As more businesses look to reopen their doors from 4 July, Dorset Council is working with town and parish councils, and alongside Dorset Police, to ensure the safety of residents and visitors across the county while social distancing measures remain in place.
PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES EASING OF LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today (Tuesday 23 June) set out further changes to lockdown measures in England to enable people to see more of their friends and family, help businesses get back on their feet and get people back in their jobs. From Saturday 4th July, the… Read more News release from Government following the Prime Minister’s address (23 June)
Representatives from Dorset Council, Dorset Police, Lulworth Estate and South West Ambulance Trust met this morning (Friday 5 June) to agree a joined up approach to the management of visitor numbers to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door ahead of the weekend.
Statement from the Leader of Dorset Council, Cllr Spencer Flower:
Following the Government announcement on 1 May about a top up grant for businesses that are not eligible for other grants, the guidance to local authorities was issued on 13 May. We are now preparing a local scheme for Dorset which will be available shortly. The guidance from Government indicates that these grants are primarily… Read more More help for businesses is on its way
On 1 May, Government announced a new £617 million discretionary fund which will be allocated to local authorities to give to small businesses who previously missed out on funding. Both Dorset Council and BCP Council are waiting to hear about their allocations and anticipate further guidance from central Government next week. Cllr Gary Suttle, Dorset… Read more Discretionary fund to help more of Dorset’s businesses
Small businesses in Dorset are being reminded to provide their details online to get access to coronavirus cash grants, with the council having already handed out £9.1m this week.
Cllr Spencer Flower, Leader of Dorset Council, has paid tribute to officers, elected members, communities and partners for the ‘spirit, dedication and comradery’ shown in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
Dorset Council employs 27 Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) across the county. Their primary aim is to ensure ‘100% compliance by the motorist’ but in lots of cases, their role is very misunderstood.
The South West Dorset Multi-Cultural Network, supported by Dorset Council and Dorchester Town Council is hosting its annual Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) next week to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Dorset Council is looking for views on the future of the Lyme Regis Tourist Information Centre (TIC). This service is currently run by Dorset Council and based in a building owned by Lyme Regis Town Council.
Dorset Council’s county farms estate will be in the spotlight on BBC1’s Countryfile this coming Sunday, 15 December.
Seven Canada Geese carcasses have been found dumped on Dorset Council’s Blackdown Nature Reserve, near Hardy Monument. The birds were killed and had their breasts removed sometime overnight on 29 September. The remains of the birds were left in a ditch, believed to be the work of poachers. Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder… Read more Dorset Council condemns geese killings
Dorset Council welcomes the Chancellor’s spending round announcement to increase funding for council-run services. These include adult social care and services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). On Wednesday this week, Chancellor Sajid Javid promised access for councils across the country to £1.5bn new funding for social care, and an additional £700m to… Read more Dorset Council welcomes government’s spending round announcement
At the request of Corfe Castle Parish Council, a set of three-way temporary lights at Corfe Castle will be removed on Monday (2 September). The lights have been in place at the junction of the A351 and the B3351 since the beginning of August, to help manage additional traffic over the summer holidays while the… Read more Temporary traffic lights to be removed on Monday
Three-way temporary signals will be used during the peak afternoon and early evening period at the Studland Road junction to help keep drivers safe.
Love it or hate it, common ragwort is thriving this time of year, and it looks beautiful throughout Dorset. But it is a plant which people either love or hate. Owners of livestock spend many hours each year pulling ragwort from their paddocks and fields to remove it and avoid allowing it to take seed. … Read more Ragwort – do you love it or loathe it?
A record number of parks and green spaces across the Dorset Council area have been awarded a Green Flag Award, representing the mark of a quality park or green space. Green spaces can be national nature reserves, picnic areas or an area of open space.
A new project at the Dorset Council run Durlston Country Park in Swanage is giving everyone the chance to share skills, make friends and come together through volunteering.
Dorset Council along with NHS partners, co-hosted a stakeholder event this week to show options for new health, care and housing facilities on the Wareham middle school site.
Victims of domestic violence are to be offered greater choice of accommodation in Dorset in a bid to help them rebuild their lives.
Breeding barn owls have been found nesting in nest boxes installed at two of our council farms in September last year.
In Dorset, we are very proud of our roadside verge maintenance and are committed to a healthy environment. During the summer months, our roadside verges and green spaces, like picnic areas, all start to grow very rapidly. We have a statutory duty to maintain the road network and above all, to make sure it is… Read more Our roadside verges – a fine balance to strike
Durlston Country Park in Swanage held a celebration event today (Thursday 13 June) to say thank you to its sponsors, supporters and volunteers.
Following Dorset Council’s declaration of a climate emergency, Cllr Ray Bryan has invited political group leaders to appoint representatives to sit on a Policy Development Panel to discuss how the council will set carbon reduction targets.
A trader caught selling counterfeit clothing at a Dorset car boot sale has been ordered to pay £40,000, undertake 250 hours of unpaid work and given a suspended prison sentence.
A new Minerals Plan which includes sites for future quarrying is nearing completion. The plan covers the Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council areas.
Leaders of political groups for Dorset Council are voted in At their first meetings following the local elections on 2 May, members from the Green group, Alliance for Local Living (ALL) group, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have voted in their respective leaders.
Councillor Spencer Flower has been declared as the new Leader of the Conservative group this morning (Tuesday 7 May).
The results are in. See the headlines from the very first Dorset Council elections held on 2 May.
