It’s been so good to hear from more Members recently, peoples likes and dislikes. It all helps to steer DLRA on the right course of what people in the community are feeling and wanting – thank you.
We all try to remain positive. So hopefully this Christmas will be a better one, able to meet up with family and friends again. For those who are unable to get out & about, or maybe with no family close by, our heartfelt wishes are especially for you this Christmas time. Someone is always nearby to say hello… Just let us know.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Good Health for 2022!
Harry
A warm welcome from the new Chair
I will also remain as Treasurer and take up any planning issues that members bring to our attention or may be of interest to residents, this includes the management of trees.
It is hoped to resume meetings and social events for members again as the pandemic restrictions permit. In the meantime, we will continue to act on behalf of the members to the best of our ability.
The re-organisation of the local authorities into the new BCP Unitary Authority has brought new challenges to the association as new strategies and policies are presented by BCP to the public. Significantly, to date, these include the new Seafront Strategy and proposals for re-organisation of roads and pedestrian access under the Covid 19 Emergency Active Travel Funding. To this end, it is hoped that there should be continued collaboration with our local Councillors and as appropriate, liaison with other local residents’ associations who share a common interest.
If you, other members or neighbours require any assistance, please do contact DLRA and we will do our best to help where we can. Also, please let us know of any incidents, developments and/or items which are of interest to the members and local residents, especially for publication in The Cockle.
Graham Whitehall – Chair
Dorset Lake Residents Association
Civic Centre
‘Will not be sold off…’ Cllr Drew Mellor says the site will continue for Community use, which apparently has a broad definition of possibly a hotel or nursing home on part of the site….!!
How about a small proportion of it being made freely available for voluntary effort in the Community as possible meeting rooms? There are a lot of volunteers in Poole, involved in many different groups / organisations. BCP should be embracing these folk so much more, working alongside officers to aide and assist whenever feasible. There is a lot of good work being done out there by volunteers, the majority of which seems to go unnoticed by many Councillors and the BCP Council.
What is everyone afraid of? After all good will to all, and in particular two-way consultation on Keyhole Bridge may well have staved-off a High Court Ruling against the Council, which is now needing to pay legal costs etc, that money sadly comes from rate payers!
Planning
I am sure it will come as no surprise to many members that Planning Services in BCP appear to be all at sea… Although we are informed that these services at BCP Council are improving. Deputy Cllr leader Philip Broadhead said: “progress is being made…” With so many pats on the back at how good they all are with their operational structure, between the Cllrs and Officers, it can only enlighten our hearts with so much optimism for the future of BCP and its Planning Department…
Planning Applications (7) and Decisions (10) for the period ending 3rd December 2021
Application
| Application No: | APP/21/01537/F, Location: 7 Avalon, Poole BH14 8HT |
| Proposal: | Formation of garage with recreation room over. |
| Application No: | APP/21/01566/F, Location: 34 Lilliput Road, Poole BH14 8JZ |
| Proposal: | Installation of three roof lights to west elevation roof pitch. |
Protected Tree
A heartfelt letter from a local Resident
I am very fortunate to be the fourth generation of a family to live within the lovely area of Poole and Bournemouth. Like my grandmother & great-g’mother before me, I have returned to enjoy retirement in a wonderful environment: The beaches are brilliant, especially since they have been replenished, and Poole has built magnificent rock groynes. These do a great job in mitigating against longshore drift and are evidently more environmentally friendly to sea-life. The promenade too is a marvellous feature in enhancing the seaside experience in a variety of weather + for ambling. Long may the sea, beach and prom be safe places for young families, wheelchair users, dog walkers and oldies like me. However, I do worry about the speed of a minority of cyclists on the prom and now a perceived menace of e-scooters: My concerns are not just for myself but those who use these without wearing helmets, and the often-silent approach. * I know of a good friend who lives locally, that since they were hit are too frightened to go on the prom… This can’t be acceptable!
Poole Harbour is magnificent for so many good reasons – from boating, through to its shores and stunning viewpoints. Yet as a local resident, I was dismayed when all the parking bays were removed from Evening Hill – despite objections.This place is highly significant for the harbour view, for its picnic area and for our local history – Lord Baden-Powell etc. I understand that the temporary cycle lane up the hill has now been ratified irrespective of the multitude of objections. A concession made, is that there will be some parking bays designated for people with disabilities – blue badge holders – in Alington Rd. with a crossing to Evening Hill to reach the viewpoint – still with an incline for the mobility impaired! With a steep hill & a slow climb – would a shared-use pedestrian/cycle-path, have been a better and a cheaper option?
