Every year thousands of children are injured in preventable
accidents in the home, on the roads and at play.
LV=Streetwise helps to reduce the chance of accidents happening by helping children to learn about potential dangers in the everyday world around them in a safe, controlled, memorable and exciting venue.
Based in Dorset, it is an award-winning interactive safety education charity - a life sized, indoor "bricks and mortar" "village" of scenarios which are traditionally built scenes from everyday town and country life.
Parish Councillor Geoff Dark has been a Volunteer Safety Guide at LV=Streetwise since March 1999, four months after the Centre opened. His fifteen years of service as a guide happened to coincide with the completion of 500 safety tours and both of these landmarks resulted in the presentation of certificates. Presenting the certificates were Alison Shelton (Centre Manager) and Andy Watkins (Deputy Manager); also present on the photograph were Helen Bromley (Administration Officer) and two Safety Guides Pat and Tricia who have also served as Safety Guides for many years. Geoff has greatly enjoyed all the time spent at LV=Streetwise with parties of children.
If you would like to volunteer to act as a Safety Guide for tours of 1hr 30min with children of 6-7 years or 2 hrs for children of 9-10 years (minimum one tour per month) you would be made very welcome. Usually 30 - 40 children attend at a time and each Safety Guide takes about 6 children accompanied by an adult from the school. To see what goes on, log in to www.streetwise.org.uk and you will be surprised at the extent of the activities.
3 Mar 2014 New pedestrian crossing on New Road
The Parish Council are pleased to learn that their request for a pedestrian crossing on New Road has been accepted by the County Council, and construction should take place this year. The crossing will be in the vicinity of Winnards Close.
20 Feb 2014 Comments made on possible new Minerals sites close by
In its new Minerals Sites Plan, Dorset County Council released details of 2 possible gravel extraction sites near us that have been proposed by Minerals Companies. These are an extension of the existing site opposite the Airport at Hurn Court Farm and a large site at Parley Court Farm, where some 15 years of gravel and sand extraction is proposed. The County Council has asked for local comments. The Parish Council has reviewed the situation and passed on its comments on behalf of Residents.
Our main concerns were about the impact of additional HGV traffic through West Parley. This would add to traffic from other proposed local developments, including the Core Strategy plans for massive housebuilding in the village. These would all make the already busy junction at Parley Cross much more congested and have a negative effect on houses next to main roads.
We also raised points about the proposed access point from the Parley Court Farm site on to Christchurch Road opposite the Portfield School.
DCC will look at all local comments and decide on the suitability of otherwise of the proposed sites. Even if the sites look suitable they would all be subject to a lengthy planning procedure that will take years to get agreed.
We will keep you up to date with progress on the suitability of the sites.
20 Feb 2014 Time to be careful - some local thefts recently
West Parley is officially one of the safest places in the country to live.....but we are not immune.
The police report some rise in thefts in the area from parked cars and vans, and also some attempted break ins to houses. These are mostly from the back, and often employ tools from the shed or garage.
This is not a crime wave. The attempted house break ins are very few. It is just a realisation that although there are almost no safer places than West Parley to live, this does not excuse us from taking normal sensible precautions.
20 Feb 2014 Two new Councillors join the Parish Council team
New Parish Councillors Gillian Collingbourne and Stuart Couper were inducted as new members of the council at last night's monthly meeting. This restores the Parish Council to 10 members (out of 11 allowed) after two recent resignations. Gillian is a former manager at Equitable Life, and brings very welcome volunteer experience from her work at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Stuart needs no introduction, as he has been a very capable leader of the West Parley residents association volunteer work parties for the past year.
16 Feb 2014 Dorset severe weather helpline - 01305 221000
A helpline has been set up to support those affected by the storms across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole.
Dorset Direct, the county council's contact centre, is taking calls to help members of public and support agencies, including the emergency services, local authorities, NHS, Environment Agency and Public Health across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole.
People can call 01305 221000 to:
request sandbags
get help with rehousing
report problems on the highway, including fallen trees, debris on the road and flooding
find out the latest public health information
access emergency crisis support loans
It is likely that the line will be busy but staff will do their best to deal with queries as soon as possible.
For alerts on the go, follow us on twitter @TravelDorset.
15 Feb 2014 Sandbags. . be prepared
Just in case anyone in West Parley might need them, EDDC have a good supply of sandbags that you can get from the Council Offices in Furzehill. Simply go to the reception desk and they will update their record book and you can take some away. However, please note that they are only available during opening times as the compound is shut at other times. EDDC opening hours are 8.45am - 5.15pm, closing 4.45pm on friday and closed at weekends.
14 Feb 2014 History of West Parley parish boundaries
10 Feb 2014 Get involved in making West Parley Bloom
West Parley Parish Council and West Parley Residents Association have unveiled ambitious plans to improve on their Silver award the village gained last year in its first entry to the South and South East in Bloom competition. The competition encourages community collaboration between both residents and business.
Businesses have always supported improving the look of West Parley and more are encouraged to do so as company logos will be displayed where appropriate.
Residents will be encouraged to become involved in a new front garden competition to showcase good looking and novel gardens in the village. The only requirement is to be a resident of West Parley. Golden Acres Nursery have kindly agreed to sponsor this competition awarding prizes for the gardens judged to be the best. For an entry form contact Pat Couper on Cllr.p.couper@westparley-pc.gov.uk or tel: 01202 573833. Judging the front gardens will take place in early July.
For the 2014 competition a whole range of improvements will be introduced in the spring. These include a broader variety of plants in the existing 18 roadside planters, at least 5 new raised flower beds are to be installed across the village, these will be made by our volunteers painted blue to match the main colours used in local signage and they will be placed in prominent roadside locations for all to enjoy.
We are very lucky to have a good number of regular volunteers who work around the village trimming and mowing verges as well as many residents who mow outside of their own property. Volunteers also work in the park keeping the borders planted and tidy as well as the considerable work being undertaken at the moment in Parley wood to tidy and improve the footpaths for better access. More volunteers are always needed, could you adopt a planter just to keep it weeded and dead headed?
Judges for the in bloom competition are keen to see different ideas coming through, do we have any local artists who have sculptures, wood carvings or mosaics they would like to have displayed in the park or around the village? Any ideas would be welcome.
Judging for the South & South East Competition is to be between 7th and 18th July 2014. The judges will spend 2 hours touring the village.
The Parish Council and Residents Association are working hard to keep West Parley Green and beautiful and are relying on the support of all the residents, don't forget to enter the Front Gardens Competition.
