Liberal Democrats at West Dorset District Council are campaigning for planning authorities to grant permission for more energy micro-generation such as photo-voltaic panels to be allowed on listed buildings. Planners at West Dorset have rejected a number of recent applications in the area on grounds that the “Overall modern appearance forms a visually incongruous feature harmful to the historic character of the buildings.”

Bridport Councillors Ros Kayes and Dave Rickard, along with local Solicitor & Chair of the Chamber of Trade Mike Harvey, are campaigning for change.

“Adequate insulation is one of the most effective ways of reducing energy consumption and I therefore want to see West Dorset increasing insulation grants,” said Cllr Ros Kayes. “But we are also going to have to change planning rules as we have so many buildings of historic character and 70% of the landscape is designated AONB. To continue to refuse this equipment in conservation areas long-term is environmental folly.”

Over 1000 signatures were collected by Karl Wallace and the Lib Dem team for the petition against the proposed Post Office closure at West Bay. We are now awaiting the official decision regarding the future of this essential local service. Karl says ‘We have campaigned hard right from the beginning to try and prevent the loss of this vital resource.’

Local residents of West Bay have increasingly been suffering from ‘boy racers’ using their car park in the evening’s.

“Up to 30-40 cars have been racing around this quiet area at night and it’s been getting worse,” says Cllr. Karl Wallace. “A while ago I was contacted by local residents and businesses who have just had enough. I have taken up the problem with the Police and the District Council. Recently I have been promised that a barrier will be installed to close the car park in the evening. Hopefully this should end the problem once and for all.”

“The staff at Mountjoy School have been dong an excellent job under nearly impossible conditions for many years,” says Bridport Councillor Karl Wallace.

“The buildings are in an appalling condition and have been heavily criticised in Ofsted reports year after year.”

“I am pressing the County Council to stop their delays and get on and provide a new school. How about the old Medical Centre in North Allington - wouldn’t that be a good site for a new Mountjoy School - or what about a new building at the Colfox School site?” added Karl.

Liberal Democrat run Bridport Town Council is set to become only the third town in England to sign the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change.

Chair of the Environment and Social Wellbeing Committee, Councillor Dave Rickard says, “We are using new powers under The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act to raise awareness of the challenges that climate change and fuel poverty will inevitably impact on our communities and for future generations.”

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Dr Sue Farrant, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset, has launched a petition demanding fairer treatment for service personnel and their families.

The Mayor of Bridport, Cllr Geoff Ackerman, was the first person to sign the petition, which calls on the government to honour the Military Covenant.

Sue Farrant was delighted with the response from the public in Bridport on Saturday morning. “We collected dozens of signatures very quickly,” she said. “People in West Dorset have a strong sense of fairness and they know that the current health and welfare services and the levels of compensation for serious injury are not fair. The Royal British Legion is doing a tremendous job with its campaign and Liberal Democrats are pleased to be able to support them in this way.”

You can sign the petition on-line here.

Here are just a few of the things that Lib Dems have achieved on Bridport Town Council over the past few years:

Listening to You

Liberal Democrats have opened up all Bridport Town Council meetings to the public. You can now have your say at the beginning of the meeting, so that we know what you think BEFORE we make decisions.

We hold regular Councillors’ Surgeries where you can come and talk to us.

We deliver regular FOCUS Newsletters, which have a tear-off slip for your suggestions, ideas and comments.

And now we have the new 24-hour “FOCUS GrumblePhone” (422507) where you can leave a message at any time.

Keeping the Council Tax Down

Nobody wants to pay high council taxes. We have kept Town Council tax rises down to less than 1% for the past 2 years, while at the same time improving services. How do we do this? By building on Lib Dem best practice across the country - we are the party of local government – and introducing a three-year rolling plan to help budgeting.

Affordable Homes

Lib Dems on the Town Council want more affordable homes for local families. We are pressing for new housing developments to have 40% affordable homes.

Young People

Lib-dems on the Council have improved play areas in Bridport, introducing new play equipment (chosen by local residents) at:

• Court Orchard Oval
• Queens Road
• St Mary’s Playing Field
• New football posts at Court Orchard and St Mary’s
• Funding towards new changing rooms at St Mary’s Playing Fields

Plans in the pipeline include:

• a new West Bay play area (including activities for teenagers)
• a site for a new playground for the St Andrews Road area
• a basketball practice net

We have given grants for youth-related projects including

• Youth assembly
• “The Humph” studio
• Zest music project
• “the mill cafe”

Training: we are supporting moves to get a local training centre in Bridport so that our young people do not have to travel miles away to Weymouth or Yeovil to improve their prospects.

