PArish council meeting Agenda and minutes 22ND JUNE 2026
- lydlinchparishcouncil
- Jun 16
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 22
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
You are summoned to attend a meeting of the Parish Council which will be held at the Hooper Hall on Monday 22nd June 2026 at 7.00 pm to consider the following items.
signed by the Clerk Tracey Watson
Members of the public wishing to attend are requested to advise the clerk via telephone or e-mail prior to the meeting.
Members are reminded that the Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions: Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, belief or disability), Crime & Disorder, Health and Safety and Human Rights.
AGENDA
Democratic period (For public comments)
1. Chairmans welcome and address
2. To receive declarations of interest & Requests for dispensations (Please notify the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting)
3. To receive apologies.
4. Approve the minutes of the meeting held 18.05.26 Accessible Here
5. Parish Clerks report & Correspondence: As detailed in annex 1a.
6. To receive Parish Councillors reports.
7. To receive the Dorset Councillors report.
8. Finance.
a. To approve the accounts for payment.
b. To receive the quarterly financial report ending 31.03.26
9. To receive a grant application from Lydlinch PCC for tree works adjacent to the public footpath
10. To receive the results of the DC Highways surveys
11. To nominate a Parish Council member to act as liaison between the PC & the public on highways matters in the parish. C Curtis
12. To adopt a Parish Council communication strategy.
13. To consider and approve the annual internal auditors report for 25.26
14. To consider and approve the Annual Governance Statement section 1 for 25.26
15. To consider and approve the Accounts Statement section 2 for 25.26
16. To approve dates for the notice of public rights and publication of unaudited Annual Governance & Accountability Return for the year ended 31 March 2026.
17. Planning
a. Response to DC planning consultations.
P/HOU/2026/02791 Demolish existing single storey building and replace with new single storey extension with roof lights. New House Farm Cottage, Holebrook Lane, Lydlinch
DT10 2JB.
b. Responses made under delegated terms.
c. Recent decisions of DC Planning Office.
d. Appeals and matters of report from previous applications.
e. Planning matters of report.
18. Date of next meeting
Internal auditors report 25.26
DRAFT MINUTES PENDING
meeting papers
Ward Members June report
May Meetings
5 May – Funeral of Cllr Barry Goringe
11 May – Wessex Water Investment Call
12 May – Shillingstone Meeting re Flooding
15 May – Planning Training
14 May – Full Council
14 May – Meeting with Antony Palumbo DC Customer Experience Manager
19 May – Planning Training
26 May – Shillingstone Flood Prevention meeting
27 May – Safeguarding Training
Dorset Council Ward Boundary Review
Boundary review changes agreed by Full Council on 14 May and have now gone to the Boundary Commission for approval.
Fly Tipping
Incidence of Fly Tipping has increased in the Ward and I have reported 4 cases in the last two weeks, mostly building waste. Fine now to £1,000 for offenders. 80 fines handed out in the last 12 months.
Dorset Council Committee Changes
Completed the training to be on the Northern Planning Committee. First meeting 30 June 2026, May’s meeting cancelled through lack of applications.
Shillingstone Flood Prevention
Attend two meetings with Shillingstone Parish Councillors and DC and the Environment Agency to discuss flood prevention measures.
More Children Qualify for free schools meals
Families across Dorset are being encouraged to check now whether their children will be eligible for free school meals from the September 2026 school term. This follows changes by central government.
From this autumn, all children whose parent/carer receives any level of Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of how much their household earns.
This removes the current £7,400 annual income cap and means more children will be able to have free school meals.
Free school meals can save families up to around £495 on school lunches per child per year, while also ensuring children receive a healthy, filling meal during the school day.
Service provided by Dorset Council
If you have any feedback on the service you receive from Dorset Council I would really appreciate hearing it.
Do you think you get value for money?
How would you rate the service you receive?
Are there areas you think the Council could or should improve upon.
Please email me with your feedback to cllrsteve.murcer@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Steve Murcer
Councillor, Blackmore Vale Ward
Mobile – 07468 599211
LYDLINCH PARISH COUNCIL
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
INTRODUCTION
Lydlinch Parish Council represents and articulates the views and needs of the local community. It shares information on parish matters affecting the community and supports comment from
interested individuals and groups.
The aim is to make Lydlinch Parish Council communications a two-way process: to give people the information to understand accurately what LPC does, whilst also enabling LPC to make informed decisions using information received from residents and partners.
