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.
Parish Council Meetings
Parish Council Meetings normally take place on the second
Tuesday of each month, at 7.00 pm in the Parish Pavilion. The
next meeting, the Annual Full Council Meeting will take place on
Tuesday 10th May at 7.00 pm in the Parish Room. Link to
Meeting Dates and Minutes of previous meetings.
Recent Flooding
The PC has had a request from Flood Risk Management Dorset
Council for anyone who had flooding issues in October or since to
report it on the Flood Online Reporting Tool (FORT).
The tool allows users to specify the type of flooding (external or
internal) as well as many other important details. Users can also
upload photos and videos to their reports. They said it is
important that the full extent of the impact of the flood on a
community is recorded on FORT as it has a significant impact on
the resources we might be able to generate to investigate and
mitigate the flood threat.
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
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
General Parish and County Council Notices and
News
Covid-19
If you need general information on local services and support
during the Coronavirus Pandemic, click here.
Free ‘Startup School for Seniors’ course for Dorset
residents
Are you over 50, currently unemployed, have recently been made
redundant or are looking to branch out on your own?
Startup School for Seniors is a free eight week eLearning course
for unemployed Dorset residents, who are looking to start their
own business.
This course is for you if:
• You have a passion or idea you’d like to turn into a business
• You want to gain the skills necessary to get a new business
off the ground
• You would benefit from the support of others
The course is being delivered online by entrepreneur Suzanne
Noble and business coach Mark Elliott, who create a fun,
interactive, learning experience and support you to progress
week by week.
The course is free for those based in Dorset. The course starts in
May 2022 and registration will open shortly. Add your email
address to our reminder list now and we will be in touch with you
soon. You can sign up here.
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.
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.
© 2022 Buckland Newton Parish Council Last updated 10th May 2022 08:35
Buckland Newton Parish Council
in the heart of rural Dorset
Your Parish Councillors are: Mick
Ames, John Baker, Sheila Crouch,
Andy Foot, Roy Godwin (Vice-Chair),
Christina Manny, Mark Needham
(Chair), Chris Osmond (Recreation
Officer), Lin Townsend.
Your Flood Warden is Doug Morse (tel: 01300
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).