Tag: #Vote

Dogs Or No Dogs In Comrades Hall?

There is a debate as to whether the Comrades Hall has any official ruling to ban dogs from entering inside the building. No dogs are allowed anywhere in the vicinity of the playground, which includes the footpath and that is not in question.

At the meeting in November 2021, it was thought that dogs had never been allowed in. Those present believed that it was no and that it should remain so.  These minutes were approved in April 2022 as the extract shows:

“There are metal objects i.e. bike rack just by the front door to tie leads to however this exclusion does not apply to assistance dogs of which there are several types nowadays so be mindful if you see a person with a dog before you ask them to leave it outside new signage will be needed to show this both for the hall and Bernards’s Place DC will investigate the Internet.” – these minutes were approved 26th April 2022.

However, it seems from the extract above that no actual vote was taken as nothing beyond a discussion has been recorded.

There are many people in the village who say they’ve always taken their dogs – on a lead – into the Hall.

Nonetheless, members of the Hall Committee put up a sign (as left).

The first sign put up was removed/stolen.

The 2nd sign put up to replace it now looks like this:

Those in favour state that, providing the dog is well-behaved, dogs should be allowed to visit public institutions, such as the Outreach Post Office, which uses the Comrades Hall every Tuesday & Friday morning since January 2010.

Furthermore, as yet, there is no mention to the exclusion of dogs in the old documents* which have recently been uncovered revealing the Comrades Hall will be celebrating it’s own Platinum Jubilee in November this year.
*There remains approximately 100 pages which the Chair is working her way through.

If no democratic vote was recorded, then it suggests that any Criminal Damage was done, not by the removal of the sign, but by the installing of the sign.  One village resident stated – “The installation and ban of dogs sign on the outside wall of the CH will be reported, as requested by the fitter, to Police.” Many residents feel very strongly and it has to be acknowledged that we do live in a village with many dogs. We all live in a democratic society and we all strive to abide by that principle.

In need of funds to complete their Playground Development plan, the Comrades Hall Management Committee additionally risk losing potential income from dog training classes, which are proving increasingly popular and are already offered in some neighbouring village halls.

The signs cost £5.28 to purchase on Amazon and cannot be repeatedly afforded.

The new Chair of the Comrades Hall Management Committee, Jacqui Sewell (who had left the November meeting prior to the discussion about dogs took place) commented that “…on matter of dogs – no form of approval was minuted for the signs to be put up & this will be raised at our 12th July meeting“.
It will appear in ‘Matters Arising‘ – to be discussed.

Do you have strong views on this issue? Do you own a dog? Are you affected by this decision ?

Let your voice be heard, please contact Jacqui Sewell before Tuesday, 12th July, directly by email at: jacquisewell@me.com.
Alternatively, you may make your comments to this post on Broadwindsor’s Facebook page, which is on view to all members of the public.


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Vote For Toni!

Toni Rodway at The Painted Nail at Redlands Yard has entered The Great Scratch Shoot Out – and needs your help to win the Voter’s Choice award!

It’s very easy: please click HERE , select the image shown, fill in your name and email details and cast your vote now!
Voting closes on Tuesday, 14th September at 12am GMT.

Scratch is a nail beauty magazine. The Scratch Stars Awards is held annually to celebrate the of achievements of nail technicians, salons and businesses within the UK nail sector.

Good Luck Toni!

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Councillor Simon Christopher’s Report – May 2021

Cllr. Simon Christopher submitted the following report at this evening’s AGM of the Parish Council:

Dear Helen and Councillors,

Further to my previous report I comment as follows re school buses:
My understanding is that Service SB5 route operated by First Wessex running via Misterton Drimpton and Broadwindsor has been affected for a number of weeks by a road closure at Misterton associated with bridge strengthening.
I further understand that the work is for Somerset County Council and per the latest report I have, the work  is due to end on 21 May 2021.

I am informed by the Head of Travel at Dorset Council that First Group have been impacted by a number of other roadwork schemes happening before the tourist season proper commences and indeed the head of travel also points out that the service was further  affected by Somerset County Council roadworks south of Crewkerne for a couple of weeks during March.
The Head of Travel at Dorset Council has informed me that First Wessex did communicate with the headmaster at the school about the roadworks before hand and attempted to make appropriate adjustments to pick ups.
The head of Travel at Dorset Council has also passed on the additional comment from First Wessex:

‘’All drivers we use are familiar with the routes ,in fact we do not allow any driver to drive any routes they are unfamiliar with and they can only drive a route once fully trained and signed off’.’

