Buckland Newton

Parish Council

This is the website of Buckland

Newton Parish Council.

There is also a Buckland Newton

Community Website, where you will

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 7.30 pm in the Parish Pavilion.  Link to  Meeting Dates and Minutes of previous meetings.

Covid-19

Due to the impact of Coronavirus over 5.5 million people are claiming Universal Credit. Many of them are new to claiming Universal Credit having been negatively impacted by Coronavirus.   The following is a link to the guide on their website and/or social media to help local people navigate claiming Universal Credit:  https://www.jobcentrenearme.com/universal-credit/ Vaccinations:  There is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sheet about vaccinations on the Cerne Abbas Surgery website. From Buckland Newton Parish Council: If you have to self-isolate and need assistance, please telephone any member of the Parish Council, who will put you in touch with the relevant voluntary groups in the village. Buckland Newton Parish Councillors are: Acting Chair: Mark Needham 01300 345293 Vice Chair: Roy Godwin 01300 345436 Councillors: Andy Foot 01300 345511 Chris Osmond 01300 345326 Lin Townsend 01300 345306 John Baker 01300 345386 Christina Manny 07876 567999 Mick Ames 01300 345497 Sheila Crouch sheilacrouchbnpc@gmail.com The Old Chapel Stores in Buckland Newton will take telephone orders for collection and/or arrange delivery.  Telephone 01300 345 336. We are here to help you

Coronavirus Advice from Neighbourhood Watch

The Neighbourhood Watch organisation has issued some useful advice about protecting the isolated and vulnerable during the current outbreak.  Click Coronavirus Advice from Neighbourhood Watch to read this.

Coronavirus - Support for Local Businesses in Dorset

Click Coronavirus - Support for Local Businesses in Dorset for more information from Dorset Council.

Parish Pavilion

The Parish Pavilion is currently closed in line with Government Guidelines.

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

Association of Local Councils Website for more information.

General Parish and District 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.

Is your Broadband slow?

Message from Chris Loder MP:  “Two weeks ago, the Government confirmed Dorset’s inclusion in the £5 billion Project Gigabit broadband programme, which I lobbied hard for. We also have several Community Fibre Partnerships (CFPs) active in West Dorset and I have been working closely with Openreach on these. “As I continue my campaign to get good broadband connectivity across West Dorset, I need to collate the specific details of where connectivity is particularly poor. I have created a survey on my website for this purpose: www.chrisloder.co.uk/broadbandsurvey “ If you wish to contribute to this survey, please follow the link above.  Hopefully this may result in improved broadband speeds and coverage in Broadband for rural areas.

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 getting 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.

Celebratory Opening of the Refurbished Parish

Pavilion and Running Track

A hugely successful Celebratory Opening of the Parish Room took place at 3pm on Sunday the 22nd September 2019.  Despite a downpour, some 100 villagers turned up and crowded into the new hall and under the veranda. Nicki Barker, Chairman of the Parish Council, welcomed everyone saying: “This has been a real village Project.  The original ideas came from you as villagers during our 6 year long consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan , followed up by refining ideas via the village newsletter in spring a year ago.  As for contractors, we were thrilled when we opened the bids to find the best ones were from 2 village companies, Nick Baker of N and J Baker for the pavilion conversion and Buckland Newton Hire Ltd. for the new running track.   Both have done a fabulous job, as you can see, and it must be a rare thing to reach the end of a project saying they have both been a joy to work with.” For a full report and more 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

right agencies.  Click Dorset Polics AskNED for more details.

Smart Meter Rollout

The Government is rolling out smart meters into all homes and

businesses before 2020. However, research shows that a huge

percentage of the population are still not aware of the options

available. All local councils should have the up to date, correct

information on their websites to ensure we are fully prepared as a

nation for this switch. Provided below are links to full guides

domestic and non-domestic smart meters handed to us by the

Government.

Non-domestic Users:  Non-domestic Users Smart Meter Guide  Domestic Users:  Domestic Users Smart Meter Guide The government has issued some further information on Smart Meter rollout: UK Smart meter guide: UK Smart Meter Guide Smart meter implementation program:  Smart Meter Implementation Program

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.

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

0845 703 4599 or go to their website on Mail Preference Service 

or e-mail the  Mail Preference Service E-mail

Village Allotments

If you are interested in becoming a plot-holder please contact a

member of the Parish Council.

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

345707) or e-mail floodwarden@sky.com

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).