Environment: The Green Agenda

Lib-dem Councillors voted to carry out a “green audit” of energy use at our Town Council buildings, starting with Mountfield, with a view to reducing our carbon footprint.

GM-free Bridport: In 2003 Bridport Town Council voted to become a GM-free zone, outlawing the growing of GM crops on all the areas owned by the Town Council.

We have added 8 allotments and plan to create more to keep up with rising demand. We introduced woodland burials in our cemetery.

Combating traffic pollution and congestion: last year we started up a successful Park and Ride scheme from West Bay to Bridport. This brought holidaymakers into Bridport without their cars, freeing up more spaces in Bridport’s car parks for local people. We increased the use of the Football Club car-park by a third by designing a poster showing where it is (and only 50p a day). We are (still) pressing the District Council for proper signs showing where our car-parks are and how many spaces are left in each one. We were promised these over two years ago, but are still waiting…

Reducing Crime

Lib Dems support CCTV cameras, which have helped combat crime. We are in close contact with local police on matters of local safety and security.

A Thriving market town

We successfully manage Bridport’s 750-year old street market and recently added the new Gustomarket in Barrack Street. We take great pride in the traditions of Bridport – the Mayor’s parade and Remembrance Sunday in particular. We also support the annual Charter Fair and the rapidly-expanding Food Festival. We kept open the Town Hall toilets after two Bridport Conservative District Councillors voted to shut them down in 2005.

Support your Lib Dem Focus Team

These are just a few of the things that your Lib Dem councillors have achieved on the Town Council over the past few years. We hope that you will vote for our new team to carry on with the good work over the next four years.

Candidates for Bridport North

• Martin Ray
• Maggie Ray
• Frances McKenzie
• Mark Parsons
• Ros Kayes
• Bruce Douglas
• Keith Cast

Candidates for Bridport South

• Geoff Ackerman
• Karl Wallace
• Sarah Williams
• John Hunt
• Dave Rickard
• Anna Grear
• Philip Colfox

Also see our policies for the District Council.

Eco award winning Bridport Primary School has had its recycling bank taken away by Conservative-run West Dorset District Council.

“This has come as a huge shock to a school that was the highest achieving eco school in Dorset last year,” says Bridport Councillor Martin Ray. “It shows yet again that the Conservatives commitment to green issues is only skin deep.”

The school has pioneered education for sustainable living as one of its core values. Children are encouraged to get involved in a whole range of environmental activities including a wide range of recycling.

“What message are we sending our children?” asked Cllr Ros Kayes. “At a time when we need to be doing more to tackle environmental problems our local Tory Council removes the main way for local school children to help learn about and deal with the problems of waste.”

It is particularly ironic that the Conservative Leaders of the Council used the school to launch a green campaign earlier this year - but now the school itself can’t recycle!

Your newest Town Councillor, Ros Kayes has been busy both in the Council Chamber and the community. Ros was selected as a member of the Plans Committee and says “I was amazed to discover how often Bridport town councillors’ recommendations on local planning applications are overridden by West Dorset district councillors who appear to care nothing for Bridport and West Bay’s wishes and priorities.”

At her second Full Town Council meeting Ros put forward a motion asking councillors to help “nip in the bud” anti-social behaviour by some young people. Councillors agreed to discuss this issue at the new Environment and Social Wellbeing Committee and to take a more active part in a working group which combines police, youth workers and others at the Bridport Youth Centre. Cllr Maggie Ray added that “various parents have raised concerns about young people overstepping the boundaries. For their own safety as well as ours we need to take action at all levels of the community to keep Bridport a safe and special place for both young and old”.

This summer’s pilot MARKET DAY park and ride from West Bay succeeded in reducing visitor car journeys into town, freeing up town car-parks for locals. Highways Chairman Cllr Martin Ray said “People want the scheme to be extended next year”. He also welcomed support from other parties to advertise the Football Club car-park (50p for all day). Lib-Dem surveys show there were still spaces there even on the busiest summer Saturdays, although it is nearer to the market than Morrisons, which was always full.