LymeOnline Digital Edition - April 30 2021

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FOR LYME REGIS, UPLYME, CHARMOUTH & AXMINSTER ● FORTNIGHTLY ● APRIL 30 2021

Body found in water off Lyme

Events season returns to town

DETECTIVES are appealing for anyone with information to come forward after the body of a woman was recovered from the sea off Lyme Regis.

Dorset Police received a report from the coastguard at 10.48am on Monday, April 19 that the body of a woman had been found in the water about one mile east of Lyme Regis harbour. It is believed she had been in the water less than 24 hours when she was discovered.

REPORT, PAGE 3

Councillor accused of ‘victimisation’

A TOWN councillor has been accused of “victimising” the chair of community interest company LymeForward.

Sue Davies, chair of LymeForward, made the accusations against Councillor Belinda Bawden during the public forum of last week’s town council meeting. Cllr Bawden said she was “hugely saddened and distressed” by the claims.

REPORT, PAGE 11

Seasiders go to the top of the league ■ MAJOR events returned to Lyme Regis for the first time in over a year last weekend, following the easing of lockdown restrictions. The new eat:Lyme Regis food festival saw about 60 stalls set up along the seafront and the town busy with visitors. Stalls were permitted along Gun Cliff Walk, below the museum and Marine Theatre, for the first time ever to allow for more social distancing. See page 10 for full report.

Photo by Mark Blow

Trouble on the seafront SECURITY PATROLS CONSIDERED AS ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR RETURNS

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour problems experienced in Lyme Regis last summer have returned again, according to the town council, which is now applying for government funding to employ security guards.

Lyme Regis Town Council last year took the unprecedented decision to employ security

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk guards to patrol the seafront and public gardens during eight weeks of summer, for a total cost of £10,080, following a number of complaints about late night noise and disruption in the area.

Some residents said the issue was so bad they were forced to find alternative accommodation

at weekends.

At this week’s meeting of the Town Management & Highways Committee, councillors expressed concerns that similar issues were starting to arise again, particularly in the Monmouth Beach area and in the seafront gardens.

Issues have included a town council-owned

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

LYME Regis Football Club’s first team are now placed at the top of the reduced Devon & Exeter League Premier East Division, having beating former leaders Feniton 3-2 last weekend.

SEE FULL SPORTS COVERAGE ON PAGE 18

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Council bids for government funding to employ seafront security guards

DISRUPTION, UNDERAGE DRINKING AND DRUG-TAKING REPORTED CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE plastic barrier and traffic cones being burnt on an open fire at Monmouth Beach, signs in Lister Gardens being ripped down, noise and large gatherings, public urination, underage drinking and drug taking with litter, broken glass and drug paraphernalia being left behind. Several of these issues were raised by members of the public in the Complaints and Incidents Summary considered by councillors this week.

One complainant wrote: “After parking my car and walking to the back of my beach hut at Monmouth Beach, I discovered a young girl urinating at the rear of my beach hut. I reprimanded her and said that was very unpleasant behaviour. Looking at the state of the surrounding area, this is clearly not a one-off issue.

“I also found a carrier bag with several unopened cans of beer in it behind my hut. I opened my hut up, and then a group of children walked behind my hut, collected the alcohol, and carried on down the beach.

“I would say the group of six or seven children were 13-14 years old.

The area behind my hut is clearly being used a drop off/collection point for alcohol and no doubt other substances.”

The Mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr Brian Larcombe MBE, said that Lyme Regis was unusual in that it had several residential properties in the seafront area, rather than just hotels and com-

mercial properties like many other resorts, which added to the issues.

He added: “I can’t tell you how many complaints I’ve had of the kind of behaviour that people are expressing in this area; the number of people and the frequency of their emails to me is a lot and it’s every hour of the night.

“We have a lot of residents who give us a hell of a lot of correspondence on this and rightfully so. The problems they’ve got are undeniable.”

The council had not budgeted for security guards to be employed this year, but members were told this week that Dorset Council had access to government funds of £50,000 to help seaside resorts pay for beach patrols, and £100,000 for seafront visitor ambassadorial support, which was intended to be split between Weymouth, Swanage and Lyme Regis.

In light of the recent anti-social behaviour problems in Lyme Regis, the town council’s operations manager Matt Adams Drage had made a bid for £49,680 of this funding.

This would pay for two security guards to patrol the seafront nightly, from 8pm to 2am between May 1 and early September, at a cost of £1,260 a week, and £1,500 a week to employ three seafront attendants, carry out additional cleaning and bin emptying.

The seafront attendants have already been employed.

The mayor said he thought this was “extremely good value for money”

and, with more people expected to enjoy ‘staycations’ in the UK this summer due to international travel restrictions, the security guards were needed.

He said that if the funding could be arranged, employing security guards this summer would give the council time to look at more permanent solutions to tackle anti-social behaviour for next year, including an increased police presence in the town.

In December 2020 West Dorset’s Neighbourhood Inspector Darren Stanton promised that officers would be stationed in Lyme Regis again at some point in the future, thanks to a national recruitment drive by the police.

The mayor has also held talks with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, to outline the lack of police presence in the town especially during the busier summer months, and said there had been a “positive reaction” to these talks.

Cllr Michaela Ellis, who spoke openly against employing security guards last summer, describing them as a “waste of money”, said she did not want to see the council spending any of its own money on the patrols.

“It is a policing matter and we need to ensure that the police are doing what we need them to do here,” she said.

She added that young people were keen to have fun after a year of lockdowns, but addressing any issues

arising from this was the police’s responsibility and not the council’s.

The mayor replied: “I don’t buy the idea that because people have been cooped up for a year, anything goes.

These young people have to know that drinking and drug problems, noise and disruption at 4am, 5am, 6am is not acceptable, no matter how long people have been cooped up under COVID rules.

“We have all had that kind of restriction on us and it’s not an excuse.”

Councillor asked Mr Adamson Drage whether he could guarantee that the council would receive the government funding and when, but he said he could not.

Cllr Cheryl Reynolds replied: “Well, then I agree with Michaela, it’s not for us to put money into it. It’s for the police to do their job but trying to get the police to do their job…”

Cllr John Broom interrupted: “That’s pie in the sky, they don’t seem to do anything.”

Councillors approved Mr AdamsonDrage’s application for the funding but did not agree to paying for the security guards from council funds if the bid was unsuccessful.

It is hoped the funding will be forthcoming shortly, with the mayor saying that in the meantime the council’s new seafront attendants could keep an eye on any issues on the beach or in the gardens, although they would not be working the same late-night hours as security guards.

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COVID-19: The latest on local coronavirus figures

Coronavirus case numbers remain stable across Dorset COVID case numbers remained fairly stable across Dorset last week, with just a very slight increase in the Bournemouth area.

As of April 23, there were 46 confirmed COVID19 cases in the Dorset Council area, compared to 58 in the last update on April 16, and 52 in the Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole (BCP) area, and increase from 48.

This means the case rate per 100,000 people was 12.2 in the Dorset Council area, compared to 15.3 the previous week, and 13.2 in the BCP area, compared to 12.1.

There were five COVID-19 patients in hospital beds in Dorset, compared to 7 in the last update on April 16.

As of April 18, 604,137 doses had been administered to people in Dorset.

A spokesperson for Public Health Dorset said: “Local seven-day case rates have remained stable over the past few weeks, at around 10-20 cases per 100,000 of the population in both the Dorset and BCP Council areas.

“Our data shows that COVID-related hospitalisations and deaths have also remained low in recent weeks.

“In the last two weeks we’ve seen restrictions eased further, with more shops and businesses able to reopen and the return of outdoor hospitality.

“It will take a few weeks before we can see the impact of this step on our cases, so we do need everyone to play their part in keeping cases low.

“If you’re meeting others, please remember you still need to maintain a safe distance and follow the guidance on hands, face, space and fresh air.

“Regular rapid testing is now available to all adults in England as well as secondary school and

college pupils. Please take part in this if you can do so.

“If your lateral flow test shows a positive result, you and other members of your household must self-isolate. You must then book a PCR test to confirm your result.

“Taking part in rapid testing helps us to identify cases in people with no symptoms, and self-isolating after a positive result reduces the chances of you passing the virus on to others.”

COVID case numbers in the local area remain very low, with fewer than three cases recorded across Lyme Regis, Charmouth and the Marshwood Vale in the seven-day period up until April 23.

In small areas where there are fewer three cases, full data is not given as to protect the identity of individuals.

Case numbers have remained ‘fewer than three’ for several weeks now.

There were also fewer than three cases in every surrounding area as of April 23, including Uplyme, Kilmington & Colyton; Axminster; Seaton; Burton Bradstock & Chideock; Bridport North; and Bridport South & West Bay. The closest areas where more cases were recorded were Feniton & Whimple in the west (3 cases), Westham North & Radipole in the east (3), and Yeovil Lufton & Hollands in the north (3).

You can find out more details on COVID case numbers in your local area at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ The COVID vaccine roll-out has been really successful in West Dorset, with more than 66,350 residents having their first dose.

This equates to 81 per cent of adults and has seen West Dorset regularly listed as the number

Micro film will fix seafront glass balustrade issue ■ HAVING worked in construction all of my life and a keen holidaymaker who visits and stays in Lyme Regis every year, I was concerned at reading about (I subscribe to LymeOnline and am moving to Lyme Regis in 2025) the glass balustrading and the fact that one of the panels had failed after it was hit by a stone.

Obviously being toughened glass and, as highlighted within Kevin Isles’ recent letter (LymeOnline, April 2), only one pane of glass shattered, so the entire panel didn’t fail, which is exactly how toughened glass is meant to react if hit by an object.

Being a carpenter by trade and having fitted numerous toughened glass panels throughout my working life, and now as a project director for a large London-based construction company, we carry out the installation of glass panelling on a daily basis, the majority of them being in public buildings, so the health and safety of everyone is paramount to the success of our business.

I have no doubt that health and safety is at the top of Lyme Regis’ councillors priorities too, and

therefore a practical, cost -effective solution needs to be found so that everyone can enjoy this space, which will benefit everyone, including the local businesses and the town as a whole.

The good thing is that the solution is simply and by just adhering a micro film to the glass on both side the potential of falling glass particles can be reduce to a minimum or even eliminated in its entirety.

The film works by holding together the shattered piece of glass on impact, this therefore protect the public below but does not obscure the fact that the glass has been broken, so the council will be able to see that a panel needs replacing.

Hopefully this information will be useful and a local company can assist with the remedial works required, so that the newly refurbished area can be enjoyed by all, especially as the current restrictions are lifted.

Looking forward to my stay in Lyme over the May Bank Holiday.

