LymeOnline Digital Edition - February 19 2021

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Town councillors called out for ‘point scoring’ LYME Regis councillors have been called out for “point scoring” and bickering by a member of the public.

The comments were made this week by Nigel Ball, who regularly listens in on town council meetings, before councillors descended into another row over whether or not to pay off a loan from Dorset Council, during which one member accused the mayor of “hogging the meeting”.

REPORT, PAGE 4

Continuing to support the local community

Where’s all that French sand gone?

■ THE beach in Lyme Regis is said to be at its lowest level in years after stormy weather swept away large amounts of sand, leaving a steep ridge and stoney ledges. Tonnes of French sand were imported to cover the beach as part of the coastal protection works completed in 2007 and the beach levels are expected to change with the tides throughout the year. This is usually rectified with regular dredging and reprofiling works, with sand taken from the harbour to replenish the beach.

See page 5 for full story

Keep our housing local

THE Lyme Regis Community Support group, set up to help residents through the pandemic, plans to continue its work as a charitable organisation even after COVID-19.

The group is in the process of changing into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with five trustees, so it can continue to offer services when the current pandemic is over.

REPORT, PAGE 2

COVID-19 cases falling

LOCKDOWN restrictions are making an impact in Dorset, with confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalisations continuing to fall, including case numbers in the Lyme Regis area.

REPORT, PAGE 3

COUNCILLOR LAUNCHING PETITION ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES TOWN councillor Cheryl Reynolds is launching a petition in an attempt to address the lack of affordable housing in Lyme Regis.

Cllr Reynolds said she will be petitioning Dorset Council to make an exception in its housing allocation policy. She will ask for the social housing stock still managed by housing associations in Lyme Regis to be made available to people who live in the town only, and not to those who move from other areas of Dorset.

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk Plans for the petition were raised during a town council discussion on Dorset Council’s draft Local Plan, which outlines strategy for the growth Dorset needs, for development in suitable places, for community services including schools, retail, leisure and community facilities, and for the appropriate character and quality of development.

Once adopted, the plan will guide decisions on

planning applications in Dorset until 2038.

Cllr Reynolds said planning policies and decisions in rural areas were supposed to reflect local needs and support strong, healthy and vibrant communities.

“But what happens when there is nowhere left to build?” she asked.

“What happens when a lot of the housing stock has been sold off and the allocation policy allows people from other areas to take houses that are available? I will tell you what happens - an awful

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Community support group to continue work after pandemic THE Lyme Regis Community Support group, set up to help residents through the pandemic, plans to continue its work as a charitable organisation even after COVID-19.

The group was set up in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK and an army of more than 90 volunteers quickly stepped forward to support their neighbours.

The volunteers have carried out a huge variety of tasks for some of the town’s most vulnerable residents, from grocery shopping, collecting prescriptions and arranging transport to hospital appointments, to walking dogs, clearing ponds, having socially-distanced chats with those suffering from loneliness and even arranging a telegram from the Queen for a 100th birthday. They also delivered free Christmas Day lunches to those in need.

The group, which now has 35 regular volunteers, has worked with local medical centres, pharmacies and social prescriber Jo Ellis.

Cllr Cheryl Reynolds - one of the driving forces behind the group - reported on the work of the organisation at a recent meeting of the town council’s Tourism, Community & Publicity Committee.

She said they were now in the process of changing the voluntary group into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with five trustees, so it could continue to support and offer services to Lyme Regis residents even when the current pandemic is over.

Cllr Reynolds said: “We have been so grateful to Lyme Regis Town Council staff for all our admin assistance and especially to Adrianne

and Kerry for advising and keeping our spreadsheets up-todate, and to Mark Russell and Naomi for looking after our grant money. We couldn’t have done it without them.

“We worked with Sue Davies from LymeForward/Foodbank, Chris Tipping of Lyme Regis Development Trust, Jo Ellis from Lyme Bay Medical Practice, and our mayor Brian Larcombe to produce a Christmas card for every resident with all of the organisations’ information on a sheet enclosed, and an offer of a Christmas lunch.

“It was amazing for our volunteers to work on Christmas Day, delivering the meals to grateful residents. Thanks here must go to Dominik Moldenhauer from Dom’s Table, Ali Finklwort and Tara Webb for producing such a wonderful Christmas meal.

“Our 20-foot Christmas tree donated to the Town Mill was for everyone to enjoy and especially the children who were invited to make a Christmas decoration and enter a competition with prizes to try and cheer them up at this time of year.

“Everything was socially distanced and the competition was kindly judged by Dorothy

Wood and my granddaughter Lillie, as it was her tree grown from a six inch tree 20 years ago.

“Since Christmas we have been supplying soup kindly made by Ali McLoughlin, Lyn Martin, Harriett Mansell and Tara Webb every two weeks and being delivered by our volunteers to residents.

“None of this could have been done without everyone working together and I hope this report goes some way to keep you up-to-date with what we do and to thank all our brilliant volunteers and all the people that have helped us to achieve this very worthwhile service that we will be able to continue. Thank you everyone.”

If you require any help or support during the pandemic, call Cheryl Reynolds on 01297 443814.

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COVID-19: The latest on local figures and vaccines

Lockdown making an impact in Dorset as COVID cases decrease

LOCKDOWN restrictions are making an impact in Dorset, with confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalisations continuing to fall.

According to the latest data released last Friday, there were 555 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the seven-day period up until February 12, compared to 785 in the last update on February 5, and 989 in the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) area, compared to 1,462 the previous week.

The case rate per 100,000 people was 146.6 in the Dorset Council area, compared to 369.8 on February 5, and 250.2 in the BCP area, compared to 369.8 the previous week.

There are currently 269 COVID-19 patients in hospital beds in Dorset, compared to 386 on February 5.

Up to February 7, 201,211 doses had been administered to people in Dorset.

A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: “Confirmed cases and hospitalisations have continued to fall across Dorset, which shows that the national lockdown restrictions are having an impact.

“Whilst this is good news, it’s important to remember that these figures have been falling from a very high level so there is still a way to go. For comparison, we still have higher case rates than when we went into the second lockdown in November.

“We really need every single person in

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk

Dorset to play their part in bringing cases down to a low level.

“The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has fallen to 269 from a peak of 552 on January 19. This is positive, but there are still many people needing hospital treatment and our health and care services continue to be very busy.

“Figures released by NHS England showed that almost one third of all patients who have needed hospital treatment for COVID since the pandemic began were admitted last month.

“Hospitals across the country treated a total of 242,307 patients who were confirmed to have COVID last year. That compares with 101,956 in January 2021.

“During the lockdown, we have the opportunity to work together to improve the situation in Dorset as much as we possibly can.

“Please continue to stay at home and only go out if it really is essential. Every time you leave home unnecessarily, the virus gets more chances to spread.

“Follow the hands, face, space rules, even if you’ve had the vaccine, and please remember if you or anyone you live with develops any symptoms of COVID-19, you must all self-isolate at home.

“Only leave home to get tested and con-

tinue self-isolating until you get the result.”

COVID-19 cases numbers in Lyme Regis, Charmouth and the Marshwood Vale have remained relatively low this week.

In the seven-day period until February 12, there were four confirmed cases in the area – decrease of one on the previous week.

Neighbouring Uplyme, Kilmington and Colyton has also seen cases drop to four, a decrease of five on the previous week.

Axminster had eight cases, an decrease of four; Seaton had fewer than three cases; Burton Bradstock & Chideock had fewer than three cases, as did Bridport North; and Bridport South & West Bay had three cases, a decrease of one on the previous week.

No coronavirus related deaths were recorded in the Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Marshwood Vale area between March and December 2020, but there were two recorded in December in Uplyme, Kilmington and Colyton. This data is expected to be updated to include January’s figures on February 25.

You can find out more details on COVID case numbers in your local area at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ Bridport Medical Centre has now vaccinated more than 12,000 patients from across Bridport, Beaminster, Charmouth and Lyme Regis, with two clinics being held a week.

