A busy June.

Council work goes on and in June we have some very interesting projects to undertake. Not the least is the planning application for the three supermarkets located at Purewell, Bailey Bridge and Meteor Park at Somerford, these will be taken to planning together on 14th June, which in my experience is unique for Christchurch. Officers have been working on all these applications for many weeks and I will be fascinated to see the outcome. I suspect the planning meeting will be highly technical and am certain that the matters will be dealt with in our normal professional way. I actually wish I was back on Planning for this one! Pizza Express looks like it will be opening this month and what a difference the building refurbishment has made to that corner, news broke last week that the Post Office site further down Wick lane will be started later this year so by this time next year that area should be completed with new housing, shops and offices and looking very smart. All we need now is good news from the Saxon Square project which I understand is imminent and we can see Christchurch taking shape. As I met residents over the weekend at the many functions I attended, I was impressed at how many complimented CBC on the development of Druitt Gardens; perhaps the most relevant was that from a landscape gardener who was full of praise about the layout of the paths and the openness of the gardens and the planting. Certainly the numbers of residents/visitors who were strolling through the gardens have increased exponentially and with this sort of project the flora will get better as it matures.