Across February we have been able to get ahead on some of the ongoing work #UpOnTheRec
The Skate Park is open
We are pleased to say that the skate park refurbishment work was finally completed in February, and it’s now back up and running and available for use #UpOnTheRec.
The work has taken a great deal longer than we had anticipated because a large area of corrosion was spotted on the main underpinning framework once the running boards were removed.
This obviously had to be dealt with and we are delighted to say that Evolution Skateparks undertook this work free of charge as it was deemed to be worse than the manufacturers would have estimated for the age of the frame.
Surface chippings added to Rocket Park
Although the Guerrilla Gardeners are not officially restarting until March, they took advantage of some of the lovely weather in February to get ahead on some small jobs around the village.
One of these was to remove the bags of chippings that were being stored by Rocket Park and spread them around Rocket Park and at the entrance to the dog area so make things a little less soggy under foot. They did notice some broken glass in the area of the upper entrance to the dog area which we have cleared away, but the glass was in very small pieces, so please watch out and take care. If you do spot any further issues, please let us know.
Benny’s Bumps BMX Track
We were also able to put a formal sign on the small BMX the area last month. This has been officially named Benny’s Bumps.
Internet Connectivity around the village
Sadly fast internet is still not available to everyone in Lytchett Matravers and for many, there is no indication from Openreach as to when they might upgrade the services to enable us to access faster speeds from companies such as BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, or TalkTalk, etc. However, there are still some options that we can consider.
Many of you will have received flyers from Wessex Internet which has already installed faster internet to many of the properties on the edge of the village. The plan is that in April 2023 Wessex will be able to offer a full fibre service to a lot more properties throughout the village, with a range of connection packages that they believe are competitive with the other larger national providers. They are also offering an introductory incentive: if your existing contract still has a few months to run, they will compensate you by not charging for that period. If this sounds interesting to you please take a look at www.wessexinternet.com for more details.
In addition, we should also be benefiting from some new offers from Gigaclear later this year or by early 2024. You can read more about their packages at www.gigaclear.com.
King’s Coronation and Big Picnic
It has been confirmed that the coronation of HM King Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6th 2023, with many supporting activities across what has been named ‘The Coronation Weekend’. On Sunday 7th May there will be street parties and celebrations as part of the Coronation Big Lunch, together with a special Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. On Monday, 8th May 2023, members of the public are being invited to take part in The Big Help Out, encouraging people to volunteer to support projects in their local area (See https://www.royal.uk/coronation-weekend-plans-announced).
As a result of this, we have decided to support the Coronation Big Picnic with our own big celebration #UpOnTheRec on Sunday 7th May. We want to recreate the great community spirit that we all enjoyed last year for the Queen’s Jubilee, and to do that we will be running a very similar event.
The outline plan includes entertainment in the form of singing and dancing from 2pm until around 7pm, with a full stage and sound system to ensure a good experience for everyone. We are going to discuss with both of our great pubs how they can also help to support the event with a pop-up bar in the Sports Pavilion and hopefully a BBQ. We also plan to have the Village Hall available, probably for teas, coffees and cakes but if you have other indoor ideas then let us know. For the younger members of the village, we are looking to get a bouncy castle, and will, of course, be laying on face painting and crown making for everyone who wants to take part. If you are a musician or singer and would like the opportunity to perform at our party, please do get in touch.
If you are thinking of having your own street party over that weekend, you will need to apply to Dorset Council for a road closure notice. These need to be submitted by Friday 31st March 2023. They have said that if there are too many activities choosing a similar time, they may decline your application if they think that it will cause unacceptable disruption.
Lytchett Matravers Youth Hall
The programme of regenerating is moving forward, with tenders received for some of the more urgent building work such as new windows and upgraded washrooms. Our aim is to set up a Youth Club that can run two evenings a week from the summer onwards. In addition, we want to encourage other groups to come along and enjoy the facilities that we have, such as table tennis. There is also interest in setting up a music group to encourage people to come along and enjoy jamming to music of different genres each week.
In relation to the Youth Club, we are in the process of getting together a board of trustees and looking for people who would like to become volunteer Youth Leaders. We also want to hear from children and teens aged 11-17, young adults and parents, to understandwhat you would like us to provide within your youth club. We have put together a short survey to capture your initial ideas which you can find linked here on the LMPC website or directly via https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V66HMJJ.
On other village issues…
We are still pursuing Dorset Council to try and find a resolution to the safety concerns of many parents have about the traffic and parking issues. We would ask all parents to write to their local councillors, Dorset Council Highways and Lytchett Matravers Primary School to register their frustration at the lack of action on their part. The Parish Council developed and applied for a number of clear and straightforward solutions. That is, firstly a button-operated zebra crossing by the school which will give clear visibility spaces on either side and secondly allowing parents and children access to the school via Eldons Drove to avoid crowding the pavement on Wareham Road at its busiest point. Thirdly to provide approximately 30 car parking spaces in the entrance area of the Astro. These solutions will add control and visibility around the actual crossing point and help to distribute both pedestrian and vehicle traffic away from the crossing point.
In addition, we are going to apply for a 20mph zones in the village centre, connecting the High Street and along Wareham Road to the school. Cars on these stretches of road are usually restricted to around that speed anyway but the traffic congestion and parked cars, but the zones will reinforce that approach. The plans also include redesigning the Tesco Island and building a High Street crossing.
March Meetings
We have lots of project ideas and want to know what your priorities, concerns, and ideas are.
The March meetings will be at 7pm on Wednesday 8th and 22nd in the Village Hall. Agendas are published online by the preceding Saturday, and minutes of each meeting are available online about one month later. All Parish Council meetings start with a Public Participation session, and everybody is welcome. We really do want your input and feedback whilst we are developing plans.
Alf Bush,
Chairman, Lytchett Matravers Parish Council