Coastguards search for possible unexploded bomb LYME Regis Coastguards were called out to a possible unexploded bomb on East Cliff Beach on Wednesday but were unable to find the object.

The initial sighting of the suspected ordnance was reported via social media on Tuesday, and coastguards were called out to investigate below Black Ven at 12.48pm on Wednesday.

The team searched for one and a half hours in the driving rain but were unable to locate the suspect item. This is likely to be because of the elapsed time and the storm in the intervening time.

If you see or find something on the coast that causes you concern, call 999 or 112 immediately and ask for the coastguard. Posts on social media are not monitored by the emergency services.

If you suspect that an object might be dangerous, retreat to a safe position beforehand. The coastguard or police will always come out to meet you to get further details.

■ Emergency services were scrambled on Thursday morning after a red flare was spotted in Charmouth.

Lyme Regis Coastguards were alerted to a sighting of red distress smoke and a possible person cut off by the tide at 10.23am.

They called Lyme Regis lifeboat at 10.30am and they were on the scene within 15 minutes. Beer Coastguards and the search and rescue helicopter from St Athan in south Wales also attended.

The helicopter and lifeboat searched the shoreline for any persons in the water or any vessel in distress, while the coastguard teams accessed the beach as far as they could safely do so.

The coastguard team found a large 'man overboard marker' from a ship which had been at sea for some time, which may have omitted the smoke. The 'casualty' was a local fossil hunter and he found to be was safe.

He was also able to confirm that the 'man overboard' marker let off the smoke, as it was smashed against the cliff by the action of the sea.

As the fossil hunter was safe and the cause of the smoke thought to be explained, all units were stood down.

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Councillors called out for bickering before descending into another row over finances LYME Regis councillors have been called out for “point scoring” and bickering by a member of the public.

The comments were made by Nigel Ball, who regularly listens in on town council meetings, at this week’s virtual Strategy & Finance Committee meeting.

He said: “I don’t expect every time I come to these meetings on Zoom – this is the third time and I hope it won’t happen tonight – to find councillors having a go at each other. They should have respect for other councillors and the public.

“You were elected to get on with the town’s business, not gain points from each other. You know who you are and we have a lot of business to get on with.”

Mr Ball said he intended to keep his video switched on throughout the virutal meeting and would raise his hand if councillors descended into argument, which has become commonplace during recent Zoom calls.

Mr Ball did have reason to raise his hand later in the meeting, as councillors argued over if and how they should repay an outstanding loan to Dorset Council.

Lyme Regis Town Council initally took out a £500,000 loan from the now-defunct West Dorset District Council in 2010 for the refurbishment of the Marine Parade shelters.

Repayments are now made to Dorset Council, which replaced the district council, with £187,500 still outstanding.

Annual repayments of the loan currently cost the town council £37,500 but finance officer Mark Russell brought a report to this week’s meeting suggesting a way in which the council could save money on repayments.

The report suggested that the council could take a new loan from the Public Works Loan

FRANCESCA EVANS

francesca@lyme-online.co.uk Board for the outstanding £187,500 and pay off Dorset Council in one lump sum, for which there would be no early exit fees.

With an interest rate of 0.97 per cent, the annual repayments to the Public Works Loan Board would be £32,250, saving the council £5,250 a year over the six-year life of the loan.

Town clerk John Wright said it was the duty of officers to bring these low interest rates and potential savings to the attention of councillors, but the idea of taking the loan split the opinion of members.

Cllr Cheryl Reynolds said she did not understand why the council would consider taking out a loan when it currently had more than £800,000 in its own reserves and could pay back the initial loan to Dorset Council from this.

Mr Wright said reserves at the end of the financial year in March were expected to have reduced to £620,000, as the council always paid out more money than it brought in at this time of year.

He also reminded councillors that they had previously agreed to increase reserves to a target level of £850,000 before committing to any further major expenditure, and paying back the loan from their own coffers would go against this policy.

This policy was made in late 2020 after the council’s reserves took a major hit due to the unexpected costs of the coronavirus pandemic, and a £650,000 project to resurface the flat roof area above Marine Parade.

Mr Wright said that, while it was likely Lyme Regis would enjoy another successful summer season this year, the council should still act cautiously in case of further COVID-19 restrictions.

Cllr John Broom said the council should be concentrating on collecting its debts rather than taking out a new loan, asking: “Why should we be borrowing money and letting people have debts with us.”

Cllr Michaela Ellis, however, said that taking the loan from the Public Works Loan Board to benefit from the savings was “common sense” and she proposed that they go ahead.

Cllr Belinda Bawden agreed, saying that this year was “too uncertain” to consider paying back the loan to Dorset Council from their own reserves and it made sense to take the new loan to benefit from the lower interest rates.

Loan repayment ‘already in sight’ The Mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr Brian Larcombe MBE, questioned whether there would be any penalty charge for early repayment of the Public Works Loan Board, adding that the council did not want to be “saddled with it for six years” when the current loan with Dorset Council was “already in sight of complete repayment”.

Finance officer Mr Russell said the Public Works Loan Board would not disclose the early repayment charges at this stage.

The mayor said that the council had “far more room for optimism” this year, having lost out on a lot of income in spring 2020 due to the pandemic, and a continued lockdown throughout summer was “not realistic”.

He beleived that the council could have £1.5million in reserves by this time next year, when it would be able to pay off the Dorset Council loan in full from its own funds.

Cllr Kelsey Ellis agreed with the town clerk that they should act cautiously, saying no one knew how the coronavirus pandemic was going to play out or how this would affect the council’s finances.

“We don‘t know what’s around the corner so

maybe this is something we look at again in six months’ times,” she said.

The mayor argued that the council should manage risks, but should not be “overly risk averse”.

“We cannot take a managment of risk to the nth degree when it actually costs us real money,” he added.

The town clerk objected to the mayor’s comments, saying the council had made a policy to act cautiously with its finances after a difficult year and Cllr Larcombe was now disregarding previous discussions.

After a protracted debate, Cllr Michaela Ellis accused the mayor of “hogging the meeting” and repeating his own arguments rather than allowing others to speak.

“Out of respect you need to let other speak when their hand is up,” she added.

The mayor said he always gave everyone the opportunity to speak, adding that he’d “had enough” of arguments with Cllr Ellis.

Cllr Ellis replied: “You are speaking after every person again, which always happens and this is why the meetings go on so long. You want to get your point across and you’re talking after everybody.”

Cllr Larcombe: “That is part of the function of mayor and chair and you would know that.

Please don’t interupt again in the way you are.”

Mr Ball then raised his hand but was told he could not speak as he was not a council member.

Mr Ball continued regardless: “I told you at the start of the meeting why I would raise my hand and it’s starting again. Stop it, everybody.”

It was eventually agreed to revisit the loan situation in October when the council had a better idea of the COVID situation and the affects on its finances.

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Beach-goers warned to stay away from cliffs after rock fall in Charmouth COASTGUARDS have warned the public to stay away from cliffs in the Charmouth area, following a large rock fall on Monday.

Lyme Regis Coastguards were called to reports of a large cliff fall to the east of Charmouth at 11.46am.

On arrival at the scene, it was found a section of the cliff had fallen, with other many areas of the cliff continuing to crumble and fall.

The team placed warning signs in the vicinity and warned the public that were in the immediate area.

They warned: “Please do not climb these cliffs or walk too close to them. The recent cold snap followed by the milder weather and the rain, significantly increases the risk of cliff falls and landslides.

“These collapses will happen without warning, so please be vigilant and stay safe.”

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, which is currently closed due to the national lockdown, has also taken to social media to warn against walking or fossil hunting near the cliffs, adding that the beach was noticeably busier due to the half term break.

The centre added: “At present please follow all coastguard advice regarding beach safety, and do not attempt to cross any cordon barriers.

“Always stay well away from the cliffs if you are out walking, but perhaps consider an inland daily walk over the next few days.”

