Parish Council Meetings

Meetings are held four times a year in May, September, December, and March. 

Meetings start at 6:30pm and will be held at Child Okeford Community Centre 

NEXT MEETING 

6:30pm Meeting of the Parish Council

Agendas are published on this website and the local parish noticeboards at least one week before the meetings.

The report pack containing the clerk's report, updates on local planning applications and the budget, YTD financial updates, and the transactions report is also published on this website alongside the agenda.

Last Meeting

6:30pm Annual Parish Meeting

followed by

7:00pm Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

The May meeting includes both the Annual Parish Meeting and the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council, when the council reports on the past year and signs off the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR).

Agenda and Minutes are available here

The Orchards and Margaret Marsh Parish Council  - The voice of local people.

The Parish Council Group area comprises the three small rural parishes of East Orchard, Margaret Marsh and West Orchard.   The three adjoining parishes are located in a low-lying part of the Blackmore Vale, midway between Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton. The Manston Brook, made up of the combined waters of the Key and Sturkell brooks, forms the parish boundary between East and West Orchard. You can read more in our 'Your Parish' section. 

The parish council is the level of government closest to the community and feeds into Dorset Council, the district authority. 

As the authority closest to the people, the parish council is often the first point of contact for individuals with concerns or ideas about the parish, and as a result, it plays a vital role in any community. 

Your Councillors

Cllr Cliff Christensen was voted in as Chair of the Council at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on May 27th 2025.  Cllr Gary Stokes was voted in as Deputy Chair of the Council. 

Member for Margaret Marsh: Cllr Gary Stokes
Members for East Orchards and Hartgrove: Cllr Cliff Christensen, Cllr Daniel Woodruffe, and Cllr James Elliott
Member for West Orchards:  Cllr Philip Gay

Would you like to be a Councillor?

We still have vacancies for councillors to represent West Orchard and Margaret Marsh. Please visit our Council Information page if you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, and use the 'Contact the Council' to get in touch. Don't worry if you haven't got any experience. DAPTC offer a comprehensive range of training activities to support all counsellors. DAPTC Star Award: Certificate.

8/8/2026: Drought Warnings Wessex Water

Please help reduce water use during the dry weather

Wessex Water is asking residents to help reduce demand following months of exceptionally dry weather and repeated heatwaves.

Only 2mm of rain fell across the region in July, while demand for water has been around 30% higher than usual for this time of year. Although water resources currently remain stable, continued high demand could lead to water restrictions if usage does not reduce.

Wessex Water is asking everyone to make small changes to help keep water flowing and avoid the need for a hosepipe ban.

For simple water-saving advice, visit Wessex Water – Hot weather and your water supply.

17/8/2026: Hosepipe Ban

Wessex Water has announced a hosepipe ban after months of unprecedented dry weather, heatwaves and a continued lack of rain forecast, which has led to sustained high demand for water.  From Tuesday 18 August at 00:01hrs – in areas including Bath, and parts of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire – you must not use a hosepipe for activities such as watering gardens, washing cars, patios, paths and driveways, cleaning windows or filling swimming and paddling pools.

Contacting the Council

Contact us via our 'Contact Us' page.

Join us at our Parish Council meetings.

Every meeting starts with a 'Public Participation' session, where you can ask questions, make representations, or discuss agenda items.

You can raise a matter that's not on the agenda; however, the council may need to put that issue on hold until the next meeting, as it can only make legally binding decisions on items listed on the agenda.

Email the Clerk at:

clerk@orchardsandmargaretmarsh-pc.gov.uk 

Planning Applications

You can find current and past planning applications under the Planning section of this website and on the Dorset Council site.

As a statutory consultee, the Parish Council is part of the planning process and must be informed about all planning applications or changes that affect its parish area. Its views should be taken into consideration when making decisions. However, the Parish Council does not have the authority to grant or refuse planning permission.

Please let the council know if you have any comments or concerns about current applications.