Branksome Chine path leading to the sea
There is a run of 8 Chines from Flaghead to Durley Dene with various sub-chines reaching well-inland or now truncated. The BCP Council (as with the BoP before), recognises in its statements the national significance of these unique features. These coastal ravines (once with visible water courses) cut through the ‘local geology’ and provide ‘sheltered habitats’. (There are a few Chines on the Isle of Wight & in W. Dorset – and a similar Hampshire coastal cleft known as a Bunny). BCP advertises the valuable input of its Conservation Officer and now a BCP Officer in charge of Biodiversity initiatives…
I understand that this is in accordance with the UK Govt’s Docs ‘Nature Positive 2030 – Evidence and Summary Reports’. See: Nature positive 2030 evidence report | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk)
Keyhole Bridge
Since the last Cockle, a High Court judge has ruled that the process and consultation of how the access was closed to traffic was unlawful…The judge sought the Council to conduct a further consultation to enable the public to give their views, along with ordering the Council to pay the costs. Cllr Mike Greene said that ‘an announcement was made 37 days short of the 6-month period’, ….he also detailed ‘it highly unlikely any evidence or argument would have come forward….’
With Cllr Mike Greene having an apparent insight into the future, perhaps he could enlighten us all as to his future as a Councillor? How wonderful it would be to have crystal spheres!
As the Consultation is due to run from 28th February to 8th April 2022, DLRA and its Members very much look forward to receiving details of this consultation and its transparent process of both before and after a decision is made by BCP Council/ Councillors.
Dorset Lake Residents Association (DLRA a brief history) … Bertie Bowman, Hon President
A brief history from its founding in 1925 until 2021, almost 100 years. I have been a member for exactly half of this time. Right up to the 21st Century it was known as the Dorset Lake Association, Dorset Lake being an old name for Poole Harbour.
When founded there were no other Residents Associations in the vicinity, or not as we know them today. Branksome Park, Elms Estate and the Canford Cliffs Land Society were private estates looked after by Trustees appointed by the residents living on those estates.
Roundup – Cllr May Haines
There was a change in administration at BCP Council back in October 2020 and since then, much work has happened. We were keen to not see a repeat of the chaos over the summer season and set to work on a plan to deal with various different scenarios over the holiday period. We saw on some days our population nearly double from the number of visitors to our award-winning beaches. While there were still some issues with inconsiderate parking and traffic congestion, there were significantly less complaints about toilet facilities as well as litter.
Our latest campaign is our Cleaner, Greener, Safer initiative to bring back a level of pride to our town centres. We are working in conjunction with Poole BID to run a pilot to make it cleaner, repaint lamp posts, deal with fly tipping, remove graffiti from public property and improve the atmosphere to make the town a more attractive place for visitors, local or from a far. Our fly-tipping pilot through WISE (wasteenforcement.co.uk), who specialise in environmental crime investigations, started at the end of August. So far, several penalty notices have been issues and many businesses have been visited to advise on how they need to manage their waste. It has indeed been a busy start for our partner with the bonus that it is at virtually NIL cost to the council and our tax payers. If you see fly-tipping please report it to community.enforcement@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. More information on our Cleaner, Greener, Safe campaign can be found on democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/documents/s28728/Cleaner%20Greener%20Safer%20Programme.pdf
It has been a busy few months, and it is hoped that things will slowly get back to a new normal post lockdown. We continue to work with your association on planning matters and other issues that are of concern to your members.
A Christmas Tale
Ernie Pyle Flies by Flying Boat to Poole in December 1940
(Ernest Taylor Pyle, 3rd August 1900 – 18th April 1945)
Ernie Pyle was one of the USA’s most popular news-columnists: Late in 1940, Ernie travelled to the UK to observe and to write for his newspaper columns about the impact of WW2 and the Blitz. His main arena was London, but he also visited & described various places including Poole.
Pictured: Ernie Pyle
“It is the needle’s eye through, which must pass all non-fighting travel between Europe and anywhere else. A month ago, it was estimated there were 20,000 refugees in Portugal. There are probably fewer now, for they are being worked out gradually, and Portugal has tightened her borders against newcomers.”
“It was cold & eerie in the dimly lighted airport building at Lisbon. We walked up & down to keep warm until the Captain finally said: “Let’s go”… We followed the crew along a pier and got into a motor-boat. We could make out dimly the shapes of 2 big flying boats at anchor. As our boat eased up to one we jumped through.”
On behalf of Dorset Lake Residents Association, may I wish you and your family ‘A Very Happy Christmas and a Healthy, Prosperous 2022.’
Graham Whitehall – Chair
Dorset Lake Residents Association
www.dorsetlake.com
from Sandbanks to Canford cliffs, through Lilliput, Penn Hill and beyond…
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