You can find more safety advice on the Charmouth heritage Coast Centre website at https://charmouth.org/chcc/

Stormy weather sees sand depleted

CHARMOUTH Heritage Coast Centre shared this photo on Twitter, saying the beach was noticeably busier during half term despite warning from coastguards

THE stormy weather has left a steep ridge on Lyme’s sand beach, which is thought to be at its lowest level for years (photo by Jeanne Goodridge)

STORMY weather and high tides made a big impact on Lyme Regis beach last weekend.

The rough seas have taken away a large amount of sand and left a steep ridge on the town’s main beach.

Sharing photos on social media, Dorset councillor Daryl Turner said the sand levels were the lowest he had seen since the

coastal protection works saw the beach completely revamped in 2007, topped with imported French sand.

The stormy weather has exposed red brick below the stone jetty and ledges on the beach.

The beach is expected to be levelled out later in the year as part of regular re-profiling works.

THE tide has exposed ledges on Lyme’s sandy beach (photo by Jeanne Goodridge)

6 Friday, February 19 2021

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

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philip@lyme-online.co.uk

Don’t let Jackie Weaver stop you I

N a long career in journalism I’ve covered local government from the smallest parish meeting in Devon to the first time the BNP won a seat on Tower Hamlets Council in East London, a story that made all the national papers.

I hate to think how many hours I have sat on the press bench at local council meetings. It’s probably thousands.

With the demise of so many local papers, reporters are a rare sight at council meetings. In recent times, in a bid to ensure the public knows what goes on at their town hall, the BBC agreed to the financing of what is known as Local Democracy Reporters who are assigned to regional newspapers, but with a brief to provide their reports to all media, including outlets such as LymeOnline.

This works to a degree but the Local Democracy Reporters work at county and district level in this part of Dorset and don’t attend the parish and town councils that govern small towns.

That is the home of real community journalism and much of what happens goes unreported. Not in Lyme Regis, however. We attend every council meeting (by Zoom or otherwise) and I defy anyone to find a town as small as Lyme that gets a more comprehensive coverage of its council affairs.

It won’t surprise you that there are occasions when some councillors wish we were not there to report their more controversial utterances.

Actually, an unexpected benefit of lockdown for the press is reporters being able to sit in on meetings conducted by Zoom and record proceedings which enables us to cover two meetings at once. Uplyme and Lyme councils often clash.

Most councillors can’t wait to return to the days when they met in public but there is a

train of thought that advocates more meetings via video links because it may encourage more council tax payers to take a greater interest in local affairs, and it may even encourage more youngsters to seek election.

I must admit that not all meetings are so entertaining as Handforth Parish Council, when the chairman and vice-chairman were thrown out of the Zoom meeting after an astonishing display of anger and insults, by an official of Cheshire Local Councils Association, Jackie Weaver, who had been brought in to sort out the village’s dysfunctional council.

The video of this extraordinary clash went viral with Jackie Weaver becoming an overnight sensation. Just watching the indignation of those she was banning from the meeting became compulsive viewing for people like me who have witnessed many instances of bad behaviour from those who should know better.

Just imagine how many are going to try and register on Zoom at future meetings of Handforth Parish Council, and it will be interesting to see if the irate members who have made such a fool of themselves will recover their decorum. he former borough council in Lyme had a reputation for fiery meetings long before I started covering them in the 1960s. Such was the council reputation that very often four or five reporters would attend the meetings, including the Bridport News (no Lyme edition is those days), Pulman’s Weekly News, the Dorset Echo and the Western Morning News.

Today LymeOnline is the sole occupier of the press bench.

It’s written in the folklore of Lyme council that back in the day, probably in the early sixties when there was a huge argument in town about whether Lyme should become part of East Devon, that the macebearer Goosey Gollop was asked to eject Mrs Cracknell from the

T

meeting. As Mr Gollop stepped forward, Mrs Cracknell, the type of lady not to be trifled with, threatened to hit him with her handbag so he thought better of it a took a step back.

As readers of this column well know, there have been a few skirmishes in the council chamber in recent years. On two occasions in recent times, town clerk John Wright had to warn councillors that their behaviour was in danger of bringing the council into disrepute.

That was quite a brave thing to do since the councillors are his boss. ur current crop of councillors are nowhere where near so stroppy as some of their predecessors, although one or two do have their moments from time to time. Of course, it makes good copy for us and we are often accused of stirring the pot, but we record every meeting and some of them make very uncomfortable listening.

It’s a long time since I have witnessed such appalling behaviour as we saw when the meeting of Handforth Parish Council went viral. It was, of course, hugely amusing as bigoted middle-aged men ranted and raved at officer jackie Weaver but she handled them brilliantly.

This was hardly a good example to show to would-be councillors at a time when the National Association of Local Councils are trying to encourage more people to become involved in local government.

I am not pretending for one moment that Lyme council ever acts in such a disturbing manner as Handforth Parish Council, but I do know three or four people who have considered standing for election to Lyme Regis Town Council but have thought twice about it due to the personal feuds that dominate council proceedings from time to time. One of those has had previous experience of serving on a council which controls a much bigger parish than Lyme.

Lyme may be going to the polls in May to fill

O

a vacancy caused by former councillor Leon Howe, who lost his seat after going six months without attending a meeting. It left me wondering whether Leon, one of the youngest councillors in the history of the council, may well have been put off by some of these clashes. I hope that was not the case.

In fact there may be two vacancies becoming available, as I have it on good authority that one other councillor may well be standing down at the same time. I hope those thinking of putting themselves forward for election will not be put off by the continual clashes in the Guildhall.

I have written before about the necessity of councillors to pull together to get Lyme through these difficult days and forget about point scoring. They can continue their personal battles when this is over in the usual cut and thrust of council debate. t a council meeting held by video conferencing this week, Nigel Ball, a regular attender at meetings who often speaks during the public forum, took up this issue of councillors “having a go at each other” (see page 4), saying they should have respect for each other’s views.

He told them bluntly: “You were elected to get on with Lyme’s business, not gain points from each other.”

Later in the meeting, after further clashes, Mr Ball interrupted the proceedings by saying: “It’s started again. Stop it, everybody.”

I can assure you Mr Ball is not the only person who follows council affairs that thinks like this.

The Lyme council has done well to gets its reserves back to a very healthy level and it is expected that the town will have a good summer with rumours that holiday lets are running out fast in July and August.

Is it too much to ask councillors to take note of what Mr Ball is saying until all this is behind us?

A

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TWO columns ago I recalled some of the fun times enjoyed by my generation at the Pilot Boat Inn. Such memories came flooding back following the death of Margaret Vincent, who I described as the “last grand landlady of Lyme”.

I was accorded the privilege by Margaret’s family of delivering the eulogy at her funeral when numbers were restricted to just 15.

Because so few were able to attend due to the lockdown restrictions, we agreed to publish the eulogy on the LymeOnline website where it was seen by those who would have packed the parish church.

Margaret was the public face

of the Pilot. She was the one who made a grand entrance and boy, did she know how to make an entrance - every evening where she ruled the waves in the back bar dressed to the nines.

But it was her husband, jovial Jack Vincent, who called the shots. Jack was not a man to court publicity - that was Margaret’s domain.

Apart from a couple of holidays out of season every year, Jack rarely stepped outside the Pilot.

He was an astute businessman and was not one for touring around the other pubs, even when it was less busy.

But the other landlords often called on Jack, the guv’nor of Lyme’s pub life.

Jack had a wicked sense of humour and was often the originator of many practical jokes, especially on his fellow landlords and some of his more, how shall we say, trying clientele.

Margaret was always trying to fix me up with dates, some of whom were not the prettiest girls in town. He got great pleasure in watching me try to worm my way out of the arrangements Margaret had already made.

I had never seen a photo of Jack so I am indebted to a former customer at the Pilot, Lord of The Manor of Axminster, Jim Rowe, for this one of Jack sharing a joke behind the bar.

Jack welcomed us all with the immortal “Ho, Ho, Ho”.

Happy days.

Jovial Jack Vincent

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‘Lyme needs to be made an exception for our future generations’, says councillor CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE lot of bad feeling.

