DUMPING GROUND DORSET

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8 April 2021

Beauty spots across Dorset are blighted by the scourge of fly-tipping as cases across the UK spiral out of control. We’ve all seen the sorry sights. Sofas, mattresses, fridges and car tyres dumped in laybys, woods and in farmers’ fields.

These eyesores are left for local councils to clear away, at tax-payers expense, or the cost falls on private landowners, who have to pay out of their own pocket. According to Countryside Alliance, a farmer foots a bill in the region of £800 each time someone thinks it’s fine to leave a cooker with his cows.

Image by: *Courtenay Hitchcock Blackmor*e Vale

David George, a spokesperson for The National Farmers Union (South West) told the digital Blackmore Vale: “This is a source of great irritation to farmers and the fact they have to pay to get rid of it just adds insult to injury. Mainly, it’s people getting rid of waste they may be charged for at the local tip, or that they can’t be bothered to take. We urge people to please dispose of their waste responsibly, especially if they are having a spring clean over the Easter holidays.”

The issue of fly-tipping falls on the shoulders of local councils. Some have reported a 50% increase in fly-tipping since Covid, with official rubbish and recycling centres shut during the first lockdown. Litter campaign charity, Keep Britain Tidy, estimates fly-tipping is costing this country over £58 million a year in clean-up costs. Putting that into local context, Dorset Council had to pick up the tab for clearance and disposal costs to the tune of about £112,000 in 2019/20 with 1,870 incidents of fly-tipping reported. For April to December 2020, the council received 1,356 reported incidences of fly-tipping, costing just over £80,000 to clear away properly.

And bear in mind that thousands of cases go unreported so the picture is even more rubbish – quite literally.

Images by: *Courtenay Hitchcock Blackmor*e Vale

Sadly, it would seem that in many cases people are just too lazy to dispose of their rubbish correctly. James Potten from Dorset Council told us that, frustratingly, a lot of fly-tipping in this county is rubbish that could easily be disposed of for free. “Whilst trade waste, especially building materials is consistently dumped illegally, the majority of fly-tips consist of black bag household waste and other materials that can be taken to a household recycling centre and dropped off free of charge, such as furniture, white goods and garden waste.”

In a recent report by BBC’s Panorama, ’Rubbish Dump Britain’ it was revealed that there is only one prosecution for every 300 fly-tipping incidents. Staggeringly, local authorities dealt with close to one million cases in 2019 and 2020. With council resources already under intense pressure due to cuts, their chances of catching perpetrators, let alone bringing them to justice, are slim.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: The fact is that this environmental crime is being driven by ‘man with a van’ operators – responsible for a third of all fly-tips – who are conning the public with what appears to be a cheap way of getting rid of their rubbish, but one that leads to illegal disposal and environmental devastation.”

Keep Britain Tidy is calling on the government to make tackling fly-tipping an urgent priority. It wants immediate reform of the waste carrier licensing system – very few checks are carried out at present – and dedicated use of income from the landfill tax. It’s also demanding tougher sentencing in magistrates courts for those found dumping waste illegally. Though this serious crime can warrant jail sentences and huge fines, this rarely happens.

Dorset Council’s James Potten said: “Our Enforcement Team are out every day investigating incidents, and have set up pro-active partnerships with Dorset Police, the DVLA and Litter Free Dorset, as well as working with private landowners, the Environment Agency, Keep Britain Tidy, and various housing associations.

“In 2019/20, we took around 300 enforcement actions related to fly-tipping, including fixed penalty notices and prosecutions. We also have a high profile case going through the courts right now that we hope to be able to report on soon.”

But one man has taken it upon himself to fight fly-tippers. Business man, Martin Montague, is a self-styled waste warrior. He’s founder of the ClearWaste.com app and website. ClearWaste created the first, fully national system for reporting fly-tipping.

Using a brilliant free app, people can easily report fly-tipping anywhere in the UK as it actually happens. Minute by minute, you can see how quickly the UK is becoming a huge skip. This link from ClearWaste shows reports of rubbish dumped across Dorset – it makes disturbing viewing. https://clearwaste.com/flytipping/england/dorset

‘’The rate of increase in reports of fly-tipping is shocking,” says Martin Montague. “Britain is drowning under a sea of illegally dumped rubbish which blights our town, cities and countryside. Clearwaste.com came about because I was absolutely sick to death of seeing fly-tipping everywhere. I really hate the damage it does to our environment and wildlife, not to mention the cost to taxpayers of cleaning it up.”

