Blues Festival (4,5,6 March)

THE 11th SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL - 4, 5, 6 MARCH 2011

* Free Admission to 40 gigs in 15 indoor venues
* Open Mic daily, Electric Jam Sessions, Buskers

Gee Whites' canopy

Thatch Restaurant on the Quay.

I cannot believe the planning authority. They have been harassing the owners of this site for what? three years now to take down the thatch because they don’t like it, so now I hear they passed an application for a modern canopy even bigger than the existing thatch WITH A FIRST FLOOR EXTENSION! Hope it doesn’t turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for the applicant. I’d like to know the reaction of other caterers in the Town if they were obliged to knock down their existing premises and rebuild with a fancy roof terrace for the use of the few old people who still bother to come to the seaside.
The person who posts regularly on here saying individuals should all be in awe of planning officers, do exactly what they say, and roll over and be quiet if applications are initially refused -please take note.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 24/2/11 3:23 PM

Caravan site proceeds?

Has anyone heard anything about what has happened to the seven million plus pounds that STC received from Darwin to purchase the lease of the muni? I am interested because it was an important town asset and rumours have floated around that not all the money has been received. I thought STC was meant to strive for transparency? I have scoured all financial reports and cannot see where it has wound up, been invested or spent. Perhaps I have missed something. Do I need to file a FOI request to find out where our family silver ended up? I would have thought STC would tell us rather than hide what has happened. It makes for better government.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 23/2/11 8:50 PM

Parish Assembly: 24th March

The parish assembly will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday 24th March at the Mowlem Community Room (not the Catholic Hall as reported at the meeting). It has been brought forward to avoid the pre-election period.

Allotments

Allotments Still no progress
Why is it that Swanage Town Council are able to purchase and fund a planning application for a piece of agricultural land to extend the Godlingston cemetery, when they find it impossible to find a bit of land to meet the demand for allotments? (6/2011/0002)



Posted by Anonymous

Flood and Erosion Management - public exhibition

There's a public exhibition about the Poole Bay (that includes Swanage), Poole Harbour and Wareham Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy. There is a webpage about the strategy at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/121331.aspx

The exhibition will explain how the strategy will develop and will describe the flood and erosion risk around the bays and harbour, now and in the future. The exhibitions are introductory; we do not yet have any proposals for change to put forward, these will come later. The agreed Shoreline Management Plan policy (No Active Intervention, Hold the Line, Advance the Line or Managed Realignment) for your area can be found at http://www.twobays.net/

The strategy follows on from these agreed policies.

The exhibitions are being held at

The Community Hall, Pinewood Rd, Branksome Dene, 7 March, 10:30am to 8:00pm

The Lighthouse, Poole, 8 March, 10:30am to 8:00pm

The Town hall, Wareham, 9 March, 10:30am to 8:00pm

MISSING PERSON: Jesse John Jones

Has anyone seen Jesse John Jones? He was last seen near Swanage Kebab shop after a night out at 01.35am Sunday morning. If anyone has any information please call the police on 01202 222222. Copy and Paste this to help the search!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_155808224473176&notif_t=group_activity

Find a picture on the above link.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 21/2/11 9:55 PM

Pier (New website)

Swanage Pier Trust are delighted to announce their newly re-designed website. Travel back in time and discover the history of the pier, take a tour of the facilities and activities available, learn interesting facts, and find out how you can help secure the future of this unique seaside structure by becoming a pier volunteer . The website will be updated regularly with news and photographs and will keep visitors up to date of special events and our Emergency Repair Appeal.
You can also download sponsor-a-plank forms and watch the live underwater webcam footage during the summer months.
Sarah
Marketing and PR Volunteer
On Behalf of Swanage Pier Trust
www.swanagepiertrust.com



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 21/2/11 12:18 PM

Hang Wangford, Studland, Sunday 20th February at 7.30pm

Hank Wangford & Brad Breath present 'No Hall Too Small'
After touring extensively round at least two hundred villages, Hank Wangford now embraces Round Two of his tour with old compadre Andy Roberts (Brad Breath). Join Hank and Brad as they trawl the dark underbelly of country music finding "laughter within the misery of life". They will be your guides with original songs and specially chosen obscure Country classics, yodelling and a rope trick or two from Brad, laughter and tears from Hank. They are both passionate about Country music and seek to take the flame to non-believers. Very funny and great music!
Web: hankwangford.com Sample video on the Artsreach website at http://www.artsreach.co.uk/programme/show_details.php?showid=257