“How about we ask for an exception for Lyme Regis, for the social housing that is still maintained by housing associations to be an exception site for people that live here and their children, and their children’s children?

“I intend to get a petition, to be signed by everyone I can get to sign it, to take to Dorset Council to make Lyme an exception and change the allocation policy for us. We are an exception.

“I know this is a big ask but we have proved through this pandemic that we can work together to achieve what we need. Let’s do this and show Dorset what we really need and make people listen for the sake of our future generations.

“I want us to take this forward into the Local Plan and also to turn up at Dorset Council and tell them just what I think, because I know it’s what an awful lot of other people think too.”

The Mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr Brian Larcombe MBE, acknowledged the issues surrounding affordable housing but said he would like to stress the importance of connectivity and access to essential services in responding to the Local Plan.

“Lyme is a very small town and we’re 30 miles equally distanced to any large town with all the really important essential services, particularly for health, the large supermarkets are 10 miles away,” he said.

“I think it’s important that we do give a response on this because a Local Plan is not just about housing, it’s about everything accompanies it.”

In particular, Cllr Larcombe said it was important to stress the need for improved connectivity to broadband, road and rail links, centres of employment, health and essential services.

“Otherwise we could become a bit of rural backwater, even though we don’t feel that we are, because of the distance to these things,” he added.

Cllr Bawden said the Local Plan “completely disregarded” Dorset Council’s own policy and strategy on the climate and ecological emergency and it was also important to raise this.

Returning to the issue of affordable housing, Cllr Reynolds said: “We may be interested in the connectivity and everything else, but I’m looking at all the people that have to move out of Lyme to find somewhere to live because we have loads of people that come from other places and take the social housing.

“We need to ensure that this point is brought forward to the Local Plan, no matter what anybody says.”

Cllr Larcombe replied: “We don’t have any land left to build on and don’t have a great deal to offer in employment except for a very low wage economy of seasonal work, so it’s important that we get the connectivity, that people in Lyme can get to places of work and all those essential services.”

He added that it was also important to consider Lyme’s above average elderly population and high dependence on seasonal tourism, which he said “has big bearing on the kind of environment we live in and work in”.

The mayor also said it was important to consider Lyme’s proximity to the Devon border.

“I think it’s important that whatever’s in Dorset’s Local Plan has some bearing or some relationship to the common areas of East Devon because increasingly people are going just over the border to find the things that they need,” he said.

“What happens in Axminster is as important to us as it is to Axminster residents, this has to be part of a whole picture.”

Returning to her original point once again, Cllr Reynolds asked: “Do none of you agree with me that we’re an exception here? And that we have to make our exceptions clear and not be thinking about the rest of Dorset but Lyme Regis first, before we think about anything else?”

Some councillors suggested that this was not the right time in the Local Plan consultation process to raise Cllr Reynolds’ suggestion.

She said: “Regardless of what the council does I am going to get a petition started and I am going to take it to Dorset Council. You can say what you like about this plan but that’s what I feel and I feel really strongly about it.”

Cllr Michaela Ellis also argued that they should raise the issue of affordable housing now, commenting: “If we do not get made an exception site we are going to find that the age of this town goes up and up and up and there will be nothing left for anybody else because the young people will all

have had to move away for housing, and if they move away for housing a lot of them will move away for jobs.”

Later in the meeting, focus turned to the large proportion of second homes in Lyme Regis, with Cllr Ellis saying there were “too many” and “that’s what’s causing our local children not being able to afford anything and having to move out of the town”.

The mayor argued that if all the second homes in the town were put on the market, local young people would still not be able to afford them because the demand exceeded the supply, meaning property prices in Lyme Regis “would always be out of reach”.

“I don’t think in all honesty that youngsters in Lyme will be able to get the kind of job that pays the money to pay a mortgage,” he added.

Cllr Reynolds said his comments were “ridiculous” and not true.

Cllr Ellis replied: “They could afford a mortgage because they’re paying more in rent if they’re in private in rent, and I know many that are, than they would in monthly mortgage repayments, but they don’t have the money to put down for a deposit on a house because they can’t save while renting.”

Cllr Reynolds added: “And they can’t get into social housing because it’s given to people from outside of Lyme.”

Councillors’ comments on affordable housing and other issues were noted as part of their response to the consultation on Dorset Council’s Local Plan.

During the meeting, Cllr Bawden complained that the consultation was only open until March 15 and this was not long enough, especially during a national lockdown.

Is Local Plan consultation ‘democratically-limited’?

By Local Democracy Reporter Trevor Bevins

Cllr Bawden’s comments were echoed by Cranborne and Alderholt councillor David Tooke at a virtual meeting of Dorset Council this week.

He suggested that the consultation was a “democratically limited” process and should be postponed until later in the year when face-to-face meetings might be possible and the council could arrange roadshows.

“The current Local Plan consultation strategy largely relies on people having access to, and sufficient familiarity and experience with, the internet,” he said.

“Whilst there are copies lodged with local libraries people need to be able to book, collect, read and return these in a short space of time.

“Given the three-week loan period it’s likely that each copy will only be read by two, or at most three people, in the time available.

“Many people are suffering extreme hardship and stress, many juggling home working whilst having to home educate children, many battling with grief, or loss of their livelihood.

“A great number of people do not have access to online facilities or are simply unable to engage with it. This is not the time to be conducting a public consultation when a large number of local residents are unable to participate.”

Planning brief holder Cllr David Walsh argued that a lack of internet access and the pandemic restrictions should not stop people taking part in the exercise.

He said: “Around 90 per cent of residents have internet access and are therefore fully able to take part in the consultation online. There is no requirement in legislation to make individual hard copies available. Planning regulations were amended in response to the pandemic to remove the requirement for even inspection hard copies to be available.

“But, in the best interests of all our residents and to ensure no-one is excluded from taking part, we have planned for those who are not online. This includes the library copies, and we are making more copies available to those libraries where demand is greater. The libraries can also arrange delivery if people are unable to collect a copy.”

Cllr Walsh said the council had paid for social media advertising, arranged online webinars that can be accessed via the telephone and watched at any time, as well as podcasts and a dedicated telephone line for people who would like to speak to planning officers and discuss anything to do with the plan.

Friday, February 19 2021 7

How to have your say

COUNCILLOR Cheryl Reynolds - championing affordable housing for local people He continued: “Delaying the consultation would have a major impact on the programme for preparing the local plan and would be an extremely high-risk strategy… all of our currently adopted local plans are more than five years old, and we do not have any parts of the council area that have both a five-year land supply and sufficient housing delivery in the last year to pass the ‘housing delivery test’.

“This means that we currently have less control over the development that takes place in our area, until we can adopt an up to date plan that allocates enough land to meet our development requirements. Therefore, it is vitally important for us to avoid any delay in preparing the plan.

“In short, waiting for the pandemic to blow over and everything to get back to normal is simply not an option for us.”

THE consultation is now available online at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dorset-councillocal-plan For people who don’t have access to the plan online there are paper copies available for loan at libraries through their click and collect service. There are also displays in windows of empty shops, libraries and Tourist Information Centres in some town centres.

There will also be a phone line that people can call to ask questions. This number will be available Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm on 01305 252500.

A series of webinars will allow people to phone in and listen to, or view presentations about various sections of the plan. Once published, the webinars will be available to view at any time on Dorset Council’s YouTube channel.

Questions can be submitted in advance for the team to answer either as part of the webinar or afterwards. The council will aim to respond to all questions asked to each webinar on our webpage no later than two weeks afterwards.

There are also bespoke surgeries for particular groups and town and parish councils available upon request.

A series of animations and podcasts have been developed to help explain the Dorset Council Local Plan. These can be found through Dorset Council’s social media channels or on the podcast platform Anchor.

The consultation closes on March 15 2021.

The plan will go through several phases and will include a further chance for feedback on the ‘soundness’ of the plan. It will also be scrutinised by the planning inspectorate before its adoption.

