Summary note of Sutton Poyntz Society Committee Minutes and Newsletters 19/2/1968 – Planning meeting To plan Inaugural Meeting of Society Attended by Mrs Macdonald, Mr Samphier, Mrs Sutton, Mr Preswell, Mrs Shires, Mr & Mrs Litschi Committee – 6 plus officers, with 3 places allocated for “natives of the village” Discussion of sub-committees and working parties Discussion of structure of Inaugural Meeting 5/3/1968 – Inaugural Meeting – Mission Hall Chaired by L Samphier 50-60 residents – 17 apologies Guest speakers, Col Wordsworth of CPRE and Mr Ricketts of Civic Society Society – Objectives to “preserve the natural beauty of the area and protect it from unnecessary development” Unanimous vote to form Society Name: Sutton Poyntz Society preferred to Sutton Poyntz Preservation Society Offer by Mr Townsend of room at Springhead Hotel for meetings Committee – L Samphier (Chairman), Mrs J Litschi (Secretary), E Saunders (Treasurer), G Shires (Public Relations Officer), Mrs Mary Macdonald, Mr Hunt, Mrs Shires, Mr Henshaw, Mr Fullford, Mr Stillwell, Mr Litschi, Mr Branton, Mr Reed The pond – Agreed to request Borough Council to remove stone island, and use stones to strengthen perimeter. Also to request Borough to protect pond from rubbish, and agreed to reinstate ducks. Overhead cables – Concern about pylons in countryside Planning – Control of materials to be used in new buildings Litter – Control of rubbish Traffic – Siting of Sutton Poyntz road-sign Subscription – 10/- per household 11/3/1968 – Committee meeting – Springhead Hotel Newsletter – to be edited by Mr Samphier Press Officer – Mrs Shires appointed The pond – Further work done on island by Borough. Borough intention now to lower island and plant with water plants as cover for fish. Agreed to invite Council Officer to meeting. Planning – Agreed to invite Chief Planning Officer to next meeting, also to invite Cllr Taylor to sit on Committee. Information sought on planning applications, on house in Mission Hall Lane, and rumoured widening of Mission Hall Lane Subscription – Collectors appointed April 1968 – Newsletter #1 Society – Confirmation of number at General Meeting, subscription, officers, committee (Messrs F Branton, V Hunt, R Read, C Fullford, A Litschi, P Henshaw, E Stillwell and Mesdames J Shires and M McDonald). Cllr Taylor agreed to serve as coopted member Aims “To make every effort to maintain and improve upon the natural beauty of the village and to liaise with the CPRE and Civic Society to protect the area from unsightly and unnecessary development” Pond – Parks Superintendent (Mr Saville) met at site. Council view that island will prevent silting by speeding flow. Agreed to test for one year Urged regular cleaning and bank maintenance. Asked for seepage to be attended to. Promise of 3 teak litter bins. Suggested second seat on verge opposite Springhead Planning – Met planning officers and councillors on Development Plan Page 1 Summary note of Sutton Poyntz Society Committee Minutes and Newsletters Open meeting 30/4 at Mission Hall, with Borough Engineer, Mr Houseago 5/4/1968 – Committee meeting – Springhead Hotel Apologies from Cllr Taylor, who had accepted co-option onto Committee The pond – Meeting held with Council officer, who explained that object of pond was to prevent silting. Letters had been sent by Society and CPRE to Town Clerk. Mention of putting ducks on pond. Seat by pond – Agreed that this should be under willows. Planning – New house in Mission Hall Lane; Planning Committee had requested changes to harmonise better with village Proposed development off Puddledock Lane “towards Plaisters”. Hope that trees would not be felled as a result Trees – Discussion of possible additional tree planting (a) along northern side of Winslow Road (b) round disused catholic chapel Litter – one bin by each seat, and one by bus stop Common Land – Mr Litschi making enquiries, but without success Overhead cables – Survey to be carried out Notice board – Mr Hunt had offered to make. Messrs Blakelock had agreed to siting on Cart Shed wall. Planning permission needed. Traffic – Borough Engineer to be requested to move village sign to by bungalow ‘Poyntz o View’, and to repair broken signpost to show “Dorchester & Culliford Tree” and “Springhead & Pond” Society – Draft rules to be circulated again Meeting with Borough Engineer – Mission Hall to be hired for public attendance. Plan to display photos of old Sutton Poyntz 26/4/1968 – Committee meeting – Springhead Hotel Mr Brown added to Committee Newsletter – distributed The pond – No reply from Town Clerk Seats – Siting of seats and litter bins agreed with Council Common land – No common land in village. “Mr Harber’s grass patch” believed to belong to Weld Estate Notice board – Planning permission applied