Finally , the Head of Travel reported that First have agreed to look at the diversion route again to see if there are any alternative solutions to avoid the delay and promised to keep the portfolio holders, Councillor Ray Bryan and Councillor Andrew Parry and myself updated

I now turn to the support from HM Government for the bus sector. This involves the Covid 19 Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG) Restart 

It is interesting to read in HM Governments communication Bus Back Better that there is a declared belief that and I quote ‘ Local collaboration is a key tenet of emergency funding”.  As a condition of receiving CBSSG, the Department of Transport can ask operators to demonstrate on request that consultations on service levels have taken place and that reasonable requests from Local Transport Authorities for service changes have been considered in good faith.
The Department for Transport can deny or recover CBSSG payments from operators who have not engaged adequately with Local Transport Authorities.
By the end of June 2021 Dorset Council, in order to have access to CBSSG is required to commit to entering into  Enhanced Partnerships.
By the end of October 2021 Dorset Council is required to have developed and agreed a Bus Services Improvement Fund.
Clearly there is a lot for Councillor Ray Bryan , the portfolio holder for Highways Travel and Environment to think about.

I continue to engage with interested parties about damage to the verge etc at Common Water Lane.

Turning to farming, which is at the core of economic activity  in so much of the Marshwood Vale Ward, farming has always been a dangerous industry. At this time of year many of us would have been thinking about attending the May agricultural shows including Devon County Show and Royal Bath and West Shows . These shows are both cancelled and as a consequence charities and other organisations and firms lose the opportunity to discuss with people in a true face to face way how farming can be made safer.
Close to one person a week dies in an accident on farms in this country despite countless campaigns to raise awareness of dangers whether to farmers and farm workers or walkers.
Farmers and farming organisations together with the Health & Safety Executive and charities have publicised the risks yet still people die on farms through accidents . No councillor should give up working towards farm safety. With respect to walkers there are risks associated with large livestock and large farm machinery.

Of course farming has changed with some farmers keeping their cattle indoors more than others . It is always helpful when farmers can have the chance to explain what they are doing to arrive at common sense solutions so that farming is safer.
One of the most famous farming commentators recently described the situation in a national magazine for those who work in or enter a farm environment,  your friends and family and I quote ‘may just have a concern about you because you are not young and nimble enough any more to climb a ladder or jump a gate if the bull turns nasty ‘ This may be seen by some as helpful advice!

After recent disturbing local events re attacks on sheep, I was interested and indeed saddened to read that more than two thirds of UK sheep farmers have experienced an increase in attacks on their flocks by dogs in the past  year according to a new survey.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) said the findings of its survey added further weight to evidence that an increase in dog ownership during the coronavirus lockdown may be driving the rise in attacks.
The NSA chief executive Phil Stocker noted that there was still much work  to do to educate the dog owning public about the need to keep their pets under control- and preferably on a lead  in the countryside ,especially near livestock.

Last Friday the National Sheep Association launched #LeadOn –  a two week campaign that aims to encourage dog owners to be responsible and act as an example to others by keeping their pets on leads in the presence of livestock.
Sheep farmers across the UK will be posting their experience on Facebook and Twitter about the devastating effect a dog attack on their flocks can have for all parties.

Finally in the Dorset Council area elections are taking place on 6 May 2021 for the Police and Crime Commissioner. Elsewhere in Dorset there will also be some town and parish council by elections.  I am advised that measures to ensure polling stations are safe include:

1 social distancing inside and outside venues.

2 limits on the number of people inside polling stations.

3 maximum ventilation of polling stations.

4 hand sanitiser.

5 regular cleaning.

Other points:

Voters will be required to follow the signage and any instructions at their polling station.
Voters are encouraged to bring their own pens/pencils.
Face Coverings are also required to be worn inside the polling station (Unless exempt).
Election staff will also be wearing face masks.

Please note that this not an exhaustive list of measures and advice from the Comms team  further info may be available in the first instance from the following – Dorset Council 01305 858233 or email: comms@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.

Best regards,

Simon.
Dorset Councillor Simon Christopher
Marshwood Vale
Tel: 07798 833 715

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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.

