Business
Businesses forced to close in Dorset offered government help Businesses in the Dorset Council area ordered to close due to lockdown may be eligible for grants through the government’s Local Restrictions Support Grant. Dorset Council is administering the grant on behalf of the government. An online application form and further information is
November 5, it will receive a payment of £2,000 n exactly £51,000 or above on November 5, it will receive £3,000 To qualify, businesses must: n be in the Dorset Council area and must have been: n open as usual before the lockdown providing services in person to customers from
the premises, and n required to close due to restrictions imposed by government, and n paying business rates for the premises before restrictions started If a business premises has closed but is still operating a click and collect service, the business can still apply.
We need to talk about housing...
by Adrian Fisher
In the months since covid-19, the way we live and work has changed more than in the previous 25 years. What should we be doing differently about housing? Beside the Blandford bypass another 300 new houses are proposed, inviting immediate public comment.
available at dorsetcouncil.gov .uk/local-restrictionssupport-grant. Eligible businesses will be paid a single fixed amount to cover four weeks if it has a rateable value of: n exactly £15,000 or under on November 5, it will receive a payment of £1,334 n £15,000- £51,000 on
For housing developers and buyers alike, new housing should provide greatest Added Value to a good standard, fairly priced. Since covid-19, the way we live and work has changed more than in the previous 25 years, and much will remain so. What we build from now on should reflect this.
REMOV ALS & STORAGE
ARMISHAWS SMALL MOVES Its not the size that matters it’s the way you move it! Armishaws operate a 昀eet of small removal vans throughout Dorset, Somerset and Wilshire catering for those clients who only need a small removal but still want the expertise provided by a larger removal company. With prices ranging from £300 for a local move our services are tailored to meet your needs. Blandford (01258) 453898
54
Dorchester (01305) 783795
Shaftesbury (01747) 828680
Wincanton (01963) 34065
What do we need, especially from smaller homes? For first time buyers, a place to live, and start your career – perhaps working electronically, going into work only 2 or 3 days a week: a proper and suitable place to work, not just a bedroom (this month’s YouGov poll found only 7% of British workers want to return to the office full-time after restrictions are lifted). For young families, a place safe from traffic, where young children can meet and play, with shared green space visible from each house. For older people down-sizing, a smaller house is better in a lively community. These Blandford bypass proposals are highly vehiclecentric. Cars are very space-demanding. Each measures 5 x 15 feet, but require several times that to approach the parking space, park, and open car doors. There are typically two or more cars per household; maybe fewer in future with more home deliveries. Parking capacity on the estate should be maximised, including for deliveries, yet minimum area in percentage terms. These plans, like all too many, are dominated by streets and pavements. What loses out? Modern living needs space for fridge, cooker, dishwasher, freezer, washing machine and tumble drier. Yet new British homes
have much less floorspace compared with the EU, so less true ‘living’ space. Even worse, private gardens have dramatically shrunk. A garden is a valuable extension of living space for much of the year (especially with a covered pergola), and crucial for mental health. Covid-19 may come and go, but since 2000 there have been Ebola, MERS and SARS; there will be more lockdowns in future. The guiding principles for designing such estates need to be revisited. This is what effective planning should be about. For years I lived on the central green of the Whitecroft Estate in St Albans; it was a great place to bring up a young family. Check it out on Google Earth. Broadband with fibre to the Premises (FTTP) takes up no land, but should be made a condition for the developers, like water and electricity. That topic is for another time. Adrian Fisher is an awardwinning maze designer in Durweston, who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours, for services to International Trade and the Creative Industries.