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Fascinating Feathers 8 Friday, February 19 2021

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WHY DORSET BIRDS MAY NOT BE THE COLOUR YOU THINK

O

VER the last weekend of January, the 42nd Big Garden Birdwatch took place. This is an annual citizen science project organised by the RSPB when we are asked to record the birds visiting our gardens in one hour.

I have to say, I am usually a bit disappointed with my results as the wildlife always seems to suddenly desert my garden during my chosen hour.

No matter, even for a novice like me, Dorset offers a wonderful array of birdlife to observe through the rest of the year - from large birds of prey down to the tiny goldcrest.

Living by both coast and countryside and with the Seaton Wetlands on our doorstep, there is even the opportunity to spot rare species migrating from distant shores.

One of the striking features about our local birds is the variety of colours on display, ranging from red-breasted robins to the vibrant multi-colours of the kingfisher. This raises the question of how are the colours made and why do they vary so much?

The shades and tones that birds and animals display on their fur, skin or feathers are often due to the food that they eat and the pigments they contain.

For example, flamingos get their pink colour from eating shrimps, which contain a pink pigment called canthaxanthin. Zoos even stop flamingos from turning grey in captivity by adding a synthetic version of the pigment to their diet.

Other birds and animals can produce shades of brown, black, or grey using their own pigments called melanin. This is the way golden eagles and buzzards achieve their colouration.

The lobsters found in Lyme Bay are naturally a black/dark blue or sometimes a muddy brown colour, but after cooking – hey presto - they turn to that orange/red colour when they arrive on our plate.

This is due to a reddish pigment called astaxanthin, which is bound to a protein called crustacyanin inside the lobster giving it that dark colour. When a lobster is cooked, the astaxanthin is released from the protein and the crustacean magically displays an orange

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 colour.

Blue is my favourite colour and it seems I am not alone as shades of blue often appear at the top of polls around the planet. Yet, the animal kingdom seems to struggle to produce the colour blue.

Whereas pigments explain many bird colourations, nature lacks a pure blue pigment. This means that plants must undergo some gymnastics by mixing other pigments – a bit like mixing paint – to achieve blue leaves. Birds though must rely on some physics wizardry if they wish to display a blue plumage to the world.

Kingfishers are, of course, known for their striking plumage. If you are lucky, you may see one near the River Lim – a vibrant flash of blue, orange, and cyan as they hunt for food.

The orange feathers on the chest contain small pigment granules. These pigments absorb the short blue wavelengths of light and scatter the longer red wavelengths and explain the orange colour of the chest feathers.

However, what we perceive as blue and cyan plumage on the back and tail of the bird is really brown!

How can this be? Well, it is all due to an effect called structural colouration which was first observed by the physicists Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke in the 17th century. They were particularly interested in the striking colours of peacocks and the various shades and tones that appeared depending on the viewing position and angle.

Electron microscopes have revealed that although the cyan and blue barbs of kingfisher feathers contain no pigment, they do contain spongy nanostructures. Light waves scatter The yellow on a blue tit is due to a pigment but the blue crown, wing and tail is caused by structural colouration (photo by Glenn Patrick)

STRUCTURAL colouration - the orange on the chest of the kingfisher is due to a pigment, but the colours on the back and tail are due to optical effects (credit: Timo Schlüter from Pixabay)

off these tiny internal structures and the colours that we observe depend on how these light waves interfere.

The structure of the feathers forms a diffraction grating. It is like the way a rainbow pattern can be seen flashing from the grooves of a CD or DVD. Starlings might seem to be ordinary birds as we watch them strutting about our gardens or congregating in an evening murmuration. It may surprise you to discover that there are 113 species around the world – some of them very colourful.

From a distance, the common starling appears black, but take a closer look and notice how its feathers can shimmer with different colours depending on the angle of the light.

This is an example of iridescence which means that the surface appears to shift in colour when seen from different angles. It is the layered structure of the feathers – not a pigment – which causes iridescence.

Iridescence is also observed in the beautiful tail feathers of peacocks. When a peacock is wet its natural colour is brown! However, when the bird is dry and fans its tail, we get

that display of multi-coloured patterns in the form of “eyes”.

These are caused by a complex structure of indentations in the keratin forming the barbs and fibres of the feathers. When light is reflected from these periodic structures, we see a variety of optical effects due to the interference of light waves from different layers of feathers. The emitted colours shift and shimmer with viewing angle - just like we observe in soap bubbles or oil spills.

At this time of year, blue tits add a splash of colour to our gardens as they start to build their nests. Their yellow breast and flank are caused by the carotenoid pigment acquired through their food.

Their bright blue features – including the distinctive crown - are due to light scattering off tiny tubes in the keratin making up the feathers. The crown even glows with ultraviolet (UV) light – which the birds can see, but human vision cannot detect.

It is thought that the UV brightness of the crown plays a part in finding a mate – after all spring is in the air!

TAKE a close look at a starling and you will see a variety of iridescent colours amongst the black plumage (photo by Glenn Patrick)

Friday, February 19 2021 9

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■ THERE’S plenty of familiar faces to spot in this photo of staff of the wellknown Lyme Regis building firm Eli Emmett in the 1980s.

The firm, based at what is now Richard Austin Images in Coombe Street, was founded by Eli Emmett and staff pictured here include his sons Michael and Roy Emmett, daughter Winnie Donno and grandson Gregory Emmett.

This photo was supplied

by Karen Ball to mark 30 years since the passing of her late husband Andrew Fisher, pictured far right.

Pictured back from left Terry Watson, Andrew Rice, Roger Fisher, Mervyn Potter, Terry Matthews, Dave Govier, Michael Emmett, Frank Bowditch, Nick Bowditch, Roy Emmett, Peter Solway, Cecil Fisher.

Front row from left - Fred Smith, Jimmy Beavis with Claire Bowditch, Steve Solway, Gregory Emmett, Winnie Donno, Stuart Daniels and Andrew Fisher.

If you have an old photo of Lyme Regis or local people you would like to share, email a copy to francesca@lymeonline.co.uk or you can post it to LymeOnline, Unit 5 Uplyme Business Centre, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS. If you include a return address we will scan the original and send it back.

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First Lyme Regis Business Awards officially launched THE first Lyme Regis Business Awards were officially launched on Friday.

The awards, which will celebrate the best of local business with 14 categories, were officially launched by Nigel Reeve from Marketing West in a special video today.

Mr Reeve introduced the idea behind the awards and then handed over to Philip Evans MBE, managing director of Lyme Regis Media Ltd – publishers of the LymeOnline website and newspaper – which has joined forces with Marketing West to organise the awards.

Mr Evans said: “Here’s a chance of the people of Lyme Regis to demonstrate their gratitude to the business owners and their staff for maintaining their service during these difficult times.”

The Mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr Brian Larcombe MBE, also appeared on the video, saying he was delighted to support the awards scheme as there had “rarely been a more demanding time to run a business”.

He said he hoped the awards would add to the sustainability of local businesses and the employment they provide.

You can view the full video on the LymeOnline website www.lyme-online.co.uk Business owners will be able to enter the awards free of charge and the public will also be encouraged put forward nominees in certain categories.

A panel of independent judges will be selected to choose the winners of each category and the overall Business of The Year which, as well as a trophy and certificate, will receive a free full-page advertisement (value £125) in LymeOnline for their own business or preferred charity.

The awards ceremony will take place in June at a date and venue to be announced, subject to COVID-19 restrictions at that time with winners and sponsors, in attendance. The ceremony will also be broadcast online and on the LymeOnline website.

Each of the categories (see below) will be sponsored and a number of sponsorship

packages are available.

Each sponsor receives two places at the awards and between signing up and June they will receive 30 social media posts and a 30 second video saying why they are supporting the awards.

All sponsors will also have their logo on the Lyme Regis Business Awards website – www.lymebusinessawards.co.uk – plus a link to their own website.

The presentations will be streamed live on the awards website with sponsors included in a compilation video.