for Planning – “Cantref” development; safety of access into Plaisters Lane to be discussed with Borough Engineer (Mr Houseago) at forthcoming meeting, along with retention of trees Open Meeting – 30th April, with Mr Houseago. Bus service – Concern at limited Sunday service. Letter to Traffic Commissioner Society – Affiliation enquiries to Civic Society and CPRE Disused Chapel – meeting held with Miss Guppy. Possibility discussed of being rented and used by Society 24/5/1968 – Committee meeting – Springhead Hotel Society – Disused Chapel – Miss Guppy’s Agents had reported she did not want to lease the building. Letter to be written. Affiliations – Affiliation to CPRE (fee 1 guinea) approved. No response yet from Mr Walmsley Lewis of Civic Society Letter Heading – Picture of pond and cottages prepared for Mr Litschi. Approved Bus Service – Bus company contacted, but no information yet on new timetable, due in June. Letter to be written asking for skeleton Sunday service to be retained in winter Subscriptions – Distaste expressed at calling door to door Page 2 Summary note of Sutton Poyntz Society Committee Minutes and Newsletters Bank account – Agreement to open account at Lloyds Social Programme – Social Evening in July, and History Evening in autumn, agreed. Entertainments Committee formed (Messrs Stilwell, Shires, Litschi, Reed) Planning – Letter to be written to County Council requesting alert if planning application submitted for power station at Portland The pond – Council to be contacted to get island planted up. Ducks discussed Footpaths – Member (Mr Birchenough) to be contacted to mark footpaths 28/6/1968 – Committee meeting – 3 Silver Street (Mr & Mrs Shires) The pond – Letter sent to Borough Engineer had not been received. Agreed that tree on island would not be sensible. Ducks obtained by Mr Litschi. Mr Walden agreed to care for them – budget agreed Common Land – Mr Harber had requested no action be taken to register land in front of Myrtle Cottage Society – Disused Chapel – No response to letter Bus service – Response received from Bus Company, ignoring Society’s request for some Sunday service Social Programme – Social arranged for 6/7, at Scutt Hall, with dancing and refreshments. Wine from Devenish, with first glass supplied free. Band hired. Ladies to be approached for refreshments. Raffle. Hardy Festival – request for volunteers to help at Kingston Maurward 16/8/1968 – Committee meeting – 3 Silver Street (Mr & Mrs Shires) Litter – Letter of thanks to Parks Department for bins The pond – Trouble with water quality – fish removed temporarily. No response yet from Borough Engineer re island. More ducks (white) provided. Letter of thanks to Mr Hunt for duck house and for noticeboard. Bus service – Survey to be carried out to establish likely winter Sunday useage Planning – Response from County Council re Portland power station. No proposal had been made; when one was, there would be a public enquiry. Newsletter – Sub-Committee created Social programme – Tickets for next Social Evening to be sold beforehand, and at a higher price Agreed to hold Jumble Sale, and also communal bonfire on 8/11. Mr Ricketts to be contacted to give talk on “the village in modern society”. Society – Membership cards with Society logo to be printed September 1968 – Newsletter #2 Membership more than 50 households Planning – Over 50 present to hear Mr Houseago on planning. Display of old photographs Opposition to oil-fired power station on Portland Pond – Open meeting 30/4 with Mr Saville had agreed to let island stay for a year to see its effect Ducks in place on pond. Fish to be returned when danger of oil seepage has passed Litter bins in place. Also new seat Retaining wall built where bank has tended to erode Social – Eve of Hardy Festival social evening, making small profit. Catering by Mrs Branton, Mrs Brown, Mrs Borbyn, Mrs Johnson. Mr Corbyn as MC Plans for History Evening, with intention of collecting memories and legends into a written history Page 3 Summary note of Sutton Poyntz Society Committee Minutes and Newsletters Jumble Sale to be held Request for views on holding village Guy Fawkes evening Society – Noticeboard on Cart Shed wall – Planning permission obtained! – Made by Mr Hunt Membership card designed by Mr Litschi Village – Village sign at boundary Thanks to Mr Harbour for copy of his “History of Sutton Poyntz” 27/9/1968 – Committee meeting – Springhead Hotel Bus service – Concluded that there was no demand Planning – Portland Power Station – Discussion of appointing representative now in case of a future public enquiry Newsletter – ready for distribution Social programme – Jumble Sale arranged for 16/11in Scutt Hall. Bonfire to be in field behind waterworks The pond – Still no response from Mr Houseago.