Burton Bradstock Plan Steering Group

Sub Group Meeting:  Prosperity Meeting 3rd August 2005

Venue - Reading Room

 

Local businesses represented Freshwater Holiday Park, Jayne's Hairdressers, The Three Horseshoes Pub, Greenwich Cottage, Burton Bradstock Cars, Bridge Cottage Stores, The Norburton Hall Partnership and comments submitted by Hive Beach Café.  Also attended by Richard Overend (Parish Plan Steering Group), Trevor Hedger (Economic Development, West Dorset District Council) and Maria Clarke (Community Planning Officer, West Dorset District Council - recently in post)

 

Main issues and suggested actions were:

§    Lack of brown signage to promote tourist attractions - Trevor Hedger making representations and will keep the group informed

§    Importance of preserving natural resources - no large developments (commercial or otherwise) and helping preservation through the promotion of green tourism e.g. a trails leaflet.

§    Improve access to employment. Set up a car share scheme for people travelling to work (suggestion was to set up through a bulletin on BB online website)

§    Increase parking provision (through planning gain i.e. when new developments are agreed)

§    Increase local prosperity through a BB information leaflet, opportunities to link in with other events e.g. local food week (through Mandy Staples), increase profile with a webcam on Burton Bradstock beach and through promotion of the car park in tourist publications.

§    Improve viability of local traders by creating a venue for local produce on a regular basis (e.g. collection point or days for selling fresh local produce).

§    Improve beach area - recycling facilities to encourage tourists to take rubbish off the beach, install cold water showers and resurface beach road.

§    Waste management was raised as an issue needing attention - recycling provision on beach (lobby NT?), there is a lack of recycling provision (poor siting of facilities in layby as access is difficult in the summer due to the number of cars parked.  Generally need more provision of services/locations for waste disposal for business and commerce.

§    Local training courses - Trevor Hedger said only way to survive is to run courses on a full-cost basis (much as we have been) or use public money.  There are funding issues due to the cutbacks emanating from the Learning and Skills Council which has lead some training providers to withdraw from providing outreach courses (courses in communities rather than at traditional centres of training providers).

§    Access to training/employment - contact DART (Dorset Action for Rural Transport).

§    Business support - contact Business Link.

 

Meeting chaired and notes taken by Karen Venn