Tickets are still available, from Studland Stores 01929 450204 or Tony Freer 01929 450514 £8 each or tickets may be available on the door if not sold out

Also, in a fortnight's time on Sunday 6th March at 7.30 we have:

David Gordon Trio Speaks Latin
Pianist David Gordon, "a richly gifted player with a sparkling style and boundless imagination" (Independent on Sunday), is joined by 'Mr Latin' himself, drummer Paul Cavaciuti, and the very talented double bass player Jonty Fisher. Their music is by turns hauntingly beautiful, intensely lyrical and infectiously humorous. A joyous groove permeates every note they play. This 'Speaks Latin' project features the trio's uniquely crafted treatments of entrancing melodies from Latin America, together with Latin jazz 'standards' from pianists Chick Corea and Michel Petrucciani. Milonga, zamba, rhumba... a spicy feast for all lovers of jazz and Latin music!
Web: davidmusicgordon.com
Sample video on the Artsreach website at http://www.artsreach.co.uk/programme/show_details.php?showid=246

Tickets available from Studland Stores 01929 450204 or Tony Freer 01929 450514 £8 each or tickets may be available on the door if not sold out

NEW SUBJECT

If you want to raise a new topic, post your comment here — just click first on Comments below, then type in post a comment (top right of the next window). Can you choose a title for your post, please? Sometimes it's hard to work out what a comment is about and what the subject is. A new heading will soon be set up, allowing others to see and add their own comments. It seems it's sometimes easier to click on 'Post anonymously' than to open an account in your name - you can always add your name to your message. We try to keep posts civilized. And any posts that become too provocative, insulting, threatening or otherwise unpleasant will be deleted.

Offshore wind farm

Eneco have announced the location of the round 3 offshore wind park located off the Hampshire and Dorset coasts and to the west of the Isle of Wight.
About the location of the wind park:

At the closest point, the wind park will be 8.2 miles (13.2km) away from Peveril Point in Swanage. The northern boundary of the site is located 10.2 miles (16.4km) from Bournemouth and 8.4 miles (13.5km) south west of The Needles and the Isle of Wight coast.

The Zone Appraisal and Planning (ZAP) process:

The decision on the wind park location was reached after Eneco conducted a Zone Appraisal and Planning (ZAP) process in accordance with guidance from The Crown Estate. This is a new non-statutory strategic planning process designed to give developers a view of their zone as a whole. In order to make the decision, feedback from meetings with stakeholders throughout the year and from public information days held in November 2010 was incorporated. Additionally, findings from engineering and environmental surveys also influenced the final location.

Next steps:

Now that the location of the wind park has been identified, Eneco will be holding a series of information days in March 2011 to communicate the results of the ZAP to the general public. These will be held at the following venues:

Weymouth: Pavilion Theatre – Wednesday 16th March 2011
Poole: RNLI Lifeboat College – Thursday 17th March 2011
Newport, Isle of Wight: Quay Arts Centre – Wednesday 23rd March 2011
Lymington: Lymington Community Centre – Thursday 24th March 2011
Christchurch: Regent Centre – Friday 25th March 2011
Bournemouth: Pavilion Theatre – Wednesday 30th March 2011
Swanage: Mowlem Theatre – Thursday 31stMarch 2011
A separate appraisal process is also underway to identify the most feasible cable route to connect the wind park to the National Grid. At present three possible locations have been identified at Chickerell (in Weymouth), Mannington (near Ringwood) and Fawley (near the oil refinery). Consultation on the onshore infrastructure will take place in June 2011. Additionally, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will begin from May 2011.
In the email below you should find a press release with further information about the location of the offshore wind park.

Attached to this email you should find an image showing where Eneco will be developing within the zone marked out in green

For further information please contact the Eneco press office on 0845 050 3700, email:eneco@mistral-pr.co.ukor visit www.enecowindoffshore.co.uk

Community Partnership meeting 4 March

Quarterly Meeting, 4^th March 2011 @ 10am, Swanage Town Hall

AGENDA

1. Welcome

2. Apologies,

3. Minutes of 14^th September meeting

4. Matters Arising

5. Determining land and buildings requirements for the community of Swanage- Dr Martin Ayres STC and Roger Sewill DCC

a. Overview of Swanage asset review

b. Input from local organisations

6. Summary and Next Steps

7. Date of next meeting

Minutes of last meeting

Could you be a Councillor?

