News in Bridport

More than £1,000 has been raised for charity by a Bridport supermarket this year, with £450 raised in just two weeks.

Keira Tait, Bridport Morrisons community champion, has been busy fundraising for the store's charity partner CLIC Sargent.

Up to ten 'affordable' homes a week could be completed in Dorset during the coming year.

However the figure is subject to market pressures and might drop to 300 over the 12 months, rather than the hoped for 500.

A campaign to deliver accessible activities and support to people has already more than half way to its target of £20,000 in less than a week.

On April 2 at 6.30pm, The Prout Bridge Project, based in Beaminster, launched #PBPReachingOut to fund a new community outreach programme via Crowdfunder.

Environment campaigners have claimed Dorset's draft local plan proposals for 39,000 new homes in the county over the next 17 years should be halved.

The Dorset Climate Action Network says the current Dorset target is flawed and could not be achieved without damage to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and greenfield sites and would impede the council's own climate strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They also say it would be against government planning policy to protect the best green spaces.

Dorset Council has not ruled out support for wind farms off the county's coastline – although says that any future application will be decided at government level.

Climate campaigners say the only realistic way for Dorset to reduce net carbon dioxide emissions to zero as quickly as possible is to back offshore wind schemes on the scale of the previously proposed Navitus Bay project in Bournemouth Bay.

Hotel use for the Dorchester South Walks House council hq will still be considered as an option.

The idea had initially been ruled out with Dorset Council opting for residential use for the site which they plan to keep closed, moving staff into County Hall.

Bridport Fire Station was called to people setting fire to items despite the county currently being under an Amber warning for wild fires and more than 60 firefighters tackling a heath fire in Wimborne.

A crew was called to Salway Ash this evening (Monday) just before 6.20pm where it was believed people were drinking and setting fire to items.

Legal controls on disposable barbecues in Dorset are unlikely to be in place for this holiday season.

Until new rules are in force the county will rely on educating people about the risk they pose.

The West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team have been on hand over the Easter bank holiday weekend, offering safety advice to beachgoers.

Coastguards, along with teams from across Dorset, conducted high visibility patrols, paying particular attention to known incident hotspots.

A crew from Bridport Fire Station was tasked along with 14 other fire engines to a thatch fire this morning (Sunday).

One appliance from Bridport was sent to Colyton Fire Station in Devon for standby duties just before 12noon, but not long after arriving an assistance message was received for 'make pump 12' at The White Hart Inn in Wilmington.