At the Annual Parish Meeting Cllr David Ackerman reviewed the year's events.

First he congratulated Cllr Sarah East on retaining her seat and Cllr Alistair Chisholm on winning his seat in the recent District Council elections and he commiserated with Fred Horsington who lost his seat but who has been such a help to the Council over the years.

Continuing, he said that a new Parish Council noticeboard had been put up in the bus shelter and the board by Frome view refurbished and sadly our request for a bus shelter for the schoolchildren by Giles Close had been turned down.

Meetings have been held in the past year over worries about the Poundbury development especially the impact on the skyline the reality being different to what was promised however some tree planting is to take place to break up the visual intrusion.

With both village signage and the trimming of the village lime tree there was a lack of consultation from the County Council but at least with the signs they were erected as the Parish Council would have wished.

Grit bins are now all installed ready for next winter and efforts are still being made to get protection for parts of the roman aquaduct which passes through the village. The Council are pursuing English Heritage over this matter.

Cllr David Ackerman concluded by stating that the coucil has had a reasonably successful year and there is hope that with the coming 'Big Society' we may have a bigger say in the way the village is run together with an acceptance by the District and County Councils that the Council should be included in any future changes that affect the village.

There followed various reports from village representatives about their activities and this included a warning from Sally Falconer from Maiden Newton that South West Coaches, who run our bus service, were talking about their buses no longer turning and coming into the village unless more people used i If this should happen villagers will have to walk to Ash Hill bus stop to catch the service.

It really is a case of 'use it or lose it'.

During the Open Period District Cllr Sarah East gave a review in terms of the wider area including Dorchester swimming pool and the Charles Street development and a precis of the spending cuts that the County Council have to make.

This meeting was immediately followed by the Annual Parish Council Meeting and the Chair and Vice Chair were returned unopposed for another year and Tim Collins was welcomed as a new Parish Coucillor.

Andrew Barker gave a review of progress with the Parish Plan. It is proceeding very well indeed and good feedback has been obtained from villagers and organisations - particular points raised being heavy lorries on narrow roads and the need for faster broadband for the village.

There is a meeting scheduled for June 4th to approve the draft report and then their team will be putting the whole document together and a newsletter will be circulated soon as an update.

Councillors voted unanimously for the setting up of a Parish Council website which will cost £50 per year to run.

The missing village twinning sign remains a mystery Cllr Neil Howard continues to look into the matter and perhaps another one will have to be made.

Cllr Tim Collins is to investigate whether there is any mileage in seeking the reopening of 'Bradford Peverell and Stratton Halt' which still exists on the edge of the village with its platforms intact.

The next meeting is on Thursday July 7th