LYME REGIS BUSINESS AWARDS CATEGORIES ● Best Community Support ● Best Customer/Client Service ● Arts, Crafts & Artisans ● Mental Wellbeing & Awareness ● Best Use of Digital ● Green Business of The Year ● New Business of The Year ● Health, Beauty & Fitness ● Independent Business of The Year ● Retail Business of The Year ● Service Provider of The Year ● Cafe/Pub of The Year ● Restaurant of The Year ● Rising Star of The Year ● Overall Lyme Regis Business of The Year If you would like to be one of the sponsors contact Nigel Reeve on 07872 019 522 or for more information visit www.lymebusinessawards.co.uk

LIVE music festival Jazz Jurassica will be combined with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Lyme Regis in June 2022

Jazz festival to be combined with Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 MUSIC is set to be at the centre of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Lyme Regis, with Jazz Jurassica teaming up with the town council to plan a weekend of special events.

The Queen’s 70-year reign will be marked in June 2022 with Platinum Jubilee events across the country over a four-day Bank Holiday weekend.

The late May Bank Holiday will be moved to Thursday, June 2 with an additional Bank Holiday on Friday, June 3.

Jazz Jurassica - Lyme Regis’ annual jazz and blues festival - has traditionally taken place over the late May Bank Holiday weekend and is planning to move to the June weekend in 2022.

To avoid a clash of events, organisers of Jazz Jurassica and Lyme Regis Town Council have now agreed to work together to plan a special weekend of events.

The government has confirmed that, nationally, celebrations will feature an extensive programme of events that mix British ceremonial traditions and pageantry with artistic and technological displays, alongside traditional celebrations in local communities.

It is likely there will be a schedule of events tak-

ing place across the country at specific times, such as the lighting of beacons, ringing of church bells and town cries, which could all be worked into a programme in Lyme Regis alongside the usual weekend of live music seen at Jazz Jurassica.

The council has now nominated Cllrs Kelsey Ellis, David Sarson, Cheryl Reynolds, Michaela Ellis and the mayor Brian Larcombe to form a working group with Julie Shepherd of Jazz Jurassica, along with other interested parties, to organise a programme of events.

The council has also agreed to a budget of £8,000 for the Platinum Jubilee - money which was previously set aside to hold a residents’ weekend, which has not yet taken place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, plans are well underway to stage Jazz Jurassica this year over the weekend of May 28 to 31. The festival was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic but organisers are hopefully it will be able to go ahead this year after receiving a modest grant from the Arts Council.

For more information visit the website www.jazzjurassica.co.uk

How much will you be paying in council tax this year?

DORSET Council has approved a five per cent council tax rise, meaning residents will continue to pay some of the highest rates in the country, with most ‘average’ homes having to stump up more than £2,000 a year.

During the Tuesday evening debate councillors on all sides complained that the county continues to be treated unfairly by the government’s funding formula.

Littlemoor and Preston councillor Louie O’Leary was the only majority party member to hit out at the rise, claiming to be speaking on behalf of the silent majority.

He said that, although he would support the increase, it was about time the council declared a tax emergency – mindful that many will struggle to pay the new charges.

He said that the council collected the second highest council tax in the country and needed to tackle the problem.

“If things don’t change people will leave, as some young people already are…we need to see this as a priority,” he said.

Lib Dem leader Nick Ireland said despite the county having Tory MPs and the council being Conservative controlled, it was still unlikely there would be any change in the way local councils like Dorset are funded by the government.

He also warned there would be many who could not afford the increase, commenting: “It will impact greatly on many who can ill-afford it…it will be a burden which will not be welcome.”

The Owermoigne councillor said that the current year was

likely to end with an £18million shortfall, money which would have to be taken from dwindling reserves, despite the council tax increase.

Council leader Spencer Flower described the budget as “most challenging”, but said that cuts to key services had been avoided. He pledged to continue lobbying for changes in local government finance.

He said that while Dorset gets 85 per cent of its income from council tax; other unitary councils only need to raise 67 per cent, and while Dorset gets 14 per cent via non-domestic income, others receive 28 per cent.

He said there were some councils still receiving a four per cent rate support grant from the government, while Dorset gets nothing.

“There is some imbalance here which I take very seriously… there is unfairness in the way the shires are funded.

We need a better deal for Dorset and I will continue to lobby for that,” he said.

Council tax charges broken down The Dorset Council tax share of the charges from April is made up by a 1.997 per cent general council tax increase and a 2.995 per cent social care precept.

For the average Band D property, the Dorset Council’s annual tax rate will be £1,779.39.

Precepts for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Dorset Police bring the total up to £2,112.85 for a Band D property, and the precept for Lyme Regis Town Council brings the final total up to £2,176.99.

The combined payments for Dorset Council, the police

and fire services will vary between £1,408.57 for a Band A home to £4,225.70 for Band H, and this does not include the town council precept.

Lyme Regis Town Council has agreed to hold its precept at the same level as last year, bringing in a total of £132,779 in revenue for the council.

For an average Band D property in Lyme Regis, this equates to an annual charge of £64.14. This is between 50 per cent and 75 per cent lower than neighbouring towns in Dorset, with Band D properties in Charmouth paying £121.07, £185.69 in Weymouth, and £238.82 in Bridport.

What is it being spent on?

Dorset Council’s biggest areas of spending are adult social care and children’s services, accounting for £124.9million and £52.8million respectively.

Street cleansing, waste collection and disposal accounts for £27.4million; travel £13.3million; education and learning £14.4million; customer services including libraries and archives £6.5million; environment and wellbeing £5.4million; housing £3.5million; highways and parking £2.9million (although in a normal year this also produces around £6million in income); communities and public protection £3.1million; planning £3.2million; property costs £2.7million; supporting businesses and job creation £1.2million with £29.6million on corporate services and £12million on central finance.

This gives the council a total budget for the year of £312.4million.

Friday, February 19 2021 11

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Rotary Club gives away more Popular takeaway giving back than £18,000 despite pandemic with free meals for those in need THE Rotary Club of Lyme Regis is proud to have been able to continue supporting local, regional and international charities and causes over the last year, despite the difficulties endured through the coronavirus pandemic.

The club has distributed more than £18,000 in the calendar year, its largest donation going to the Dorset County Hospital Cancer Charity Appeal.

Rotarians also supported the Dorset Julia’s House Children’s Hospice and the highly successful West Dorset Scrubbers Appeal for a group of local volunteers who provided muchneeded PPE to hospitals, care homes and surgeries.

Local support was given to primary schools with ‘Dictionaries 4 Life’ presented to all Year 6 pupils in the area, as well as Lyme Heartbeat, the foodbank, Lyme Regis and Charmouth Christmas Lights Committee, Weldmar Hospice, and Lyme Regis Development Trust’s ‘Working with Wood’.

Internationally, the club continued raising funds for the Rotary Polio Plus appeal with the aim of eradicating polio from the world.

There are now only a few cases in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Donations were also made to Water Survival Box, Mercy Ships International and, combining with other British Rotary Clubs, support

was given to the Rotary Club of Beirut in their appeal for the rebuilding of a hospital devastated by an explosion last year.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the club has been unable to hold any of its major fundraising events this year, including the popular Lyme Lunge usually held on New Year’s day, which has left the organisations shortfall of many thousands of pounds which can normally be passed on to many deserving causes.

To help raise funds this year, the Rotary Club of Lyme Regis will be hosting an online auction between March 12 and 28.

More than 60 lots have already been donated for auction, ranging from a holiday cottage weekend for up to six people, a racing car experience for two, sports fishing trips, dinner for two at a prestigious hotel and many more.

The proceeds from the auction will be split between four causes – Lyme Regis Foodbank, Weldmar Hospicecare, Julia’s House Hospice and the Alzheimer’s Society.

A full list of lots will be public on the Rotary Club of Lyme Regis Facebook page, the website www.whatsoninlyme.co.uk/rotary.htm and on the LymeOnline website well in advance of the auction, with bids opening from March 12.

NEWS FROM CITIZENS ADVICE APRIL will be an extremely hard month for many families as energy prices are set to rise just as Universal Credit income is likely to fall.

