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!

Cllrs Ros Kayes and Martin Ray collecting signatures on a petition to keep Dorset GM free

Bridport Councillors thank everyone who came to Bridport to support a local campaign to keep Dorset free from genetically-modified (GM) crops. Cllr Ros Kayes said “People came from as far away as Weymouth and Dorchester to sign. They said that it’s great that a small town like Bridport is leading the way in taking environmental issues seriously”. Cllr Martin Ray said “People queued up to send a message to the government that we want to keep our farms and fields pure and uncontaminated. Bridport’s Food Festival, Farmers’ Market and Street Market depend on the purity of our food”.

“The overdue introduction of doorstep recycling in the Bridport, Beaminster and Lyme areas has resulted in recycling rates rising to over 27% of all waste in recent months,” says Beaminster Councillor Caroline Payne (pictured left). “This shows that people are keen to do their bit for the environment.”

The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for the introduction of doorstep recycling - now they are calling for the range of products being collected to be increased.

“We must follow leading Lib Dem Councils, such as South Somerset, in collecting kitchen waste for recycling and look again at collecting plastic,” added Caroline.

Related Stories: The Green Switch

Liberal Democrats have condemned crisis-hit Dorset County Council for their latest plans to slash services for the elderly and infirm.

The Conservative-run Council are proposing to stop as many as a thousand vulnerable local people from receiving home care and they are introducing new charges for the use of day care centres. In future only people with substantial or critical needs will get free home care. Those with moderate needs (who are currently able to get help) will be left without support.

“The County are removing a vital safety net,” says Bridport Councillor Karl Wallace. “Many vulnerable people are only kept in the moderate needs category because they get support. Without this help they will soon end up in hospital or in the critical category.”
In addition those visiting day care centres face being charged £5 per visit in the future on top of existing charges for transport, meals and snacks.

“These charges will force elderly and disabled people to stay at home where they face being cut off from much needed support, as well as not being able to meet up with friends,” added Karl. These cuts are aimed at saving £1 million a year but County Council officers have already confirmed that Dorset spends less on older people’s social services than similar Shire councils.

“The elderly and infirm are being asked to pay for the mistakes made by the Conservatives in running County Hall where staffing costs have spiralled and a number of large projects are well over budget,” concluded Karl.

Cllrs Mick Rogers, Caroline Payne, Stephen Friar, Martin Ray, Trevor Jones, Molly Rennie and Tim Harries with a petition to save local libraries.

Conservative-run Dorset County Council have put their plans to close one-in-three of our libraries on hold for a year after a massive campaign of public opposition.

“We have received a fantastic response when campaigning against these cuts,” says Chickerell Councillor Mick Rogers (far left in the photo). Altogether over 500 people have either signed the Lib Dem petition on the doorstep or returned the slip from the last edition of the West Dorset Voice.

“Local residents value the service provided by their libraries,” added Mick. “They are an important part of our local community and help keep many of our villages alive.” At a time when many local and rural services are under threat the Liberal Democrats believe that it is vital that local councils should be doing all that they can to keep public services going. “The County Council should be increasing local services not closing them down,” concluded Mick Rogers. “We need more evening and weekend opening of our libraries and improved internet services - that would be the best way forward!”

This reprieve is only a partial victory as the Conservatives will look to reintroduce these cuts next year. In the meantime the fund used to buy new books has been cut which disadvantages all library users. Local Lib Dems have pledged to continue leading the campaign against these cuts and will go on working to protect local services.

The pilot Market Day park and ride scheme has been hailed a great success by Bridport Lib Dems.

“We have worked hard over the last few years conducting traffic surveys which have shown that we needed park & ride,” says Councillor Gill Fifield.

“This scheme has been popular with visitors and has freed up town centre car parking for local people just as we said it would,” added Gill. “Perhaps local Conservatives who had opposed the scheme will now give it their backing as well.”

For decades several hundred of Dorset’s blind and partially sighted people received talking books produced by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, courtesy of Dorset County Council. As part of the cuts now being imposed by the ruling Conservative group at County Hall this service has been withdrawn. Shame on them!

“In addition the Conservatives are planning to close more than one-in three of our libraries” says Cllr Richard Biggs. “I am horrified by the savaging of these essential services. The Lib Dem Group on the County Council will work with community groups across the County do all that we can to stop these cuts.”

Cllrs. Martin Graham, Susie Hosford, Robin Potter and Stella Jones of the Borough Gardens Panel are pleased that work on the Gardens is on schedule to be finished this year.