Dr Sue Farrant chairs the Bridport Public Meeting on WDDC proposed new offices

The second public meeting to discuss West Dorset District Council’s plans for a brand new headquarters at the Charles Street site in Dorchester attracted an audience of 80 people at Bridport Town Hall last night.

Dr Sue Farrant, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the West Dorset constituency, chaired the meeting and opened proceedings with introductory remarks and the agenda for the evening.

Councillor Paul Sample JP, former Leader of Salisbury District Council, spoke to the public about the parallels between his experience in Salisbury and the present situation in West Dorset.

Cllr Sample said assurances were made to him by the Council that the Salisbury project would ultimately save money, increase efficiency and enable the Council to retain staff.

From the outset of the project to today, the cost has soared from £5 million to somewhere near £20 million.

Cllr Sample urged the community of West Dorset to rally together and do what it takes to force the Council to scrap the plan. The people of Wiltshire were incensed by what happened, but it was too late for them to stop the project from going ahead.

Cllr Sample said: “The Salisbury Council Leaders and Officers brought local government into disrepute and paid for it with their jobs. I hope the people of West Dorset will stand up and be counted. Learn from the Salisbury experience and turf them out and turf their plans out.”

The floor was then opened up to the public to raise any issues and ask questions, which were answered by Cllr Stella Jones, leader of the Liberal Democrat Councillors.

Issues covered included the environmental benefits of the plan and had there been a proper audit on the new or existing site. The costs just don’t stack up and is the legality of the procurement process sound under European Law? There is plenty of office space in the Dorchester area to rent, especially in Poundbury, so why not use that instead? One person stated that this was a ‘frivolous waste of money’ at this time of economic hardship.

There was anger for a second time that the Council Leader Cllr Robert Gould and the Chief Executive David Clarke refused to attend the meeting or allowed other Conservative Council Officers to come. People were ‘deeply offended’ by their absence and the arrogance they have displayed by not giving the public a proper consultation period.

In a strongly worded letter to Cllr Gould this morning, Sue Farrant said: “As at the Dorchester meeting, there was considerable anger in Bridport about your refusal to attend, made worse by your refusal to allow WDDC officers to come either. The feeling of the meeting was that you should be willing to face Council Tax payers and justify the case for the new offices and to do otherwise is both undemocratic and arrogant.”

One member at the meeting called for a motion asking for the resignation of Robert Gould. It was seconded and carried unanimously.

The meeting was concluded with the question to the audience, ‘Are you in favour of the proposed plan as it currently stands?’ In a show of hands, the response was unanimously ‘against’ the motion.

Paddy Ashdown, Dr Sue Farrant talk to Katie about her work

Dr Sue Farrant, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for West Dorset, visited the Arts Centre in Bridport this week to view an exhibition organised by Rethink, the national mental health charity.

Accompanied by former Liberal Democrat leader, Paddy Ashdown, Sue Farrant viewed a gallery of self-portraits painted by people affected by mental health issues. The exhibition was named ‘Rethink Parliament’ and enabled the participants to explore the themes of Parliament and what politics means to them.

A charity which is very close to her heart and one that she champions, Sue met with a couple of the artists, Katie Dare and David Russell, and spoke to them about their experiences.

Sue Farrant said: “Meeting Katie and David today was such a delight. It is marvellous to see what Rethink is doing for people and giving them the opportunity of a better quality of life. It is invaluable work that needs as much support as we can give it.”

Pauline Sparks, Services Manager for Dorset, welcomed the opportunity to meet Sue. She said: “It is encouraging that the candidates have signed the Rethink pledge to champion mental health in the next Parliament should they be elected. Mental illness is an issue that still has a great deal of stigma attached to it.

“We need politicians of all parties to be willing and vocal about standing up for mental health services, especially in a climate of spending cuts where they can often seem like a soft target, despite serving some of the most vulnerable in our society.”

Rethink service users and carers will be working with international artist Rachel Gadsden in 16 workshops in England up until July 2010. The portraits produced by contributors will become part of a digital exhibition available to view on Parliamentary Outreach, Rethink and Disability Arts Online websites.

