dorset

Galya DimitrovaSouth of EnglandAngela ThomasThe colony on Chesil Beach is the last of its kind in south west EnglandConservationists are celebrating the fourth successful breeding season for the UK's smallest and most threatened seabird.The Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project said this summer more than 39 chicks had fledged on Chesil Beach in Dorset, up from three in 2021.The colony is the last of its kind in south west England and the RSBP said the birds had suffered a…

A country park has been forced to shut and nearly 900 homes are without power after a fault.Moors Valley Country Park in Ashley Heath, Dorset, said the loss of power meant its car park, visitor centre and all facilities on the site were temporarily closed.Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said engineers were working to make the repair. The outage, which began at about 08:00 BST, is affecting those in the BH21 and BH24 postcodes.The park said it would…

A lake at a nature reserve is set to have excessive weeds and reeds removed to improve the flow of water.Dorset Council said the clear out at Radipole Lake, Weymouth is being carried out due to ongoing issues with low water levels, silt build-up, and algal blooms partly caused by agricultural runoff and slowed river flow.It is hoped getting rid of the abundant weeds and reeds from several spots on the lake will also make allocated fishing areas…

Rail travellers are being advised to plan ahead as buses are due to replace trains so that work to stabilise an embankment and protect a line from flooding can be carried out.Network Rail said the "vital" work between Poole and Dorchester in Dorset would see engineers strengthen a railway embankment in Hamworthy and upgrade the drainage at the Poole sidings.Mark Goodall, Wessex route director, said: "We're sorry for the disruption to passengers while we carry out this work…

Work has begun to rewet areas of peat habitat on a nature reserve to improve water quality and support a wider diversity of wildlife.Dorset Wildlife Trust is carrying out the work at Tadnoll and Winfrith Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which had historically been drained for agriculture.The project builds on work at Wild Woodbury in Bere Regis and the restoration of the River Sherford headwaters.The Wild Woodbury project has already helped support populations of lapwings, snipe, frogs,…

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A Dorset based firm has said it has been "really fun" to be a part of a project which sees it transform waste plastic from the Wembley Stadium pitch and turn it into benches for grassroots football clubs.Ben Gibbons, is co-founder of Circular 11, based in Christchurch, which has been running its recycling business for four years.He said it takes hard to recycle mixed plastics, like those found under the pitch at Wembley, and use it to make…

Ros TappendenSouth of EnglandBBCThe Stewart family has been in the nursery business for nearly three centuriesIt has been 70 years since Edward Stewart, founder of Stewarts Garden Centres, opened a shed at his nursery, selling potted plants and garden supplies.The site in Ferndown, Dorset, is believed to be the UK's first garden centre, revolutionising horticulture and making gardening accessible to the masses.He had the idea while in the USA - as well as being a plantsman, he was…

Ros TappendenSouth of EnglandCouncillor Craig MonksThe burnt-out car was removed by Dorset Council contractors on TuesdayBroadband has been restored to a town more than four days after a car crash knocked out services to about 1,000 customers.Homes and businesses in Beaminster, Dorset, lost their internet service on Sunday when a car crashed into a telegraph pole and burst into flames.Openreach said engineers worked through the night to restore services, describing the repairs as "complex".The company said they would…