Russell Durnford Maidstone, Kent

one area in England for vaccination rate, with some patients as young as 30 having already received the first dose.

In Bridport, this has been made possible by staff from all surgeries in the Jurassic Coast Primary Care Network, which includes Barton House Medical Practice, Charmouth Medical Practice, Lyme Bay Medical practices and Ammonite Health Partnership – The Tollerford Practice and Bridport Medical Centre – as well as an army of volunteers.

With restrictions easing and more people going back to work, more volunteers are need to help the COVID vaccine clinics continue to run smoothly.

Clinics are usually held at Bridport Medical Centre, now known as Ammonite Bridport, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but it is dependent on when vaccines are delivered.

The volunteers are from the Bridport Coronavirus Community Support Group and if you would like to help, email volunteeringbmc@gmail.com The medical centre would also like to make patients aware that the parking arrangements for COVID vaccinations has changed.

Free parking is no longer available in West Street/bus station car park. Instead, parking is available in the field behind the surgery by turning into Edwards Close and volunteers will show you where to go.

Parking spaces outside the surgery are reserved for blue badge holders and those with mobility issues and are available by coming in the medical centre’s main entrance.

Woman’s body found in water off Lyme Regis DETECTIVES are appealing for anyone with information to come forward after the body of a woman was recovered from the sea off Lyme Regis.

Dorset Police received a report from the coastguard at 10.48am on Monday, April 19 that the body of a woman had been found in the water about one mile east of Lyme Regis harbour.

With assistance from the coastguard, including the search and rescue helicopter from St Athan, and Lyme Regis lifeboat crew, the deceased was recovered.

While there is nothing to indicate the death is suspicious, detectives have so far been unable to identify her.

The woman was described as white, aged in her 40s or 50s and was wearing black Skechers shoes, black jeans, a pink top with red stripes across the front and a dark blue rain jacket. She was also wearing stud earrings and glasses.

Detective Inspector Kate Lill, of Weymouth CID, said: “This is a very sad incident and we are keen to identify the woman involved as soon as possible so her loved ones can be made aware.

“We have made a number of enquiries, but we have had no reports of anyone going missing in the area or any concerns for welfare that could relate to this woman.

“It is believed the body had been in the water for less than 24 hours and we are appealing for people to come forward if they have any information that might assist our efforts to find out who this woman is.

“We would like to hear from anyone who has come across any abandoned vehicles in the area or witnessed anyone close to the water in clothing matching the description given above.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55210060853.

LymeOnline Letters Send your letters to francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR COMMUNIT Y PAPER

Are Regent Cinema owners doing Lyme a dis-service?

■ LymeOnline helps me to stay in love with Lyme.

So I get stirred up and maybe have some fuel for one of your fortnightly articles.

The Regent Cinema knock back puzzles me… what are the owners thinking? They seem too quiet if they really have a development plan.

Are they clueless instead and thereby doing Lyme a dis-service? Should Lyme just let them dictate the game?

Surely there are a few wealthy retirees who could try to secure a site option and make some brainstorming space, then to cook up a purchase, develop and sell strategy of their own.

What sort of development? Obviously some apartments to help finance the rest, but the rest is what it’s all about for Lyme.

So at the front, imagine two cinemas and the relocated tourist information centre. It’s a good location for the homeless information centre, but the centre becomes so much more.

Lyme is a visual standout - why else do filmmakers like it? Imagine the synergy when one cinema constantly runs with ‘local’ material, then build on that.

Why not an annual short-film festival in the manner of Bridport’s successful short story and poem venue? The other cinema/sometimes both, would obviously be offering the latest films too.

What got me thinking was actually the beach reprofiling complaints! When my dad was town surveyor there was no budget for things like that; we lived with whatever the sea gave us - silt!

So today’s complaints about timing, well made as they are, are actually about how Lyme has developed as a resort. So the Regent is a backward step at the moment.

I look forward to the next LymeOnline!

Malcolm Kennaugh (by email)

■ YESTERDAY my wife did a litter pick on Monmouth Beach in Lyme Regis.

The result was a large bag of discarded drink cans, glass bottles, canisters and other rubbish, including bags of dog poo.

Most were in the usual places at the far end of the beach, although cans were often found around blackened stones where there had been barbecues.

There was also the smouldering remains

of a tree trunk just a few feet from the dry grass of the nature reserve; not enough smoke to attract fire services.

We regularly walk along Monmouth Beach and, until recently, the amount of rubbish had been diminishing. Now, as summer approaches it is getting worse.

Roger & Elaine Boswell Lyme Regis

4 Friday, April 30 2021

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Underlying grievances between town councillors brought to the fore as code of conduct discussed UNDERLYING “pain, grievances and hurt” between some members of Lyme Regis Town Council were brought to the surface this week, as councillors were asked to update their code of conduct.

The conduct of every county, district, parish and town councillor in England is governed by codes of conduct, which outline how councillors are expected to behave as publicly-elected representatives.

If a councillor is thought to have breached the code of conduct, formal complaints can be made to Dorset Council’s monitoring officer.

Lyme Regis councillors were asked to update their code of conduct last week, in line with recommendations from the Local Government Association, but the discussion brought to the fore personal tensions and underlying grievances of some members.

It was also revealed that, in previous years, complaints regarding Lyme Regis Town Council made up half the total complaints received by the monitoring officer.

Cllr Cheryl Reynolds, who was asked to make a public apology after being found in breach of the code of conduct in 2019, opened the discussion last Thursday night by saying she felt the document was “pointless” and “rubbish”, as there were often no repercussions when complaints were made.

She explained: “When something goes wrong, we go to the mayor and the town clerk and we say, ‘can you deal with this?’ No, it has to go to the monitoring officer.

“We then go to the monitoring officer who says this should be dealt with locally, so back it comes locally. Although it often isn’t locally, because I believe locally means it should be brought back to the whole council, which often doesn’t happen.

“The code of conduct is for each one of us to apply to ourselves but when we try to do any-

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk thing with it I find it totally and utterly rubbish.

“I want somebody to tell me why we spend all this time looking at a code of conduct and yet can do nothing with it?”

Town clerk John Wright said he shared Cllr Reynolds’ frustrations with the process.

He said that, while issues over member behaviour were the responsibility of the monitoring officer, in the past both he and the mayor – current and previous mayors – had tried to resolve issues internally.

When issues were dealt with externally, the monitoring officer could only make recommendations to bring back to the town council, and they were limited by statute in what they could recommend, so there were “no significant sanctions which can be imposed on a member”.

‘Mayor cannot be judge and jury’

Mr Wright added: “I do believe there needs to be a fundamental review of the code of conduct but I don’t sense that coming any time soon, we are where we are with this document.”

The Mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr Brian Larcombe, said that, as mayor, he could not be “judge and jury” over another member’s behaviour and issues needed to be considered by an independent officer, such as the monitoring officer.

When the monitoring officer sent back recommendations, it was for the whole council to agree on any sanctions imposed, and not just for the mayor to “dictate” the behaviour of other councillors.

Cllr Reynolds argued: “When the monitoring officer has sent things back to us, it hasn’t always gone to the whole council. Don’t make me remind you of what I’m talking about, but you know as well as I do that that didn’t happen.”

Cllr Kelsey Ellis suggested that all complaints

should be dealt with internally where possible, and then passed to the monitoring officer if a resolution cannot reached. Any recommendations from the monitoring officer should then be considered by a committee.

The town clerk said the process she had described was “entirely correct”, but Cllr Reynolds argued that this did not always happen.

Cllr Michaela Ellis agreed, commenting: “That doesn’t always happen. I had a meeting booked with the town clerk and the mayor last November to sit down and discuss things because I was not happy with how meetings were being held and I wasn’t being allowed to speak and being told off for the way I spoke, so I asked for a meeting with you, Brian, and the town clerk organised it.

“But that meeting never happened because we went into lockdown, and that meeting has never been rearranged.

“I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for it to be rearranged and now you can understand why these other problems happen, with members of the public coming to us and complaining that they don’t like the way councillors speak to one another.

“That would have ben resolved by now if we had sat down and spoken in November.”

The mayor said that a date had been arranged for the meeting but Cllr Ellis was unable to attend.

Cllr Ellis disagreed, saying: “No, I agreed to a meeting and it was to be on the Friday before lockdown but it was then cancelled.”

Cllr Larcombe replied: “My recollection was that you couldn’t make it.”

Cllr Reynolds commented: “No one offered to talk to me when I had all my problems the year before last, not one single person in the council.

No one said to me ‘do you want to come in and talk about it, shall we see what we can resolve?’

“No, it had to go to the monitoring officer and

I was left completely on the sideline, and I am never going to forget that, ever.”

Cllr Rob Smith – one of the newer members of the council – said: “There’s obviously a lot of issues that I don’t know about, that I haven’t been involved in, but I feel there’s been a lot of pain and grievance and a great deal of hurt at times.”

He suggested that the town clerk “facilitate a process in which some of these grievances, which are still clearly below the surface and not helping the council to function well, be resolved in another forum”.

The town clerk said he would always advocate holding internal discussions when there was a good chance of reaching some sort of agreement, but it was not always an easy process as one party often felt aggrieved by any decision made.

Mr Wright continued: “I wouldn’t want to bother the monitoring officer about every member issue because it adversely affects the reputation of this council.

“One of the first things I did when I joined this council and became clerk, was to go and see the monitoring officer and he pleaded with me to deal with things because half the complaints he was receiving were from Lyme Regis only.

“That was the situation nine years ago. We don’t want that sort of reputation so I am always happy to engage.”

In wrapping up the discussion, Cllr Larcombe refused to allow Cllr Kelsey Ellis to speak further on the matter, which Cllr Michaela Ellis – her mother – argued was unfair as Cllr Larcombe had spoken twice on the subject himself.

Cllr Larcombe said Cllr Kelsey Ellis had already spoken three times and they needed to move on with the meeting.

Ahead of the vote on changes to the code of conduct, Cllr Reynolds said: “It’s absolute rubbish, it doesn’t work and I won’t be voting on it.”

However, other members agreed to the changes in line with national policy.

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SWIM owners’ plans expand into East Devon with redevelopment of Seaton pub

OWNERS of popular Lyme Regis restaurant SWIM are set to take on a new project in East Devon.

The owners of SWIM, who also own Rise in West Bay and the Rise Bakery in Bridport, will be taking on the lease of the Hook & Parrot in Seaton if planning permission for redevelopment is forthcoming.

A planning application has been put forward which, if approved, will see the dilapidated seafront pub demolished and replaced with a new restaurant and bar with nine apartments above.

The application has been submitted by Lyme Regis architectural firm Porter Haworth on behalf of W&L South Coast Investments Ltd, who purchased the property from Trust Inns in 2020.

