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 Council says thanks Following a weekend of very few incidents across the county, Dorset Council is saying thank you to local people and visitors for helping it pass off successfully. Numbers at Durdle Door and Studland Beach were manageable and normal for this time of year and coastal towns were also busy but not overwhelmed. The council is continuing to encourage people to ‘Shop Local’ and ‘Enjoy Summer Safely’ alongside messages reminding people to respect social distancing advice when out and about, along with good hand washing. Dorset still has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the country and Public Health Dorset will continue to monitor the situation closely as the county opens up further to visitors. Find out more  Further measures to support businesses announced by the Chancellor Further measures to kickstart the economy and support jobs was the focus of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s plan that was unveiled last week (8 July). The highlights included a Job Retention Bonus to encourage firms to keep on furloughed workers, a £2 billion Kickstart Scheme to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people who are currently claiming Universal Credit and a £1.6 billion Employment and Support scheme to invest in scaling up training, apprenticeships and other support initiatives to help people searching for work. Eat out to help out was another initiative announced to encourage people to safely return to eating out. The Government’s new discount scheme will provide a 50% reduction for sit-down meals in cafes, restaurants and pubs from Monday to Wednesday every week throughout August 2020 Find out more  Update for shielded residents Since 6 July, guidance for shielded residents has changed. Although this is great news for some, we understand that it may be difficult for others. We want you to know that help is still available for you at this time. You can: Find help in your local area Let us know what help you need using our online form Call us Monday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm on 01305 221000  Reopening date announced for Dorset Council’s leisure centres Dorset’s sports and leisure centres are set to reopen, following the recent announcement by the Government. The centres managed by Dorset Council will be welcoming back customers from Saturday 25 July. The news comes after the facilities closed in March due to COVID-19. Guidance published by the Government outlines measures that will allow indoor swimming pools and sports facilities to reopen. Social distancing measures will be in place in all the centres, together with rigorous cleaning regimes. Find out more  Transforming planning In April 2019 we became a unitary authority. This reorganisation combined district, borough and county councils. All six organisations had their own versions of planning management software from two different suppliers. Working with employees, councillors, architects, surveyors and planning agents a three-step approach was developed to transform the service. The planning system needs to provide a modern service to enable Dorset to grow economically. Backlogs of planning applications and validations also needed to be addressed. The challenge was to combine policies, people, users, processes and software into a one team system capable of delivering excellent customer service while supporting the growth and regeneration of the county. Find out more  Apply for childcare funding, even if you’re not using childcare right now While saving money on your childcare costs might not seem like a priority right now, applying for funding could help you save money in the coming months. Childcare providers can now open to more children if they can meet government guidelines. Some providers may not be able to open yet, or may need to prioritise care for certain groups of children. You can search for childcare providers who are open on the Family Information Directory. When you need to use childcare for your family, these schemes could help you save money: 30 hours funded childcare Tax-free childcare 15 hours funded childcare for 2 year olds Find out more  New £1.7 million agri-tech innovation centre at Dorset Innovation Park Dorset Innovation Park Enterprise Zone, Wool, welcomes its latest land purchase and development of a research and innovation centre. We are proud to announce the sale to Draper Ventilation Limited (draperVENT). Dorset LEP has allocated a £740,000 Growing Places Fund loan to draperVENT, who will increase the total investment to £1.7 million for the purchase. The new research and innovation centre will be used to further develop computerised climate control systems for the agricultural sector. Find out more  Changes at Sherborne household recycling centre People using Sherborne Household Recycling Centre on West Mill Lane will no longer need to use the Terrace Playing Fields car park to collect a ticket before entry. Work has been completed so that normal access arrangements can return. Please remember: All social distancing measures will still need to be observed when using the Household Recycling Centre Do not queue or park on West Mill Lane When queuing on the access road vehicles keep left to aid the two-way flow of traffic If the site is busy you may be asked to return later The reuse / resale will remain closed until further notice Find out more |
07824 829 491
parishclerk@studlandparishcouncil.org
