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July 2020 July 2020
Virtual Council Meetings
Sally had a glorious sense of fun right

Dispensation has been sought and granted for councillors who are be unable to up until the last time I saw her. It was
attend Dorset Council meetings in person during the COVID-19 pandemic period. just after we had entered lockdown. I
Currently the majority of meetings are continuing “virtually” and the council has saw her standing outside her house
reduced or suspended some meetings. and I went over to see her. I like Sally
she always made a big fuss of me. My
The dispensation for Dorset councillors was agreed at an extraordinary annual owner was talking about the lockdown
meeting on Thursday 11 June. The dispensation will remain in force up to 6 May and all that was happening and Sally
2021. This dispensation means that Councillors can not be disbarred through no said was saying she thought she was
fault of their own because of physical non-attendance at meetings. The council safe enough to stand outside until my
has suspended face-to-face meetings since the introduction of COVID-19 owner pointed out that she had
restrictions. New regulations enable decision-making processes to continue in touched the railing. “Oooh”, she goes
accordance with the Government’s guidance on the use of virtual meetings and with that flick of the arm, that we all
social distancing where this is not possible. know, and they laughed.
A web page on the Dorset Council website details all the meetings being held Lockdown is slowly being lifted. My owner is doing more clearing and cleaning in
virtually. This includes links to agendas and how to access the meetings live and the house as she would like to have it all done by the time it ends. The garden
information about how to submit questions to meetings. Recorded meetings are shed is still full of rubbish. I am still writing monthly articles. I’m hoping to go to the
also available to watch after they have ended. pub next month.

Jenny Stone
Highways work
As you are probably already aware, Highways construction sites were closed and ARTSREACH
programmes of planned repairs paused on Monday 23 March, when social
distancing measures were introduced by the Government. We now have
clearance to continue to deliver our planned capital schemes where it is safe to
do so. We are currently revising all of our risk assessments and method statements Our wonderful Dorset
to ensure we can take into account the latest Public Health England guidance charity, Artsreach, is 30 this
and adapting our approach to delivering work to ensure it only continues where year. ‘It’ is very much two
safe to do so. splendid women who work
extremely hard, at a job
Dorset Highways has also supported other Dorset Council services through this they love. Yvonne, I think,
period, with staff involved in delivering food to the most vulnerable, supporting has been there from the
the NHS in pharmacy deliveries, providing drivers for Dorset Waste Partnership and start, and Kerry for more
managing the distribution of PPE to agencies operating in the health and care years than you would think,
sector. as she looks very young.
There is also a new recruit,

Surfacing Programme Nicole. Sadly, these Covid
times have meant that their life is very different, just as it has for everyone else.
The Dorset Highways surfacing programme comprises of sites identified due to Yvonne and Kerry take it in turns to be furloughed for a month at a time, and
their deteriorating condition and the risk they pose to the safe movement of Nicole is working extremely part-time.
essential goods and services. In collaboration with our private sector partner
Hanson Contracting, we have developed new ways of working that will allow us Nevertheless, they are still doing a lot to help community spirit thrive in Dorset. Do
to deliver this essential maintenance programme without putting our workforce or visit their website www.artsreach.co.uk, which they are continually updating with
the wider public at risk. Taking all of this into account, DC have had to completely lovely things to do and see, including the National Theatre’s and Shakespeare’s
change their programme to focus on the sites most in need of maintenance. This Globe Live streaming.

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