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Do you care about Wareham and its surroundings? |
Do you want Wareham’s character conserved and enhanced? |
Do you want Wareham to be vital and viable and provide the services you need? |
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What is Wareham Town Trust? The Trust is a voluntary group of individuals who care about their town and want to see Wareham and its surroundings conserved and enhanced. The Trust has some 200 members and has an active committee. The AGM report 2023
Click here (opens as Powerpoint file)
The 2022 Spring Newsletter is now available Click here (opens as PDF)
A huge thanks to everyone for their support for the Wareham
Neighbourhood Plan!
2021 WAREHAM TOWN TRUST NEWSLETTER 2021: PDF 2020 WAREHAM TOWN TRUST  2019 WAREHAM TOWN TRUST
NEWS AND EVENTS FROM 2018
Opportunity to comment
Great news!
“Three Billboards outside Wareham Railway Station”!
The District Council objected to the
application which will be considered at Dorset County Council’s
Regulatory committee on Thursday 14th June at 10am at The
Springfield Hotel, Grange Road, Wareham (see below)
Read the press release
here
SAVE OUR PEDESTRIAN CROSSING!
(01305 224175) NEWS February 2018 PRESS RELEASE: Controversial plans for railway crossing turned down by councillors.
A controversial Listed Building
application for the erection of a ramped bridge at Wareham Railway
Station has been turned down by the Purbeck District Council
Planning Committee today by 8 votes to nil. There was standing room only in the Council Chamber at Westport House this morning when some 50 residents attended the Council’s Planning Committee to show their concerns about this proposal. 9 people spoke expressing their serious concerns about the proposed ramped bridge, which would add about 260 metres onto a return journey between the north and south sides of the Town up a steep 1 in 12 gradient. Residents fear that the bridge will split the Town in two, cutting residents off from jobs and vital local facilities, be too steep (1 in 12) and out-of-keeping with the Listed Railway Station. Residents also fear that a gradient this steep would actually prevent some people from walking between the two parts of the Town and accessing the opposite platform. The proposed added distance would also be too far for some users. Residents drew attention to the Government standards on provision of ramps, which clearly state that ramps for pedestrians and cyclists shall not be steeper than 1 in 20, since steeper ramps can be very difficult for people in wheelchairs and those who have difficulty in walking.
Dorset County Council are yet to consider
a planning application for this proposal.
Contact
for further information: Nick Fagan, Chair Wareham Town Trust nickfagan@talktalk.net 01929 551047 Your support is needed! Plans to replace Wareham’s level crossing with this will be considered by Purbeck’s Planning Committee On Wed 31st Jan at 9.15am Council Chamber, Westport House, Wareham
Scheme overview - Sandford Lane
Please come to the meeting to show the strength of local opinion
If you wish to speak please let Kirsty Riglar know before noon on Monday 29th January (01929 557221 or kirstyriglar@purbeck-dc.gov.uk ).
Please help spread the word by telling your friends and forwarding this email. Thank you.
Your views are needed on the replacement of
Despite these objections plans have now been lodged with Purbeck District Council (Listed Building Application 6/2017/0550) and Dorset County Council (planning application 6/2017/0639) for consideration. Please let the district and county councils know what you think before 6th December. You can comment on the planning application (6/2017/0639) here and on the listed building application (6/2017/0550) here. More details on the listed building application can be found here. Or please write to Purbeck District Council Westport House, Worgret Road, Wareham, BH20 4PP And Dorset County Council, County Hall, Dorchester, Colliton Park, DT1 1XJ (Or you can post both letters to Purbeck District Council who will forward your letter to Dorset County Council) A list of potential objections is attached HERE in Word format or HERE in PDF Please help spread the word by telling your friends and forwarding this email. Thank you.
