29 October 2016 Information for all - intruiging new signs installed
Kenny Pearce and John Cullen at the Recreation Ground
New signs have recently been installed in West Parley by the Parish Council to inform both Residents and Visitors about what the village is all about and what it has to offer.
The large signs give details of the long history of the village alongside a large scale map with all the key points of interest, including shopping, leisure and sports facilities and a large amount of community information. Installed close to the Recreation Ground off Christchurch Road and Parley First School on Glenmoor Road, the signs are of a striking, attractive design that is already drawing a lot of attention.
Former Parish Councillor John Cullen, who worked on the project said
"The aim is to raise awareness of our long heritage and continue to keep our Residents up to date with what is going on here and how they can get involved in community activities".
The signs style, layout and formatting was done by local resident Kenny Pearce, whose business, Kaptivate, specialises in Graphic Design for Websites and Print medias. Kenny said
"The sign has been specifically designed to appeal to all our local age groups as well as the many visitors we get here in West Parley. Each year there are thousands of people who attend many local events, or come here to play football and cricket. There is much to see in Parley and we wanted everyone to be aware of the village and to know about and enjoy everything around them."
"The signs are proving to be quite a mysterious conversation topic too as there are 5 images of Pears hidden throughout the map and graphics on the new signs. Just for fun and intrigue, the viewers of the new signs are asked to see if they can find all 5 hidden images of the Pears on the map. I picked the image of Pears because it is believed that the name Parley originally has links to the Saxon word for Fields of Pears. The fifth image is quite small and many are finding this tricky to locate on the map; but I can assure everyone it is there if you look hard enough. The kids are finding them a lot more easily than the adults too!"
29 October 2016 Notice of Election - one Dorset County Councillor to be elected for Ferndown
West Parley had a double success in the Dorset Best Kept Village Awards presented this week. Not only did the village win runner up status in the Large Village category of the Best Kept Award but also won the Environmental Award for the improvements made to Parley Wood. These are amazing results as this is the first time that the West Parley Residents Association has entered this competition.
The award in the Best Kept category reflects the hard work of all the village volunteers who keep the village tidy by clearing verges, maintain roadside planters and constantly litter pick their local roads but also the good state of businesses premises, the churchyard and open spaces. Judges particularly commented on the excellent condition of the Recreation Ground.
The Environment Award was given to recognise the work done over the last 5 Winters by a determined groups of volunteers who have been clearing away huge amounts of invasive holly along with birch and hazel saplings from Parley Wood to restore the natural woodland of mature oak. Access has been greatly improved by improving pathways round the Wood and signage installed to help an increasing number of visitors understand this valuable local area.
3 October 2016 Two councillors join the Parish Council
We were pleased to welcome 2 new Councillors at the Parish Council meeting on 21st September, Phillip Bamborough and, returning after a short break, Malcolm Plascott.
There are currently 2 vacancies on the Council and should you feel you would like to get involved please send enquiries to the Parish Counbcil - enquiries@westparley-pc.gov.uk
16 September 2016 Reshaping your councils - Consultation on unitary proposals for Dorset
As you may be aware, Dorset's councils are considering reducing the number of local authorities in the county from nine to two, and want to hear the views of their town and parish councils about the changes being proposed.
Your Parish Council is discussing this on Wednesday 19th October at the monthly meeting at the MS Center, and the participation and views of residents are very much invited. Please get in touch and let us know what you think. You may find many of your questions about the reorganisation answered in this useful FAQ document.
16 September 2016 Dorset Police launch Community Road Safe evenings
In conjunction with SafeWise, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Kwik Fit, Dorset Police is providing free Community Road Safe evenings for the public in an attempt to improve road safety across the county. There are yearly fluctuations in the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on our roads, and it is the careless driver behaviour behind these statistics that the Community Road Safe evenings aim to address.
In line with Force priorities, the workshops form part of Dorset Police's proactive efforts to "reduce the number of people seriously harmed" across Dorset. The innovative Community Road Safe evenings will be funded directly from Driver Awareness Scheme course payments paid by motorists who break the law and compromise the safety of all road users. The sessions will cover general road user information, the "Fatal Five" causes of collisions and what you can do to reduce the likelihood of being involved yourself.
There will be an opportunity to speak with your local Neighbourhood Policing Team and Community Speed Watch Liaison Officer about what is available to keep you and your family safe on Dorset roads. A Kwik Fit representative will also be on hand to assist with basic car safety checks and hand out car goody bags and vouchers. Inspector Matt Butler of the Alliance Roads Policing Team, said: "It doesn't matter whether you're a new driver wanting to increase your confidence on the roads or an older driver who hasn't had any additional training since the day you passed your test, all motorists can benefit from refresher sessions.
"It isn't always reckless drivers that cause collisions. Any driver can cause serious injury to themselves or others if they are not paying attention. Educating those who have broken the law is very important, but this initiative will provide motorists with the skills and information they need to prevent them from breaking the law or being involved in a collision in the first place."
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, said: "Between 2010 and 2015, road death statistics in Dorset have varied year on year from 17 to 26 fatalities. The unpredictable nature of collisions underlines the importance of ensuring all road users get refresher education to reduce the likelihood of being involved in such tragedies. In my election campaign, I committed to working with local charities to raise awareness of road safety to the general driving population and this new partnership is an excellent example of that. One simple, careless mistake can significantly change not only your own life, but the lives of others and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in these innovative education events."
The free workshops will run from 6pm to 8.30pm in locations across the county:
9 September 2016 Overgrown vegetation, we need your help!
Now is the time of year when the Council writes to residents if garden vegetation is encroaching on the public highway. They are asked to cut back their overgrown hedges and trees to ensure the pavements and highways remain clear. There are guidelines of height and width requirements set out by Dorset County Council, and the Parish Council encourages residents to have a look at all their boundary hedges and trees, especially at the side or rear of properties. In West Parley, we are extremely lucky that many residents do keep the village looking tidy and the Residents Association volunteers regularly help to maintain the verges. However, we do ask that residents cut back hedges which encroach over the pavements or highways to ensure the pavements are retained at their optimum width. This helps to aid accessibility around the village for everyone and stops people getting showered in water when brushing passed them during the oncoming winter months.
If you do receive a letter from the Council, your support is encouraged in helping the Parish Council maintain the appearance of the village for all residents.
8 September 2016 New Road temporary evening closure
Due to issues with the road surface between Ensbury Bridge and Northbourne Roundabout, Bournemouth Borough Council is surface treating this length to improve its durability and skid resistance. The works are being undertaken in the evening to reduce disruption to residents and commuters and, to reduce the time to undertake the works, a temporary road closure was required. Prior to the works commencing notices and signs were placed on site warning of this road closure. Last evening there was a breakdown on part of the equipment being used and this will, unfortunately, extend the works into additional evenings.
10 August 2016 Stepping Into Nature Survey
Stepping into Nature, helping to improve health and wellbeing for older people, those living with dementia and their carers with opportunities to explore, experience and enjoy the area's outstanding coast and countryside together.
