Welcoming in our new Parish Clerk
We are delighted to be about to announce that we have a new Parish Clerk, Mr Philip Vivian. Mr Vivian has extensive experience in logistics, human resources, legal advice, project management and financial administration having recently retired from the Royal Navy with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. These are definitely skills that we need to keep the Council running smoothly and proactively for the village.
The contact details for the Clerk have not changed, and you can contact Philip by email: lytchettmatravers@dorset-aptc.gov.uk or on 01202 624530 or 07596 885667 should you need to.
Roads and traffic around Lytchett Matravers
The closure of the A350 for a few days in January created a serious issue for the village. Despite the official diversion for HGVs being the A35 and A31 via Bere Regis, many excessively large vehicles clogged our roads, and at times even drove on the pavements, as they explored ‘quicker’ routes.
We have had discussions with our local councillor, Cllr Alex Brenton, who will raise the issue with Dorset Council (DC) but she has advised that we need to respond and complain to the Highways Traffic Team which we have done. Please remember that anyone can make a complaint about highways, it does not have to come from the PC, and generally, the more voices that complain about something the more likely we are to see a resolution.
Highways Survey
As you know there are several highways-based projects that we are pursuing, including the 20mph scheme, High Street crossing and the cycle path. We have launched a survey to collect your opinions on these plans and are very keen to get a good level of response so that we can properly understand what people want.
The survey which should take not more than 5-10 minutes and will let us know what you think of these various projects. Do you think they represent good solutions and good use of money for the village?
To access the survey please click here or call/email the Parish Clerk who can email or post you a copy of the survey for you to complete if you prefer. The survey runs till the end of March and includes an open opportunity to comment on any highways issues in the village.
Dorset Council themselves conducted a survey/consultation for the last two weeks of January to gather feedback on their proposals for the Wareham Road crossing. We have not heard the outcome of this yet but will let you know when we do.
Getting involved
We are planning to take part in the national events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on 6th June 2024. This will centre around the Lighting of the Beacon at 9.15pm, where the flame will represent the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the dreadful darkness of War. During the afternoon, there will also be a showing of the film The Longest Day in the Village Hall.
Later in the month, over the weekend of 22nd/23rd June, we will be holding a village music festival. If you sing or play with a local band and would like to get up on the stage, or would like to provide a food, crafts or activity stall, please get in touch so that we can include you in the plans.
The February meetings will be in the Village Hall, starting at 7:00pm on Wednesday 14th and 28th February. Agendas are published online on the preceding Friday and the report pack is available on request from the Parish Clerk. All Parish Council meetings start with a Public Participation session, and everybody is welcome, so please come along and have your say.
Alf Bush,
Chairman, Lytchett Matravers Parish Council
For further information please visit our website at: https://lytchettmatraverspc.org/ or contact the Parish Clerk via lytchettmatravers@dorset-aptc.gov.uk