Bridport & Lyme Regis News reported on Green Councillor Belinda Bawden‘s question to the full Dorset Council meeting on 10th April:
“Dorset Council has recently been expressing the intention to collaborate more closely with town and parish councils, including potentially co-funding projects as well as agreeing asset transfers and maintenance arrangements.
“However, I have been unable to establish what the best process is to achieve this. For example, in Lyme Regis and Charmouth, I understand that offers of co-funding could possibly enable:
- bus stop boxes to be repainted
- white and yellow lines to be repainted
- surface water drainage problems, including in one of Dorset Council’s big car parks, to be resolved
- other car park repairs to be undertaken
- other flood mitigations to be implemented
- beach replenishment for coastal protection and amenity value
- road safety measures to improve pedestrian safety
- retaining river walls, old and current sea walls, roads and bridges to be repaired.
“Yet I have been unable to get proposals to be submitted as requests for funding contributions, with one exception from the small selection mentioned here.
“Locally, we do appreciate Dorset Council’s financial pressures and the need to prioritise statutory services but it isn’t realistic just to expect town and parish councils to come forwards to offer to fund urgent repairs and routine maintenance which are clearly Dorset Council’s responsibilities as the landowner, Highways Authority, Local Flood Authority or Coastal Protection Authority.
“Could we please design a process whereby Dorset Council promptly develops project proposals for the requested repairs, maintenance and improvements in our wards, with suggested requests for co-funding if appropriate, so that town and parish councils can decide whether they are prepared to contribute financially to get things done?”