Buckland Newton
Parish Council
This is the website of Buckland
Newton Parish Council.
find general information about the
Village, its community and activities
around the village. Please visit the
Community website if you are looking
for information that is not specific to
the business and activities of the
Buckland Newton Parish Council.
Annual Parish Meetings
The documents relevant to the 2024 Annual Parish Meeting can
be found on the Parish Council Meetings & Minutes page under
Annual Parish Meeting 2024.
Parish Council Meetings
Parish Council Meetings normally take place on the second
Tuesday of alternate months, at 7.00 pm in the Parish Pavilion.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 12th November 2024. The
Agenda, Schedule and other documents for this meeting will be
found at Parish Council Meeting & Minutes
Buckland Newton Parish Plan 2023
The Final Parish Plan 2023 for Buckland Newton is now
available. Click on ‘Parish Plan 2023 in menu at left to view.
Vacant Seat on Parish Council
The Parish Council is looking for an active, enthusiastic and
committed person, to fill the vacancy of Councillor on the Parish
Council. You will be working on a wide range of topics,
contributing in a positive and meaningful way to the local
community.
A Parish Council is the closest level of local government to the
community. It is a local authority in its own right that makes
decisions on behalf of the residents in its parish.
Buckland Newton Parish Council consists of 9 seats and
Councillors are supported by a part time Parish Clerk. The
Council meets on the second Tuesday every other month at 7.00
pm in the Parish Pavilion.
The role of a Parish Councillor is a voluntary one and full training
is available. It is a hands on role, from reviewing budgets, policies
and risk assessments to addressing parishioner concerns,
carrying out maintenance work and organising events.
If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, please
contact the Parish Clerk for further information or an application
form.
Dorset Council – Have your say…
The new council is looking at priorities and has reduced them
down to four areas:
1.
Communities for all
2.
Responding to the climate crisis
3.
Providing high quality housing
4.
Growing our economy
You can make your views known by going to the Dorset council
web site on www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/a-big-conversation or visit
your local library to get a paper copy.
What is a Parish Council?
Confusion often arises because of the use of the word 'Parish'
which most people would connect with the Church. "Parish" is an
old English word that means a local territory or catchment area. A
parish had two principal functions: firstly to act as a civil unit
which was responsible for the collection of taxes and tithes, the
dispensing of justice and the raising of armies; secondly it was an
ecclesiastical institution served by a local church or chapel, with a
priest or similar clergyman tending to the spiritual needs of local
people. By the late 19th Century, the two functions of civil and
ecclesiastical parish were formally split in law. The civil parish
went on to develop into what we call the parish or town council
today (PC). The ecclesiastical parish or Parochial Church Council
(PCC) is now an entirely separate body. A Parish Council is now a
statutory local authority set up under the Local Government Act
1972. It is a corporate body with a legal existence of its own quite
separate from that of its members. Councillors are elected every
four years and a Clerk is employed to organise meetings, carry
out the council's decisions and give advice on any legal issues or
new legislation. The Clerk is the only paid person to administer
and serve a council and is often the Responsible Financial Officer
too, but does not vote or make decisions for the council.
Parish and Town Councils in England are the first tier of local
government. They have extensive powers ranging from the
power to deal with 'offensive ditches', to acquire land and my
personal favourite 'to accept gifts'!! The list is too extensive (3
pages) to publish here, if you wish, you can check out National
Free workshop for farmers and landowners as Direct
Payments are brought to a close
Please find a link to an article regarding an upcoming workshop
for farmers and land managers whose Direct Payments are set to
be reduced and stopped in the coming years.
Help with Cost of Living
From Jill Haynes (District Councillor):
There are many people locally struggling with the cost of living at
the moment and I am afraid things will get worse as we go into
the autumn and winter. Dorset Council now has a dedicated page
( https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/cost-of-living-help ) on its
website which can offer help and advice. For many people this
situation is new to them, and they have not had to ask for help
before, but it is vital that they get help as soon as possible and
don’t wait until their situation is desperate. The page covers the
following areas:
• Money – debt – benefits available
• Access to food
• Housing
• Support for families with children
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Energy – water – Phones – broadband costs
• Employment.
If you know and one who is starting to struggle, please encourage
them to get help as soon as possible.
Help for Buckland Newton residents may also be available from
the United Charities of Buckland Newton. Click here for details.
Reports from Councillor Jill Haynes
Report from Councillor Jill Haynes, October 2024
Flooding - Risks and Action Plans
Some homes in Dorset could be at risk of flooding. Know what to
do by referring to the Flood Action Guide and the Flood Recovery
Guide.
Dog Fouling on Parish Field
Please make sure that you pick up after your dog. It is important
that there is no dog mess on the Parish Field as it is used daily by
the school and dog mess can potentially be harmful.
