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Meetings
Planning and Environment Committee
A meeting of the Planning and Environment Committee will be held on Monday, 7 December at 7pm via the Zoom Video conferencing Platform.
Planning Applications for Comment.
The agenda can be found under the Committees tab. If you wish to make a comment on any of the applications please email the Clerk to the Committee, Georgina Wakely G.Wakely@dorchester-tc.gov.uk by 9am on Monday, 7 December 2020.
Corporate Plan and Residents Feedback
The Town Council has been reviewing its Corporate Plan, the document which sets out our ambitions and then identifies specific actions we will take to deliver those ambitions, and we would like your input. Before completing the survey please read the Corporate Plan Summary document.
Also we really want to hear from our residents about how the Covid-19 lockdown and events afterwards, including current restrictions, have changed your view of how Dorchester should change in the long-term.
All responses to our questionnaire will be completely anonymous.
Many thanks for taking 5 minutes to share your views.
Urgent Tree Felling - Salisbury Fields
A large multi stemmed lime tree is required to be felled at Salisbury Fields on the grounds of safety. Work commenced late October with the removal of the dead branch and stem network. During this process some squirrel drays were discovered, in a slightly healthier part of the tree, containing young. Work to fell the tree was stopped so as to allow the young squirrels to grow and then safely relocate. Once this has happened the work to fell the tree will be completed.
Heritage Open Day 2020
Our ‘Virtual Dorchester’ online celebration is still available for viewing.
The event supports national Heritage Open Days and the 2020 theme of ‘Hidden Nature
Dorchester Town Council
We are the parish authority for the county town of Dorset. There has been a history of local government in the town since Anglo Saxon times and Dorchester has been the county town since 1305. It has elected a mayor since 1629. The Town Council was created in 1974.
The town has a population of around 20,000, which continues to grow quickly with the expansion of Dorchester at Poundbury and Brewery Square. The Town Council provides a range of community and recreational facilities, and promotes the town's interests with the other statutory bodies that operate in the town, notably the Dorset Council.
The Town Council has 20 members in five wards, elected for a period of 5 years. Elections to the Town Council took place on 2 May 2019, - results for each ward.
Mayor of Dorchester
At the Full Council meeting on Monday, 18 May 2020 held online due to the Covid -19 Pandemic, Councillor Richard Biggs was appointed Mayor of Dorchester for a successive year, the first time that this has happened in over 60 years. It was also agreed that Councillor David Taylor would continue in his role as Deputy Mayor.
First elected to the Council in 1993, Richard also previously served on West Dorset District and Dorset County Councils and was elected to the Dorset Council in May 2019. He previously served as Mayor in 1997–98, 2005-06 and 2019-20.
Richard has lived in Dorchester all of his life. He will be supported by his wife, Carolyn as Mayoress. He will look to support local charities working to help recovery and emerging legacy projects, to which underspends from this year’s Civic fund will be added.
If you would like to invite the Mayor to an event that you are organising please download a Mayoral Engagement Form or contact Georgina Wakely, the Mayor's Secretary.
- Mayor's engagements for the forthcoming week
Covid-19
For the latest Town Council information please visit and like our Facebook Page
Foodbanks
Three foodbanks currently operate in Dorchester. The Dorchester Foodbank and Food Share take referrals or you can self-refer to the Dorchester Community Kitchen. For details or to find out how to support/donate to their vital work,
Dorchester Town Council would like to thank all of the amazing volunteers who are involved in these and other projects providing essential support at this time.
Useful Links
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Dorset Volunteer Centre - Advice on volunteering and support
Dorchester Town Council Services - Latest Position as from 2 December 2020
Our office at 19 North Square is open between 10.00am and 2.00pm. All reasonable precautions have been taken and Government guidance has been followed. A copy of the Covid-19 Risk Assessment and Decision Notice .
The Municipal Buildings including the Corn Exchange is closed until further notice.
Play Areas - the play areas are open. Please maintain social distancing, sanitise your hands, before during and after using the play area. Was your hands for at least 20 seconds when you get home. If the play area is busy please wait or come back another time. Play safe and stay alert to the virus.
The Skatepark - is open.
Outdoor Gyms and MUGA's - are open.
Borough Gardens are open. Play area, the refreshment kiosk and kiosk toilets are also open. Borough Gardens House is unavailable to hire until further notice.
Borough Gardens Tennis Courts - are open.
Allotments - Sites are open. We remind plot holders to social distance and not to use dip tanks to wash hands or items that may be contaminated.
Cemeteries and Burials - Our cemeteries are open.
Government has restricted the number of mourners attending Burials to 10 people, plus Funeral Directors. We appreciate that this will be distressing for the bereaved; once lockdown is over families will have the opportunity of holding another service at the graveside. Funeral Directors will be in touch with families to help make necessary arrangements.
Dorchester's response to the Climate Emergency
The Town Council has recently adopted a Climate Emergency Preliminary Response document, where we describe how we will
- Reduce the use of fossil fuels in our buildings, vehicles and equipment, and also those of our contractors
- Work with our community partners (Sport, Culture, Business, Youth, etc) to reduce their carbon footprints
- Help groups in Dorchester to get climate related messages across to the wider community
We welcome views on the Preliminary Response document and would also welcome the opportunity to discuss our plans with interested groups. If you have any comments please use the Contact Us form at the top of this page.
2019 Events Videos
Video of Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair - 2 June 2019
Video of Heritage Open Day - 15 September 2019
Video of Apollo - One Giant Leap and Moonbury Rings
Video of Health & Wellbeing Picnic - 18 May 2019
Video of Anonymous Festival - 24 August 2019
Video of Plastic Free Picnic - 27 July 2019