West Dorset District Council has decided to have a fifth attempt at developing Charles Street.  This is the latest news in the long-running saga which began back in the 1970’s!  It has already cost taxpayers several millions and there is nothing to show for it, except a state-of-the-art Council HQ!  For this latest proposal WDDC […]

At last the new paving at the lower end of South Street has been finished. Last weekend the Mayor officially re-opened the area along with some majorettes! As Chairman of the Dorchester Transport & Environment working group I am pleased that this work and the new pedestrian crossing will act to improve the links between […]

A huge Thank You to the 4,500 people who signed my petition to save our local bus services and to all those who collected signatures. This is the largest petition, that I am aware of, to have ever been presented to the County Council. It has had some effect, but alas, not enough. Way back […]

The next five years are set to be a bad time if you’re a pensioner or soon to become one. Theresa May has taken the Conservatives in a new direction.  Just look at her manifesto commitments: ending the triple lock on the state pension that guaranteed pensions increased by the highest out of prices, wages […]

The Conservatives’ policy of austerity is now threatening the future of our children at a time when we need to be raising standards to be able to cope with the harsher post-Brexit world, not sacking teachers. According to policies already announced by Theresa May virtually every school in West Dorset is set to lose funding […]

Last week I handed in a 4,500 strong petition at County Hall calling on the County Council to think again about it’s policy of cutting so many bus routes. This is the largest local petition I’ve ever heard of!  It clearly shows how worried residents are about becoming isolated and stuck at home. On July […]

The NHS and social care have been in a state of near crisis for many months. In Dorset we’ve seen plans to drastically reduce the number of GP Surgeries, to reduce beds at some community hospitals and to cut some services entirely from Dorset County Hospital.  Thank you to the 2,500 local residents who have […]

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 […]