News
November Full Council meeting
The Full Council meeting scheduled for 28 November has been changed and will now be held on Tuesday 5 December 2023 at the usual time of 7.30pm.
Changes to Post Office Services
From 20 November 2023 the Post Office will no longer operate from the Library and the Holland Room.
Instead a mobile van service will be at St Andrews Community Hall on Lower Sea Lane from 11.30 to 2pm every Thursday
and outside the Holland Room on Bridge Road from 2 - 4pm every Thursday
A boost to the Green and Blue Economy
“The Great South West, a coalition made up of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, has been named as the country’s ‘Marine and Maritime Launchpad,’ recognising its ongoing leadership in the field.
As a part of the programme, £7.5m in funding has been allocated to help bolster further growth and innovation in marine and maritime sectors across the South West.
This funding aims to support The Great South West in unlocking the potential of the region’s sustainable green and blue economies, boosting the economy by up to £45 billion and creating 190,000 new jobs by 2035.
UK-registered small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can now apply for between £25,000 and £1m in funding to help deliver outstanding nautical projects and innovations in the region, supporting the government’s Levelling-Up objectives…
… The competition opened on 23 October and applications can be submitted until 11am on 6 December 2023.
Successful projects should last between six and 18 months, start no earlier than 1 April 2024 and complete by 30 March 2026. Projects will also help ‘contribute to the South West’s net zero targets’ and ‘support key regional strategic marine and maritime markets.’
Vacancies for Parish Councillors
The Parish Council currently has three vacancies which can be filled by co-option.
Please contact the Clerk if you are interested in finding out about how you can make your voice heard by becoming a Councillor.
A35 Verge Management Update
We have recently been informed of a revised programme entailing ‘cut and collect’ in May on the roundabout at the entrance to Charmouth. This will remove the docks and other vegetation. In the summer and autumn there will be two visits to apply spot treatment of a herbicide designed to eliminate the undesirable weeds, notably docks, ragwort, hemlock and nettles.
The Parish Council will retain regular contact with officers of National Highways so that we are aware of any variations to the programme, we can give relevant feedback from the community and let you know the results of the annual surveys.
iNaturalist APP and Website
The iNaturalist app and website (https://uk.inaturalist.org/) has a global reach and a local focus for monitoring wildlife.
The Parish Council would like to encourage as many as possible to use it to record sightings of wildlife in Charmouth. This important information could then build up a picture of what is here, which would be useful to both residents and visitors.
Dog Restrictions
The Parish Council is now part of the Dorset Council Dog related Public Space Protection Order and as such dogs should be on leads at all times in all car parks and footpaths around the beach. Dogs are permitted off leads on East Beach (east of the River Char) at any time of the year, however, dogs are not permitted on West Beach (West of the River Char to level with the end of the promenade) from 1 May-30 September.
Council staff have authority to issue fixed penalty notices for breach of these restrictions, for dog fouling offences and general littering.
Dog Related PSPO - Polite Notice
Do you walk at Charmouth Foreshore with your dog? Are you aware that the whole area is part of the Dorset Council Dog Related Public Space Protection Order? This means that in line with this map, although dogs are allowed to be off leads on both beaches during the winter, they should still be on leads all year round when in the car parks and surrounding footpaths (yellow areas). This is for the safety of the dogs as well as for hygiene purposes. Unfortunately, people are not following these rules and this is causing Parish Council staff to suffer abuse when they try to enforce them as well as a big increase in dog fouling. Parish Council staff are able to enforce the rules by the issue of a fixed penalty notice and although this is the last resort, and none have yet to be issued in Charmouth, we will have no choice for this to be the next course of action with repeat offenders.
HEDGEHOGS
Hedgehogs are in decline….can you help?
Did you know that hedgehogs can travel up to 2 miles a night? Gaps in fences and walls link gardens and allow hedgehogs to forage. Charmouth Parish Council has a number of Hedgehogs R Us Highway Surrounds which are available free to Charmouth residents to help raise awareness and frame a fence gap.
Please contact the Parish Council office to arrange to collect yours today and create your own hedgehog highway!
Planning Permission or Building Regulations?
Are you converting or extending an existing property?
Confused on whether you need planning permission or building regulations advice?
The difference between the two is explained if you click the link below. Dorset Council’s dedicated Building Control surveyors can often visit your site on the same day.
The difference between Planning and Building Control - Dorset Council
Avian Flu
Advice on Avian Flu is available on the DEFRA website - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu.
Cost of Living Help for Residents
Dorset Council is circulating leaflets to libraries, leisure centres, children’s centres, food banks and community larders to try and direct residents to the correct agency for help with the current cost of living crisis.
We have displayed this poster and this leaflet on our website and on the main noticeboard as well as the information board inside the Elms foyer.
Please download or share the information or visit Dorset Council’s website for more cost of living help.
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