Hilary Evans
The Moors at Arne Project Wareham Town Trust Open Meeting Ian Alexander of Natural England will give a presentation on this exciting opportunity to enhance The Moors at Arne
With sea level rise, important habitat for wildlife along the coast will be lost over the next 30 years. This "coastal squeeze", where rising waters press against fixed sea defences, means that we need to create new places for coastal wildlife if it is to be guaranteed a safe home. This project will explore how The Moors at Arne can be converted to inter-tidal habitat. By involving the community in the project right from the start project organisers aim to maximise the benefits for local people, recreational users and wildlife
For further information please contact: IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES Due to rising costs for hiring venues, postage and other necessary expenditure, the membership fees have now been increased from January 2017. The new rates are:- Single subscription - £5.00 CLICK HERE for Membership Standing Order in PDF CLICK HERE for Membership Standing Order in WORD DOC People who pay by standing order will need to complete a new form. Many members have already sent in a new form, but in case you have lost the form, we are enclosing a new one. This can be handed in at the AGM or by returning to Chris Miller, Hon Treasurer at 30 West St, Wareham. BH20 4JY. If you usually pay by cash, and have not already done so this can be paid at the AGM – or you can send it to the Treasurer by post (or by hand if you are passing!) It is more efficient for the Trust (and easier for you!) to set up a standing order for your subscription. If you would like to stand as a member of the Town Trust Committee – please let Hilary Evans know (contact details below). The committee meets monthly at East St. We value our members’ continued support of the Town Trust and its activities; if you know of anyone else who would be interested in the Trust’s work and who might like to join, please let any committee member know. Using email is more cost effective and efficient for the Trust than paper copies and postage (which has become expensive). If we are not currently contacting you by email, and you have an email address, please can you let us know and we will send future information by that route. Many thanks and looking forward to seeing you on 21st March. For further information please contact: Nick Fagan (Chair) Tel: 01929 551047 email
nickfagan@talktalk.net 2017 SPRING
NEWSLETTER DOWNLOAD as
PDF CLICK HERE NEWS FROM 2016 Proposed development to West and North of Wareham Purbeck District Council’s options for development in the Partial Review of Purbeck Local Plan include:
Wareham Town Trust is very concerned about these proposals and hosted a meeting in the Town Hall on 26th July when 130 local residents raised their strong concerns including:
It is vital that everyone has the opportunity to comment on these important proposals which will shape the future of this area for years to come. We urge you to send your views to Purbeck District Council by Friday 12th August. Online: https://purbeck-consult.objective.co.uk/portal Or by email localplan@purbeck-dc.gov.uk Or Freepost to: Planning Policy, Purbeck District Council, RSAX-LTRK-TRKE, Westport House, Worgret Road, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4PP If you can help with distributing leaflets through doors please contact Charles Miller asap 45 West Street, Wareham, Dorset BH20 4JT. Tel 01929 556 355. Mob 07484 339 539 … Thank you. Wareham Town Council will be considering their response to the Partial Review consultation at their meeting on Monday 8th August at 7pm in Wareham Town Hall. All welcome to attend. Kind Regards Residents oppose large-scale development! There was standing room only in Wareham Town Hall on Tuesday night when local residents expressed their concerns about Purbeck District Council’s proposals for large scale development to the west and north of Wareham. The options for development which are included in the current consultation on the Purbeck Local Plan Partial Review include a potential 500 homes to the west of Wareham bypass within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 205 homes to the north of Wareham adjoining the Bere Road within the Green Belt. Nick Fagan (Chair of Wareham Town Trust) who chaired the meeting felt that “The proposed development would be completely out of scale with this small market town, adding another third to the population of Wareham. Purbeck is a very sensitive area, one which was shortlisted for designation as a National Park in the 1950’s! There is a case to revisit the housing numbers particularly in view of recent economic forecasts.” Residents were very concerned about the impact of such large-scale proposals on this already congested area. In particular, more pressure would be put on the notoriously congested A351 through Sandford. The 500 homes to the west of Wareham would be on the wrong side of the bypass severed from the town and would encourage people to use their cars. They were also concerned about adding another 205 homes to the north of Wareham before resolving the pedestrian access across the railway currently proposed for closure by Network Rail. Residents were concerned that both sites would be highly visible and impact on the setting of this rural town with that to the west of Wareham affecting views from the Purbeck Hills. Whilst residents understood that the district council was under pressure to provide more homes they felt that the amount of housing proposed could not be accommodated without ruining this special area. They were also concerned that many residents were not even aware of the current proposals and wished the district council to do more publicity and extend the period of consultation. Local residents are urged to make their views
known to the district council PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION TO SAVE WAREHAM'S SURFACE LEVEL CROSSING Closing the existing surface level crossing will cut the town in half. Hundreds of people use the crossing every day in order to visit friends and relatives and access the town's facilities - the shops, schools, play groups, nurseries, doctor's surgery, dentists and other facilities. These include elderly and disabled people and parents with young children in prams and pushchairs who absolutely rely on this safe and convenient surface level crossing. read more OTHER NEWS FEBRUARY 2016 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES Regrettably, due to rising costs for hiring venues, postage and other necessary expenditure, it has been decided that the subscriptions (which have been held at their present very reasonable rate for many years) will need to be increased. The new rates are:- Single subscription - £5.00 The increase will come into effect in January 2017 when all of the standing orders will have to be renewed. I have included a new standing order form for you to complete and return to the treasurer (address below). If you usually pay by cash, this can be paid either at the autumn meeting 2016 or the AGM 2017 – or you can send it to the Treasurer by post (or by hand if you are passing!) Committee If you would like to stand as a member of the Town Trust Committee – please let Hilary Evans know (contact details below). The committee meets monthly at East St. Also, I have decided to stand down as the Membership Secretary, so if any members would like to be considered for this interesting office, please let us know before the AGM if possible. We value our members’ continued support of the Town Trust and its activities; if you know of anyone else who would be interested in the Trust’s work and who might like to join, please let any committee member know. If you have not already done so, please can I remind members to pay their subscriptions for 2016? You can pay at the door at the AGM on 23rd March