The plans confirm that the new bar and restaurant will be leased to the owners of SWIM, who will develop the interior of the commercial unit.

The Hook & Parrot was one of the first buildings to be constructed at the western end of Seaton’s Esplanade in a distinctly Victorian style, and has always been a tavern, but the building has undergone significant changes over the years.

The pub has remained closed for some time with the building falling into disrepair.

In the planning application, Porter Haworth wrote: “A cursory glance at Trip Advisor will show that little effort was put in the most recent incarnation of that business and that the enterprise was an embarrassment for the town.

“Our clients completed on the property in mid-April 2020. The pub was still full of the previous tenant’s belongings and it was not until

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk several weeks later that Trust Inns organised for their removal.”

Commenting on the current appearance of the building, the application continued: “The domestic style entrance doors are small and unwelcoming, and the tinted glass windows give a seedy appearance to the ground floor “The fenestration to the upper floors is measly, considering the view. Most of the windows are fixed shut due to salt corrosion “The appearance of the rear of the property is nothing short of a shambles. Numerous additions have made an incoherent mess of the rear elevation.

“The materials and construction of these elements are poor. Flat roofs are leaking and windows rotting through lack of maintenance.

“The aesthetic quality of these buildings is poor; there is no joy in them, they are bland and bleak, and they certainly do not belong in a such a prominent place in a World Heritage Site.”

The application adds that East Devon District Council member for Seaton, Marcus Hartnell, had received numerous complaints from local residents about the “sad state of the property and the business”.

As both deteriorated further, he intervened and he took the company to task about their plans for its future, urging them sell if they were not interested in making improvements.

The final scheme that has now been submitted to East Devon District Council consists of a commercial space on the upper ground floor with nine residential units above, spread over three floors.

newsfromwestminster

A monthly column by West Dorset MP Chris Loder

THE police are a part of all of our lives and, though most of us have little interaction with them on a day-to-day basis, we are all glad to know they are there if we ever need them.

We want to know that the priorities of the police force match those of the community, and that is why the Police and Crime Commissioner elections – coming up on May 6 – are so important.

I have a good working relationship with Dorset Police and our Chief Constable. They work incredibly hard for all of us in Dorset, and their role in keeping us and our communities safe is vital.

The Police and Crime Commissioner is the elected leader offering direction to the police.

I want to see the police in Dorset tackling the despicable county lines drug gangs, which are unacceptable and must be stopped.

I do not believe the British Transport Police have done enough to stop these gangs, so I have asked them to come to West Dorset to discuss it.

I want to see more officers along the coast, tackling speeding on the coast road, and I want to see a crackdown on rural crime and animal theft.

Nationally, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill provides lots of important changes to the law to fight against violent crime, including ending the automatic halfway release for certain types of offenders, and giving police better powers to search for bladed weapons and get knives off our streets. The Bill also modernises courts and tribunals and enshrines the Police Covenant into law.

Locally policing is just as much about our communities as it is about legislation. That’s why each force is accountable to the elected PCC: each area has different needs, and must be looked at individually.

I will be supporting David Sidwick in the election next Thursday because I believe that his priorities for Dorset policing will be the most effective in fighting the crime where we live. We need a Commissioner who has lived in Dorset his whole life, as David has, who is striving to protect not only our community, but his community too.

I encourage everyone to vote on Thursday, May 6. This election is our opportunity to decide the direction we want policing in Dorset to go, and that is why it is so important.

To receive my latest updates from Westminster and West Dorset, please sign up to my newsletter at www.chrisloder.co.uk.

Visit www.chrisloder.co.uk for links to my social media channels and news, or email hello@chrisloder.co.uk if you are interested in a face-to-face meeting at one of my surgeries

On the lower ground floor there will be parking provision for nine passenger vehicles.

The application adds: “The Hook & Parrot building makes a minimal contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area taking into account its overall poor architectural contribution.

“The proposed development will result in the replacement of the pub with a modern café/bar/restaurant using an existing successfully operated model.

“The change in scale would have limited perception and incorporates design references to the existing building.

“The design approach has been to reference elements of design from within the conservation area whilst retaining a sense of contemporaneity.

“The materials are traditional and of a quality that when combined with the design create a building that enhances the conservation area.

“The building can be deemed to be a significant improvement on the existing and a suitable addition to this prominent location.”

You can view the full plans on the East Devon District Council planning website at https://bit.ly/32W2OoT

Friday, April 30 2021 5

Emergency services rescue 12 people cut off by tide LYME Regis coastguards and lifeboat crew were called to assist 12 people cut off by the tide on Sunday.

The coastguards were called at 4.16pm to assist the group of people between Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

On arrival at end of the sea wall to the east of Lyme Regis, it was established that seven people were soon to be cut off at various points below Black Ven. Two were immediately helped to safety at Lyme Regis.

With the tide lapping the cliff base, the team relocated to Charmouth where three officers reached the other five people, whilst the lifeboat provided communications and safety cover.

Three of the group were happy to wait for the tide to recede whilst the last two were escorted to safety with only few minutes of ‘clear’ beach.

High spring tides will continue for the rest of the week. The coastguard urges visitors to check the tide times to ensure they do not get cut off by the tide, and always allow plenty of time to complete walks along the beach.

This was the second emergency shout of the weekend of the coastguards and lifeboat crew, who were called out on Saturday afternoon to a possible person in the water.

It was reported that a person was clinging to the special mark buoy, 1km offshore at Charmouth.

Coastguards made their way to higher ground to get a better view whilst the officer in charge liaised with the first informant to establish the circumstances.

The lifeboat searched the immediate area of concern as well as other potential target areas identified by the coastguard team.

Once the area had been searched and no persons in difficulty located, all the search units were stood down.

A spokesperson for the coastguards said: “We would like to thank the first informant for calling the coastguard promptly and staying at the scene until all the search teams had arrived.

“It makes a huge difference to the crews knowing all circumstances that led up to the initial 999 call.”

6 Friday, April 30 2021

LYME MATTERS with Philip Evans Essential reading for all those with Lyme at heart

www.lyme-online.co.uk

philip@lyme-online.co.uk

What future now for the Three Cups?

J

UST as I was about to start writing this column, a message pinged into my mobile phone stating: “Philip, as far as I’m aware, we’re still waiting on news from the council at Lyme, but we are on the case to get clarity over the cinema.”

It was sent by Scott Cinemas, owners of The Regent Cinema in Lyme Regis, which has stood empty after it was burnt to the ground five years ago.

It follows an open letter in this column a fortnight ago to Scott Cinemas, asking them to come clean about the future of our muchmissed Regent.

I will pass the message to the Mayor, Cllr Brian Larcombe MBE, and we await an update with bated breath.

Exactly what reply Scott Cinemas are expecting from the council is anyone’s guess,

but I don’t believe there is any chance that the council will buy the property, as many have calling for.

The site at the top of the town is deteriorating as each days passes and the council must put pressure on the company to at least clean up the frontage of the building whilst a decision is made on whether there is any chance of it returning as a cinema in the future.

Perhaps three parking spaces could be sited on the forecourt to make up for some of those lost in Broad Street by the new pedestrian crossing.

We don’t want another 30-year blot on Broad Street similar to that we have had to endure at the former Three Cups Hotel, owned by Palmers Brewery.

So whilst the town waits for an update on The Regent, attention will inevitably move back to the ambitious and long-awaited plans to develop the Three Cups.

Food festival upsets traders WHILST it was nice to see so many people strolling around Lyme in the sunshine at last weekend’s eat:Lyme Regis festival, I’m not sure it did the town a great deal of good.

It certainly didn’t do the town council a lot of good financially, as I’m informed they only charged the organisers £500.

And as you can imagine, it has alienated a good many local traders who feel strongly, having gone through the most difficult trading period of their lives, to allow outside food providers into the town just as lockdown was being eased.

My information is that about 40 of them have got together to complain in a letter to every councillor but to date not one of them has bothered to reply.

There is a very uneasy relationship between the town council and the trading community, which

has been going on for several years, and the failure to recognise their views and ignore their complaints is not going to help.

True, the council has allowed more al fresco dining on the seafront area but they had no choice really as the government decreed they had to relax rules on such matters.

The festival attracted about 60 stallholders, few of which were immediately local, and one local food trader told me his takings dropped by 50 per cent on Saturday.

Such events are very popular with day visitors but I think the council needs to reconsider their policy and take into consideration the effect they have on local traders, especially at this time when many have struggled to survive through the COVID19 epidemic.

An artist’s impression of the letting rooms and signature restaurant planned for the rear of the former Three Cups Hotel in Lyme Regis

Before lockdown there was some hope that Palmers were about to proceed with the work, but of course the epidemic has put that on the back burner like so many other issues facing the town.

Having at least got a reaction from Scott Cinemas, which we have struggled to do before, we are now going to try and find out exactly what the likelihood is of the Cups development starting in the not too distant future. Rumour has it that the cost has spiralled and that it’s not likely to be any time soon.

So let’s remind ourselves what the project entails.

Back in March 2020 Palmer’s managing director John Palmer said: “Following the success of the Pilot Boat project, we are really excited about the new plans for the Three Cups which maintain the essential historic el-

ements of the property yet develop a restaurant and letting rooms of the highest modern standards to enhance the facilities in the town.”

Mr Palmer added that the reduced size of the project will be able to be completed much quicker with considerably less disturbance to others, and he added: “We are really keen to get started in earnest.”

The original scheme envisaged the main building fronting Broad Street having a retail unit downstairs and luxury flats above, a signature restaurant at the rear with view over Lyme Bay, a number of beach-style huts as letting rooms, town houses and shops and an underground car park.

When the plans were first revealed it was confirmed in 2019, it was confirmed the scheme would cost £5 million and start within three years.

A good reason why councillors should behave advantage digital print

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AFTER reading the rather fractious discussion at a town council meeting this week, I was left thinking that Lyme really deserves better.

It was no surprise to hear town clerk John Wright reveal that at one time half of all the complaints about the behaviour of councillors throughout Dorset came from Lyme Regis (see page 4).

LymeOnline has been aware of this for some time and it has prompted me on several occasions to urge councillors to show more respect for each other.

The conduct of councillors throughout the land at all levels is governed by codes of conduct which outlines how our elected representatives behave.

If a councillor is thought to have breached the code of conduct, formal complaints can be made to Dorset Council’s monitoring officer.

As we report on page four, councillors were asked to update their code of conduct and the discussion brought to the fore “personal tensions and underlying grievances of some

members”.

The code of conduct is a rather toothless arbitrator and the complaints are usually sent back to the town clerk, a process of which I am sure Mr Wright finds frustrating.