The app and website links to every local authority in the country, giving councils the location of the rubbish along with details and photographs.

Tackling the problem before it gets to the countryside, ClearWaste.com also helps people get rid of rubbish properly, giving alternatives to dodgy, unlicensed traders on social media. “When people have DIY leftovers, garden waste or rubbish from a clear-out, they often ask for recommendations on social media but they shouldn’t just hand their unwanted stuff to someone with a van who offers to remove it for a bit of cash,” said Mr Montague.

Their website features responsible waste removal companies with a new price comparison scheme that protects and saves the public money. So confident are they of their trusted traders, ClearWaste.com guarantees to strike the trader off as well as to cover any additional costs or fines up to value of £1000 if waste is illegally disposed.

Martin Montague explained: “There is clearly an increasing demand for legal waste removal so we’re now helping to link consumers with trustworthy, government-registered waste removal businesses to avoid fly-tippers. Our website makes it simple to find honest, reliable, skip-hire and grab bag firms – all backed by our £1000 no fly-tipping guarantee. It’s all about making it easier for people to do the right thing.”

This real-life womble also goes up and down the country investigating fly-tipping incidents for clues of the perpetrators. He uses drones and night-vision equipment in his quest to make them answer for their actions. He names and shames them across social media. ClearWaste.com is also lobbying the government to increase fines and custodial sentences for those who continue to flout the law.

The ClearWaste.com app is available free from Apple and Google Play app stores:
Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.taftech.clearwaste
Apple:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/clearwaste/id1462879562

The good news is councils have new and greater powers to tackle fly-tipping but as to whether they have the resources to make this happen is another matter. It can cost around £2k to gather evidence and bring someone to court who can receive a fine under £200.

James Potten advised: “Everyone needs to understand their personal liability when it comes to their waste, which is their legal responsibility until it is correctly disposed of in the right place.

“If you cannot get to a recycling centre and you hand your waste to someone – such as an unlicensed ‘man in a van’ found on social media – who then fly-tips it, you also risk prosecution and a criminal record. Please make sure you only use a reputable waste carrier when handing rubbish to someone else.

‘’Dorset is a beautiful place to live but fly-tipping is a blight on our county, a drain on taxpayers’ money and we all need to work together to tackle it. We will always pursue all avenues to hold offenders to account, so please keep reporting fly-tips to us when you spot them and check out www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/tip-off for more information on how to make sure you are covered when handing waste to someone else.”

Dorset Police’s Inspector Darren Stanton, part of the Dorset police Rural Crime Team, also advised: “Whilst fly-tipping is not a police matter, a fly tip in progress can be called in on 999 so that we can catch the offenders in the act.”

FLY-TIPPING – how to report it
If you report fly-tipping, the rubbish can be removed and the crime can be investigated. If you see someone fly-tipping, or you want to report an area where fly-tipping has taken place, take note of the following:
Date, time and place of the incident

What the waste looks like and how much there is

Descriptions of any person and/or vehicles involved along with the registration number

As fly-tippers are doing something illegal, they don’t want to be caught. Don’t approach them or put your own safety at risk. Report fly-tipping or illegal waste dumping – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If the rubbish is on your own land, it is your responsibility to report it and to dispose of it correctly. Report the incident to your local authority or the Environment Agency. Although they have no obligation to remove the waste, they may be able to provide guidance on the best way to deal with it.

Uncontrolled illegal waste disposal can be hazardous to the public, especially if it contains toxic material or asbestos. There could be risk of damage to watercourses and soil quality from the waste.

Reports to the Environment Agency can be made using their national hotline number 0800 807 060.

By: Tracie Beardsley

PUBS AND VILLAGE SHOPS: THE BEATING HEARTS OF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES

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Editorial team

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8 April 2021

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Dorset rural communities are lucky to have a pub or a village shop, but many have neither. With the Lockdown expected to end soon it is time to take stock. Village shops have universally boomed in the last year thanks to fear of contracting the virus from supermarkets, but pubs have suffered badly. We support both as they are the beating hearts of our rural communities. With climate change an ever increasing concern, we also support them as their success can reduce car dependency. Dorset Council claims that reducing car dependency is a key objective in their draft Local Plan, not that their fine words were matched by much actionable strategy.