The principles of these guidelines apply to Parish Councillors and the Clerk to LPC. It is also intended for guidance for others communicating with the Parish Council.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATION
Good communication will enable LPC to:
• Better understand the needs of the community and develop appropriate strategies and priorities
• Raise residents’ satisfaction, trust and confidence by communicating about issues
• Be an effective voice of the community
• Maintain and enhance the reputation of LPC
• Make the best use of all forms of communication to engage with all residents
WHO IS COMMUNICATING?
PARISH CLERK
The Parish Clerk has responsibility for communication with members of the community and outside bodies via paper copy, email, the Parish Council website and the village noticeboards. The Parish Clerk is provided with a Council email address which is to be used solely for the purpose of conducting Council business.
COUNCILLORS
Councillors have responsibility for communicating with members of the community and may be approached by members of the community as this is part of their role. How enquiries from the public are dealt with by Councillors will reflect on LPC. Enquiries may be in person, by telephone, letter, or email. When in doubt about how to respond to an enquiry the guidance of the Parish Clerk will be sought. At no time should Councillors make any promises to the public on any matter raised with them other than to say they will investigate the matter. All manner of issues may be raised, many of which may not be relevant to LPC. Depending on the issue, it may be appropriate to deal with the matter in the following ways:
• Refer the matter to the Parish Clerk who will then deal with it as appropriate
• Request an item on the next meeting agenda
• Investigate the matter personally having sought the guidance of the Parish Clerk
Councillors must ensure that any verbal communication with the public on council related matters reflects the decisions and policies of LPC regardless of the Councillor’s individual views on any subject.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
LPC meets six times per year. Meetings start at 7.00pm, in the Hooper Hall at Lydlinch.
LPC display the annual timetable for meetings on the website and noticeboards.
Public notice of meetings is published a minimum of three clear days before a meeting, this does not include the day on which notice was issued, the day of the meeting, a Sunday, a day of the Christmas break, a day of the Easter break or of a bank holiday or a day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.
Public participation is held for up to 15 minutes during the meeting to enable discussion on agenda items. Members of the public wishing to address the Council during the formal meeting or wishing to record the meeting are asked to make the Chair aware of their intention before the meeting starts.
Draft meeting minutes are produced no later than one month after the meeting has taken place and are published on the Council website and village noticeboards. Approved meeting minutes are published on the LPC website for long term record.
WHO SHOULD WE BE COMMUNICATING WITH
The council’s audience is wide and varied but will typically include:
• LPC employees and contractors
• Residents
• Dorset Council
• Our Ward member
• The media
• Voluntary groups and organisations
• The business community
• Our MP
• Other public sector organisations (police, health, fire)
• Visitors and those who work in the area
HOW WE SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING
Different forms of communication will appeal to different ages, social groups, and demographics so it is important to ensure that within reason, all options for increasing communication and participation are reviewed over time in order to communicate effectively with everyone. The advances made in information technology offer new ways of communicating. At the same time, for many people, traditional methods (newsletter, notice board etc) still play a fundamental role that must not be undervalued.
Currently Council communication is achieved mainly through Council meetings and Councillor
interaction, managed by the Parish Clerk. Methods of communication may include:
• Notices on village boards
• Online messages and information via the LPC website
• Social media
• Parish surveys
• Newsletter & Bulletins
LPC will continue to explore ways in which communication could be improved.
VILLAGE NOTICE BOARDS
The village notice boards will be kept updated to ensure that members of the community who are less active online are kept aware of key information.
ONLINE PRESENCE
Council Website
Online content should be objective, balanced, informative and accurate. LPC’s website is to be regularly updated. The web site must be complaint with the ‘Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.’
All correspondence should be addressed to clerk@lydlinchparishcouncil.gov.uk
COMMUNICATION – GOOD PRACTICE
It is imperative that:
• All communication from LPC is courteous, timely, professional, appropriate and reflects the decisions and policies of council;
• All individuals communicating on behalf of LPC are aware that every piece of communication reflects the reputation of LPC in the community
Councillors are ambassadors of LPC and this is reflected in all communications. Any communications from LPC will meet the following criteria:
• Be tasteful, civil and relevant;
• Not contain content that is knowingly unlawful, libellous, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented or racially offensive;
• Not contain any personal information;
• Consider not using abbreviations and council speak where possible;
Equally, it is expected that any communications to LPC would meet similar criteria.
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