Mark Pascoe Review Officer Local Government Boundary Commission for England Layden House 76-86 Turnmill Street London EC1 5LG

Home , Glanvilles Wootton, Ibberton, Mappowder, Pulham, Stoke Wake, Woolland

From: John Holiday [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 03 June 2013 15:53 To: Reviews@ Cc: Pauline Batstone Subject: Electoral Review of North Dorset

3 June 2013

Dear Mr Pascoe,

Woolland Parish Meeting, North Dorset

On 17 May, Woolland Parish Meeting voted unanimously to recommend that Woolland Parish be transferred from the Lydden Vale Ward to the Bulbarrow Ward of North Dorset District.

The principal reasons for this recommendation are:

1. Geographical contiguity Woolland is on the east edge of the Lydden Vale ward, which also comprises Fifehead Nevllle, Hazelbury Bryan, Mappowder, Glanvilles Wootton, Pulham and Stoke Wake. Woolland is closer to Ibberton (in the Bulbarrow Ward) and has little connection with Hazelbury Bryan and the rest of the Lydden Vale ward situated farther west.

2. Common identity in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). As the attached map shows, most of Woolland Parish is within the Dorset AONB (shaded). Woolland and neighbouring Stoke Wake are the two Lydden Vale parishes materially within the AONB.

The Bulbarrow Ward, on the other hand, is comprised almost entirely of AONB parishes that are situated along the North Dorset Chalk Escarpment which forms the backbone of the Dorset AONB, and the Wessex Ridgeway in North Dorset. Woolland's topography fits properly in the Bulbarrow Ward rather than being an oddity in the Lydden Vale ward.

North Dorset District Council has the obligation under the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 to have regard to their duty to 'conserve and enhance' the AONB. The particular characteristics of the villages within the AONB will be better conserved and enhanced when the common identity and interests of the AONB parishes are more uniformly recognised.

3. Community identity Some of the more obvious common links between Woolland and Ibberton (in Bulbarrow Ward) are: * Woolland shares the same Village Hall (in Ibberton). * Woolland residents participate in running the Ibberton annual fair. Woolland is too small to have its own summer fair. * Woolland and Ibberton are both members of the Hillside Church Parishes. * The nearest public house to Woolland is the Crown Inn, in Ibberton, commonly frequented by Woolland residents.

4. Electoral equality. Woolland Parish is very small (only 43 dwellings) and a transfer to Bulbarrow Ward will have a negligible electoral effect on the wards concerned.

In line with the Commission's aims, this proposal will retain good electoral equality, reflects community identities and interests and provides effective and convenient local government.

If you should have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

John Holiday Chairman Woolland Parish Meeting

Hill Farm House Woolland Dorset DT11 0ER