2016
January 2016 - BTV Issue 19
David Hitchcock welcomes new occupiers
At last, the houses at Bramblehay are completed and I am pleased to say that all the houses have been let and the first tenants have started to move in.
In the last BTV I asked for suggestions as to what your CLT could do next.
The Board will have some £1,400 to spend each year and some people have asked me where the money will come from?
Your CLT owns the land on which the Affordable Houses have been built. However just to make it clear, we do not own the plot on which No 8 is built. We agreed with Hastoe Housing Association at the outset to lease them the land for 125 years and in return we receive a ground rent of £4 per house per week on the 7 houses which will be paid annually.
At the Trusts AGM held at the end of November a number of suggestions were put forward and amongst these were the following. To help pay for some First Aid training for a few willing locals in case of need, a playing field for the local children, a bus shelter for those waiting for the bus particularly the school children in the morning, and help with some form of sewage system for the village of Marshwood.
Your Board did not think that main drainage was an item we should get involved with as it was something that the Council and Wessex Water would have to be responsible for. However, any such system will impose a cost on each house holder and we felt here is a subject that the Neighbourhood Plan could address.​
But before Wessex Water are approached for their opinion the village will have an opportunity to make their views known at the forthcoming Neighbourhood Plan presentation at Blackdown Hall on 26 and 27th February 2016.
As most of my comments seem to be about Marshwood may I make things clear, the CLT covers the whole of the Upper Marshwood Vale area so please do not think that Marshwood is all that matters.
It is up to you to tell us what you would wish the Board to consider. I know little of what goes on in Pilsdon or Bettiscombe.
David Hitchcock Chairman Marshwood CLT
2016
Summer 2016 - BTV Issue 20
How would you spend £2,000 on Marshwood? Ideas please
Bramblehay has received many favourable comments from both locals and visitors to our area. After all the problems that we had during the building process and with the houses now filled with new people it is easy to sit back and say ‘thank goodness it is finished.’ But there is more to do.
Your CLT Board have now received the first ground rent of £2,000 from Hastoe and are considering how to spend it.
We feel it should be a benefit to as much of the community as possible.
Suggestions include a bus shelter down in the Marshalsea area, a children’s play area, a car park area for the school as it seems an accident is waiting to happen with so many cars now involved, repairs to some of the finger signposts and an orchard.
Training some locals in First Aid was also put forward and we are happy to hear of other suggestions from you but please remember that you do need to find a piece of land with the landowner’s agreement before the idea can be considered. What’s next? That’s up to you; we are your CLT, so tell us!
We are still looking for a new secretary following Emma’s retirement, so does anyone feel they could give a little back to the community and help?
David Hitchcock, Chairman CLT
2016
Autumn 2016 - BTV Issue 21
Should the CLT fund repairs to Marshwood fingerpost signs?
Since the affordable houses were finished, all manner of subjects find their way onto the CLT table.
At a recent meeting of the CLT Board a number of these issues were discussed.​
​We had a reply to our letter to Dorset County Council Highways department about traffic calming on the B3165 to help children walking to and from Marshwood School. The gist of the reply was that the narrowing near Foxdown Farm would have to become a single-lane carriageway in order to make room for a footpath and that due to excess traffic speed in the 30mph zone and being on a bend, they felt a head-on collision was likely and therefore they were unable to recommend any road improvement. Members felt that if the traffic speed was the reason the improvement was rejected, then that same speed issue makes it dangerous for the children.
The board is considering spending some of the ground rent from Bramblehay on repairing some of the fingerpost signs in the area. We were advised that the cost of a complete replacement with new post, arms, letters, painting and labour would be near £1,000. Members felt that some improvements to only one or two posts a year might be acceptable, leaving some funds for other small projects.
Our AGM will be held at Blackdown Hall on 10th October at 7.30. Among the items to be discussed will be how we spend our income. West Dorset District Council would like us to consider a further housing development. I hope that people will attend and let us hear what you think. Do we build more houses and do we improve the fingerposts?
David Hitchcock, Chairman CLT​
2016
Winter 2016 - BTV Issue 22
Community Land Trust AGM agrees to support fingerpost sign repairs
At the annual general meeting of Marshwood Community Land Trust, David Hitchcock, the chairman, summed up their successful campaign to bring affordable homes to the community with a list of problems solved and faults found.
Only one problem remained – what to do with the CLT’s ground rent. No one wanted to gift our hard-earned funds to the taxman so the money has to be spent during this financial year. Just for once it seemed that here was a source of money looking for a worthy application.
Fingerpost signs to be costed
Top of the list was the dreadful state of the parishes’ signs especially the traditional fingerposts. It was widely felt that this project has languished for far too long and there were many comments on the kind of improvements that were being recommended. It rapidly became clear that with other councils setting up sub-committee’s overall co-ordination would be required. The members decided that they would support the refurbishment of the worst three fingerpost signs, subject to the work being costed.
Marshwood Church – Kitchen & Toilet facilities​
An alternative improvement for our community would be to create a kitchen and toilet facilities at Marshwood church. The nave of St Mary’s is already time-shared between the school, who occupy it on weekdays, and the congregation (Sundays).
PCC to be consulted This is to the obvious benefit of both parties and the school has on occasion provided toilets and even meals. More permanent provision of such facilities would be very welcome but set against this proposal is the overall concern for the whole building as voiced by CLT membership. The committee decided to consult the parochial church council for further guidance.
Defibrillator considered
The provision of a further defibrillator for the Vale was another topic for discussion along with possible sites. A proposal emerged to repurpose old phone boxes, which takes advantage of the fact these are connected to mains power and uses this to maintain the charge of the defibrillator’s batteries. Support for first aid training was also discussed, as was training in the use of the defibrillator. This AGM disappointed only in the numbers present, but the committee and CLT members who attended made up for this with the range and quality of ideas set out for consideration Ali Cameron
Marshwood CLT news round-up
CLT directors re-elected
At the annual general meeting held in October 2016, Charles Somers and David Hitchcock were re-elected as directors. The treasurer gave an up-to-date account of the trust’s finances and discussion followed as how best to spend the money the CLT has before the accounting year end.
Meeting with church
As CLT Chairman, I have organised a meeting at the Church with Rev. Stephen Skinner, the Headmaster and the Chairwoman of the School Governors, together with the Church Warden and the Salisbury Diocese Architect to see if the idea was feasible. The discussions were very positive and we await some idea of the cost involved from the architect.
David Hitchcock – Chairman