Highlights of the Parish Council Meeting September 2025

Key discussions and decisions from the Parish Council meeting, Wednesday, 10 September 2025, are below. Draft minutes can be viewed using this link.

Public Democratic Forum

A member of the public raised three issues. They were very happy with the reinstated hedging at the water treatment plant but now the structure is taller it dominate the view - could additional planting be done to improve this? Cllr Farmer agreed to write to the company.

Concerns were voiced that the tree planting scheme on the Trailway could enclose views and should ensure native species are used. Cllr Farmer will speak to the landowner.

Poor signal strength prevents installation of smart meters in some areas of the village and suppliers are not very helpful in solving the issue. Dorset Council are aware and is mapping coverage via bin lorries to pressure providers. The Clerk will ask residents via Facebook about similar issues to support lobbying.

Welcome

Cllr Farmer noted the recent surgery held by Edward Morello MP was well received. An article in the Dorset Echo reporting ongoing issues with Evri deliveries has been published.

Dorset Council Report by Ward Cllr Eysneck

He is following up the blocked gully at Church Mead and in touch with the Enforcement Team about development at Poor End to ensure disturbed land is restored.

The Dorset Council Local Plan consultation is open and responses are encouraged before the 13 October. The Local Transport Plan consultation is also open and closes on the same date and includes the Trailway. Cllr. Eysenck urged residents to respond with support.

Cllr. Eysenck is a member of the Design Codes Advisory Panel to dictate what future development looks like and is on a cross-party group investigating audit issues.

Finance

July and August accounts were approved with a balance of £15,144.68 on 1 September. A grant was awarded to the Village Association for Post Office insurance and a grass cutting contract was awarded to Countrywide Grounds Maintenance.

Clerk’s Update

The village telephone box adoption process is in progress; BT has received the contract and will issue a completion notice soon.

The Recreation Ground has been registered on the Nature Recovery Dorset Network, with part of the area to be left wild in spring/summer. Dorset Council has yet to update records of parish-owned grit bins and the Clerk wis following up to ensure all bins are filled for winter.

Attendees of CPR & defibrillator training will be asked for permission to share their contact details on a card inside the defibrillator box.

Highways

Works are scheduled for Barrowland Lane in late October. They include adding a sealing layer to the surface laid down earlier in the year and hopefully clearance of drainage structures.

The removal of Powerstock Bridge is experiencing delays due to locating a water main and new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements. TPPC have offered the Recreation Ground as a mitigation site and Cllr. Eysenck is investigating with Planning what mitigation are required.

Concerns were raised about A35 closure diversions being directed through Maiden Newton which is unsuitable for such levels of traffic. Maiden Newton’s own parish council have also raised the issue and Cllr. Eysenck is asking Highways about alternative routes.

Other reports

• Cllr Billen confirmed a cream tea event raised £400 for the Church.
• Updated No Dogs signage for the Recreation Ground was approved. Residents are reminded that dogs, other than assistance dogs, are not permitted anywhere within the Ground.
• Cllr Farmer is awaiting an update on the Trailway to Maiden Newton. Cllr. Eysenck is supporting our efforts and is pressing for progress along the whole route.
• Ammonite Patient Participation Group’s next meeting is on 23 September, and Cllr. Wardle will be attending.

Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for 12 November 2025, though it may move to 19 November to ensure councillor attendance for budget discussions. Please check on the website for updates: www.tollerporcorumparish.org > Meetings.