Parish Council Meetings

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

The meeting for the 2025-2026 term will be held on the second Monday of the month. 

NEXT MEETING 

• Monday 9th March 2026 

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

Last Meeting

Monday 8th December 2025.  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.  The Parish Council also welcomed two new Members, Cllr Andy Tebbutt-Russell and Cllr James Elliott, bringing the total number of Councillors for the council to five:

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 Andy Tebbutt-Russell

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.

 

31/1/2026: Amber Warning of Floods

 

The Environment Agency issued an Amber warning for groundwater flooding across a wide area of Dorset. This is expected to remain in place for the next five days. It coincides with a Yellow weather warning for rain on Monday, 2nd and Tuesday, 3rd February.

An Amber warning means there is an increased risk of flooding to properties. Our Emergency Planning team is in close contact with the Environment Agency to gather more detailed intelligence and identify any potential hotspots. You can find a full list of flood alerts and warnings, along with a live map, here.

31/1/2026: Household Waste

As a householder, you are still responsible for your rubbish even after giving it to someone else. If that person dumps your waste illegally, you could be fined or taken to court. Ensure you're protected :

• Suspect all waste carriers until they have provided their licence
• Check their licence details on the public register for waste carriers
• Refuse unexpected offers to take your waste away
• Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of 
• Paperwork – get an invoice or receipt for the waste they’re taking, including their contact details. 

If a builder, tradesman, gardener, etc., transports waste on your behalf, such as debris left over from a job they've done for you, they must be registered as a Waste Carrier and dispose of any materials responsibly.

You can check a Waste Carrier Licence here.

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.