Most of the complaints from Lyme councillors came from previous councils, when Mr Wright was first in the job, but there is still the occasional one that finds its place on the monitoring officer’s desk.

Back in the day when I was mayor I can’t remember there being a monitoring officer. If there had been a bit of a fall-out between members, the town clerk and I would call them in, discuss the issue and settle the matter. And that was the end of it.

I had a pretty tough year with the relationship between Lyme Regis Town Council and West Dorset Council being very fragile and the new sewerage plant the hot topic in the town. Councillors fell out in the council chamber but rarely held a grudge and we went off to the pub afterwards when all was forgotten and we all had a pleasant time.

I appreciate things were a great deal simpler in those days, less confrontational, and it was left to the public to decide how effective their councillors were through the ballot box.

There is one matter that concerns me, however, about this. Next year we could well have the youngest mayor ever if the new deputy mayor-elect Kelsey Ellis achieves her ambition of becoming Lyme’s First Citizen. She would also become the youngest mayor in the country.

This will be a big enough challenge for someone so young, Kelsey being just 21, and the last thing she needs is a council which is constantly falling out.

A councillor told me this week that Handforth (the parish council which propelled Jackie Weaver to national notoriety) had nothing on Lyme Regis Town Council! That’s worrying.

Footnote: If Kelsey becomes mayor she will relieve me of being the town’s youngest mayor, a rather dubious honour, which I have held since 1984. Not before time.

Friday, April 30 2021 7

www.lyme-online.co.uk

Council to tackle hazardous A-boards on local high streets DORSET Council staff are tackling on-street advertising boards which are causing a risk to the public.

Councillors have been told that the authority does not have enough resources to tackle every area where businesses put A-board signs on the street, which can be problematic for pedestrians and a risk to people with poor sight or mobility problems, so staff will be targeting signs which are considered a safety issue.

This has been a running issue in Lyme Regis for some years, with the town council often complaining that businesses are putting out more than their permitted one A-board, causing obstruction and forcing pedestrians to step into the road.

Existing A-board policies have been reviewed and are expected to be signed off soon.

The policy document is designed to ensure a uniformed approach around the county and to give staff guidance on the law and legal processes to remove errant signs.

Place and Resources Committee chairman and Lyme Regis ward member, Cllr Daryl Turner, told a meeting last week that the council will prioritise problem A-boards which present the highest risk.

“The A-boards have been a pain in a lot of councillors’ lives over the years and it’s impor-

by Local Democracy Reporter Trevor Bevins tant we have proper specifications so we are not left with a lot of tatty little things stuck up all over the place, which we do see,” said Cllr Turner.

It comes as Lyme Regis Town Council plans to carry out a review of signage on the seafront.

Members agreed at a recent Town Management & Highways Committee meeting that there was too much signage on the seafront, which looked messy and made the signs less effective as they were all competing for attention.

More than 85 signs have been counted on the seafront, not including any commercial signage which businesses pay to display.

It was noted that some signs were essential and helped the council’s enforcement officers to enforce regulations, including when dogs were permitted on the beach and rules against feeding seagulls.

Councillors asked operations manager Matt Adamson Drage to carry out a full audit of all signage, giving priority to signs which were deemed essential, and to come back to the committee with suggestions on which ones could be scrapped.

If you have a story for LymeOnline, call editor Francesca Evans on 07810 221 420 or email edit@lyme-online.co.uk

EXPLORING 100 YEARS AT LYME REGIS MUSEUM

Lyme’s Forgotten Fossil Hunting Hero THE biggest fossil in the museum’s collection is known as ‘The Beast in the Cellar’, an ichthyosaur so large we don’t really have the space to display it.

It lives on a specially built rack in our basement and has only been put on display once in the last ten years. This isn’t surprising; it needs a team of burly geologists and a serious risk assessment to get it upstairs.

But the most important thing about ‘The Beast’ isn’t the fossil itself, but its forgotten discoverer, B.H. Ellis.

Bernard Henry Ellis was the son of Henry Ellis, Mayor of Lyme Regis from 1921 to 1924.

Henry was a businessman, keen amateur astronomer, musician and scientist and managed to become mayor within ten years of moving to Lyme in 1913.

Bernard must have inherited his father’s love of science as the museum holds a significant collection of his fossils collected from Lyme’s beaches. Bernard practised as a solicitor as his ‘day job’ but he was also a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve.

Bernard was an unusual sailor. In 1914 he belonged to the Benbow Battalion, a unit of Navy personnel who fought on the land. He was a good ‘soldier’ and was awarded the Dis-

tinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Order. He was made an officer in October 1914.

He saw service in Gallipoli, Salonika (Greece) and on the Western Front. He became commanding officer of the Hawke Battalion in May 1917.

Bernard received gunshot wounds to the neck on March 25 1918 and died four weeks later at Wimereux, France.

One can only imagine the anguish of his father Henry and mother Margaret. They had lost their first son Edward in France a year previously.

Bernard’s collections were donated to the museum by Margaret following the death of Henry in September 1927. It’s our intention to bring the fossil collections of Bernard to a wider audience.

Bernard is commemorated on the Little Heath and Bentley Heath War Memorial in Potters Bar, London, but his real memorial resides in his contribution to science in Lyme Regis, the home of palaeontology.

The museum would like to acknowledge the help of Vernon Rattenbury in the writing of this article.

David Tucker Director, Lyme Regis Museum

Jazz Jurassica to hit the airwaves JAZZ Jurassica has teamed up with Lyme Bay Radio to bring its May festival to an even wider audience.

The four-day festival in Lyme Regis will go ahead over the spring Bank Holiday weekend of May 28 to 31, making it one of the first festivals of the summer.

Lyme Bay Radio will anchor its weekend programming from the festival, taking a live feed from its two stages, at Marine Theatre and Theatre Square.

Julie Sheppard, the festival’s director, said: “It’s an obvious match. Lyme Bay Radio plays music. And so do we.

“They’ll add something extra, going behind the scenes to interview performers and giving longer airplay to an artist’s work. Listeners at home will be able to enjoy that special festival vibe”.

Festival coverage will start on Friday, May

28 when a 17-piece Latin orchestra opens this year’s festival with an explosive celebration of Afro-Cuban music.

Lyme Bay Radio station manager Ashley Kellett said: “All the team are looking forward to finally have some live music back in our town.

“We can’t wait to be part of this special weekend. We’re very excited as it’ll be our first major outside broadcasting event and hope there’ll be many more to follow.”

Both Jazz Jurassica and Lyme Bay Radio are run as not-for-profit community ventures and manned by volunteers.

The LymeOnline team will also be at the festival, bringing you live video coverage via the LymeOnline website, as well as its usual extensive editorial and photographic coverage in the LymeOnline newspaper, which should then be back in print (see page 13).

WE’RE OPEN FROM WEDNESDAY, MAY 19th!

To find out about visi!ng the museum and our famous fossil walks visit www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk Lyme Regis Museum ‐ Where Mary Anning Lived

8 Friday, April 30 2021

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ELECTION SPECIAL

LYME REGIS TOWN COUNCIL BY-ELECTION - THURSDAY, MAY 6 2021 CAROLINE ALDRIDGE

VICKI ELCOATE

CHRISTOPHER SERVICE

I AM keen to support Lyme as a thriving town that is an excellent place for people to live, work and visit.

Election to the town council would enable me to work hard to support the people who live and work in Lyme while contributing to the development of the best tourist experience for our visitors.

I am involved in many Lyme initiatives including the Medical Practice Patient Participation Group, the LymeForward Health and Wellbeing Group, the Foodbank and Turn Lyme Green. I volunteer at the Marine Theatre and support many music and arts events.

I know we have a great community in Lyme and we can make it even better by providing more support for those who need it, better opportunities for our young people to be able to live, work and play here and the best quality accessible environment for everyone to enjoy.

As a Lib Dem I am committed to listening to and acting on local needs, working to improve the environment and a fairer deal for housing that is both affordable and sensitively planned.

I would love to work in collaboration with local groups to promote and support these initiatives and also encourage the involvement of young people.

We need to focus on environmental issues, educating about littering, plastic and packaging waste, encouraging recycling and valuing our environment and its resources. Antisocial behaviour needs to be tackled swiftly by working with the police.

A key issue I would like to address is traffic flow management and parking, from the aspects of safety, pollution and consideration to residents. I would like to see an integrated public transport system including park and ride.

There is a diversity of exciting and innovative business in Lyme I want to support these further and raise the profile of local shops and businesses.

I’M passionate about the need to care for our environment for the benefit of all of us.

It’s both about the big things like tackling climate change, and local issues like finding out what people's immediate needs are, protecting our green spaces and looking after wildlife on our doorsteps.

My background is in the voluntary sector – I loved working with enthusiastic volunteers to conserve and enjoy our beautiful landscapes, and for clean water, soil and air. I was the Director of the Council for National Parks and of the UK Environmental Law Association. I’ve volunteered with the National Trust, food banks and the allotment association, championing grow your own. I moved to Lyme Regis to be close to family, and I am delighted to live in such an active community with such a beautiful natural setting. I am certainly looking forward to helping make it an even better place to live.

If I’m elected I would aim to work collaboratively with others to: • Promote wildlife, nature and growing food in our gardens and, with the Garden Growers, community gardens • Develop a scheme for local renewables, warmer homes and lower energy bills.

• Prioritise provision of affordable green housing for local people • Support local food production and reduce food waste • Encourage initiatives which provide skills and training for sustainable jobs I see a town councillor’s role as one of listening to local residents, supporting them in their efforts to make their community and environment better.

"NOW more than ever it is crucial that communities and businesses are supported” Christopher Service.

May I take this fabulous opportunity to introduce myself, I’m Chris and you may have seen me around Lyme Regis either on the Lyme Regis Golf Course, walking our three dogs or undertaking daily business.

The policies I would like to see actioned are: • Tackling antisocial behaviour including graffiti and littering • Bring into motion the Green Dog Walkers Scheme (anti fouling) • Fairer use of open spaces / beaches for residents and visitors • Solutions to parking and the park & ride Having lived in a variety of great communities in my 56 years I have settled on Lyme Road in the hamlet of Burrowshot, just outside of Uplyme, following many happy holidays in Lyme Regis as a child, a town I love and my mother’s hometown.

My background is over 30 years in IT, jobs ranging from Business Analyst to Change Control & Operations Manager, working for employers from QVC The Shopping Channel to The Youth Justice Service, which has given me with a fantastic skill set to become a logical and fair minded councillor.

As a councillor I would strive for common sense, finding the best solutions for given issues whilst ensuring a fair consensus is achieved.

