After quite a remarkable summer, we seem to be approaching autumn but in a less than usual way. Rather than the appearance of russet in many of our trees, we are seeing some green in our garden lawns, thanks to some recent rain. Residents might even think about cutting this grass which has been a brownish yellow for the last few months.
The fact that our Newsletter arrives a little late this month is the result of my unexpected absence in the past two weeks. The Syrian Refugee Virtual School that UNICEF invited my organisation to set up twelve years ago, still functions with teachers qualifying in virtual learning skills. I had expected to oversee from my home office but the ill health of a younger colleague required me to travel onsite. These educators are tremendous, I gained as well as contributed a lot.
Back here in Dorset, August saw BCP’s second experiment with its parking fine increase. Early in the summer, certainly in the Branksome Park roads around my home, anti-social parking was much in evidence yet again. Cars parked on double yellow lines, parked across property entrances marked with white H lines, even parked half mounted on pavements. A local BBC reporter discussed this in an interview which sought to include BPCCRA’s thinking about both the increased fines and the proposed sale of much of the Beach Road Parking facility. The conversation in which I was engaged on camera was comprehensive. Unfortunately, his was then edited to a few words about my own drive being blocked twice in July! Having spent a large part of my career with the BBC, albeit not in this context, I should not have been surprised.
When asked again recently for a BBC TV interview on the parking fine increase and our membership feedback, I consulted our ward councillors. We reached a consensus that given the lack of concrete feedback on the increase to date, any comment would be anecdotal at best and thus it is too premature to voice an opinion. I declined the interview.
That said, the Beach Road carpark has surfaced again with our Poole MP, Neil Duncan-Jordan requesting a review of the proposed sale and agreeing to a meeting this month. The opportunity was arranged by one of our membership who has raised a series of concerns as indeed we did as an Association last year. Members will recall we commissioned a legal opinion. It seems BCP has not had offers and thus an opportunity for a rethink might open up. Let’s see.
Moving to quite another issue. The Association has long been a member of South Poole Chairs Liaison Group. This brings together Chairs of five local associations in a bid to both share knowledge, thinking, and strategies that optimise both safeguards and benefits for residents’ well-being and quality of life. Power in numbers.
We have recently been asked by the current chair of South Poole Chairs Liaison Group, who is a BPCCRA member, to platform a comprehensive outline of the group’s rationale, its purpose and on-going activities. You can now find this on our website.
Lots going on with the new Poole Town Council, Jessica Toale and her regeneration ideas for Bournemouth’s centre, refuse challenges and more but I will pick up on some of these in October.
I would like to close with a mention of the ongoing Haven Hotel challenge. A favourite location of mine since childhood, somewhere where I was lucky enough to run Blairite London Challenge School Leadership Team T&D workshops; a just wonderfully motivating environment for very pressured senior leaders of education to have space to reflect and progress. It now faces demolition, taking with it its Marconi history. Our sister association Sandbanks Community Group has put in a formal challenge but encourages all residents and others to register a protest. This is how you can:
Thank you all for your ongoing attention to these important local issues and concerns.
Hear directly from Wessex Water at the October Open Meeting
We’ll be welcoming representatives from Wessex Water to our Open Meeting next month. Come along to hear from them first hand, find out more about issues affecting our area and put your questions directly to the team.
Save the date: Wednesday 14 October 7.30pm
Committee Room, St Aldhelm’s Church Hall
Andrea Charman
Chair, BPCCRA
chairbpccra@pinesandchines.co.uk
September 2026