Photo of Steve Dunk from the Milton Arms, Winterborne Whitechurch – Image CPRE

Our current concern is for pubs. The number has shrunk, falling by about 2% p.a. nationally since 2010, hit particularly by fierce supermarket price-cutting, tighter drink-driving laws and reduced alcohol consumption. Pubs have had to adapt, with wet-led pubs having to become food-led. The declining trend had been worst in the towns, such as Weymouth, but less severe in rural Dorset. However Covid-19 hit all pubs drastically, so that nationally the number fell by about 5% in 2020. Many have been surviving by offering take-aways, which may pay some of the staff but no more, as the profits are made on drink sales.

Most pubs were praying for help in the Budget, which offered some support. However most UK pub bosses were “disappointed”. They question the restarting of business rates from the end of June, and only a six month extension of the full reduction of the VAT rate to 5%. Many rural pubs do not have the large gardens needed to erect the marquees that were a feature last summer, so cannot fully benefit from the resumption of outdoor service from 12^th April. Even so the majority will probably open from this date. Steve Dunk from the Milton Arms in Winterborne Whitechurch, which serves delicious simple pub grub, says “we have been just hanging on” and hopes to reopen from the 12^th even though he cannot protect clients fully from the elements outside. Indoor service will only resume from the 17^th May.

Becky and John Gibbons in front of the Larder, their
new shop behind the Rose & Crown at Longburton. Image CPRE

One trend we fully approve has been the opening of village shops by pubs during Lockdown, although a number tried initially but found them unviable. The Greyhound in Winterborne Kingston opened an attractive one, as did the Rose & Crown in Longburton. Both intend keeping them going. If any pubs do not reopen this spring, we hope that communities will take advantage of the £150m provision in the Budget for Community Ownership.

Please revisit our pubs as soon as possible after the 12^th, but do not desert village shops once Lockdown is over. Remember both are the beating hearts of our rural communities.

Rupert Hardy, Chairman, North Dorset CPRE

Training and Development Administrator

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Editorial team

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7 April 2021

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Mosaic – Supporting Bereaved Children

Training and Development Administrator

Hours: 20 hrs per week

Salary: £10078 (FTE £18896)

Base: Milborne St Andrew, Blandford, DT11 0LG

Are you looking to use your office skills to help others?

We are looking for an enthusiastic person to join the Mosaic team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the administration of training and study days both on-line and face-to-face and the Mosaic Annual Conference.

Requirements:

Experience of using on-line platforms (Zoom, Teams)

Excellent organisational skills and time management

Good, accurate administrative skills

Good telephone manner

Excellent knowledge of Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Outlook)

Closing date: Tuesday 27^th April 2021

Full job description and application form available from:

01258 837071, [email protected]

www.mosaicfamilysupport.org

Registered Charity: 1158138

Getting Creative for the Community

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Editorial team

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7 April 2021

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Back in the darkest months of lockdown, Molly W-S, a Year 12 pupil at Clayesmore pitched a wonderful idea to Jo Thomson, Head at Clayesmore to organise and run a Charity Art Sale in aid of The Vale Pantry in Sturminster Newton. https://www.yourlocalpantry.co.uk/find-a-pantry/the-vale-pantry/?sturminster-newton

Molly’s family are business owners in Sturminster Newton, and having seen first hand how much of a positive impact the new Vale Pantry has been having on the community, she felt compelled to help.

Her request to get the school involved was met with a resounding YES from Mrs Thomson, Head of Art Kirsty Mareau-Jones, and Molly’s houseparent Ruth Readman, who were all delighted to support her in the Charity Art Sale.

‘Molly is an accomplished art student and was determined to be able to use art and creativity as a means of giving back to the wider community.’ explained Mrs Mareau Jones

The Vale Pantry feeds around 200 families each week in the local community, and has become a much needed resource during this troubled year. ‘It’s a constant juggle in terms of funds and food, and we are extremely grateful for the wonderful and creative idea with an art sale’ said Carole Jones, Vale Pantry.

Molly made an appeal via Instagram (@clayesmore) and what a response it received! Over 50 pieces of art have been donated from current students, Old Clayesmorians and other family, friends and community connections. All items are being prepared to be sold to raise vital funds for the Pantry.

