It was a pleasure to champion just some of the many fantastic attractions within West Dorset as its MP during English Tourism Week 2022.

As part of this, I was invited last Friday to visit Monkton Wyld Holiday Park near Lyme Regis… A fantastic and prize-winning example of a local business that emphasises the value in enhancing the natural environment while providing optimum customer experience.

I was also kindly invited to the Melplash Agricultural Society Dinner later that evening. Having been a member of the society myself for around 20 years and now attending as the local MP, it really brought home why I feel so obliged to raise my head above the parapet in support of the farming community and the majority of local people here who have such an affinity to our working countryside.

Having spoken to residents across our coastal towns, it is clear that the scale of the problems we face here with drug crime and anti-social behaviour is significant. We in Dorset are fortunate to have a strong and determined Police and Crime Commissioner, Dave Sidwick who is spearheading Operation Scorpion across the South West crack down on drug crime. I have also lobbied the Government to secure a fair share for Dorset’s Police resources to properly address the scale of the issue, especially during the summer months.

The infrastructure of our road network is as crucial as ever as we get ready for summer, with potholes, road signage, cats-eyes, speeding and congestion all posing issues for motorists. A solution to flooding at Monkeys Jump and Max Gate has been successfully achieved. Now, the A35 enhanced maintenance activities have cleaned, repaired and replaced road signs, defects and surfaces across the A35, and this will be continuing until the whole stretch of the road has had the TLC is requires.

CHRIS LODER

WEST DORSET MP