Having always had an interest in politics, particularly local politics, I keep up to date with local issues and at this present time, more than any other time in recent history, I believe councils and their decisions will be crucial in helping communities begin to build and recover from the awful toll that the COVID virus has wreaked, both financially and mentally on our community.

I am excited about the prospect of being your new councillor and look forward to positively contributing to this wonderful community.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

GREEN PARTY

INDEPENDENT

TARA WEBB I’M standing as a candidate in the Town Council Elections for Lyme Regis and would ask you to take a little time to read this letter before making up your mind which way to vote on the 6th of May 2021.

I will fight for what is fair.

I was born in Lyme Regis and educated at the Lyme Regis Woodroffe School and Exeter College in hospitality and catering. I have worked for 10 years in the care industry and of late in several restaurants in the locality. I have been furloughed and made redundant in this very difficult time so understand exactly what people and families are facing.

I believe that local people should be allowed to sort out local issues and that Lyme’s agenda must be based on a sound set of policies with a clear vision for the future. I would like the opportunity to put forward the view of the town’s people and will always represent your views.

I have worked tirelessly with Lyme Garden Growers and firmly believe all the environmental issues that this town and indeed our country face.

The last year I have been involved with the Community Support Group and worked with them shopping for residents, collecting prescriptions and helping where necessary. It has been extremely rewarding.

My objective is to be elected as your town councillor, taking the views of the people of Lyme first and foremost.

Born in Lyme, living in Lyme, working for Lyme. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter – I can assure you that I will give 100 per cent.

Town Council Elections 6th May 2021 – vote Tara Webb.

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Friday, April 30 2021 9

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ELECTION SPECIAL

DORSET POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER - THURSDAY, MAY 6 2021 PATRICK CANAVAN

DAN HARDY INDEPENDENT

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

MARK ROBSON

CLAIRE SEYMOUR

“I AM a former trade union officer and spent much of my working life acting as an advocate on behalf of others.

“I am a law graduate, and currently the director of strategic development of a national governing body for a sports organisation.

“My previous roles have previously given me plenty of experience dealing with large organisations and bringing about effective change.

“The current PCC has been in post for some time and has indicated he is not seeking re-election.

There will therefore be a change so we must ensure that Dorset Police continues to make progress and ensure we have a forward thinking and responsive force.”

Patrick has been a previous parliamentary candidate and was the Labour candidate at the previous Dorset PCC election in 2016.

In his manifesto, Patrick wants to see: • A greater focus on crime prevention by building resilient communities and ensuring a multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour and drug trafficking • Increased support for victims to increase confidence to report crimes and that cases of domestic violence, abuse and hate crime will be acted on and prosecution rates increased • To work with others in the criminal justice system to reduce re-offending and encouraging rehabilitation Patrick added: “The key task for whoever is elected is to comply with the legal requirement to act as independently and in the best interests of the people of Dorset.”

WE face continued challenges across Dorset, with greater demands for policing than ever before, which is why my 25 years of crime management knowledge and experience will be critical for the role.

I'm a Poole resident, a married family man and have a child being educated locally. I'm passionate about Dorset's natural beauty, I enjoy many outdoor pursuits.

I served in the military for five years operating worldwide including two operational tours targeting terrorism, then gaining experience in the private security industry.

I spent 14 years with the Metropolitan Police, rising to the position of Acting Detective Inspector on the Specialist Crime Directorate. I subsequently became head of risk at G4S and then the crime and security lead for Sainsbury’s. Prior to my current role as managing director of a security company, I was the managing director of the National Business Crime Solution.

My policing experiences include neighbourhood, public order, firearms, covert and investigative skill sets.

I offer independence, an impressive track record in the policing and public sector landscape and expertise in business and finance. Through more visible policing, reducing crime and the fear of crime, by better supporting victims and reducing reoffending, I will help to protect our incredible county and our communities, making Dorset the safest county in the UK.

I AM really proud to have been selected to fight the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner election. It would be a huge honour to represent the county and the communities that I care about.

As a resident and local campaigner, I know the county well. I understand the crime and policing concerns of our areas and the challenges faced by local people as the cuts to policing imposed by the Conservatives hit hard.

If elected, I become your voice in fighting the crime that blights your community. I will prioritise dealing with the underlying sources of crime, namely tackling domestic abuse in all its forms as well as supporting the victims of those crimes to feel safe again and help businesses to protect themselves from fraud and scams.

Dangerous driving affects hundreds of innocent people a year on Dorset’s roads so I will enable resources to help fight this forgotten lethal activity.

I’m confident that my career in the Royal Marines and Special Forces, specialising in Counter Terrorism, and my law degree, combined with my work as a councillor and driving instructor, provide me with the varied skills, knowledge and experience required to be your Police & Crime Commissioner.

I am a father to four wonderful children. I am an elected councillor serving on the adult health committee, l am also a member of an adoption panel and see first hand children who have suffered early years trauma. These experiences together with seeing the good done by the organisations in place to help these individuals drives me to make them available to all those who are suffering.

CLAIRE works closely with the police, NHS, community mental health teams, local authorities, social services, probation, the fire service and other charities to keep communities safe.

Claire provides solutions and guidance to stakeholders and communities to resolve complex antisocial behaviour cases. She ensures safeguarding is a priority and delivers community safety strategies on a local and national scale.

Claire has a BSc Hons degree in Public Services which gave her the tools to deliver effective governance and management of a public service.

Claire also has a wealth of experience through her volunteering as a Police Special Constable, working for Victim Support, and being a Scrutiny Panel member for Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner. She currently sits on the Hampshire Safeguarding Board, South West Domestic Abuse Forum and Dorset’s Domestic Abuse Forum.

Claire’s eight pledges are: • tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence • preventing crime and anti-social behaviour • building inclusive communities • supporting victims and witnesses • protecting those within our community most at risk of harm, • engaging to ensure wellbeing and training of police officers, staff and volunteers is to the highest standard • investing in new innovation opportunities for the prevention and detection of crime • creating a sustainable police force to offer social, economic and environmental benefits.

LABOUR

DAVID SIDWICK CONSERVATIVES

IN my senior executive career I have demonstrated award-winning leadership with strategic skills handling significant budgets. I also ran my own business and can deliver with tight resources.

I understand accountability and will work for you as your champion - not the police or any other interests. My broad skills are ideal for the PCC role.

My motivations are the same experiences as yours. I saw anti-social behaviour being neglected, a shop lifting incident, the tragedy of drug addiction, an attempted fraud and poor 101 response, an unnecessary merger attempt and poor leadership from the current PCC. Your issues are my issues and we need change.

I have undertaken three years of preparation with other PCCs, a tutorial programme and rigorous assessment to prove myself. A two year full-time commitment to understand Dorset and Dorset police across all communities and areas gives a platform for change. I have a real passion and commitment to be Dorset PCC My vision is for Dorset to be the safest county in the UK. This job is about delivering for you – nothing else.

I will bring back prevention with robust visible community policing and put victims and communities first.

I will be tough on violence, drugs, hidden harms and also tackle rural crime The mission is to cut crime and anti-social behaviour and together we will make our police crime fighters again.

GREEN PARTY

What is a Police & Crime Commissioner?

POLICE and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) ensure the policing needs of your community are met as effectively as possible and oversee how crime is tackled in your area.

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected to hold your police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see.

Their aim is to cut crime and to ensure your police force is effective.

PCCs bring a public voice to policing and they do this by: ● Engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans ● Ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most

Appointing, and where necessary, dismissing the chief constable PCCs also work with your council and other organisations to promote and enable joined up working on community safety and criminal justice.

The PCC does not ‘run’ the police or fire service. Chief Constables and Chief Fire Officers continue to be responsible for the day to day operations of the police and fire services respectively, but they are accountable to the public via the Commissioner.

PCCs are single, directly -elected individuals ensuring the public are protected, providing greater opportunities for collaboration and

more effective scrutiny of public services.

They also ensure that there is an effective policing contribution to national partnership arrangements to protect the public from other cross-boundary threats.

PCCs are required to swear an oath when they are elected to office. The oath is designed so that they can publicly set out their commitment to: serve all of the people in their police force area; act with integrity and diligence; give a voice to the public; act with transparency so that they may be effectively held to account; and not interfere with the operational independence of police officers.

DORSET Council is putting in place precautions to ensure you can vote safely and in a COVID secure way on May 6.

This means there will be some differences to the way you normally vote. You may be asked to vote at a different polling station to ensure there is enough space for all electors to remain socially distanced. Double check your polling card to ensure you go to the correct polling station.

When you go to the polling

station on May 6, you should wear a face mask and bring your own pen or pencil to make your vote, although there will be some available. Hand sanitiser will be available at polling stations, which will also be ventilated and regularly cleaned throughout polling day.

Jonathan Mair, Corporate Director – Legal & Democratic at Dorset Council, said: “I want to give every reassurance that our polling stations will be safe places for vot-

ers to cast their vote on 6 May. “All venues will be COVID-safe, with the measures applied that we’ve all become used to in our supermarkets and banks over the past year.

“Our staff have been working hard to achieve this and look forward to meeting local voters on May 6.”

You can find out more about placing your vote safely on the Dorset Council website www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

●

What will be different about this year’s elections?

HAVE YOUR SAY - USE YOUR VOTE ON MAY 6th

10 Friday, April 30 2021

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Events return to town with new food festival THE new eat:Lyme Regis festival became the first major event to be staged in the town for over a year on Saturday.

About 60 producers from across the region set up stalls along the length of the seafront, offering some of the finest food and drink of the South West.

To allow for social distancing, stalls were permitted on Gun Cliff Walk, below the Marine Theatre, for the first time ever.

This was the first major event to be held in the town since the coronavirus pandemic broke out last year and was staged by the multi-awardwinning eat:Festivals.

Bev Milner Simonds of eat:Festivals said: “We had a wonderful windy welcome to Lyme Regis! Our trader feedback was very positive about the enthusiastic customers and the locals we spoke with on the day were equilateral pleased to find the event was well spaced out and the quality of the producers so high.

“We will be conducting some more formal feedback, but hope we will be invited back to host another event in Lyme Regis.”

Co-organiser Sarah Milner Simonds added: “A big thank you to our local partners Gordon & Rumbsy estate agents who provided signage for us and Specsavers of Bridport who gave away over 300 cotton shopping bags.

“It is great to know that the signage will be used again and the bags will be a useful edition to so many households.”

Working Lyme to Five I THINK even Dolly Parton would struggle working the hours I’ve been doing this past month, though it would make for a great song… working my hands to the bone, yee ha!

OK, maybe songwriting isn’t my strength, but I know someone who knows a good tune when she hears one and that is Lyme’s Queen of Jazz, aka Julie Sheppard, who I met on one of her brief COVID sorties, and she tells me Jazz Jurassica is raring to go.

