New Stour & Avon, August 13, 2021
Letters
A fatal accident is waiting to happen Copy of letter sent to Dorset Council I have just witnessed a near and potentially fatal accident involving a child. The situation is such that inevitably there will be a fatal one unless action is taken. The circumstances are that a car was parked opposite our house to collect children from Wimborne First School and Nursery and a young child was in the road trying to get in this car when a vehicle came round the bend opposite Lacy Drive, sight unseen to both the child and the driver of the vehicle, and emergency avoiding action was required. It needs to be pointed out, again, that there is no warning of a school on the blind side of this bend and that the speed limit is often exceeded. It needs such a sign and traffic control measures, including, as is the case with other schools in the authority, a 20-mile speed limit. The present school sign is round the bend, very close to the school, is not very noticable, and was only put up after protest. In short the situation is dreadfully similar to that which applied in Broadstone several years ago when a kiddie was killed in similar circumstances, and which you may care to research, and where remedial action was taken when it was too late. When I first raised road safety issues before the school was open I was informed in writing by your Dep that ‘You do not plan, you wait to see what needs to be done’. It took considerable effort including planned demonstrations with TV coverage, arrangements to provide any parent with a hurt child legal access to the extensive correspondence with Highways detailing the lack of planning, and much time and effort from the local council to achieve one yellow line, self evidently needed. Without this the situation clearly would have been even more direly dangerous and hardly bears thinking about. Now it is even 12
more apparent what needs to be done. Incidentally I cannot help but compare the comprehensive and excellent road safety measures introduced for the schools in Dunyeats Road, Broadstone, presumably provided without the help of a developer, and the pathetic and desultory ones for Wimborne. Finally I have telephoned you a number of times and have asked that you call me back, so far without result. Dr DS Biddle Wimborne n I understand some councillors have the view that, irrespective of recent lessons, our areas will be afflicted with too many houses of the wrong type, in the wrong places and that such a situation is a ‘done deal’: beyond the power of local politicians to influence. Therefore it is important for readers of the New Stour & Avon to know the CPRE seeks to ensure local communities can flourish within the various constraints that apply to their areas and to note that: 1) HM Treasury (itself) commissioned a report on the environment (The Dasgupta Review) which advanced the simple truth that “our economies are embedded within Nature, not external to it”. 2) The pandemic and the declared Climate Emergency have both changed perceptions about nature and its relevance to human life and living. And, 3) Governmental guidance and associated law about planning is obviously in a state of flux and about to be changed, no doubt to reflect ‘1’ and ‘2’ above. In view of the above, no local community or community member should assume what was imagined before the pandemic is any sort of ‘done deal’ – earlier misjudgements must be corrected. Reasonable and sustainable planning requires adequate evidence as to
Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk
the real needs and also about the environmental constraints created (and being created) by the natural world and/or the absence of suitable infrastructure services and facilities. Such services/facilities must foster pollution control that will enhance our rivers and harbour now, rather than in perhaps 20 years’ time, as was the idea! Our charitable organisation works through its various local groups which, across Dorset, try to help local communities ensure that planning decisions are not only legal but also sound and in the ‘public interest’ – relevant evidence being critical. Gerald Rigler : Chairman, CPRE Poole and Purbeck
n It’s great news that Dorset Council is supporting plans to provide extra places at Wimborne First School for Beaucroft Special School (New S&A, July 30). This, together with the new special school at St Mary’s in Shaftesbury, will make a huge difference to parents struggling to access education for their SEND children in this area. I congratulate the council on pushing ahead with all their plans to increase capacity for youngsters with additional needs. The new facilities can’t come soon enough! Name and address supplied
