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 alternate months, at 7.00 pm in the Parish Pavilion.
The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday 14th May 2024.
The Agenda and other documents relevant to the meeting,
together with previous Minutes, will be found at Meeting Dates
and Minutes
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority -
Consultation of draft Community Safety Plan 2024-28
We are consulting on our draft Community Safety Plan, which
sets out the key challenges and risks facing us over the coming
years. This is our high-level strategic plan.
With future financial uncertainty, the plan details what we intend
to carry on doing and what we intend to review and do differently,
in order to continue to provide a high level of service to our
communities.
Working with others is central to how we deliver our services, and
this will continue to be at the heart of everything we do. For that
reason, we invite you to view our draft plan
www.dwfire.org.uk/draft-csp-2024-28-consultation and the
accompanying video, which provides a short overview.
The consultation period runs from 9 February until 3 May 2024,
and we would welcome your feedback, through a short set of
questions on our website. Alternatively, you can call our
freephone 0800 0213022.
If you wish to raise anything specific, or require any further
assistance in accessing the information, please email us directly
at consultation@dwfire.org.uk
Local Elections 2024
Notice of Election 2nd May 2024 - Dorset Council click to view
Notice of Election 2nd May 2024 - Parish and Town areas click
to view
Please click Local Elections 2024 for details of local elections and
how to become a Councillor (updated 6th Feb 2024).
There are various informative videos issued by the Dorset
Association of Parish and Town Councils (DAPTC) which explain
more about Parish and Town Councils and the 2024 Elections.
Simply click on the links below:
1.
What do parish and town councils do in your community?
2.
What do parish and town councils do across Dorset?
3.
Why becoming a parish or town councillor in Dorset matters
4.
Parish and Town Councils are for Everyone
Interested in a paid role at a Polling Station in May
2024?
If so, please click on the graphic below for details on how to
apply:
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.
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, November 2023 - December 2023
Recent Flooding
The PC has had a request from Flood Risk Management Dorset
Council for anyone who has had flooding issues 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
Do you own agricultural equipment or machinery?
The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill has reached consultation
stage in parliament. This bill aims to make agricultural equipment,
machinery and plant less attractive to steal by introducing
compulsory immobilisers and forensic marking which will be fitted
or applied before equipment is sold to the customer.
We are committed to tackling rural and business crime across the
counties. This new bill will assist police officers to identify items
and prove ownership once recovered.
To contribute to this consultation, visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/equipment-theft-
prevention-bill-call-for-evidence/equipment-theft-prevention-bill-
call-for-evidence-accessible-version
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 16th March 2024 08:50
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
John Baker 01300 345386
Lin Townsend 01300 345306
Christina Manny 07876 567999
Mick Ames (Vice Chair) 01300 345497
John Simpson
Sheila Crouch
Your Flood Warden is Doug 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).