‘We are delighted by the donations of artwork that we have received from across the school community, as well as from many individuals beyond it. Participants have donated a fantastic range of work, including,drawings, paintings, prints, ceramics, photography and digital art. Thank You to everyone for their contributions’ Mrs Mareau-Jones, Head of Art at Clayesmore

You can view all of the art work at https://clayesmore-school-dorset.myshopify.com/ with this exciting sale launching on Friday 26th March. You may be able to secure yourself a beautiful piece of artwork.

Vale Pantry said ‘We loved the creative and imaginative idea for an art sale run by Molly & the team at Clayesmore, – so a BIG thank you – we hope it will be well supported and the Vale Pantry and our lovely 200 families we are working with each week thank Clayesmore enormously!’

Sandisons | Accounts Preparer Required

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Editorial team

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6 April 2021

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Sandisons Accountants in Blandford.

Due to continued expansion of our general business department, we currently have a vacancy for an fulltime ACCOUNTS PREPARER with at least 3 years’ experience to deal with the preparation of accounts for sole traders, partnerships, LLPs and limited companies.

Full training will be given with the intention that the successful applicant will be given responsibility for direct client contact, assisting our clients with all aspects of their business affairs.

This is an interesting and varied role with an unusual medical bias; the successful applicant will deal with some specialist aspects of medical accounts, as well as liaising with our tax department.

Preference will be given to applicants who have had experience of preparing accounts in a professional office environment.

Please apply with your CV to James Brown at : [email protected]

Closing date for applications 14th May 2021

www.sandisons.net

Rabbits: No cuddles, more space, never alone … they’re not the pet you probably thought they were.

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Editorial team

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6 April 2021

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Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the UK and probably the most misunderstood. As prey animals they do not like to be picked up and cuddled, which means they are not a good starter pet for young children.

A great deal of consideration should be given to getting rabbits as they are time consuming and costly, they need yearly vaccinating against Myxomatosis, vhd1 and vhd2.

image courtesy of Rob Nolan – RPN Photography

They need Spaying or neutering and regular check ups by a rabbit savvy vet (as not all are). Two unneutered boys will fight when they reach maturity, and unspayed girls are highly susceptible to uterine cancers.

Once you have got your rabbits, as they should never live alone. You have to give them a great deal of space to run and binkie about, the rabbit welfare society suggests a minimum 6ft hutch ( a shed is better as it gives more space and better value for money, usually better made as well). With access to a safe exercise area with lots of enrichment, as rabbits are highly intelligent and inquisitive animals , you and your pets will both benefit as the joy they will give you as you watch them is priceless.

Our fluffy friends are bundles of poop ( about 300 a day ) so hutch hygiene is very important they need cleaning more that once a week, sometimes everyday especially in summer when flystike can be a killer. However it is possible to litter train some rabbits.

There are many places to get rabbits, breeders, pet shops, free on the internet! However the best place is a rescue, there are thousands of unwanted rabbits in rescues all over the country which will give you advice and support. Rabbits will have been health checked, vaccinated, neutered even bonding offered. So don’t support the pet trade ….. rescue.

by: Amanda Mullins @Angel rabbit rescue

Voice of an Estate Agent: April 2021

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Editorial team

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6 April 2021

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Regular monthly Blackmore Vale property commentary column in the Blackmore Vale from Susie and Brad the North Dorset Team at Meyers

“The housing market sees its strongest spring in a decade”

Anyone who is currently looking to purchase a property will know all too well they are few and far between, and when you do find one you would like to view, by the time you have made your enquiry it either has 5 others lined up to view it or it has already sold.

Rightmove statistics show that as of this month, the number of potential buyers enquiring about properties is 34% higher than this time last year, yet the supply of properties remains low which is resulting in a serious shortage of homes available for sale. This increase in demand has been fuelled by several lockdowns leading to homeowners reassessing what their home has to offer and of course the government’s stamp duty holiday extension which was first announced in July last year.

So why has it been such a slow start to the year in terms of new properties coming to market? The start of a new year is often slow in this respect and while the property market has remained open, we have been in a national lockdown for the whole of 2021 so far and many potential sellers have still been wary at the prospect of marketing their home in these uncertain times. Another significant factor is of course that at the start of the year, homeowners felt they were too late to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday.

If you are one of the 7 million people visiting Rightmove’s website each day in the desperate search for a property, we have some good news for you!

