you have any concerns re particular footpaths please contact Russell and myself. Footpaths and walking will be more important than ever this Autumn/Winter for the physical and mental health of many of us.  I would however stress that there is a constant concern from farmers and landowners throughout The Marshwood Vale Ward, about dogs attacking and worrying sheep.  I have noted some landowners imploring dog owners to keep their dogs on a short lead.

We will now have a lockdown that will bring new challenges to both residents and business’s and hope that the restrictions  will not continue past 2nd December . The lockdown will be be different  from previous where there were only a few types of businesses and amenities that could stay open . Now it appears it is a case of what has to be closed by HM Government until 2nd December. Dorset Council  car parks  and recycling centres will stay open. This leads me onto to the question of council car par parking charges that has had much consideration in the local press. I would wish to receive your thoughts but would point out the costs of having  road surfaces in good condition etc is high .  I am continuing to press for the funds to be made available to reopen Norway Lane down to Stoke Abbott.

I repeat  from previous reports any comments /criticism of highways please pass them on to me!

Schools will this time stay open despite the new lockdown and I keep in regular touch with the portfolio holder Andrew Parry. Again ,please let me have any comments re the reopening of the school and also how school buses are working.

I am pleased that Broadwindsor Cricket Club is seemingly making progress on purchasing the ground.  I am lobbying the Highways portfolio holder for safer pedestrian access to it.

One of the things that has been noticeable has been an increase in correspondence from those in Assured Shorthold Tenancy   properties in the private sector and those in social housing questioning whether I can assist in them moving from villages in West Dorset into our local towns .

I would be pleased to receive your further thoughts on what can be done better in respect of local bus provision so I  can once more lobby portfolio holder  Councillor Ray Bryan .

We face huge challenges in terms of employment with the threat not just to Jobs within the aeronautical sector in South Somerset and Dorset but also the threat to jobs at Oscar Meyer across the border in Chard. For farmers the future has rarely looked more uncertain with a  seeming no -deal Brexit looming , uncertainty as to what ultimately replaces the existing subsidy scheme and the future of our West Dorset abattoir being questioned .

With no farmers discussion club evenings ( greatly missed ) ,village halls typically standing empty, social isolation is often very much the order of the day Never has good broadband and mobile coverage been so important. Again please let me have your comments suggestions and concerns for relaying to portfolio holders and our MP.

I continue to receive comments from residents about planning applications in the Broadwindsor  Parish area.

As the weather deteriorates ,please do let me have your comments re any local drains ,road surfaces and hedges and verges etc that are giving concern. There has been perhaps some decrease in e mails complaining about speeding and an increase in complaints about damage caused by off roading groups.  I continue to correspond with officers and the portfolio holder about speeding and road safety.

I have passed on your concerns re the desirability of greater police resources in the Ward to, amongst others , our MP Council members are focusing their attention on the budget for 2021/2022 and also the new Dorset Local Plan . The cabinet of the Council will  consider the property portfolio of the Council . We look to meet the future challenges of an ageing population , ever increasing demand for resources generally and a poor financial position. The council will accordingly look to make the best use of these various asset types. This  will ,for instance, involve assessing commercial returns as a landlord, management of 130 or so car parks and assessing the amount of office space that will need to be retained.

As we approach the eleventh day of the eleventh month I reflect on what my ancestors in the Marshwood Vale and all their friends had to deal with and believe that their experiences may just put everything into perspective !

Councillor Simon Christopher 
Dorset Councillor Marshwood Vale 

Tel: 07798 833 715 

Dorset Councillor for The Marshwood Vale Ward”

https://www.simonchristopher.info/

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#KissingGate,#PlanningApplication,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#ClimateChange,#Zoom,#AffordableHousing,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Highways,#FMRTrust,#Lockdown2,#StaySafe

Stop Press: Online Council Meeting Zoom Details

Due to a technical issue – the new details are:

Go to Meeting HERE.

Login to Zoom and Join the Meeting now.

Meeting ID: 899 1041 4222

Passcode: 131372

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council – Online Meeting Monday 9th November 2020

Broadwindsor Group Parish Council are meeting online using the Zoom platform at 7.30pm on Monday 9th November 2020.
All are welcome to attend.

The full agenda is available to download HERE.

The meeting can be accessed HERE.
The Meeting ID: 858 2158 2924
Zoom is Free! – Sign Up and get it HERE.

Residents are then invited to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on issues on this Agenda. (There is the opportunity for Public Participation towards the end of the meeting)
Reports are to be expected from Councillor Simon Christopher (Dorset Council) and Dorset Police.

There will be an update on the fundraising from Bridport Cricket Club.

The Parish Council will give their response to the Coronavirus (Covid-19): their actions and support during this second Lockdown and community updates from the Councillors.

Climate Change Emergency will be discussed with an update from the Working Group and Climate & Ecological Emergency Strategy Consultation.

They will then be reviewing the contracts and approving the formal adoption of the BT Telephone Kiosks in Broadwindsor and Drimpton.

There is just the one Planning Application to be considered:
WD/D/20/002170, Manor Farmhouse, Bridport Road, Drimpton, DT8 3RD.

There are several parking issues being addressed regarding our Highways:
a. Report from the Footpaths Officer
b. Verge Management in the Grouped Parish Area
c. Installation of Kissing Gates Update
d. Speed Indicator Device Update
e. Reported Highway Problems Update
f. Parking in Broadwindsor Square
g. Car Parking Area Outside Broadwindsor School
h. Common Water Lane Verges

After a Report from the Broadwindsor Group Parish Community Land Trust on the topic of Affordable Housing and after any Matters of Interest and Information that may arise, there is the Public Participation, where residents are invited to give their views and ask questions of the Parish Council on any outstanding issues on this Agenda or raise issues for future consideration.

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BWGPC,#BGPCLT,#SocialDistancing,#Community,#DorsetPolice,#Farmers,#KissingGate,#PlanningApplication,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#BroadwindsorCC,#ParishCouncil,#Coronavirus,#ClimateChange,#Zoom,#AffordableHousing,#ComradesHall,#VillageHall,#Highways,#FMRTrust,#Lockdown2,#StaySafe