Wareham Town Hall
Hauses Field
As part of the Hauses Field development at Northmoor Park in 2006/07, a number of raised flower and shrub beds in the form of wooden planter boxes were installed to form a sensory garden. The aim is to give pleasure to people of all age groups and with the installation of seating it has proved a pleasant area for many. Since adopted by the Wareham in Bloom Committee, the planter boxes have matured and become a great addition to the site for local residents to enjoy. Wareham in Bloom is now looking to form a volunteer Friends of Wareham in Bloom group to, amongst other projects, keep an eye on the boxes at Hauses Field. All that is needed is time and a little effort with a weeding trowel, pruning shears and enthusiasm to help keep the raised beds looking trim and well maintained at all times of the year. If you or a small community group can help out and perhaps adopt one or more raised beds, please give me a call or call Councillor Eric Osmond, Chairman of Wareham in Bloom (01929 551000) - we will be delighted to hear from you.
Annual Town Meeting 2009
Wareham Town Hall
The Annual Town Meeting is a meeting of electors of the Parish of Wareham hosted by Wareham Town Council. The meeting will take place in the Corn exchange at the Town Hall on Wednesday 22nd April. This year, plans are being made to feature the work of the PACT team with Chairman Nick Caddy and PC Moira Connolly reporting on the scheme. PACT stands for Partners and Communities together and is a Government initiative driven by the Home Office. The group was derived from the existing Wareham Town Safer Neighbourhood Team which is made up of active community members. PACT tries to ensure that (under the themes of 'Intervention' and 'Answers') the community has a voice and has the opportunity to get involved. Hopefully, this will lead to the ability to influence via feedback and consultation. Already, the PACT team have been instrumental in solving various problems in Wareham from anti-social behaviour to problems of availability of late night taxis. Why not make a date in your diary and come along to the Annual Town meeting? Questions from electors of the town - on any Wareham issue - will be warmly received.
Mistover Road Play Area - Re-opening
As I write in mid-February, the work of completely refurbishing the Mistover Road Play Area has been delayed by two weeks due to problems with bad weather experienced by the contractors. Regrettably, it was not possible therefore to re-open as planned for the half term holidays. The Council has been assured, however, that the play area will be ready in time for a grand opening in early March.
Since its creation in February 2007, the Town Council's website has gone from strength to strength. The latest statistics reveal that there have been 9,842 visits and 11,862 page views in total with, on average, 17 visits per day. Last week there were 120 visits with 138 page views. The site is consistently at the top of the table when people search online for Wareham Town Council. A newsletter, Wareham in Bloom page, Mayor's blog, details of Council and committee meetings, councillors' contact details and past minutes of Council meetings are featured, together with links to various Wareham and district-based sites of interest. A review is due to be undertaken and various improvements will shortly be made.
Friends of Great Ovens Heathland Site
Debbie Clothier, Dorset Reserves Community Officer of the Herpatological Conservation Trust, has contacted me with regard to the possibility of starting a 'Friends of' group for the Great Ovens heathland site in north Wareham. She writes:
'Great Ovens is an important habitat for some of the UK's rarest reptiles and amphibians and is used by many local residents. If you could put me in touch with any local residents who have an interest in conservation in their local area I would be most grateful. If you know of any interested groups then any suggestions would be welcome. I am HCT's community officer and would be involved in the process. I anticipate the 'friends of' group being involved in some of the practical conservation on site, possibly monitoring and recording of wildlife, and reporting of any incidents. There may be scope for site related events happening as well. Thanks and best wishes.'
If you would like to get involved please contact Debbie on 01202 391319 / 07810770569 or e-mail her at: debbie.clothier@herpconstrust.org.uk
Beating of the Land Bounds Ceremony - 28th March 2009
Every few years, the Mayor of Wareham and any interested townsfolk are invited to participate in the 'Beating of the Land Bounds' Ceremony in conjunction with Poole Borough Council. The event includes the ancient 'Pins and Pricks' ceremony at various stages of the route. The Council has again given its support to the ceremony which is due to be re-enacted with the Mayor of Poole's party on Saturday 28th March 2009. Mini buses will be leaving from the Barclays Bank bus stop. Tickets are £12 each, including a cream tea and programme; full details from the Mayor's Secretary - tel: 01929 553006
