I have been working very hard with Cllr Nick Ireland to ensure that there is some sort of day time bus service for Crossways, Broadmayne, West Knighton, Warmwell and Osmington. After much behind the scenes negotiation Damory have confirmed this morning that they are willing to run an ‘experimental’ service up to September. More details […]

Dorset County Council has announced that it is cutting the number of bus services that it supports from 35 down to just 7! This will have a devastating effect on everyone who doesn’t have access to a car. It will increase isolation as those on low incomes, poor mobility and the elderly, who live anywhere […]

There is a very real possibility that your GP’s Surgery could close by 2021. Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are considering a strategy document that is proposing a drastic reduction in the number of what they call “sites delivering Primary Care” or what we call GP’s Surgeries. You can read the report here. Page 34 […]

The plans announced recently to recently to end overnight care on Kingfisher Children’s Ward and the proposal to scale back maternity care at the County Hospital are deeply disappointing. Twice in recent years, thousands of residents have marched through the streets to defend key local health services.close Kingfisher Children’s Ward and the Special Care Baby […]

Despite tourism being West Dorset’s largest employer and Dorchester’s TIC receiving over 180,000 visitors last year, the District Council is looking to cut this service drastically to save just a few thousand pounds!  Two options are being considered – closing the staffed office completely or retaining a much-reduced service with fewer staff, fewer things on […]

Both Dorchester and Crossways Youth & Community Centres are due to re-open their doors this week.  After the withdrawal of all funding by Dorset County Council two independent community charities made up of local volunteers have taken on running these local Youth Centres.  Crossways will re-open its doors on September 8th and Dorchester on September […]

Despite strong protests and a lively debate the County Council agreed today to give many of its senior staff a substantial pay rise. At a time of major job cuts and cuts in services this seems to me to be totally unjustifiable.  Altogether it will cost tax payers £65,000 that could have been spent on […]

After much work by community groups in Dorchester and Crossways both Youth Centres are set to survive!  It will still be a major challenge for local volunteers to run these services without any support from the County Council but I will do what I can to help.  What has helped in Dorchester is that the […]

In spite of both my best efforts and those of Crossways Parish Council, WDDC’s Planning Committee this afternoon approved plans to build 95 new houses on land by Frome Valley Road.  This is in spite of Crossways already getting 500 houses to the south of Warmwell Road and possibly up to 600 by Moreton.  District […]

The proposal to change and open up the way that West Dorset District Council is run has been overwhelmingly approved by local residents.  A total of 15,534 voted for Change and a move to Committee based decision making as opposed to 8,811 who voted to keep things as they are with a Leader + Cabinet […]