Archive for the ‘Dewlish’ Category

Bus Services Devastated

by Andy Canning on 2 February, 2017

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 […]

Read more    3 Comments

Your GP Surgery is Under Threat

by Andy Canning on 29 November, 2016

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 […]

Read more    1 Comment

Stop Cuts at County Hospital

by Andy Canning on 1 November, 2016

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 […]

Read more    Leave a comment

Save Dorchester’s Tourist Information Centre

by Andy Canning on 20 October, 2016

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 […]

Read more    Leave a comment

Andy Canning selected as Parliamentary Candidate

by Andy Canning on 16 September, 2016

I am delighted to have been chosen as the Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset should there be an early General Election. Recently I have been involved with campaigns to save our local Youth Centres, maintain rural bus services, keep smaller local libraries and stop our countryside from being overdeveloped!  I also led the […]

Read more    Leave a comment

Pay Rise for Senior Staff Unjustifiable

by Andy Canning on 21 July, 2016

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 […]

Read more    1 Comment

Mobile Library Service CLOSED!

by Andy Canning on 29 June, 2016

  Today, the Conservative Cabinet running Dorset County Council voted to end our local mobile library service.  Three out of four mobile libraries are to be axed at the end of the year and only one is being retained to visit care homes.  This will remove a service that is vital for people who don’t […]

Read more    Leave a comment

Democracy Wins!

by Andy Canning on 9 May, 2016

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 […]

Read more    Leave a comment

Grass Verge Cutting for 2014

by Andy Canning on 27 March, 2014

There’s good news as the County Council has agreed today to spend an extra £50,000 on cutting the grass verges this year.  This is in response to many complaints about the lack of cutting in the last two years.  A couple of extra work teams will be created to act as a flying squad to […]

Read more    Leave a comment

A Route to 20mph Speed Limits

by Andy Canning on 23 January, 2014

After much pressure Dorset County Council has designed a process that will enable local communities to get 20mph speed limits where they want them.  Step 1 is to get a Prioritisation Rating based on such things as accidents in the last three years, the current speed of traffic, proximity to schools, hospitals, residential homes etc and […]

Read more    Leave a comment