Having been involved in these festivals in a previous life, I know how much organisation goes into them so I’m sure Julie’s working her butt off.

What were you doing on April 12? If the Royal Standard pub garden was anything to go by, you were probably at your local enjoying a pint.

Having been under house arrest for the past four months, everyone was desperate to get out and enjoy their freedom once more and the sheer joy of being allowed to do what, up until a year ago was a given, had a major effect on everyone’s behaviour as they tried to make up for lost time.

Anyway, how is the Lyme Regis Bookshop, I hear you ask? Under new management, it has had a complete refurbishment and the first thing people say when they come in is how much bigger it looks and there is a different ‘feel’ to it.

Each time I walk through the door, it’s like I am stepping through the looking glass into a place that is thankfully worlds apart from what we are all living in at the moment.

Book sales have increased significantly and one of the best things about working there is that Kevin, the new owner, knows exactly what to get and Michelle and I spend many happy hours rearranging our literary gems. It’s a bit like organising a model shoot, but without the tears or tantrums.

Talking of modelling, when I told my sister how much I also loved my other job, in the Coombe Street Gallery, surrounded by wonderful wall-art and beautiful artisan Fairtrade creations, that I thought I had found my other niche as I waft into this gorgeous shop to work with Sue’s team, she said I’m more of a faffer than a wafter, but she always was a bit mean.

The only problem working somewhere like the gallery is resisting the urge to buy one of everything and because the stock constantly changes, there is always some new and interesting temptation and judging by the customer comments, many of whom shop there regularly, I am not alone.

So with my literary fix and my total immersion in beautiful art and not forgetting pulling pints, I am enjoying a delicious working-life cocktail. Perhaps I should go along to listen to some of that hot and steamy Cuban music at Jazz Jurassica. I could definitely waft into that, no problem.

Sophia Moseley

FOOD and drink stalls were set up along the length of Lyme Regis seafront on Saturday, including on Marine Parade (below) and - for the first time ever - on Gun Cliff Walk (above)

Friday, April 30 2021 11

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Councillor accused of victimising chairman of LymeForward in heated personal attack A TOWN councillor has been accused of “victimising” the chair of community interest company LymeForward.

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

ward, or that she was a member of the LymeForward Steering Group, with previous Sue Davies, chair of LymeForward, made correspondence from the council making it the accusations against Councillor Belinda clear that the Mayor, Cllr Brian Larcombe, Bawden during the public forum of last was the sole council representative on this week’s town council meeting. group.

Her comments were made in response to a She added: “The last time Cllr Bawden was report in the agenda, written by Cllr Bawden, invited to meet was on July 29 2020 and she who is the town council’s representative on responded by email that there was no need to LymeForward. meet.”

In her report, Cllr Bawden expressed conReferring to Cllr Bawden’s report, Ms cerns about a “lack of governance” and high Davies commented: “I have never been party turnover of volunteers, staff and directors at to the contents of this report and have had no LymeForward, which manages the foodbank input whatsoever. Furthermore, the first I and is involved in many other projects with knew of its contents was when my attention the aim of improving local services and the was drawn to it as I was specifically named wellbeing of the community. individually.

In response to the report, Ms Davies said “Since March 2020 when I took up the post she had been the subject of an “unremitting of chair at LymeForward CIC I have endured campaign of serious victimisation, intimida- and unremitting campaign of serious victimtion and persecution” by Cllr Bawden since isation, intimidation and persecution by Cllr taking over as chair in March 2020.

Bawden.

Cllr Bawden’s report to councillors read as “This has not only affected my reputation follows: “Much has been said about my con- but her actions have also had a grave effect cerns about the governance; lack of answers on LymeForward CIC and its ability to functo questions; high turnover of volunteers, tion as a Local Area Partnership. paid staff and directors in disturbing circum“I have evidence that clearly demonstrates stances; and lack of any meetings of the Ly- that her actions and behaviour fall well below meForward Steering Group or the Coastal the standards cited in the Lyme Regis Town Communities Team since Sue Davies took Council Code of Conduct for members. over as chairman.

‘Personally motivated attack’ “Questions were met with obfuscation or re“She has been nominated as a council repfusal to answer and mistaken or inaccurate claims have been made to others and, since resentative for both LymeForward CIC and Lyme Regis Development Trust since July the AGM on March 31, in public.”

Cllr Bawden went on to praise Ms Davies 2019, which has subsequently been extended and foodbank manager Sue Jones for their ef- until May 2021, despite many of my concerns forts in adapting the foodbank, for which Cllr being raised.

“Her campaign has been based on prolific, Bawden volunteered, during lockdown.

However, she added: “Once it was apparent covert, blind copying of emails to members of they were fully capable of running all aspects the public, including former staff and directors, Lyme Regis Develof the foodbank opopment Trust and other eration, I resigned as I have endured and uncouncillors. a volunteer due to the inconsistent and remitting campaign of serious “Several people have shared great concerns confusing managevictimisation, intimidation and about the information ment style. Other volunteers were also persecution by Cllr Bawden. being distributed about me and have sent copies experiencing similar This has not only affected my of evidence. problems and left.”

Cllr Bawden also reputation but her actions “This campaign has been personal and is serimade complaints have also had a grave effect ously motivated by her that she had not wish to denigrate mine been invited to varion LymeForward and LymeForward CIC’s ous LymeForward Sue Davies - Chair, Lyme Forward business activities.” meetings, despite Ms Davies was then interrupted by Cllr being the council representative and a member of the organisation, adding: “It seems se- Richard Doney, who said that the public forum should not be used to “mount personal lected members only are being invited.”

Lyme Regis Town Council currently pro- attacks on individual councillors” and there were other mechanisms in place for raising vides LymeForward with a grant of £10,000 a year. During a grant review meeting in such complaints.

The mayor added that Ms Davies had alSeptember 2020, Cllr Bawden claimed that Ms Davies was “unable to provide accurate ready spoken for her allocated three minutes. figures for use of the foodbank or answer sev- However, Ms Davies said she would speak for eral other questions and agreed to let us six minutes, as she was also speaking on behalf of fellow LymeForward director Lesley know subsequently”.

She said she raised these questions again at Jellyman.

The mayor said that if she wanted to speak another grant review meeting in March 2021, on behalf of someone else, councillors would but “most remained unanswered”.

Speaking during the public forum of last have to approve this, but Ms Davies argued week’s council meeting, Ms Davies first ad- that this had not been the case at previous dressed the claims that Cllr Bawden had not council meetings.

Cllr Michaela Ellis agreed, pointing out that been invited to certain meetings.

She said she was unaware that Cllr Bawden one regular speaker at council meetings often also spoke on behalf of his wife to allow him had been appointed as a representative of the Lyme Regis, Charmouth & Uplyme Coastal six minutes and the council had never had to Communities Team, managed by LymeFor- approve this.

“

Having been asked for his advice on the council meeting but did not respond at the matter, town clerk John Wright agreed that time. She has since sent the following statethe public forum was not the right place for a ment to LymeOnline: “I am humbled by the personal attack on an individual councillors fact that over 500 people voted for me in and suggested Ms Davies “concentrate on is- 2019 and, since then, I have worked tirelessly sues” and not anything personal. on behalf of the people of Lyme Regis, both Ms Davies replied: “What you have allowed educating myself as much as possible on is for a personal attack to take place and to be community-based solutions to the climate included in a report, and for myself to be and environmental crisis while supporting named in that report, and I am responding to residents through the community support rethat. sponse to COVID lockdown measures.

“There seems to be some inconsistencies “I am the council representative on several here because I’ve been named in a report and local organisations, co-founded the Dorset am not being allowed any redress.”

Climate Action Network and work on the NaThe mayor then tional Association of Local asked her again to Council's Climate Action Division and conflict are group. “stick to the point”.

Ms Davies replied: not the way forward. We “I also organised two To“The important thing tally Locally campaigns to now have the opportunity as encourage is to acknowledge people to supthere has been a longa council to get behind our port local independent standing, unremitting hard-working mayor and businesses; am running campaign of serious innovative community victimisation, intimipull together to provide real an engagement project with dation and perseculeadership as we face the the Royal College of Art, tion by Cllr Bawden.”

Planning SociCllr Doney objected challenges of the recovery Transport ety, Royal Town Planning again, adding: “This is from the pandemic.”

Institute and other major just continuing and stakeholders; and hope to Cllr Belinda Bawden it’s got to stop.” set up the Lyme Regis Car Ms Davies said that Cllr Bawden had written the report so she Club and bring electric bike rental hubs to the local area. had to refer to her in her response.

“Over the past year, concerns have been The mayor asked: “Can you please keep to the inaccuracy you believe is in the report and raised in several quarters about the management, governance and accountability of Lynot go into other things?”

Ms Davies said she had sent her response to meForward and, as the town council the council well in advance of the meeting representative for LymeForward, I have and asked for it to be included in papers dis- brought these issues to the attention of the tributed to members along with Cllr Baw- council. den’s report, but she had received no “The town council provides substantial pubresponse to this. lic funding to LymeForward and these conThe mayor replied: “With respect, Sue, you cerns must be properly investigated. have had the time and you’ve made your “At Thursday’s town council meeting I faced point very clearly about your concerns about criticism for doing that and allegations were the way in which the report outlines Ly- made about my actions which were totally meForward’s position.” misrepresented.

Ms Davies replied: “I am not happy with the “Division and conflict are not the way forway it’s been handled so I would like this to be considered further in terms of my re- ward. We now have the opportunity as a sponse, because I think there’s a number of council to get behind our hard-working inaccuracies and inconsistencies, and I think mayor and pull together to provide real leadI am being discriminated against, so I will re- ership as we face the challenges of the recovery from the pandemic and respond to the spond in writing.”

Two former LymeForward volunteers, and climate and environmental crisis.

“We must engage the community to work subsequent employees, Mary Ward and Lisa together to support each other, work with Charleton, then spoke on the matter.

They said that when they had worked for local businesses and community groups to LymeForward, Ms Davies had always been find solutions to our perennial traffic and “very adamant” that they should not speak to parking problems, and tackle social isolation Cllr Bawden or the mayor, but being inter- and economic uncertainty. ested in the work of the council and commu“As the members of LymeForward now nity, they held two meetings with Cllr need to address the concerns of that organiBawden anyway. sation, town council members also have to They commented: “The meetings were very decide their way forward. positive, she was very positive about Ly“I am unable to respond to the allegations meForward and never derogatory about Sue against me until I am told what they are. I am Davies. We never sensed there was ever any hugely saddened and distressed by the unanimosity.