Sue Farrant congratulating Cllr Karl Wallace on his election

Karl Wallace has been elected to serve Bridport as a County Councillor. Already a District, Town and Parish Councillor, Karl lives with his family in Bothenhampton and works as an Accident and Emergency nurse at Bridport Community Hospital.

Congratulating Karl, Sue Farrant, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset, said, “The people of Bridport have shown that they value the work done locally by the Liberal Democrat team. By electing Karl as a County Councillor they have ensured that Bridport now has a very active champion at County Hall.”

Cllr Richard Biggs

Cllr Trevor Jones

Cllr Karl Wallace

West Dorset’s Liberal Democrats are celebrating after the County Council election results. In many other places, including neighbouring Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire, the Conservatives have gained from the volatile national situation and the collapse of the Labour party. Here West Dorset we have won three County Council seats and made the Conservatives fight hard for every vote in the other divisions.

We have strengthened our position and are ready for the general election campaign that must come within the next eleven months.

Congratulations to:

• Councillor Richard Biggs and Councillor Trevor Jones who beat off stiff opposition to retain their Dorchester seats
• Councillor Karl Wallace who won Bridport from the Conservatives in a tremendous victory.

The full results are available at the Dorset County Council web site.

Harry Britton

Bridport Liberal Democrats have chosen local campaigner Focus Team member Harry Britton to fight the Town Council by election on 2nd April.

Harry lives in Bridport with his wife Jill. An active member of the Bridport Environment Group, Harry is campaigning to preserve the New Zealand Site (behind South Street carpark) as a “green lung” for Bridport.

Harry, who has a degree in Zoology and Aquatic Biology from London university, says “I am pleased that the Bridport Environment Group won a Lottery Grant to save this important riverside area for both the wildlife and local residents to share. I was very concerned when bats, badgers and otters were disturbed when part of the land was cleared last year for housing development. I will be monitoring the site for signs of their return”.

Sticking Up For Bridport

Harry says “I want decisions about Bridport to be made by people who live here. Not by people in remote offices in Dorchester. We know what is best for Bridport. Lib Dems have been fighting for Bridport for decades. I am proud to join such a campaigning team”.

Volunteer work for the community

Harry is a helper at the WRVS “Meals on Wheels” service and is an escort on the coach for the Thursday Luncheon Club at the United Church. Harry says “I am keen to preserve Bridport’s strong community spirit, which contributes so much to the town’s vibrancy and resilience in these difficult times.”

Harry Britton and Cllr Karl Wallace collecting signatures with the “Keep Mountjoy in Bridport” petition.

Bridport Lib Dems are backing the Friends of Mountjoy’s campaign to build a new school in Bridport. At their last Council meeting, Bridport Lib Dem Town Councillors unanimously rejected the county’s plans to move the school to Beaminster and urged them to look again at sites in Bridport.

Bridport Councillors Ros Kayes and Dave Rickard, along with local Solicitor & Chair of the Chamber of Trade Mike Harvey, are campaigning for change.

“Adequate insulation is one of the most effective ways of reducing energy consumption and I therefore want to see West Dorset increasing insulation grants,” said Cllr Ros Kayes. “But we are also going to have to change planning rules as we have so many buildings of historic character and 70% of the landscape is designated AONB. To continue to refuse this equipment in conservation areas long-term is environmental folly.”

Karl Wallace with petitions against closure of West Bay Post Office

Over 1000 signatures were collected by Karl Wallace and the Lib Dem team for the petition against the proposed Post Office closure at West Bay. We are now awaiting the official decision regarding the future of this essential local service. Karl says ‘We have campaigned hard right from the beginning to try and prevent the loss of this vital resource.’

Local residents of West Bay have increasingly been suffering from ‘boy racers’ using their car park in the evening’s.

“Up to 30-40 cars have been racing around this quiet area at night and it’s been getting worse,” says Cllr Karl Wallace. “A while ago I was contacted by local residents and businesses who have just had enough. I have taken up the problem with the Police and the District Council. Recently I have been promised that a barrier will be installed to close the car park in the evening. Hopefully this should end the problem once and for all.”