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Police and Crime Commissioner Election – Thursday 6th May

A Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is responsible for policing across the county (covering both the Dorset Council and BCP Council areas).  Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are elected every four years. The last election was in May 2016, with the elections that were due to be held in May 2020 being postponed by 12 months to 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the next PCC term will be three years.

The incumbent PCC, Martyn Underhill, has announced his retirement and is not seeking re-election.

Elections for PCCs are taking place on Thursday, 6th May 2021 in England.  You have one week left to apply to vote via proxy (allocating someone you trust to vote on your behalf), Click HERE.
If voting in person, the three polling districts in the Broadwindsor Parish Council area will be :

  • MAR2 – Comrades Hall, Broadwindsor

  • MAR3 – Village Hall, Drimpton

  • MAR4 – Village Hall, Blackdown

The role of the Police and Crime Commissioner is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account. They are responsible for the totality of policing.

The PCC aims to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their force area.

The PCC has been elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the force to account, effectively making the police answerable to the communities they serve.

The PCC ensures community needs are met as effectively as possible, and are improving local relationships through building confidence and restoring trust. They work in partnership across a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.

Under the terms of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, the PCC must:

  • secure an efficient and effective police for their area;
  • appoint the Chief Constable, hold them to account for running the force, and if necessary dismiss them;
  • set the police and crime objectives for their area through a police and crime plan;
  • set the force budget and determine the precept;
  • contribute to the national and international policing capabilities set out by the Home Secretary; and
  • bring together community safety and criminal justice partners, to make sure local priorities are joined up.

Vote!The Candidates:

  • Patrick Canavan – Labour and Co-operative Party.
  • Dan Hardy – Independent.
  • Mark Andrew Robson – Liberal Democrats.
  • Claire Seymour – Green Party.
  • David Sidwick – The Conservative Party Candidate

Download the Pdf document containing all the candidates’ election statements & contact details HERE.

  • Thursday, 6 May 2021: Election day
  • Friday, 7 May 2021: Count and declaration of result
  • Wednesday, 12 May 2021: Term of incumbent PCC ceases
  • Thursday, 13 May 2021: Newly elected PCC takes office

Graham Farrant is the Police Area Returning Officer responsible for coordinating the election and announcing the result in Dorset. He can be contacted at: Elections Office, BCP Council, Town Hall, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6DY. Email: candidates.agents@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) is a company limited by guarantee providing a range of services to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), including:

  • information on national policing policy and legislation;
  • support on the development of PCC policy, and to influence national policy decisions;
  • facilitation of PCC’s membership of national governance structures, including the College of Policing, the National Crime Agency, the Police ICT Company and other national police bodies;
  • assistance in helping PCCs collaborate to share practice, procure services and identify ways to achieve efficiencies by working together.

All 41 PCCs are members of the APCC, as are the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (overseeing the Metropolitan Police), and the governing bodies that oversee:

  • the British Transport Police;
  • the Civil Nuclear Constabulary;
  • the Ministry of Defence Police;
  • the City of London Police.

PCCs are expected to adhere to the Seven Principles of Public Life, as determined and published by the Nolan Committee – the ‘Nolan Principles‘ (Click HERE). Each PCC publishes their own Code of Conduct but the APCC has drawn up an ethical framework (Click HERE), which was led and developed by Police and Crime Commissioners themselves and which includes a template Code for PCCs to adopt if they wish.

Register to vote.Are you registered to vote?

If you need to register to vote (this might be because you have recently moved to a new address) you can register to vote online – Click HERE. (Note: to vote in this PCC election, you would need to have done this before midnight on Monday 19 April. You can still register for future elections.)

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Vote For Our Group Parish Council

Broadwindsor Parish Group Council has been short listed with four others as Council of the Month.  Organised by Public Sector Executive – give them your Vote on Twitter HERE. There’s still a few days left!

Nominated for their Outstanding Community Spirit, Helen Cudmore said “In the five years that I have been Clerk, the Parish Council has produced a comprehensive Neighbourhood Plan which was successfully adopted in 2019, initiated a Community Land Trust which has just received planning permission for fifteen much needed affordable homes for local people, completed an Emergency Plan which was successfully implemented during the recent pandemic and fundraiser for the installation of play equipment area for young people which was highlighted in its 2012 Parish Plan.”

#Broadwindsor,#Dorset,#BGPC,#Vote,#Twitter,#CommunitySpirit,#PSE,#SocialDistancing,#BeKind,#StaySafe