West Parley Parish Council
There has been a further incident of fly tipping in West Parley - this time in Mags Barrow. It has been eported by a resident to Dorset County Council. Please ensure registered waste removal firms are employed at all times, so you know that your waste is being disposed of legally.
Please see the latest information on the A338 this week.
Residents in West Parley are celebrating a further success in the Dorset Best Kept Village competition gaining a third place in the Large Village section against some strong competition. The judges of the competition noted the effort made by the large number of village volunteers who maintain the road verges and public parks, who maintain the many roadside flower planters and litter pick in all weathers. Also noted were the efforts of the many residents who mow the verges outside their houses, the smartness of business premises and the All Saints Churchyard.
Volunteer Co-Ordinator John Dinsdale said ‘This is a stunning achievement reflecting all the hard work and commitment from the huge number of volunteers we have here who are so keen to help maintain and improve the village. A particular feature this year are the much improved roadside planters that have been a constant challenge to maintain in good condition in the hot weather this Summer’.
Would residents please note that the Millhams Community Recycling Centre on Ringwood Road closed yesterday (24 September) for four weeks for essential drainage works.
Please note that the alternative site for East Dorset residents is the Wimborne site in Brook Road. An alternative site is in Christchurch (Wilverley Rd, Christchurch BH23 3RU).
It is always wise to take some form of Identification if residents choose to use these sites.
All closures will start at 9.30am and finish at 3.30pm, subject to low enough traffic flow for it to be safe to put out the cones.
Monday
Lane 1 southbound closed from the quarry entrance on the A338 (should only be a short closure)
Tuesday
Lane 1 southbound closed from the quarry entrance down to Cooper Dean. This will be a long closure, and it will appear that not a lot is going on. A Road Restraint Risk Assessment Process needs to be completed. Vegetation clearance outside the water works will also be finished.
Wednesday
Lane 1 southbound closed if work from Monday and Tuesday needs finishing
Thursday
Lane 1 southbound closed from the quarry entrance on the A338 (should only be a short closureLane 1 northbound closed from Cooper Dean. This is for the sign base for the scheme information board and sockets for the speed camera installation & Southern Gas Network will be on site to mark out their gas main. Vegetation clearance at Blackwater Junction will also be done.
Friday
Lane 1 northbound closed as above, to install the base at Blackwater and one north of Blackwater.
Residents may have recently seen temporary lights at Ensbury Bridge, this was SGN dealing with a couple of gas escapes and nothing to do with the A338 works
Following the long queues and speeding vehicles as a result of the A338 roadworks which started 2 weeks ago, you may have seen some ‘No Through Road’ signs appear in the village last week. We are fully aware that many roads are being used as ‘cut throughs’ to avoid the long queues on the 4 main approaches to Parley Crossroads. The Parish Council has no jurisdiction over the Highways as this is controlled by Dorset County Council. However, it was felt that 2 areas could be improved with signage to address residents’ concerns and alleviate drivers’ frustrations.
Firstly signage was placed at the end of Ridgeway (adjoining Christchurch Road). Ridgeway. despite a small area of the entrance being tarmac, is an extremely bumpy, gravel private road. It was experiencing high numbers of vehicles which were driving at speed, which could potentially damage their vehicles, trying to dodge the queues on Christchurch Road. However Ridgeway rejoins Christchurch Road just a short distance further down the hill, so if anything this manoeuvre could increase drivers’ frustrations. Ridgeway is not adopted by Dorset County Council and the residents of Ridgeway pay for the road to be maintained.
The second sign is at the entrance of the Cul de Sac on Mags Barrow. Numerous cars would turn off New Road to avoid the queues, however the second turn for Mags Barrow leads to a cul de sac, so signage has been erected to deter the speeding vehicles up and down this dead end road.
We appreciate residents’ concerns and frustrations, but the Parish Council only has limited influence on this County matter.
Please be advised that there are five nights of road closures for the final construction works at Hurn Roundabout, near Bournemouth Airport. The roundabout – and all approaches – will be closed to traffic from 8pm to 6am on Monday 24, Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26, Thursday 27 and Friday 28 September so that surfacing and white lining works can be carried out. Local access will be maintained but there may be a short delay while we move machinery or carry out a task (there will be no through access).
Please note: Highways England have a section of the eastbound A31 closed during these evenings. The diversion route for the Hurn Roundabout closures will follow the same route as diverted A31 traffic:
A348 Ringwood Road - A347 New Road - White Legg Way - Castle Lane West - A338
Following this work, only small works off the carriageway will be outstanding.
BE WARNED ….. notice from Dorset Police of doorstep traders active in the area! Keep up to date by registering for Dorset Alerts to your email - latest Dorset Alerts
The Parish Council tries to keep the Recreation Ground clear from litter and dog waste, by providing numerous litter bins and dog waste bins to encourage residents & visitors to clean up after themselves and their furry friends. Many Councils have elected to remove all bins at public sites to reduce costs, and users are forced to take their rubbish and waste home with them. This is made easier by Dorset Waste Partnership allowing dog waste to be disposed of in the usual black kerbside household bin collection. However, the Parish Council currently has the bins to ensure the Recreation Ground is at its best for all users.
Several months ago, polite notices were added to all the bins to encourage correct use but regrettably in the last few weeks, these have all been ripped off and 1 smeared with ... well you can only imagine! 1 bin has also been subject to criminal damage.
The litter bins are not emptied by Dorset Waste Partnership, nor are they emptied by a contractor. They are emptied by 2 residents who are part of the West Parley volunteers, who work tirelessly to keep the village at its best. These 2 volunteers have given up hundreds of hours of their time over 9 long years, to litter pick the Recreation Ground, Children’s Play Area and our Car Park. The purpose? To keep it litter free for all to enjoy. The notice was requesting the dog waste was not deposited in these bins, as these volunteers also sort the litter in the bins so that as much as possible is recycled. As you can imagine they do not want to handle split dog waste bags, nor can they lift the bag which is extremely heavy when containing the dog waste.
The dog waste bins were purchased by the Parish Council and are emptied weekly by a contractor. This costs the Parish Council, and therefore the residents of West Parley, approximately £1000 per year. The notice placed on the dog waste bins, differed slightly but made it clear that the bins were for the benefit of those using the Council’s facilities. The notices became necessary after a number of people were stopped when depositing large volumes of dog waste bags which were brought from home. The Parish Council also has dog bins on the Playing Fields / in Parley Wood and the same applies to these.
We respectfully ask that all users of Parish Council facilities, abide by the requests. Otherwise, the Parish Council may choose to remove all bins, like other Councils, and divert funds towards employing a Dog Warden. This would be a disappointing outcome, as then ALL users will be expected to take ALL waste home with them.