On February 5 Ofgem announced that the Energy Price Cap would rise on April 1 2021. The Energy Price Cap will increase by £96 for default tariff customers, and by £87 for pre-payment meter customers. The regulator says this is due to a rise in wholesale energy prices.

Ofgem has also allowed suppliers to claim £23 for bad debts to cover the number of customers being unable to pay their energy bills due to the impact of COVID-19.

At the same time the £20 Universal Credit uplift is due to finish at the beginning of April. The £20 uplift was established in April 2020 in response to the unprecedented hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It provides Universal Credit (and Working Tax Credit) claimants with an extra £20 a week, £1,040 a year, to help with necessary living costs. The scheme has been a vital lifeline in keeping people financially secure during this difficult time.

In West Dorset the number of people claiming Universal Credit since the beginning of the pandemic has more than doubled from 3,084 to 6,259. Bridport & District Citizens Advice has supported 687 clients with Universal Credit since March 1st 2020 and 81 per cent of the clients helped with benefits issues have never come to Citizens Advice before.

Alistair Cromwell, acting chief executive of Citizens Advice, responded to Ofgem’s latest update to the Energy Price Cap combined with the Universal Credit situation by saying: “This increase will be a heavy blow to a lot of households. For many people on Universal Credit it will come at the same time as the £20 a week increase to the benefit is set to end.

“With a tough jobs market and essential bills rising, now is not the time for the gov-

ernment to cut this vital lifeline.”

Citizens Advice research in December showed that 2.1million households were behind on their energy bills, 600,000 more than in February 2020.

The charity’s research also showed a quarter of all energy customers worry they won’t be able to pay their bill this winter.

The concern now is that these price rises will push even more families into debt.

Citizens Advice Bridport & District can help people reduce their energy bills and save money by sharing information to help clients take three simple steps: 1) checking to see if they are eligible for discounts, grants and support; 2) switching their tariff or energy supplier to get the best deal; 3) saving money by becoming more energy efficient For complex or urgent cases, or if a person is in a vulnerable situation, they may then be referred onto dedicated Citizens Advice in Dorset energy projects.

Citizens Advice Keep the Lifeline campaign aims to extend the £20 benefits uplift beyond its end date of April 2021 so that millions of families are not pulled into poverty.

Six million households rely on the extra £20 a week and Citizens Advice found that 75 per cent of people receiving Universal Credit will be unable to cover their costs when the uplift ends. In addition, one in five Citizens Advice debt clients won’t be able to pay their bills without the £20 uplift.

During COVID restrictions, Bridport & District Citizens Advice offers comprehensive advice on energy, benefits, debt and other issues. Telephone freephone 0800 144 8848 or send an email using the contact form on the website www.bridportca.org.uk or leave a message on 01308-456594. You will be called back.

POPULAR takeaway Red Panda is offering something back to the Lyme Regis community this month.

The Asian street food takeaway, based at Bell Cliff in Broad Street, is giving away 25 free meals every week during February to people from the local community in hardship, whether financial, physical or mental.

Natalie and the team at Red Panda wanted to give something back to the local community to support residents during this challenging time, as they have supported her business during lockdown.

Anyone who wishes to nominate someone in need to receive a free meal throughout the rest of February can do so by emailing

redpandalyme@gmail.com You can also find out more about Red Panda and view their menu at www.redpandago.com

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axminsternews

12 Friday, February 19 2021

■ A 48-year-old man from Hawkchurch has been fined more than £1,000 for hosting an overnight rave against coronavirus restrictions.

Moby Hill admitted participating in a gathering of more than 30 people at his cottage in Hawkchurch, near Axminster, and on his adjoining land.

Exeter Magistrates' Court heard that the event took place overnight on July 31 in breach of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

He also admitted failing to turn off the music and close the event after being directed to do so, but a third charge of causing a nuisance to the public by holding a large public event exceeding COVID restrictions and playing amplified music was dismissed.

Mr Hill was fined £1,173 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £117.

■ WITH no revenue coming in during lockdown, Axminster Town Football Club is launching a new fundraising initiative.

Football is not expected to return to Tiger Way for several weeks with no indication when games will not be able to start again but running costs are still incurred.

The hard-working committee at Axminster have been active throughout lockdown to bring in funds by organise breakfasts at the Tiger Way clubhouse and also a successful hamper draw at Christmas.

Their next money raising is a 50-50 draw in which members and supporters pay £10 a month with three cash prizes and other rewards every month.

Those who wish to support the Tigers in this way should contact The Reserve team manager, Dan Prettejohn, on 07356 70092.

The 50-50 draw will be drawn on the last Saturday of every month.

www.lyme-online.co.uk

Axminster county councillor may not stand for re-election over public safety concerns

AXMINSTER county councillor Ian Hall said he may not run for re-election this year if it means putting public health at risk.

Devon councillors have expressed their fears about how safe and practical it is for the May local elections to go ahead as planned.

Last Friday, the government confirmed that the May 6 elections would be going ahead as scheduled, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

They said that the public health response to COVID-19, not least the vaccination programme, meant that they could go ahead with the polls with confidence.

They are now working with the Electoral Commission to ensure how social distancing and other rules apply specifically to all aspects of the polls, and they will maintain the choice for voters between in person and absent voting (using a postal or proxy vote).

As well as the delayed 2020 local elections in Exeter and Plymouth, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections, the regularly scheduled 2021 Devon County Council elections will take place, as well as a series of delayed by-elections, and Neighbourhood Plan referendums on May 6.

There will be an estimated £92million of government grant funding that will be provided to local authorities for the elections; of this, £31million is an uplift to directly address costs associated with making the elections COVID-19 secure.

The government said: “Everyone who feels comfortable going to a supermarket or a post office should also feel confident attending a polling station in May. We encourage anybody who is shielding, or who would prefer not to attend a polling station, to apply for a postal or proxy vote ahead

of the polls.”

But concerns have been raised by existing Devon county councillors over whether it is necessary to hold the elections in May and, given the current guidance that canvassing and leafleting as part of campaigning would be against the law, how safe and fair they will be for independent candidates.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked all 60 current Devon county councillors for their views as to whether the elections should be going ahead in May. Axminster’s Conservative councillor Ian Hall gave a particularly strong response, saying he may not stand for re-election if it means putting the public’s health at risk.

He said: “We have to be emotionally intelligent.

I for one won’t be able look in the mirror if I am part of a decision-making process that could potentially put the public at risk, and if a wrong decision is made, on balance and risk, I may decide not to run at the next election primarily because I think there is a duty to protect my fellow human beings and not a real necessary need to do it.

“I for one only have to do one thing at the end of the day and that’s look in the mirror to see if I have done right by the people I represent.”

Cllr Martin Shaw, who represents neighbouring Seaton and Colyton, said he also disagreed with the decision to go ahead with the elections but he was standing.

“The government’s proposals for how the elections will be run blatantly benefit their own party.

I am particularly concerned that they are banning leafleting and canvassing by candidates, which will penalise independents like myself as well as the less well funded parties, while increasing the spending limits for candidates which will benefit the Tories, who will flood the electorate with commercially delivered leaflets funded by their wealthy donors.

“At the same time, they are doing nothing to make postal voting easier. At the moment you have to print off a form from the internet and post it in – this penalises many younger voters who don’t have printers. They should at least create a secure process to allow people to apply online.

“I have a motion coming to the county council on February 18 calling for postponement, and if the elections are to go ahead, for online postal vote applications and for free postal deliveries for all council candidates.”

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: “We have been preparing to hold the elections in May for some time with extra safety measures in place at polling stations and at the vote counts.

However there are alternatives in place for those who do not want to cast their vote in person, for example postal votes.”

Phil Norrey, the council’s chief executive, had previously added: “No doubt that holding elections in May will be a huge challenge and we will be doing our best to support that if we have to do it. It might be safer to have a delay and there was a concern about how feasible it is.”

Axminster co-opts two new councillors

A national network of h hyperlocal news websites, now covering the Ax Axminster & Seatton areas With editorial content provided by the team from Ly Lym meOnline

Visit our new websites at

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

AXMINSTER Town Council has welcomed two new members to represent the Weycroft ward.