Easter is traditionally an extremely busy time of the year for the property market anyway, and with the government’s announcement of the stamp duty holiday extension and mortgage guarantee scheme, together with the easing of lockdown restrictions, your dream home could be getting ready to come on the market as we speak!

Our friends at Rightmove sum this up perfectly:

“Blossoming buyer demand coinciding with blossoming gardens should put a spring in the steps of sellers, and more of them coming to market will provide a much – needed increase in the choice of property for the many who are looking to buy.”

Here at Meyers, we are passionate about providing the best possible experience for all our sellers and buyers and we are always delighted to hear from you with any property queries you may have.

Brad Hansford at our Shaftesbury branch on 07814 962 161

Susie Palin at our Blandford Forum branch on 07570 357 553

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOUSE? Lodestone Property

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Editorial team

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6 April 2021

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If you’re thinking about selling your home but have been waiting to see what will happen in the housing market, Rightmove’s latest insights and our recent sales record, reveal there is no need to worry when it comes to selling your house at the moment! In fact, demand levels are a whopping 34% higher than this time last year when the UK was still experiencing a strong pre-lockdown market.

This is the greatest excess of demand over supply our team have seen for almost a decade, pushing up the average price of property coming to market in the South West by 1.5%.

There’s been so much interest, that properties really aren’t staying on the market for long. Over the last few weeks, a number of properties have gone “under offer” in a matter of days.

At Lodestone, we pride ourselves on working innovatively to market your property. We employ a team of marketing experts to ensure we do not operate a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

Instead, our marketing reflects the way we run the rest of our business: we are proactive and treat every property individually. We identify the most suitable target market for your house, and then tailor a creative strategy to fit.

We now have just over 3000 social media followers across our social media network making us the most-followed Independent Estate Agency in Somerset & Dorset. This means we are able to talk to engaged and interested buyers directly. Over the last 3 months since Christmas, we have reached over 500,000 people online.

Our website sees an average of 4,000 unique visitors a week with users spending an average of 4+ minutes browsing our featured properties and original editorial written about the industry, community and the homes we sell.

You can find more info about our innovative property sales and advice at www.lodestoneproperty.co.uk or contact Lodestone Shaftesbury Office on: 01747 442577

Sculpture by the Lakes – the art of tranquillity | FORM Sculpture Exhibition

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Editorial team

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6 April 2021

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Nestled in the Dorset countryside just six miles east of Dorchester is one of the county’s hidden gems – Sculpture by the Lakes. This 26-acre sculpture park is a glorious gallery under the skies, where visitors can escape from daily worries surrounded by woodland, water, gardens and inspiring works of art.

Sculpture by the Lakes is owned by Simon Gudgeon, an internationally recognised sculptor favoured by royalty and rock stars alike, with more than 30 of his pieces installed in the grounds.

Considered to be one of Britain’s leading contemporary sculptors, despite never having sculpted anything until the age of 40, Simon has become known for his signature, smooth-style and his minimalist, semi-abstract large-scale sculptures. Search for Enlightenment, Simon’s iconic bronze sculpture of two backward-tilted heads, is a firm favourite with visitors to Sculpture by the Lakes, along with another of Simon’s most famous pieces Isis, aka Serenity. Its elegant pared-back form typifies much of Simon’s tone and style as an artist.

His works also feature in high-profile public locations, including Kew Gardens and Hyde Park in the UK, as well as internationally, and form part of many important private collections – three generations of the Royal Family own a Simon Gudgeon sculpture.

Over the past decade Simon has turned Sculpture by the Lakes into a piece of art in its own right, not only creating sculptures, but designing and making every element, from benches and hanging seats to fencing and plant supports, while his wife Monique and a small team of gardeners have created the gardens, walkways, wildlife havens, and planted hundreds of trees.

Together the couple have transformed this space from the working fishery it once was, into a stunning and unique visitor attraction, over time opening up galleries, an award-winning café, developing the landscape and every year adding more art works.

This creative hub also plays host to events throughout the year, from art exhibitions and workshops, to large scale events such as last summer’s hugely successful Dorset Arts Festival, which safely welcomed some 2,000 people.

To experience this magical haven of peace, nature, and art book online here https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/. Tickets must be pre-booked and visitor numbers are capped to ensure social distancing is maintained.