There will be District Council and Parish/Town Council elections on 5th May.
A special meeting is being held for anyone who would like to find out more about what's involved:

Monday 21 February, at 6.30 pm

Council Chamber
Purbeck District Council
Westport House
Worgret Road
Wareham

For more information, call Peter Aston, Deputy Returning Officer: 01929 557221
[ peteraston@purbeck-dc.gov.uk]

Early summer?

Could be an early summer.....
FROG SPAWN ARRIVES A MONTH EARLY IN SWANAGE, (Peveril Heights). Last year was the 16th March and 2009 was the 3rd March.

Check your garden ponds.

RobO

That's the way to do it

Talk about Punch and Judy in Swanage.

Tues 15th Feb at 7.15 for 7.30 start at the Purbeck Arts Club meetings room in Commercial Road opposite Chococo.

There will be a break for refreshments and Wendy has a wealth of material that will be on display.

Price £3

Donate your old PC or laptop to AgeUK

[Age UK (Age Concern, as was), just down from the Town Hall, will take your old PCs or laptops. They don't want any monitors, just the CPU (or obviously the entire laptop). The following is from their website]

Why donate your PC?

Support technology novices in your community to get online with your old PC.

We know lots of you have old, working PCs and laptops sitting there gathering dust and space at home. We can help you get rid of them safely and securely, giving them a second lease of life to do good in your community and for people in later life.

In collaboration with Age UK and Microsoft Authorised Refurbishers, we can rebuild your old PCs into more affordable PCs which go to support community-based projects and older people directly.

What happens to my old PC?

We know that your old PC may still contain private information, which is why we guarantee to wipe them clean, securely removing all your data to internationally approved standards. We also clean, test and then install Microsoft software to get the PC ready for a new home and all for a worthy cause. The proceeds of your donation will directly support Age UK’s vital work to help train older technology novices to use computers to experience the benefits offered by today’s modern technology.

What exactly do I donate?

All we need is the working PC, desktop body, or laptop and electrical accessories that make up the PC. We are unable to take any screens or any other equipment.

Where do I donate my PC?

• Simply donate your unwanted PC desktop body or laptop to any Age UK shop.
• Thank you for giving the gift of technology and positively changing someone’s life.

More information on this programme can be found on the Age UK website.

The Alternative Vote explained: Mowlem Theatre, 9th February

Mowlem Theatre, 7pm, Wednesday 9th February

Did you know that we will be voting in a national referendum in just a few months’ time?
On 5th May, the country will be holding its first referendum since we voted to continue in the common market in 1975. But what is so important that the nation is having a referendum?
In May we will be voting to change the structure of British politics – an historic moment for democracy in our country.

A public all-party and non-party event will address this on Wednesday 9th February at 7pm in the Mowlem Theatre in Swanage. A panel of speakers from Fair Votes for Dorset, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour and the Green Party will help us understand the reasons behind the referendum and will explain how the Alternative Vote works. A mock election will be held on the night to show the difference between the present First Past the Post voting system and the proposed Alternative Vote system. There will also be an opportunity to put your questions on the voting systems to the speakers.

Admission to the event is free and it promises to be an interesting and engaging evening.
Don’t miss the opportunity to find out about what we will soon be voting for in May’s referendum!

To see an illustration of how AV works, click this link:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5ooFsQiCiiDNWQ0NDAxZjQtNWEyZi00NjBjLWIyODQtMTNjMTk1ZTJkMDk1&hl=en&authkey=CMjs1oIM

or this:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5ooFsQiCiiDODgyNGY0ZjAtNWMwNS00ZWU5LWI0YWItZTI4YzIzMTMwYjhj&hl=en&authkey=CP7crJgO

Conference: Surviving the Cuts in Dorset, 28th February

Surviving the Cuts, 28th February 2011, Dorchester

To download poster, click link:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5ooFsQiCiiDMTE1Y2RiYmQtOGI2MC00MTY2LWFiYjMtNGJlYjdlNzJhYTM0&hl=en&authkey=CI-a9-0J

What are the FACTS about cuts in Dorset?
What support is available to help your organisation?

A practical Conference in response to the cuts for voluntary and community
groups in Dorset.