or send a cheque to the treasurer, Chris Miller, at 30 West St
Wareham, BH20 4JY. Using email is more cost effective and
efficient for the Trust than paper copies and postage
(which has become expensive). If we are not currently contacting you
by email, and you have an email address, please can you let us know
and we will send future information by that route. Maggie Miller For further information please contact: Nick Fagan (Chair) Tel: 01929 551047 email nickfagan@talktalk.net Hilary Evans (Hon. Sec.) Tel: 01929 551828 email:hilary@eaststreet.plus.com Chris Miller (Hon. Treasurer)
Tel: 01929 551500 email
chrismiller99@btopenworld.com NEWS FROM 2015 Proposed pedestrian ramps to replace level crossing at Wareham Railway Station Application numbers 6/2015/0478 and 6/2015/0479. ............................................................. LATEST UPDATE: 30th September Dear all The planning application was refused for the reasons detailed below: 1.The proposals by way of their excessive scale and materials of construction will appear demonstrably harmful in the street scene. 2.The proposals due to their excessive scale, bulk and massing fail to preserve the setting of the historic asset of the bridge itself and the wider station area. 3.The proposals due to the increased length of travel for pedestrians which make it more likely to increase the use of motor vehicles by residents for short journeys, fails to promote sustainable transport. The application for Listed Building consent was refused for the following reason: 1.The proposals, by removal of some of the stairs to the bridge and substantial modern additions are not in accord with National Planning Policy Framework. ................................................................. Wareham Town Trust has serious concerns about this proposal including: It would further split the town in half
Wareham Town Council have formally objected to the proposal and Wareham Town Trust has also objected (see attached) Please take the time to look at the proposals on https://planningsearch.purbeck-dc.gov.uk/PlanAppSrch.aspx or by visiting the Council’s offices at Westport House. Railway Crossing - Planning Committee 30th September at approx. 9.40am The agenda and papers for the Planning Committee Meeting on Wed 30th September have now been published and can be found on the link below: https://www.dorsetforyou.com/article/419899/Planning-Committee---30-September-2015 Please note that there will now be a Planning Committee site visit at the Railway Crossing at 9am. The estimated start of the Planning Committee at Westport House is 9.40am. There is an opportunity at the beginning of Planning Committee for the public to speak. If you wish to speak you need to have sent in your comments in writing and confirmed that you wish to speak before noon on Monday 28th September. The report of officers states that “the planning matters related to this application are finely balanced”. We hope you will find the time to attend this
meeting and show the strength of local opinion regarding this
proposal. |
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What are its aims? Originally formed in 1987 to seize the opportunities presented by the completion of the bypass to make the town more attractive to everyone, the Trust believes that building on the town’s assets as a historic market town will secure its future prosperity. The Trust holds 2 or 3 meetings a year on topical issues or on the history of the town. Raising awareness of current proposals affecting the town is a particular aim. For example the Trust held a meeting for members to meet with developers when a major development was proposed at Worgret. The Trust also joined with others to hold a town meeting regarding the proposed Town Enhancements Scheme. |
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Planning applications, The Trust keeps an eye on current planning proposals, policies and other issues affecting the town. It also meets regularly with representatives of the Town, District and County Councils and the Chamber of Trade regarding current issues. Click here for more information |
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Historic buildings The Trust was actively involved in securing the establishment of a Heritage and Information Centre in Trinity Church when this became vacant to ensure continued public access to this historic building. |
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Wareham in Bloom The Town Trust helped to set up Wareham in Bloom and provides hanging baskets on Wareham Library each summer. One of the first Town Trust projects was to plant trees on the northern approaches to Wareham. |
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Wareham Saturday Market The Trust helped to start this market some years ago, is represented on the Steering Committee and supported its recent relocation to The Quay. |
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Community involvement The Trust keenly supports community involvement in local initiatives such as the project to improve Hauses Field for the benefit of all users. |
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Heritage Open Days Every year during September the Trust helps organise Heritage Open Days, opening buildings of historic and architectural interest to the public. |
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Wareham Community Plan This was developed following extensive consultation. The Trust is represented on Wareham Community Partnership and will be assisting in a number of the projects included in the plan. |
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Wareham Town Walls The Trust has helped with projects to protect, enhance and raise awareness about Wareham’s historic monument, the town’s Saxon Walls. |
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Shopping The Trust has supported the extension of the existing town centre supermarket and retention of Wareham’s independent shops. It has resisted an out of town supermarket which it feels would affect the vitality and viability of the town centre. |
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