by CHRIS LODER
Conservative MP for West Dorset

MORE than 3,000 residents in the west of Sherborne will soon face a by-election for a new Dorset councillor. It follows the resignation of the absent Liberal Democrat councillor Matthew Hall earlier this month. I for one welcome his resignation, although this was a long overdue decision and an outcome which I had been calling for since he moved to Devon almost a year ago.

The reality is that local electors in the west of Sherborne have practically been without a councillor for almost a year and, in my opinion, the Lib Dem councillor has been totally absent in addressing significant issues, such as the re-opening of Kitt Hill – which should not have required my intervention to resolve.

It is revealing that the Liberal Democrat councillor resigned his seat after winning an election in Exmouth in Devon a few weeks ago. As someone who was born in Sherborne and who knows the town and local people well, I’m relieved the community can now choose a local, who lives here and truly understands the area.

Fortunately, the local Conservative candidate is a lifelong Sherborne resident and award-winning town business owner. Rebecca Burns, who is known to many, has pledged to restore strong links with residents, and to introduce a more modern, refreshed approach to Sherborne West’s governance and representation. Rebecca has my full support and you can expect to hear more from her in the coming weeks. In other news, I met with the Roads Minister, Richard Holden MP, last week, to discuss road safety for West Dorset. It followed the concerns I raised with him in the House of Commons in late April regarding safety and standards.

We have recently had several fatalities on our roads in the constituency, including on the A30 which connects Sherborne and Yeovil, and on the A3066 in Mosterton. There was also a fatal accident on the A303 last week, north-west of Sherborne.

I am deeply concerned about these incidents – only a few years ago I lost one of my best friends from primary school in a fatal accident on the road from Sherborne to Dorchester.

My sympathies go out to any family affected by a road fatality, and I was pleased the Minster and I had a constructive conversation to address local issues on some of our roads.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of local authorities and National Highways to maintain and improve our roads.

I will apply pressure where necessary to ensure these organisations are delivering.