BBC Dorset

A council hopes disposing of 78 sites that are no longer needed will generate £46.7m for investment and free up space for new homes.Over the next five years Dorset Council plans to offload the assets, which include small blocks of garages, vacant former offices, old school sites, and parcels of land.Councillor Richard Biggs, cabinet member for property and assets and economic growth, said: "It's about unlocking opportunities, being ambitious, and making every penny count."The plans were released in…

Sarah Spina-MatthewsSouth of EnglandBCP CouncilPoole Museum welcomes visitors back from Wednesday after its "soft launch"A town's museum that is famously home to a girls rock is set to reopen to the public following a £10m redevelopment. Poole Museum in Dorset officially reopens on Wednesday following the "soft launch" of its new galleries and exhibitions. Visitors will once again be able to see Bethan's Rock - a treasured stone donated by a five-year-old girl - alongside its other artefactsThe…

A new university specialising in dentistry is one of the projects being considered as part of a town's regeneration.Dorset Council said its cabinet was set to work with partners on a number of ideas aimed at turning Weymouth into a "thriving coastal destination".The council said a new Allied Health Professional University in the town, with funding already allocated for a dental faculty, was one of the proposals being considered. The plans for the university are being developed in…

Residents are being given the chance to try and balance Dorset Council's books using an online budget simulator.The tool allows residents to adjust spending across key services such as adult social care, waste collection, road maintenance, housing and libraries, as well as deciding whether to raise council tax.The simulator gives users £479.4m to work with and sets a target to reduce spending by £35m to balance the budget. The council said it would "give residents a taste for…

Tristan PascoeDorset political reporter, BournemouthBBC/Tristan PascoeChris Bott from Bournemouth, with his son Albie and support worker Teri HillFathers are being encouraged to play an active role in the learning and development of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in a council initiative.Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) says male role models are key to young children's development, and it's inviting fathers to take part in structured learning and play sessions.Under the council's Portage Service, a family…

Curtis LancasterSouth of EnglandBBCKatie Tyler and Sophie Drew are among the presenters taking part in the challengeRadio presenters in the south have been taking tips from record-breaking walkers as they prepare to put their legs together for Children in Need.They are joining 40 BBC local radio stations, challenged by Pudsey, to take on a three-legged walk that will see them trek a combined total of 1,000 miles.Volunteers from each station will be tied together and hope to cover…

Comedian Michael McIntyre surprised locals on Saturday night by casually walking into their pub. Customers having a drink at The Antelope in Wareham, Dorset were shocked to see the famous comic. Videos posted on social media showed people being drawn to the 49-year-old, who was wearing a sandwich board reading: "The Wheel tonight 8:20pm BBC One."Producers told landlord Dave Lye the team for the show would be visiting the premises, but he said he was not expecting the…

Stephen StaffordSouth of EnglandBBCPairs of shoes have been left outside council offices across the countryParents have laid shoes outside council offices as part of a protest about "failed or forgotten" children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).The Every Pair Tells a Story event is the latest campaign by the Send Sanctuary UK group, set up by a mother of Send children from Waterlooville in Hampshire.Aimee Bradley urged the government and local authorities to "really listen to parents"…