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.

Annual Parish Meetings

The documents relevant to the 2025 Annual Parish Meeting (held 10th June 2025) will be published in due course and will be found on the Parish Council Meetings & Minutes page under Annual Parish Meeting 2025.

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, the Annual Parish Council Meeting, will be on Tuesday 13th May. The Agenda, Schedule and other documents for this meeting will be published 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.

Environment Agency Advice in case of Flooding

The Environment Agency have issued updated advice on What to do in case of flooding.

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.

Social housing tenants wanting to downsize - we need

you

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.

Reports from Councillor Jill Haynes

Report from Councillor Jill Haynes, February 2025

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.

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

right agencies. Click Dorset Polics AskNED for more details.

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:

Andy Foot (Chair) 01300 345511

Mark Needham 01300 345293

Chris Osmond 01300 345326

Nick Baker

Lin Townsend 01300 345306

Mick Ames (Vice Chair) 01300 345497

Bradley Perrett

Your Flood Wardens are Doug Morse /

Kevin 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). cllrjill.haynes@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk