News in Bridport

Bridport Police are warning residents against swimming in the sea after a 19-year-old was rescued off Abbotsbury yesterday afternoon (Thursday).

Police, coastguard helicopter, West Bay Coastguard and Lyme Regis lifeboat were called after his friend raised the alarm when he struggled to return to the shore.

The coastguard helicopter, rescue teams and lifeboat all responded to a 19-year-old swimmer in difficulty off Abbotsbury this afternoon (Thursday).

Just after 3pm, HM Coastguard received a report of a swimmer in potential difficulty, unable to return to shore, at Chesil Beach, Abbotsbury.

The Bridport Country Market has officially closed down.

The popular market held on Saturday mornings in the WI Hall in North Street would regularly have queues along the pavement before it opened at 9am.

Dorset Community Energy (DCE) is developing a project to create new renewable energy generation for Bridport homes and businesses, helping residents tackle climate change and save money.

Last year DCE launched a new project, Energy Local Bridport, which will soon enable 60 households in the Bridport area to buy the electricity generated by the 50kW wind turbine at Salway Ash at a discounted rate through an Energy Local Club.

Bridport Town Council will finalise its response to the draft Dorset Council Local Plan at a meeting next week.

The town council's planning committee - virtual meeting at 5.30pm on Monday, February 22 - will review a draft response to a consultation on the plan being carried out by Dorset Council, along with a video for residents highlighting the issues for the Bridport area.

Hi, I'm Eddie - a 16 year-old youth community activist! Following on from my previous article for our monthly column in Bridport Nub News, I wanted to give some more detail on how the Rights Respecting Town project works. I explained that we're trying to improve the lives of everyone in the community - but how?

Many years ago, students from Colfox School came to the Bridport Town Council with an idea. They were involved in a 'Rights Respecting School' program ran by Unicef UK (the part of the United Nations that looks out for children), which helps create safer, fairer and kinder schools using Human Rights and Child Rights. The young people from Colfox saw no reason why this couldn't work for the town as a whole, and so the movement was born. In 2018, the mayor declared Bridport a Rights Respecting Town, and the journey truly began.

For the first tasking of 2021, the West Bay Coastguard team was called out to a life ring washed up on Cogden Beach.

A member of the public reported it to Solent Coastguard National Maritime Operations Centre and members went out just before 9.50am this morning (Thursday).

New handrails and replacement streetlamps have been agreed for St Mary's Church at Tower Hill, Netherbury.

Dorset Council has agreed to the additions to the Grade I listed building which has parts of the building dating back to the 14th century with additions in the 15th and 19th centuries.

Claims that the current consultation on the Dorset Local Plan are flawed have been denied by a senior councillor.

Planning brief holder Cllr David Walsh says that a lack of internet access and the pandemic restrictions should not stop people taking part in the exercise which ends in mid-March.

Bridport Round Table is teaming up with the West Dorset Family Partnership Team to provide emergency support for families in need at this time.

Round Table is allocating £2,000 to support one off, urgent purchases of items such as food, clothes, homeware and more, which some families are in desperate need of.