“Belinda has always been very supportive necessary waste of time and energy that raising genuine concerns about LymeForward as and complimentary.”

They added that Cllr Cheryl Reynolds had the town council representative has entailed.

“Those who know me can vouch for me. For also attended one of these meetings to discuss community work, but Cllr Reynolds de- those choosing to believe the wild and inacnied that this was a formal meeting, curate allegations against me, simply for askcommenting: “It was a coffee and a chat and ing questions and reporting concerns, I will it was nothing to do with any formal busi- simply quote the irrepressible Ted Hastings ness.” in Jed Mercurio's 'Line of Duty': ‘When did Cllr Bawden was present at last week’s we stop caring about honesty and integrity?’”

“

axminsternews Zero-waste self service stations

12 Friday, April 30 2021

New-look Chamber of Commerce up and running in Axminster

THE rejuvenated Axminster Chamber of Commerce, under the new chairmanship of Cindy Furse, is wasting no time in creating a more proactive service for traders.

Just two weeks after its annual meeting when a new committee was formed, the chamber has already set up a new Facebook page.

The new committee met for the first time this week and looked at how it could build a more proactive and supportive chamber for businesses and industry across the town and surrounding parishes.

Cindy Furse said: "We have a lot to do, so we are spending the next few months looking at everything in fine detail before relaunching in the autumn.

"We will be asking lots of questions and trying to dig deep into what the town needs from the chamber to offer the best support and benefits to members and the wider community."

Urging traders and businesses to follow the Facebook page, Cindy Furse added: "We won’t be quiet over the coming months. We will be asking you all for input into our journey too, so please feel free to get in touch if you’d like to talk about anything chamber related."

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installed at Axminster newsagents AT a time when major supermarkets are still dipping their toes into the concept of product refill stations to cut plastic waste, a small family-owned Axminster store has boldly taken a big jump into the future.

The Axe News newsagents and general store in West Street has invested in a bank of zero waste self-serve stations where customers can load their own containers, or supplied paper bags, with products like pasta, pulses, nuts, seeds, flour and sugar.

And what’s more, Gurjeet Kaur Bains (pictured) and her family have plans to stock hand washes, shampoo, conditioners, a baby product range and even oat chocolate.

Installation of the refill stations marks the achievement of a long-held business ambition for Gurjeet who moved the business into its current premises after previously operating the neighbouring Axminster Post Office.

“When we moved here we found ourselves with a lot more space, so we asked people what they would like to see and this came very high on the list,” said Gurjeet.

“I did a lot of research and then along came the pandemic and everything had to be delayed. In going ahead now, we are applying strict hygiene measures with hand sanitiser available.

“We see it as a very important option to be able to offer in Axminster because there is no doubt that we all need to be a lot more conscious about what we are doing to the planet generally, and reducing consumption of needless plastic and food waste are ways in which we can all contribute.

“The early reaction from our customers has been very positive and we will certainly be extending our range.”

The refill stations allow customers to access as little or as much of a product as they wish into their own containers or into paper bags for individual weighing at the till.

Axminster Ladies helping young African footballer to fulfil dream of playing in UK A national network of hyperlocal news websites, now covering the Axminster & Seaton areas With editorial content provided by the team from LymeOnline

Visit our new websites at

axminster.nub.news and seaton.nub.news And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest local news

AXMINSTER Town Ladies are helping a Nigerian girl to fulfill her ambition of playing football in the UK. In Benin, Nigeria, Omorovbiye Aigbe has broken the mould in her community by being the only girl playing football with the boys.

She trains with Celestial FC as one of only three girls in the club.

Her greatest ambition is to come to the UK to play for a ladies team and “feel the buzz as we walk onto the pitch”.

But her chances of doing so are very slim as she meets the challenge of staying in education after the death of her parents. This will cost £600 plus accommodation and meals.

The Axminster Ladies are determined to turn this young women’s dream into a reality and has put out an appeal for help from local clubs. The Tigers have already made her their honorary international player and they have raised £150 so far and are sending a box of kit donated by their players out to Nigeria.

The initiative is being co-ordinated by fullback Nicola Weller, who has already been interviewed on BBC Radio Devon about the project.

The Axminster club has a video of Omorovbiye’s skills which show her playing in flip-flops. Nicola is hoping that her story will be picked up by a bigger club with an academy who might be able to bring her to the UK. Nicola told Nub News: “We might be ambitious but isn’t it ambition that drives of on every time we tie up our boots and walk out onto the pitch with our teammates? Limited opportunities shouldn’t stop ambition.”

Friday, April 30 2021 13

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ck!

Your favourite local paper is coming ba

The printed, fortnightly LymeOnline newspaper will be relaunched on Friday, May 14th 2021 You can pick up your FREE fortnightly copy of LymeOnline at local outlets including: Tesco Express Co-operative Lyme Regis Post Office Fortnam, Smith & Banwell

The Slipway Woodmead Halls Lyme Convenience Store Lyme’s Fish Bar

Charmouth Stores Uplyme Stores Tesco Axminster Raymonds Hill Post Office

The following areas will also receive door-to-door deliveries of the newspaper: Sidmouth Road, Blue Waters Drive, Somers Road, Upper West Hill Road, Highcliff Road, Coram Avenue, Timber Hill and Garmans Field.

If you would like to volunteer to deliver in your street, please call Philip Evans on 07796 951 991

A digital version of the newspaper will still be available to read on our website at lyme-online.co.uk/category/digital-edition

You can also subscribe to LymeOnline for £15 per six months to ensure fortnightly delivery To subscribe call Francesca Evans on 07810 221 420

14 Friday, April 30 2021

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Surveying the energy landscape through the greenhouse

HOW WILL OUR FUTURE ENERGY DEMANDS BE MET? SCIENCE FEATURE

by Professor Glenn Patrick

Professor Glenn Patrick is a particle physicist and science communicator who explores the quantum world of sub-atomic particles (including at the Large Hadron Collider) and now lives in Lyme Regis

I

T was recently reported that Dorset Council had not ruled out wind farms along our coastline. A previous proposal – the Navitus Bay project – for a wind farm of 194 turbines located on the bed of the English Channel, off the Dorset and Hampshire coast, was rejected by the government in 2015.

Of course, we already have a turbine gener-

ating green energy right here in Lyme Regis! This is the Town Mill hydro-electric system.

Whatever our views on the merits of large Dorset wind farms, it begs the question of how our future energy demands will be met in an era when we need to reduce the climate effects of fossil fuels?

In the northern hemisphere, new evidence of the effects of climate change appears on a regular basis with disappearing glaciers, new islands popping up from beneath diminished ice-caps and shrinking sea ice.

It is now widely understood that our climate problems have largely arisen from artificially adding greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, to the atmosphere. The largest share (50 per cent) of this CO2 comes from electricity and heat production and it makes sense to make this a priority.

This is set against the background of an increasing world population and the fact that fossil fuels are a finite resource which will eventually run out anyway, whatever we do about climate change.

The global temperature record shows that the average temperature has increased by 1 degree Celsius since the Industrial Revolution began. In November, the upcoming COP26 conference will again look at how we limit future warming to stay within the 1.5 degrees Celsius agreed in Paris back in 2015.

So, the question is, how do we provide enough sustainable energy for everyone on the planet?

There are some parts of the world which can produce virtually 100 per cent of their electricity and heat needs from natural sources. In Iceland, for example, hydro power generates 75 per cent of its electricity, whereas geo-thermal sources provide 100 per cent of space and water heating as well as 25 per cent of electricity.

The Orkney Islands were once dependent on fossil power stations delivering electricity by cable from the Scottish mainland, but these days 500 wind turbines and wave energy converters mean that enough power can be produced locally that some of it can even be exported.

These locations have obvious natural advantages, but what about the rest of us?

Wind farms have grown around the UK coast and play their part in renewable en-

A WIND farm in the North Sea

ergy. However, there are still issues that have resurfaced in the Dorset debate.

The visual impact of large turbines is clearly not acceptable in certain locations.

There is also the problem that the wind industry relies on rare-earth elements (such as neodymium) that must be mined to make the strong permanent magnets used inside the turbines. Then, of course, the wind does not always blow, and the power supply is intermittent.

Similarly, solar farms can take up large amounts of farmland, the photovoltaic cells depend on rare metals (like gallium and indium) and the Sun does not always shine in the UK meaning another intermittent supply.

The intermittency of wind and solar power would be resolved if we could easily store energy, but there is no battery technology capable of storing Giga Watts of energy. This means there remains a need for a reliable baseload and backup capacity if we are to always keep the lights on.

The power demand in the UK is about 45 Giga Watts. With the existing 15 nuclear power stations approaching their later years and with 14 due to be closed by the end of 2030, this has meant proposing new nuclear stations.

About 50km to the north of Lyme Regis, lies Hinkley Point C in Somerset – the first of these stations to start construction. Although nuclear energy is green in the sense that no carbon dioxide is produced, there are the obvious issues of nuclear waste, future nuclear fuels, and public perception.

In the media, nuclear waste often conjures up images of green, luminous liquid, but we are really talking about spent fuel rods.

These largely (95 per cent) resemble natural uranium as found in the Earth and this

cannot really be regarded as ‘waste’ – as it is still a potential energy source.

Natural uranium consists of two isotopes – U238 (99.28 per cent) and U235 (0.72 per cent) – but it is only the U235 that can be used in thermal reactors. This means that the natural uranium is often enriched to boost the U235 content to 3-5 per cent so that a chain reaction can be sustained.

It is this five per cent which undergoes fission and although the fission fragments are radioactive, they have relatively short halflives meaning that their radioactivity soon subsides.

It is the U238 which does not fission, but does capture neutrons to form the more troublesome transuranic – heavier than uranium – elements.

A good example is plutonium 239 which has a half-life of over 24,000 years! Only trace amounts of plutonium exist in nature, but like uranium it can undergo fission and can be used to fuel reactors.

Some countries reduce their waste problem by reprocessing the spent fuel to extract the uranium and plutonium to make new fuel. The remaining radioactive waste is then vitrified in a glassy state for long term storage.

About 90 miles across the English Channel from Lyme Regis lies the La Hague facility which has reprocessed enough fuel to power all of France’s reactors for 14 years.

The UK no longer reprocesses its fuel at Sellafield, so all the spent fuel is now regarded as waste. Nonetheless, the current inventory shows that the volume of highlevel waste (HLW) – the highest radioactive category - would fit inside an Olympic size swimming pool.

We could also avoid using uranium completely by burning thorium instead. This

has the advantage that it is three times more abundant than uranium (as abundant as lead) and inside a reactor can be converted to uranium 233.