Steve Holt and Ollie Tucker were co-opted to the council during a virtual meeting last week after standing to fill casual vacancies in Weycroft.

At age 18, Mr Tucker becomes the town’s youngest ever councillor and one of the youngest in the entire country - one of only 0.6 per cent of councillors nationally under the age of 25.

He is a foodbank volunteer and has been selected as a Labour candidate for the Devon County Council elections in May. Mr Tucker was present at the meeting for his co-option on Monday night, saying his priorities would be creating opportunities for young people and rebuilding the community

after the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Holt is well known in the town as an active campaigner for Axminster Hospital and for his work with Axminster Community Emergency Response (ACER), which was set up to help vulnerable residents during the pandemic.

The Mayor of Axminster, Cllr Jill Farrow, congratulated both new members and said she looked forward to working with them in future.

They will officially become council members after signing their declarations of acceptance of office.

There ares till four vacancies on Axminster Town Council. Those interested in standing should contact the council office by emailing enquiries@axminstertowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01297 32088 for more details.

Friday, February 19 2021 13

www.lyme-online.co.uk

FLASHBACKS with Richard Austin

Tales from behind the lens of our award-winning photographer

■ THE kingfisher is by far the royalty of British birds - beautiful colours including iridescent blue feathers and a unique way of catching food on our waterways. This bird is a female, the male birds have a pure black bottom beak and not orange as in the picture.The small fish - a minow - is firmly gripped in his mouth and will soon be despatched whole down the kingfishers gullet - then she’ll fly off for the next one!

See our science feature on page 8 to learn how the kingfisher gets its bright colours

Lyme lost its TIC - now other Dorset towns could follow suit HAVING closed down Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre last year, Dorset Council is now proposing to stop funding its remaining centres in Dorchester, Sherborne and Wareham.

The council says it cannot afford to continue funding the TICs and will investigate alternative ways of providing these services in the future.

There are five other TICs in Dorset – in Blandford, Bridport, Shaftesbury, Swanage and Wimborne – which are run by other organisations, such as town and parish councils, while some areas, including Lyme Regis and Weymouth, no longer have a TIC at all.

The three TICs that remain funded by the council cost about £200,000 each year to operate and employ 12 part-time workers.

About 30 million people visit Dorset annually, with approximately 93,000 people visiting one of the three TICs during 2019/20.

In a report being taken to the Place and Resources Overview Committee on Thursday, February 25, members will hear how the council proposes to continue to support the popular Visit Dorset website, work with local organisations to find solutions and consider one-off funding to reduce the impact of potential

closures on local people.

A recent consultation showed that there is a strong level of support for TICs and the service offered both to residents and visitors.

Of almost 1,000 respondents, 85 per cent were from Dorset residents and 11 per cent completed by visitors to Dorset. Of those who completed the consultation, 82 per cent stated that they use a TIC, with nearly 40 per cent visiting over five times a year.

The top three purposes for using a TIC are to find out information about the local area, buy tickets for a local event or festival and/or buy retail goods.

Submitted comments frequently mentioned the importance of encouraging tourism for the local economy, the value of offering a face-to-face service, working with other organisations around sites and having knowledgeable staffing.

These results provide strong support for finding a different way to provide TICs by working with other organisations – not just town and parish councils, but potentially local businesses and other service providers.

Improving access to information will also be incorporated into work on a new customer strategy and other transformational plans.

The proposal is to continue to work with the three town councils to agree what alternative arrangements can be put in place.

However, this is not about replicating the current TIC service offer as councils and other organisations may want to develop their own local offering.

Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Customer and Community Services, said: “It’s always a difficult decision to reduce services we have historically provided, especially in the current climate and when jobs are potentially put at risk. However, our financial situation leaves us little choice but to review the provision of all services we’re not legally required to deliver.

“We cannot afford to fund tourism support activity at a local level across communities in Dorset. The council’s role is to promote Dorset as a destination, so we will continue to develop the Visit Dorset brand to support the visitor economy and promote sustainable tourism as part of our Economic Growth Strategy.

“The consultation has demonstrated that TIC services are still considered to be important by local people, visitors and businesses. It’s important that Dorset Council investigates all potential options for how these services could be provided in the future.”

14 Friday, February 19 2021

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classifieds&jobs

Friday, February 19 2021 15

ITEMS FOR SALE CARPET, new, hessianbacked, 1.5m x 4m, beige, still wrapped, £10 - 07789 537 011.

BOWLS, two sets of bowling woods, £65 each ONO 07889 019 587.

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ADMINISTRATOR (FULL OR PART-TIME) REQUIRED An opportunity to work in a care home group recognised as 'outstanding' by CQC.

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Chief Executive Officer LymeForward Community Interest Company Hours: part-time / flexible (24 hours a week) Job type: permanent Salary: £28,860 per annum pro rata Location: Lyme Regis, Dorset

LymeForward is a Community Interest Company (CIC) that acts as the Local Area Partnership for Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Activities are currently primarily focused on health and wellbeing; employment for coastal communities; providing essential support services, such as the Foodbank, and the expansion of digital online services. After a successful four years, it is now seeking to consolidate and expand its work in order to achieve its vision of being the benchmark model for small town community cohesion and support.

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LymeForward Community Interest Company Foodbank Coordinator – Lyme Regis & Charmouth Hours - Part Time 10 hours per week to cover sessional hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and flexibly across other weekdays Salary - £10 per Hour We are looking to recruit a part time Foodbank Coordinator who will be responsible for ensuring the smooth running of Lyme Regis & Charmouth Foodbank, enabling the provision of emergency food and other additional services for local people, families and children in crisis.

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LymeOnline Sport

Friday, February 19 2021 16

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February 19 2021

Skateboarding boom IT TOOK 40 years to get a skatepark in Lyme Regis.

YOUNGSTERS enjoying the facilities at the Lyme Regis skatepark in Charmouth Road.

Photo by RICHARD AUSTIN

It was back in the 1970s when former schoolmaster and local sportsman Royston Davies suggested that a skatepark should be built on the Anning Road playing field.

In those days skateboarding was considered to be just another passing fad and youngsters would soon get fed up with it when the new “in thing” came along Today, however, there are few towns without a skatepark and what was considered to be just a pastime is about to become an Olympic sport.

Several sites were considered for a skatepark in Lyme, including Lister Gardens and Monmouth Beach, before the town council settled on the rear of the Charmouth Road car park, just below the football club.

There were doubts over the siting, some arguing that it would encourage

PHILIP EVANS

philip@lyme-online.co.uk youngsters using the facility exposing themselves to danger by skating down Charmouth Road into the town centre. But it was accepted there was no suitable alternatively.

The project started to be taken seriously when Lucy Campbell won a seat on the town council to become its youngest member ever at that time.

Lucy was determined that a commitment made by the successive councils to support the youth of the town was honoured and she steered the skateboard project through to conclusion with the council managing to finance the construction from resources.

After Lucy left the council Cllr Cheryl Reynolds took up the reigns and now heads the group which looks after the skatepark and promotes the sport, having organised some

SKY BROWN - about to become the youngest ever Olympian successful skateboarding jams.

The facility has enabled a number of youngsters to hone their skateboarding skills to a level where they could compete competitively, encouraged by Lyme Regis footballer Chris Higgs, a keen skateboarder for many years with the

scars to prove it.

In a recent posting on social media, Chris commented: “Since the park has opened I’ve watched so many youngsters become good and great skaters, it’s friendly and a great place to learn. It’s all about watching and doing at your own pace, but most of all enjoying it.”

The skatepark being closed due to COVID-19 has seen more youngsters skating through the town and practicing their manoeuvres on the seafront and I have noticed that there a lot more young girls who are now taking up the sport.

This could well be down to the profile of Sky Brown who is about to become the youngest person ever to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year.

And now there’s even a skateboard shop in Lyme at the top of Broad Street run by Galley Cafe owner Keian Gillett and fellow chef Josh Caesar.

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