The meeting on April 13th, was the last meeting before the AGM, which will be held in St John's Church Hall, on Thurs May 18th at 7.30 pm. Apart from Vice Chairman, the current Officers are available for re-election, and unless there are some last minute nominations from the members, will be duly re-elected. Part of the formal business will be to approve an updated version of the 'Rules' of the association, which have not been fully updated since they were formulated in 1938. After the interval - wine and cheese - we will be having a talk about the Poole approach to the escalating problem of waste. This will be given by Peter Pawlowski Head of Poole Consumer Protection Services and his assistant Pippa Milne.

There was much discussion about three current Planning Applications in Broadstone. The development behind houses in York Road had roused much local opposition, and local Councillors have ensured that the application goes before the Council Planning and Transportation Committee. There is also an application for a large block of sheltered flats on the corner of Grange Road and York Road. This has raised objections over size, parking, traffic hazards from local residents and traders, and the Association will be formally objecting. A third application for flats on the site of the Heatherdell Nursing Home in Wetherby Close has yet to be fully investigated.

Since the last meeting we had been in discussion with Council Officers about the Budget and the rise in Council Tax. The major problem that the Council has, is the low level of Government finance. Poole is very near the bottom of the league when it comes to Government support - mainly because we have such low unemployment - and we have to make up the shortfall from the Council Tax. Even so our actual rate of Council Tax is much lower than most authorities.

Our Millennium projects are well on track. We have decided on the tree to go in the Recreation Ground, and are now looking for suitable benches. We have also gathered quite a lot of material for the 'Broadstone History' Some of it going back to the early eighteenth century.

We have also asked about the handling of 999 calls and the redirection of calls to the Gravel Hill station, as one or two residents have complained about somewhat tardy responses.

The meeting closed with a discussion about on-street car parking near Corfe Hills School. The number of students driving to school far outstrips available parking. Higher Blandford road and Widworthy Drive are reluctantly taking the overflow. It is hoped the school will find ways to reduce the number of cars.

Dudley Hull

Archives : Jan. 2000, Dec. 1999, Oct. 1999, Sep. 1999 ,Aug. 1999

Say you saw it on "Broadstone NET"