Bonfires - please consider your Neighbours
Please be considerate if you wish to have a bonfire. Smoke from
bonfires can be a real nuisance if neighbours have washing out to
dry. Particularly with the coronavirus outbreak, smoke can also
cause extra difficulties for those with breathing problems, such as
asthma sufferers - please think before lighting a bonfire. For
more advice from Dorset Council on bonfires please see: Dorset
Council Advice on Bonfires
General Parish and County Council Notices and
News
Order Document - Dog-related
The Parish Council is required to publicise a new Dog-related
Order, which can be viewed by clicking on the link above.
Attention “Dog Walkers” who use the footpath
through Lydden Meadow
Please remember these grounds are private and should be
treated as you would your own private garden. Please be fair
and thoughtful to the residents. Make sure you stick to the
public footpath which runs along the gravel drive through the
entrance, behind the houses and past the meadow to the field
gate. Most importantly, please keep your dogs on a lead
throughout the grounds and if they get caught short, make sure
you pick up any foul material and take it home for disposal. The
overwhelming accumulation of dog dirt from dogs being walked
through the grounds is not just highly unpleasant for the
residents, but a real health hazard to the several young children
who live in Lydden Meadow and love to play in the grounds……
even in winter! The bridge across the river is a private, not a
public footpath. Although access to all villagers was freely given
in the past, from henceforth the gate will be locked to reduce dog
fouling. Please do not throw dog mess in the hedges or river. It
should be put in appropriate bins or taken home and put in
normal household waste bins.
Boosting Broadband in Rural Areas
Dorset Council is appealing to town and parish councils to help
spread the word that help is available to boost broadband in rural
areas. For more information, please see the attached article -
voucher funding may be available for households/businesses with
slow broadband. Wessex Internet are bringing fibre broadband to
Buckland Newton. There is a drop-in event at the Gaggle of
Geese from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm on Thursday 25th January if you
would like more information.
Dorset Community Catalyst Project
An exciting two-year pilot project is underway in Dorset, launching
a brand-new way of meeting health and social care need in hard-
to-reach areas of the county. Click Dorset Community Catalyst
Project for more details.
Refurbished Parish Pavilion and Running Track
For a full report and photographs, please see Buckland Newton
Community website at Parish Pavilion Re-opening
Healthy Homes Dorset
Do you struggle to keep your home warm or worry how you will
afford your energy bills this winter?
Contact Healthy Homes Dorset for free, impartial advice about
keeping your home warm, using your heating system,
understanding your energy bills and making energy saving
improvements – if you’re eligible for loft or cavity wall insulation it
will be free! We will also register you for power cut support, a
handy service to be on if you experience a power cut in your
area. Our advice can be given through home visits as well as
over the phone. Fire safety alarm and appliance checks can also
be organised in partnership with Fire and Rescue for eligible
residents.
If you, or someone you know, would benefit from speaking to a
trained energy advisor, then get in touch.
Call 0300 003 7023
email help@healthyhomesdorset.org.uk
Web www.healthyhomesdorset.org.uk
Healthy Homes Dorset is a service provided by Dorset County
Council, funded by Public Health Dorset and managed by the
Centre for Sustainable Energy in partnership with Evolve Home
Energy Solutions.
Dorset Police ask "could your enquiry be answered by
NED?"
Do you have issues with parking? Noisy neighbours? Concerned
with an animal’s welfare? Not sure who to contact… Then
AskNED – the non-emergency directory. Dorset Police has
launched a new online knowledgebase designed to help the
public find answers to common enquiries and guide them to the
Junk Mail
This can be a real nuisance. It only adds to the volume of
recycling and at the end of the day our Council Tax to dispose of
it. So unless you enjoy browsing through free mail, it IS easy to
cut down on 90% of it by removing your name from direct mail
lists. The best way to do this is: Write with your name and
address to Mail Preference Service, Freepost 29 (LON20771),
London W1E OZT (you can pick up a form for this at the Council's
Office in Dorchester). Or phone the Mail Preference Service on
Village Allotments
If you are interested in becoming a plot-holder please contact a
member of the Parish Council.
© 2023 Buckland Newton Parish Council Last updated 21st July 2023 19:25
© 2024 Buckland Newton Parish Council Last updated 8th November 2024 13:35
Buckland Newton Parish Council
in the heart of rural Dorset
Your Parish Councillors are:
Andy Foot (Chair) 01300 345511
Mark Needham 01300 345293
Chris Osmond 01300 345326
Nick Baker
Lin Townsend 01300 345306
Christina Manny 07876 567999
Mick Ames (Vice Chair) 01300 345497
Bradley Perrett
Your Flood Wardens are Doug Morse /
Kevin Morse (tel: 01300 345707) or e-mail
Rights of Way Liaison Officer is Stephen
White
Parish Clerk: e-mail
bucklandnewton@dorset-aptc.gov.uk
Tel: 01258 817288
Your District Councillor is Jill Haynes
(Chalk Valleys Ward - 6 Orchard Close,
Sydling St Nicholas, Dorchester DT2 9PF
tel: 01300 341277).
cllrjill.haynes@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk