The draft 10-year plan for up to £2m a year in Littlemoor and Broadwey goes to residents on 29 October. Safety, cleaner streets and youth activities top the list.

Residents of Littlemoor and Broadwey get their first look at a 10-year plan for spending up to £20 million in their area this week. The draft goes to a public meeting at Wey Valley School on Thursday 29 October, from 6pm to 7.30pm.

The money comes from the government’s Pride in Place programme. It pays up to £2 million a year for 10 years, according to Dorset Council’s page for the scheme. Littlemoor and Broadwey, on the northern edge of Weymouth, is one of 284 communities in the country chosen for it.

What residents asked for

More than 700 people took part in a survey over the summer and put forward more than 3,500 ideas. Dorset Council published the results on 26 October in a news release. Surveys went to every household. People could also respond online, at pop-up events, in schools and at community venues.

Adults and young people put the same three things first:

  • feeling safe in public spaces
  • a cleaner area
  • activities for children and young people

Other ideas included:

  • slowing traffic
  • better play areas
  • skills training
  • more affordable housing

Who decides

A Neighbourhood Board draws up the plan. It was appointed in June after open recruitment, and most of its 13 members live or work in Littlemoor or Broadwey. Its independent chair is Kevin Hodder.

The two ward councillors, Cllr Louie O’Leary for Littlemoor and Cllr David Northam for Upwey and Broadwey, sit on it. So does Lloyd Hatton, the MP for South Dorset.

Mr Hodder said the board was reading every response. “We will focus on the ideas that are most strongly supported by the community,” he said.

Cllr Matt Bell, Dorset Council’s cabinet member for public health, prevention and communities, said it was “vital that local people continue to guide how that investment is used”.

Mr Hatton pointed to youth services, football facilities at Ridgeway FC, green space and support for local businesses as examples of what the money could pay for. None of those is a commitment yet.

The three meetings

No booking is needed for any of them.

Date Time Where
Thursday 29 October 6pm to 7.30pm Wey Valley School, gallery and canteen
Tuesday 3 November 6pm to 6.30pm Online, on Dorset Council’s YouTube channel
Wednesday 4 November 6pm to 7.30pm St Francis Church, Littlemoor

The board will take questions and feedback at each one before it finalises the plan. The council has not said when the final version goes to the government.

What it means for you

If you live in Littlemoor, Broadwey or the surrounding streets, these meetings are your chance to change the plan before it is fixed. Ten years of spending is being settled now.

Check whether your street is inside the area on the council’s boundary map. The board’s earlier agendas and minutes are on the same council page, with a sign-up for email updates.

For the wider picture in the area, see our guides to Dorset council tax bands and Dorset planning news.