Planning Aid England is a national charity that can help you with your planning enquiries:

Call the advice line:  0330 123 9244
Email:  [email protected]

Or find out more at www.rtpi.org.uk/planningaid

Do you know, or have dealings with the elderly or vulnerable?

Dorset Community Foundation is looking to help individuals that are either elderly or vulnerable during the winter months with things such as fuel poverty, social isolation, eating properly, warm clothing etc. They are also doing emergency heating repairs through Synergy Housing.

Support is available for groups, charities, residents associations or any other group looking to organise social inclusion activities for the elderly and the vulnerable – funding is available for up to £1,000. Examples of activities include lunch clubs, transport, reading clubs and taster sessions.

All details of the funding opportunities can be found on their website www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org under Surviving Winter and Keep Warm, Keep Well, Keep Safe Fund.

Council tax charges are set by the County Council, District Council, Town Council, Fire and Police Authorities.  Underneath is set out the Band D [your home may be a different band?] equivalent.  The town and parish average is shown, but for Ferndown residents there is actually a decrease of just under £4.00 for 2012/13 as the town council lowered its precept.  Funnily enough, this was not seen as news by the press, although they have been quick to point out rises in the past.  The District Council's share of the council tax is around 11%, although it is the collection agency for the total billall of it.

Band D            2012/13        % increase
County            1,168.29        nil
District            190.93           nil
T & P Average  39.29            1.03             Ferndown Town Council's is actually £37.65 against £41.52 in 2011/12
Police              180.00           nil
Fire                  60.39            nil
Total                1638.50         0.02

I am currently minded [dependent on further relevent facts] to vote for the Core Strategy to go out to consultation, which is the resolution for our extraordinary meeting on Monday at the Village Hotel, Bournemouth.  If I were to vote against this resolution, it would be anti-democratic.  I am delighted that residents will get a twelve-week period to respond with their issues, before modifications are made to the pre-submission document.  I urge all Ferndown residents to get involved, and write in with your comments - let me know also, of your major issues and concerns if you live in Ferndown Central.  I outlined my main concerns at the meeting of 1st February, at the Barrington Centre, which some of you may have attended. I will be continuing to lobby for HGV to be diverted out of the town centre, for substantive improvmeents to be made to Ferndown town centre, and will continue fighting for traffic flow improvments if there are to be further developments in West Parley and at ferndown Industrial Estate.  The current traffic levels in the town are simply unacceptable and the highways authority has simply not listened to residents or to the former town council traffic working party.  I will also be pushing for allotments to be included in either the Coppins or Holmwood House developments in Ferndown.

No increase for 2012/13, but future years are going to be difficult, as savings still need to be found, and budgetary pressures continue to grow.  We will spend £9.9m next year, and only £2.5m comes from government.  75% is funded directly from your council tax giving this 75:25% split.  Nationally the picture is very different with the average split being 30:70, with only 30% coming direct from council tax.  Next year EDDC will also receive £286,000 less from government in government grant funding.  With the loss of investment income from monies held, things are getting very tight indeed.  I know we are working hard to maintain frontline services, and to try and keep additional increases to taxpayers to a minimum.  Partnerships, including the joint working with Christchurch BC, and the Dorset Waste Partnership are all aprt of the drive to be more efficient, whilst maintianing effectiveness.