Last night's full Council Meeting

An interesting meeting last night which included a presentation by the Fire Authority on the impressive work being done by the service in preventing fires across Dorset and how they were resolving the current funding deficit by partnership working with Wiltshire. Interesting also to see how important data sharing is between agencies to avoid deaths and injuries to vulnerable people. This is something I have been banging on about for ages. Last minute petitions were received and passed to the relevant committees, one on Druitt Hall and the other on the Stanpit Recreation ground improvement scheme. Perhaps the two most relevant presentations were those from the port folio holder for the environment about Navitas which highlighted how difficult it is for the Council to adequately respond in detail to the planning process when we are only statutory consultees, not the planning authority and the assessment of the corporate plan with presentations from all port folio holders. Award winners from Britain in Bloom included Stanpit Marsh SSSI, a gold award no less as well as the silver guilt for Christchurch. The friends of Christchurch Railway Station got their normal annual award, they have won it for the last seven years, and in a completely different category a gold award to the Stour Valley Partnership for excellence in partnership working. Christchurch is good at partnership working! So all in all a very good night for Christchurch Council. It was good to see a higher than usual attendance from members of the public who must have heard that CBC were to be acknowledged for their good work by independent observers! No announcements from me but I did have to answer a question about the Dorset County Council review of the bus services which is a bit boring/technical so I wont include it in this blog. Suffice to say Dorset County Council is applying a 'use it or lose it' policy as a result of funding reductions and following extensive consultations. County Councillors and Chris Chope the member of parliament are involved. Christchurch Borough Council have decided not to alter the subsidies we give for the various services.