On the 28th of February 2011 a county-wide voluntary and community sector
conference will be held to discuss how voluntary & community groups in
Dorset can react to, and survive, the government's spending cuts and
wide-ranging policy changes. Please find attached a 2 page conference
flyer with more information including full details of all workshops.

No matter the size of your voluntary or community organisation you should
be represented at this important conference if you are concerned about the
effects of these changes on your community. Hear high-level decision
makers explain what cuts will be made and question them on the impact of
these cuts:

· What impact will cuts have on communities in Dorset?
David Jenkins (DCC Chief Executive) and Angus Campbell (Leader of the
County Council)

· How will the Health Service in Dorset be affected? (provisional)

· What support is available for your organisation?
Georgina Morgan (Dorset Community Action)

This is a FREE conference with talks and discussions in the morning, a
networking lunch and a wide range of practical workshops in the afternoon.
The workshops will give you practical advice and support so you can
respond to these challenging times - workshops to help your organisation
take local action, lobby & influence decision-makers, generate income,
seek funding, properly assessing taking on public assets, ensure your
organisation is fit and how to better manage volunteers. See the second
page of the attached flyer (PDF file) for more detailed information.

If you would like more information or to REGISTER FOR THIS CONFERENCE
please book online at www.dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk/surviving_cuts -
Alternatively, if you have problems booking online please email
fred.wild@dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk or phone 01305 216 407.

Swanage Comedy Festival: March 24-26th 2011

The Swanage Comedy Festival (March 24-26th 2011) is set to grow as a two year exclusive sponsorship deal with local business Dorset Piddle Brewery (www.dorsetpiddlebrewery.co.uk) is announced.

The main event of the festival on Saturday 26th March will see 3 acclaimed comedians, with established star of radio and TV, Bob Mills, new comers Ellis James and Sean Percival each performing at all 3 venues with comperes, Andy White, Erich McElroy and Pierre Hollins, hosting a venue for the evening.

For more information on the Swanage & Purbeck Comedy Festival visit: www.swanagecomedy.com

Art Trail talk: 4th February

You have probably heard about the Swanage Seen Art Trail — even seen some of the artists boards, now you can hear the whole story. Carlotta Barrow is giving an illustrated talk at the Purbeck Arts Group Centre, 17 a Commercial Road. at 10.30 am Friday 4th February. Talk will last about an hour with time for questions after, No charge except donation for coffee.

Passenger boats along coast: have your say

Residents in Dorset and east Devon are being asked about plans to bring in passenger boats to cut coastal traffic.

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) have been looking into the viability of waterborne travel.

Pilot routes could link Weymouth to Portland, Bournemouth with Swanage, Studland and Poole, and Sidmouth with Seaton, Lyme Regis and West Bay.

Residents have until 28 February to comment on the idea which forms part of the draft joint local transport plan for Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset.

Click link above for more information [ http://news.dorsetforyou.com/2011/02/could-we-get-from-a-to-b-by-sea/]

To give your views, go to www.jurassiccoast.com and follow the link from the home page to ‘Draft Stage 2 Waterborne Transport Study’. I think is where that takes you:
http://dorsetjointltp-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal

Since complaining about the tortuous commenting process, I've been sent this link:

http://dorsetjointltp-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/dorset_joint_local_transport_plan/bpd_ltp3/bpd_draft_ltp3?tab=files

For more information about the project, contact Sue Mitchell, Dorset AONB Recreation, Access and Transport Officer on (01305) 01305 228236 or susan.mitchell@dorsetcc.gov.uk or Sally King, Jurassic Coast Visitor Manager, on (01305) 225091 or email:s.a.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Key documents include:

Waterborne transport (Part 1)

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5ooFsQiCiiDYjE5ZjVjNzktY2UwMy00MmJjLTgxZDQtMDRkZDMzMzczNGQ1&hl=en&authkey=CJqQ1ws

Waterborne transport (Part 2)

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5ooFsQiCiiDMDE1MTdmNjEtMDFhMC00NzBlLTllMGItZTg4YWU3NjYzMWY2&hl=en&authkey=CObrkL4N

Seabed map (DORIS)

See this map for amazing detail of the seabed along the Jurassic coast. This is the so-called 'DORIS' map. Click the link above or got to: www.tinyurl.com/dorismap to download a Google Earth application. More information about C-Scope at: www.c-scope.eu or www.dorsetforyou.com/c-scope