MP's anger on map plan for parishes (From Bournemouth Echo)

MP's anger on map plan for parishes

NORTH Dorset MP Robert Walter has hit out after it was revealed that parish councils are to be wiped off the map.

The Tory MP said the government's plans to erase parish boundaries from Ordnance Survey maps was another snub to Dorset's hardworking parish councillors.

The move was revealed by local government minister Tony McNulty in an answer to a parliamentary question.

He said that following the decision to widen public access under the Right to Roam initiative, Ordnance Survey maps had been redesigned with much additional information and to avoid clutter and ensure clarity some existing information including parish, civil and national park boundaries had been removed.

But Mr Walter, who has criticised the government's attitude to parish councils in the past, said: "This is yet another snub for Dorset's parishes and parish councillors."

He added: "Labour politician Mo Mowlam has called for parish councils to be abolished to make way for regional assemblies.

"The government has also introduced a Draconian code of conduct forcing honest parish councillors to resign in their droves.

"And the Countryside Agen-cy has insultingly labelled 25 north and east Dorset parishes as 'barely active' or 'sleeping'. Now parishes will be literally wiped off the map.

"I value the work of Dorset's parish councillors, yet I fear that erasing parishes from local maps is further evidence of a government agenda to regulate and streamline parish councils out of existence.

"This just shows how the government don't understand rural communities."

The Echo revealed last year how Mr Walter was incensed after the Countryside Agency, on behalf of the government, had graded parish councils according to performance based on the responses they gave to a survey sent out.

A total of 25 parishes in Mr Walter's constituency including Shapwick, Child Okeford, Shillingstone were labelled as barely active or sleeping.

Mr Walter condemned the move, claiming it was an insult to hardworking members who gave up their time freely to serve their community.