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June 2021

Of course, many other people, organisations and businesses as well as our
community as a whole rose to the challenges created by the pandemic, but this
report concentrates on what we as a council undertook.
The Neighbourhood Plan was approved in the Summer of 2019, but not much
happened until early in 2021, when planning consent was sought for the White
Lovington site. The planning application was heard by Dorset Council’s Eastern
th
Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 7 April. Whilst the Neighbourhood Plan
had specified approximately 12 dwellings on this site, the plan that was approved
will allow 17 dwellings. The Parish Council opposed granting the application
mainly on the grounds that an uplift of 42% in the number of dwellings was not in
line with the Neighbourhood Plan. The planning Committee nonetheless
approved the application by 6 votes to 4. Whilst we regret that our objections
were over-ruled, it is worth noting that if the Neighbourhood Plan had not been in
place, a developer could have brought forward plans for a development of up
to 30 houses on this site.

On a personal note, I am giving up the chairmanship of Bere Regis Parish Council
today after 12 years, which is far too long a period. I am sure the Council will elect
a very able successor at the meeting which follows, who will refresh the priorities
and set a new course.
I joined the Parish Council in May 2006, and took over from Jim Parsons as
chairman in 2009. Please indulge me if I list some of the achievements and
highlights of this council over the past decade. Parish Councils have very little
power but they can exercise influence and take on work that would otherwise just
not happen. May I make it very clear that it has truly been a team effort with
every councillor playing his or her part in making these things happen.

Play park --The Bere Regis Community

Play Association was created in January
2011 to see the project through. £42,500
was raised, and the ‘Amizing Prack’ was
opened by Annette Brooks MP on 2nd
March 2013.

Souls Moor – Souls Moor was purchased
by the council from the Grainger Trust in
2012. It cost £25,000, and much of the
money was a grant from Viridor’s landfill tax credit fund. We are pleased that
Souls Moor, with the Elder Road open green space has enabled us to create a
superb local nature reserve.

The Lengthsman Scheme — This scheme was promoted in 2011 by Dorset
Council which undertook to part-fund it for 3 years. Those funds have long since

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