Perhaps not surprisingly – with one of the world’s largest reserves – India is pursuing an ambitious programme based on thorium. The only UK reactor – called Dragon - to include thorium as fuel was built in Dorset at the Winfrith Atomic Energy Establishment, but this reactor shut down in 1976.

Finally, we could ditch the conventional thermal reactor completely and build an accelerator driven sub-critical reactor (ADSR). In this device, the neutrons are provided by a high intensity particle accelerator which means that there is no chain reaction and if the accelerator is switched off, the reactor shuts down safely.

There is also the advantage that an ADSR can use thorium as fuel and produces a minimal amount of plutonium and other transuranic waste.

China has just built a prototype high intensity accelerator which has achieved its design goals with the view to building a full facility by the end of the decade.

Our future energy programme is of national strategic importance. Finding the right mix of technologies that delivers not only the required energy, but also limits CO2 emissions over the required timescales is a huge challenge.

We cannot afford to put all our eggs in one basket as there is no single, perfect technology. Let us keep all our options open and include nuclear fission in the mix until our climate is under control or a ‘holy grail’ technology arrives like nuclear fusion.

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FLASHBACKS with Richard Austin

Friday, April 30 2021 15

Tales from behind the lens of our award-winning photographer

PHOTOGRAPHING the Duchess of Cambridge was a real treat; she was carrying her daughter Charlotte at the time with about five months to go before her birth.

Kate has got class and dignity in lorry loads; she’s considerate, chatty, especially with school children, and a beautiful smile just like her husband’s grandmother, Her

Majesty the Queen.

Here, Kate was visiting a school in London. I’ve been a photographer on the royal rota pass team on numerous occasions and her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, always had the loudest cheers and more smiles than any of the royals.

But Kate is up there with the looks and charisma, and it’s really great that she knows how a future Queen of our country should respect the family that she is very much part of.

The Duchess seems to have grown in popularity in recent months and this week celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary with Prince William.

You can view all of award-winning photographer Richard Austin’s previous ‘Flashbacks’ columns on the Blogs section of the LymeOnline website at www.lyme-online.co.uk/blogs/

16 Friday, April 30 2021

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ITEMS TO SELL?

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Please note this service is only for private sellers, not for commercial items, tradespeople or vehicles. Please include a brief description of your item, the cost and a telephone number where a buyer may contact you.

If you wish to advertise an item over £200 your advertisement will cost 10p per word, please email or phone us to arrange payment. Please also include your name and address, although this will not be published.

TENNIS RAQUET, Dunlop Max 27 with cover, £10 - 01297 443930.

SQUASH RAQUET, with cover, £10 - 01297 443930.

HOSTESS TROLLEY, Ekco ‘Royal’ heated hostess trolley, hardly used, with instruction book, £25 - 01297 443930.

SOFA, black faux leather, two seater, raiseable leg rest, good conditions, free 01297 443930.

TOY SCHOOL BUS, Fisher Price 192 with seven people in very good condition, £28 01297 442627.

TOY CAMPER VAN, Fisher Price, complete with extras, boat and seven people, very good condition, £30 - 01297 442627.

Email your items for sale to edit@lyme-online.co.uk or post details to LymeOnline, Unit 5 Uplyme Business Centre, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3DB. Free for any item up to £200.

Your name: .......................................................................................................................

Your address: .................................................................................................................. ...........................................................................................................................................

Telephone number: .........................................................................................................

Send this form to: Items For Sale, LymeOnline, Unit 5, Uplyme Business Centre, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS

Waiting and Kitchen Staff Vacancies Full and Part Time This is your opportunity to join a new, friendly and supportive team at the highly successful Tom’s Lyme Regis, where we enjoy one of the most spectacular sea-front working locations you will find.

We opened in December 2020 as a new family run business, and the feedback on the quality of our food and the standards of our customer service have been amazing.

As a result, we are now heavily booked out and are looking to expand our team and are especially looking forward to the chance to resume inside dining.

Under the leadership of our talented head Chef and Owner Tom Robinson we showcase stunning seafood and great local produce with a selection of premium fish, vegetarian and meat dishes. We will never compromise on quality or sustainability so our menus will change with the seasons.

We love to recreate classical dishes with a creative twist. Whether customers are looking for a relaxed breakfast with coffee and a croissant, a light fish lunch with a crisp white wine and a stunning sea view, or a special refined dinner experience with a glass of Castlewood sparkling wine, we have it covered.

As an employer we pride ourselves on supporting our team to be exceptional. We pay to recruit the best, provide individual training and development, and expect the high standards that our customers demand. We are a registered training establishment, with links and apprenticeship placements through Exeter catering college, and already four of our team have been promoted to reflect their individual development and contribution.

One of our real strengths as a family business is the extent to which we engage all of our team in exploring ideas to improve and grow. We are as interested in your development as we are in the growth of the business.

As a member of our team you will receive: development

● Individual training and ● A free meal on shift

● Free staff uniform ● 28 days holiday a year, plus and extra 5 days during our Christmas ● The opportunity to work with family friendly rotas where necessary

shutdown

We would love you to join us, so do check us out on our website www.tomslymeregis.com and then get in touch by CV to jobs@tomslymeregis.com

We are looking for staff starting in May 2021, opening 7 days a week including weekends and Bank Holidays Full time positions available for: Supervisor - £10 per hour Assistant Manager - £11 per hour Chef M-F - £11 per hour Payment Weekly Uniform Provided 50% Staff Discount Holidays 28 Days a Year All above 40 hours per week including weekends Email CV to store manager Leonie on watersedgelyme@gmail.com 19A Coombe Street, Lyme Regis

LymeOnline Sport

www.lyme-online.co.uk

April 30 2021

football

‘Fantastic’ Seasiders go top of the league LYME Regis 1sts rotated their squad from the last clash against Devon and Exeter Premier East division leaders Feniton, which ended in 2-2 draw, with Joe Bond, Dan Rendall, Kingsley Wellman and Mark Bailey dropping to the bench.

FRED Parsons who scored a superb goal in Lyme’s 3-2 injury-time victory to go top of the Devon and Exeter Premier East division against Feniton

In came Brad Rowe, fit again, Ben Vine, Tom Bastin and Rikki Sargent, a tactic which seemed to pay immediate dividends as Lyme dominated the early exchanges, testing the Feniton goalkeeper early on.

Brad Rowe, one of the inclusions, produced a moment of class with a sharp first touch, turn and volley in the tenth minute.

The action settled into an even and fast-flowing game with both teams looking dangerous and it was Feniton who drew level in the 30th minute in controversial circumstances.

The Feniton centre forward controlled the ball with his arm and, realising his mistake, speculatively smashed the ball home from 25 yards. Everyone, including the Feniton striker, expected the goal to be chalked off. There was no celebration from the goal-scorer, but bizarrely the ref awarded the goal to level the score at 1-1.

Feniton took the lead with a great goal from a counter-attack in the 60th minute, but the game was far

from over as Lyme rallied and created some big chances without capitalising on them.

Within ten minutes later the Seasiders were back on level terms when Fred Parsons produced a sublime nutmeg on the Feniton centrehalf before rolling the ball past the goalkeeper.

At this point the game really opened up and Brett Garner made some fine saves as Feniton threatened to catch Lyme on the counter.

Lyme were creating chance after chance and looked to have earner a penalty in the 80th minute only for the ref to give a free-kick in the edge of the area stating the first contact had happened outside the box.

Lyme continued to push and in the 92nd minute got their deserved reward when Rob Fellingham got forward in a rare burst and lay-off for Rendall to finish into the corner to scenes of wild celebration.

Lyme’s management duo of Julien Simier and Mark Batey were full of praise for the team’s all-round performance, saying: “It was a fantastic performance against much-fancied opposition and probably most impressive is the squad depth and the way all the subs reacted well and had big impacts on the game when needed.”

Tomorrow (Saturday) Lyme 1sts are away to Dawlish United who are sitting of the foot of the reset Devon and Exeter Premier East Division.

fenders at the back post.

Kieran Daniels, who was a constant thorn in the side of the Lympstone defenders once he moved out to the wing, won a second penalty of the day, which was put away confidently into the top corner by teenager Josh Daines, his seventh goal in four games.

The earlier penalty was taken by Jon Davies but saved by the Lymp-

stone keeper.

The Lyme second string, under the management duo of Matt Preece and Dec Ellis, have now won seven points from their last three games and have started to move up the Division One East table. Tomorrow (Saturday) they have a stern test at home (kick-off 3pm) against second placed East Budleigh.

Another win sees Lyme Reserves climb up the league LYME Regis Reserves faced a tough test against Devon and Exeter Division One East competitors Lympstone but they came through with flying colours and a 2-0 victory.

Lympstone don’t play football like a team sat rock-bottom of the league, and the Lyme players had to work incredibly hard and pull together to resist the pressure the

visitors managed to create from the kick-off.

Huge credit needs to go to late call-up Robbie Prior, who started in goal after Rob Harp injured himself in the warm-up, producing a number of crucial saves to keep a clean sheet.

A good header from an unlikely source opened the scoring with Rhys Evans towering above the de-

Friday, April 30 2021 18

SUPPORT THE SEASIDERS AT THE DAVEY FORT

Outside drinks available from 4.30pm cricket

Uplyme all set for start of the new season UPLYME and Lyme Regis Cricket Club start their 2021 season tomorrow (Saturday) with an away match against Sidmouth 2nds.

A rejuvenated Uplyme after their successful COVID-19 affected season will be playing in the Devon League D Division East.

Tomorrow’s 45-over game is being held on the Newton Poppleford wicket and Uplyme go into the game full of confidence following three victories in their four pre-season matches.

Their first home league match will be against Chardstock CC on Saturday, May 8 (1pm start).

Uplyme will also be playing in the first East Devon Bash T20 competition which is being jointly sponsored

by LymeOnline and Nub News.

Uplyme’s chairman Steve Batey has been pivotal in setting up the 20-over format league.

The club will also be going on a four-day tour to Cornwall in July, the first once since 1995.

Last season Uplyme won their tier mini-league attracting a crowd of more than 200 spectators to the final, unknown in local cricketing circles.

It was also the season in which Tyler Wellman hit three consecutive centuries, another unique achievement in local cricketing circles.

Look out for match reports in future editions of LymeOnline.

Swallows flying high UPLYME continued their brilliant form in the Perry Street League Spring Series with a high scoring 43 victory away to Drimpton.

Their goals were shared of Oscar Sladen and Marcus Symonds with two apiece.

Full report on lyme-online.co.uk

LymeOnline is published by Lyme Regis Media Limited Unit 5, Uplyme Business Park, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS Printed by Newsquest, Weymouth

Follow local sport 24/7 on our website www.lyme-online.co.uk