Dorset Council’s Local Plan began its public consultation period last week and residents are now able to make their voices heard. Once public consultation is complete and this Local Plan is published later in the year, following further consultation and pending its approval, it will form the basis for all housebuilding and development in the Dorset Council area until the year 2038. The plan proposes what areas are the most suitable for development over the next two decades, contains detailed policies to promote high quality development and aims to keep with the character of each area. 

Late Tuesday night, Conservative Councillors voted against exploring setting up three area planning committees for the three areas of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch with a central board for strategic applications to replace the current, unwieldy single committee of 15 members for the whole conurbation. The move would have given greater levels of control over local planning decisions to councillors from these immediate area rather than keeping all decisions within Bournemouth town hall by councillors who have nothing to do with your area of the BCP conurbation. Almost all the votes in favour of the amendment came from Poole and Christchurch councillors whereas Bournemouth tories voted to keep planning decisions  in their hands. 

The Lib Dem led Unity Alliance administration asked the Audit and Governance committee to consider this change to the constitution in early 2020 to bring it into line with other large unitary councils like Wiltshire, Dorset and Bristol, and ensure that residents are served by smaller, localised committees of councillors with more relevant local knowledge.

Residents across North Poole have supported our councillors over the last few weeks in making sure that local children don’t suffer.

At half term, a pop up pantry was set up in the Broadstone Liberal Hall and residents filled the space with food and essentials to get through a week without Free School Meals.  Charities, social workers and community groups referred families to the pantry and we delivered parcels around Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset.

In an address to parliament today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock gave an update to the House of Commons of coronavirus tier restrictions, in the run up to Christmas many authorities will be moving from Tier 2 to Tier 3 in the South and East of England. However, very few areas will be moving in the opposite direction. Despite a significant decline in case rates Dorset & Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Councils will be remaining in Tier 2.

Plans to extend the period in which car parking charges apply past 6pm until 8pm have been dropped by the Conservative Dorset council administration. Local Lib Dem councillors across Dorset joined with residents to oppose a move. Local businesses and organisations feared that the extended charges would be the final nail in the coffin for retail and hospitality on many of our high street. Sadly the planned changes to introduce Sunday charges in many place for the first time are still to go ahead.

Whilst the announcement that the Government was rolling back on its legal commitment to spend 0.7% of our Gross National Income (GNI) on International Aid was expected, it is still incredibly disappointing that the Conservatives are content to break a manifesto – and more importantly and moral – promise to the people of the UK and the developing world.

With a shrinking economy, the Foreign Secretary had already withdrawn funding from almost £3b worth of projects to concentrate on the ’40 most vulnerable countries’ in July following the decision to scrap the Department for International Development (DFiD) earlier in the year.

Being a carer can be rewarding and full of love. But it’s far from glamorous. It can be relentless and exhausting.

900,000 full-time unpaid carers rely on Carer’s Allowance – but at just £67.25 a week, it’s not nearly enough. More than a third of those on Carer’s Allowance are struggling to make ends meet. Many have been struggling for months, often relying on foodbanks to feed themselves and the people they care for.

That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to immediately raise Carer’s Allowance by £1,000 a year.

The news that the Government is increasing funding to the Armed Forces should be given a cautious welcome but with a huge caveat.  With its budget cut year on year, the military are unable to keep pace with what they need to spend, so this feels a little like offering the police 20,000 new police officers to replace the 30,000 that they previously cut.

Tomorrow night Cllr Vikki Slade and the Liberal Democrats will bring before a meeting of BCP full council, a motion banning the culling of badgers on land owned by the authority supported by Green councillor Chris Rigby.