15 minute read
Alfred’s Way, Wincanton BA9 9RU
By Giulio Sica
The Vale Pantry was set up in November 2020 by community organisers, recognising the need to provide local support to those vulnerable to food shortages and other economic necessities. Since opening, community organiser Carole Jones, who runs the Pantry, says that they have been able to help 457 families or individuals, assisting 190 families back to full independence. They are currently working with 226 families or individuals, with a waiting list and a clear remit to expand to provide the community care which is needed. In its first year, the Pantry spent over £105,000 on food and setting up and brought in £139,000 through grants, donations and membership fees. In October 2021, The Pantry became a registered charity, which allows Gift Aid to add a further 25 per cent to any tax-deductible donations. There is ample evidence of the necessity of such a venture and of how valuable it is to those in need. One member of the Pantry explained, “It is hard to
Christmas 2021 at The Pantry
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By Faith Eckersall
A countryside campaign group has claimed that building a proposed 39,000 houses across rural areas of Dorset ‘will lead to planning chaos’. Dorset Campaign for the Protection of Rural England branded Dorset Council’s housing target ‘excessive’, claiming it would ‘require the population growth to double’. “This is a clear conclusion to emerge from the report by Iceni for Dorset Council (DC) on Dorset’s Housing Needs,” said Dorset CPRE Chairman, Peter Bowyer. “It is in the interests of everyone that we now work together to develop an alternative approach.” Dorset CPRE said it was now ‘imperative’ for DC to ‘question the assumptions behind the housing target cited in its draft Local Plan’. “The publication of the Joint Housing Needs Assessment, together with Bournemouth Christchurch Poole (BCP) Council’s Issues and Options consultation refutes the need for DC to meet BCP shortfall and challenges the methodology used to calculate the overall target,” said Mr Bowyer. “In addition, BCP is showing strong leadership and courage in challenging its target and exposing the weakness of the Standard Method used to calculate targets. “DC should follow BCP’s
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New Bishop of Salisbury
The Diocese of Salisbury has announced that the Queen has approved the nomination of the Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester, to be the next Bishop of Salisbury, succeeding the Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam, who retired last July. Responding to his appointment Dean Stephen, said: “It is such a privilege and a joy to be called back to the Diocese of Salisbury as Bishop. To be able to serve in the places that formed me will be something rare and special. I will enjoy visiting Dorset and Wiltshire and look forward to meeting as many people as possible. Acting Bishop of Salisbury and Bishop of Sherborne, the Rt Rev Karen Gorham, said: “I am delighted that Stephen has accepted the invitation to be the 79th Bishop of Salisbury. Stephen knows the diocese from the past and understands the challenges and opportunities for both our urban and our rural contexts.” The Diocese of Salisbury contains 434 parishes with 573 churches, and Dean Stephen will also become Bishop of the Channel Islands. The first Bishop of Salisbury was St Osmund, appointed in 1078.
By Nicci Brown
Town councillors who drew up a proposal for the town to merge with neighbouring parishes have apologised for their failure to consult with the other councils, explaining some of the difficulties in agreeing what to suggest as part of the Community Governance Review (CGR) invited by Dorset Council. The response of Dorset Council is still awaited to the initial suggestion from Blandford that its boundary be extended to include Blandford St Mary, Bryanston, Blandford Camp and parts of Langton Long and Pimperne. Blandford town clerk Linda Scott-Giles reported to the planning committee meeting in December that three of the affected parish councils – Blandford St Mary, Bryanston and Pimperne – had declined an invitation from the town council chairman, Cllr Lee Hitchings, to meet and discuss the town council’s proposals. But Cllr Steve Hitchings reported that he and other town councillors had attended a Blandford St Mary Parish Council meeting at the beginning of December at which their apology and explanation for the failure to consult with them had been accepted The parish meeting minutes record that: “The Chairman confirmed that the Parish Council felt the offer of a meeting was too little too late and have agreed to wait for Dorset Council’s decision in the new year before any further discussions take place. “The chairman thanked Cllr Steve Hitchings for the apology on behalf of the Mayor and Blandford Forum Town Council, it was appreciated.” Pimperne and Bryanston parish councils were not due to meet again until his week, and Dorset Council is not expected to make recommendations until February.
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5
By Faith Eckersall send for recycling, reuse or New figures show that the composting has risen from covid pandemic has had one 58.9 per cent to 60.1 per silver lining – recycling rates cent. have shot up in Dorset saving This places Dorset in the top ‘millions’ of pounds. ten of 330 English councils, Latest Department for at number eight, and makes Environment, Food and it England’s third best Rural Affairs data shows performing unitary authority. that for the 2020/2021 The council’s Waste Service fiscal year, the amount of officers say much of the rise waste that Dorset Council is due to an increased waste capture rate – meaning how much recyclable material is going into recycling bins – due to last year’s pandemic lockdowns. More people working at home has resulted in more waste being collected at the kerbside but Dorset residents have also become adept at putting the right items in the right bin, said the council. When this goes wrong, more items which could be recycled end up in landfill. The council believes the lifting of lockdown restrictions and the HGV driver shortage may impact next year but, it said: “The fact remains that the Recycle for Dorset kerbside
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Current opening times Wednesday and Thursday 10am – 1pm, Friday 10am – 3pm collection continues to be a huge success for the county.” Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, Laura Miller said: “This is a phenomenal achievement considering the size and rurality of our county. “The entire Waste Services team has been working hard over the last ten years, since the rollout of Recycle for Dorset, to get this far.” She thanked workers and residents, saying their efforts to ‘put the right stuff in the right bin’ not only helped protect the environment but had ‘saved millions of pounds’ that could now be put into essential services.
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Blandford Council objects to change of use plans
By Nicci Brown
Plans to convert and extend the former JR’s in East Street to create four residential apartments at the rear of the retail outlet, previously occupied by Prezzo, are being resisted by Blandford Town Council. They say it is important to retain hospitality space of that scale in the town centre, and conflicts with the Blandford + Neighbourhood Plan which seeks to retain ground floor retail floorspace. In their objection to the application on behalf of Steve Thorne which is being considered by Dorset Council, the town council say they also believe conversion is premature at a time when businesses are recovering from the effects of the national pandemic and time should be given for the owner to promote the premises for retail or business use.
By Nicci Brown
Pubs in Blandford have signed up to a campaign launched by the Kings Arms Alehouse and Paddocks Bar to help stamp out drink spiking in the town. James Clark at the Kings announced on December 12: “We can now confirm that almost all venues in Blandford town centre have joined the #KEEPBLANDFORDSAFE campaign to help stamp out spiking in our town.” He said the campaign, launched on November 10, allowed all participating venues to receive a supply of foil stops and bottle stoppers free of charge together with staff training and customer literature. “It’s a massive achievement to bring awareness of spiking not only in our own town but throughout the country. He thanked his co-funders at the Paddocks Bar who said: “We have a duty of care to our customers which we take seriously, and there are now widening issues to be aware of now we have some freedom back.” Sixth formers at The Blandford School were warned as long ago as January 2018 by a member of Victim Support Dorset of the dangers of drink-spiking when they left Blandford for pastures new at college and university, but StopTopps, who provide the anti-spiking products, say that recent news reports highlight a wave of drink-spiking incidents across the country and the need to defend against a massive increase in the crime.
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