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Welcome to Winterborne St Martin Parish Council

We welcome you to your Parish Council and hope you are able to come along to the regular meetings. There's no need to prepare or let us know you are coming to a meeting; just come along; you can speak in the democratic period or simply observe. It really is your Parish Council so come along and get involved.

Winterborne St Martin Parish Council meets on the fourth Thursday of each month (excluding December) meetings commence at 7pm unless otherwise stated. The next meeting is on Thursday 23 November 2023 at 19:00 in the Parish Church. Agenda items need to be tabled 7 days prior to the meeting and suggestions sent to the Parish Council email address clerk@winterbornestmartin-pc.gov.uk. Agendas are published 3 clear days prior to the meeting.

2023/4 meeting schedule: 27 Apr, 25 May, 22 Jun, 27 Jul, 24 Aug, 28 Sep, 26 Oct, 23 Nov, 25 Jan, 22 Feb, 21 Mar, 25 Apr.

The Annual Parish Meeting, a meeting of the community rather than the Council, is usually held in the Village Hall Apr-Jun; all are very welcome.

About Winterborne St Martin (Martinstown)

Winterborne St Martin, locally known as Martinstown, is a rural village running alongside the South Winterbourne stream. Surrounded by dairy farms it lies in the heart of the Dorset AONB. The village has a long history dating back through the Domesday Book to the 6000 year old Maiden Castle on the village's eastern perimeter.

Winterborne St Martin is within the civil parish of the same name. The Parish Council is the closest tier of government to you and aims to give voice to local people. The civil parish is in the electoral ward of Winterborne & Broadmayne and is represented on Dorset Council by Councillor Roland Tarr. The total population of the ward was 2,095 in the 2011 census. The ward is one of 32 that comprise the West Dorset Parliamentary Constituency, which is currently represented in the UK national parliament by the MP Chris Loder.

Latest News and Notices

The digital switch over is happening - are you ready?
Did you know that the UK’s telephone network is changing? If you, or someone you know, depend on their landline or use a telecare device connected to a phone line – contact the service provider now for more advice.

Between now and 2025 most telephone providers will be moving their customers from traditional landlines to services using digital technology. Your telecoms provider should contact you before the switchover to discuss what you need to do to. If you have an internet connection, the change may be as simple as plugging your phone into your broadband router.

However, if you have other devices connected to your phone line, such as alarm systems, your provider might need to upgrade your device to make it compatible. If you are unsure how a device in your home might be affected, contact the equipment supplier for help.

In an emergency Digital landlines cannot carry a power connection and will not work if there is a power cut. If you have no other means of calling the emergency services, such as a mobile phone, your telecoms provider should offer a solution. For more information go to Digital phone lines | Openreach. See the Digital News notice from Dorset Council below for digital news.

The Parish Council is seeking a Clerk to support our work. .

25 Hours (negotiable) a month plus home office allowance and expenses. Scale LC1 7-17 (currently £11.63 - £13.95 per hour dependent on qualifications and experience)

The role is to be the Proper Officer of the Council acting as Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer. The Council currently holds one routine meeting on the 4th Thursday of each month except December. Whilst we would prefer to recruit someone who is qualified or part-qualified, as important are basic office skills and personal qualities including a willingness to research and learn, together with the desire to serve the community by working collaboratively with councillors. The Council will support the successful applicant with any required training.

For an informal discussion please contact the Chair of the Council at mvpcowleaze@gmail.com or the Chair of the Staffing Committee at andydaw.2010@googlemail.com Mark Pemberton 07715419090

NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CO-OPTION OF PARISH COUNCILLORS - YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU!

Are you aged 18 or over? Lived or worked in Winterborne St Martin for over a year? Do you want to make a difference to our community?

Then why not consider becoming a Parish Councillor… There are currently 2 vacant seats on Winterborne St Martin Parish Council. We want to find enthusiastic and committed people to fill these vacancies and become part of the team. If you are interested in serving as a Parish Councillor, please write to the Parish Clerk confirming that you are qualified to be a Councillor and include a brief explanation of why you are interested in joining the Parish Council.

The Council meets once a month on the fourth Thursday in the month (except in December). If you would like to know more about the role and required qualifications, please contact the Clerk. Full details of the Co-option procedure can be found on the Parish Council website or can be requested from the Clerk.

Winterborne St Martin Parish Council

Email clerk@winterbornestmartin-pc.gov.uk

Wessex Water would now like to invite you to take part in their follow up 'Your water, your say' session. It will be held on Zoom on Tuesday 14 November 2023 from 6pm to 8pm.

Earlier this month, we submitted our detailed business plan to the industry regulator, Ofwat, for assessment.

The session will allow you to find out more about the plan, ask us questions about it, and raise any new issues. Your questions could cover:

the service we provide
our impact on the environment
what will happen to your water bill
or another topic relating to our 2025-30 plan that is important to you.

Questions can be raised on the day or submitted in advance if you'd prefer - just email them to yourwateryoursay@ccwater.org.uk and state clearly that your question is for Wessex Water. We will answer as many questions as we can on the day and will also circulate answers after the event.

If you would like to attend, please register via Eventbrite. We'll then send you the online meeting details nearer the time. Book your place Can't attend? Head to our website to look at our business plan for 2025-30. We'd also love to hear your questions - so please send them in advance to yourwateryoursay@ccwater.org.uk.

Allotments - we have four allotments in the village all of which are presently allocated. Please drop a note to the Clerk if you would like to join the allotment waiting list.

Elections - Dorset Council issues the legal notices of elections; they can be found here https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/councillors-committees-elections/elections-and-voting/forthcoming-elections-referenda-and-polls/forthcoming-elections-referenda-and-polls