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Festive Weymouth seafront stockings highlight foster carer need

Festive Weymouth seafront stockings highlight foster carer need

A seafront has been decorated with hundreds of handmade festive stocking to highlight the need for foster carers.The 471 stockings have been hung up along Weymouth Esplanade - each one represents a child or young person in care in Dorset.Dorset Council hopes the striking display - part of the council's Give the Greatest Gift campaign - will raise awareness and encourage more people to think about fostering.The stockings, on display along the Esplanade by the Jubilee Clock, were…

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Bus services to get £139m funding boost

Bus services to get £139m funding boost

Hundreds of millions of pounds of government funding is to be spent on supporting bus services in the South and West of England.The Department for Transport (DfT) said the money, to be rolled out between 2026 and 2029, would help local travel become more reliable. Councils across the two regions will get a combined £139m in funding to help improve both the bus services themselves, as well as network infrastructure. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said a total of…

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Man, 18, hit by car on motorway was Tasered before death

Man, 18, hit by car on motorway was Tasered before death

National HighwaysLogan Smith, 18, died after being hit by a car on the M5 in North Somerset on SundayAn 18-year-old who got out of an ambulance on a motorway was Tasered by police before he was hit by a car and died, the police watchdog has said.Logan Smith, from Weston-super-Mare, died on the M5 in North Somerset late on Sunday evening. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said he was being taken to hospital when concerned paramedics…

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Derelict seaside hotel in Torquay converted into council flats

Derelict seaside hotel in Torquay converted into council flats

The first project in a council scheme to convert derelict hotels into rental homes has been completed.Brampton Court in the seaside resort of Torquay has been redeveloped into 14 energy-efficient one and two-bedroom apartments.Torbay Council, which came up with the scheme, said the apartments would be "let at social rents to local households" with the first tenants expected to move in before Christmas.The council has acquired a second site in Torquay at the Seabury Hotel and said construction…

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Appeal for Eden Project founder’s holiday home plans dismissed

Appeal for Eden Project founder’s holiday home plans dismissed

Lee TrewhelaLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceLDRSThere were protests over an earlier version of the proposalEden Project founder Sir Tim Smit has had an appeal dismissed over plans to build holiday homes and other facilities at a golf course site.Cornwall Council refused a proposal from Mr Smit and his son Alex for 19 domed accommodation units known as drums, a clubhouse, car park, reception and classroom to be built at Gillyflower golf course in Lostwithiel in March 2024.Planning inspector Andrew…

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New Christchurch and Poole boat licences in bid to improve safety

New Christchurch and Poole boat licences in bid to improve safety

Operators of pleasure boats and personal watercraft on parts of the Dorset coast will require new licences under plans set to be introduced to improve safety.BCP Council is set to establish its first Pleasure Boat and Boatperson policy, covering vessels in Poole and Christchurch harbours.It would mean boat owners would have to demonstrate their craft are "safe and well-maintained", with annual inspections and surveys of the hull.Operators of hired personal watercraft would also have to provide a safety…

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Cornwall Council rents to rise 4.8% to fund housing upgrades

Cornwall Council rents to rise 4.8% to fund housing upgrades

Lee TrewhelaLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceCornwall CouncilRents for council homes in Cornwall are set to rise by 4.8% under proposalsRents for council homes in Cornwall are set to rise by 4.8% under proposals aimed at improving the quality of the local authority's housing stock.Cornwall Council's corporate finance scrutiny committee agreed on Tuesday the 2026/27 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) business plan should move forward to Cornwall Council's cabinet for consideration.If approved, the increase would see a typical three-bedroom household pay…

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North Devon Council gives £36,000 to village hall improvements

North Devon Council gives £36,000 to village hall improvements

Councillors have agreed £36,000 be given to village halls and a sports project in North Devon.North Devon Council is set to give £18,000 to Instow Village Hall £18,000 for its Go Green Project, £7,000 to Bishops Nympton Parish Hall for a new patio, almost £8,000 to Witheridge Village Hall for new guttering and £3,500 to Burrington Parish Council for a new entrance into the sports field.The cash comes from contributions from developers who have built homes in the…

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Bournemouth news: Andoni Iraola has problems to contend with

Bournemouth news: Andoni Iraola has problems to contend with

Bournemouth were second in the Premier League table in late October, but manager Andoni Iraola showed more concern than joy when asked if the club could secure an unexpected Champions League place.That optimism has faded, with the Cherries now winless in five matches and forward Antoine Semenyo going six games without a goal.They host Chelsea at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (15:00 GMT) after the visitors' shock midweek defeat at Leeds, hoping to get their season back on…

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Somerset NHS dentists open thousands of new patient spaces

Somerset NHS dentists open thousands of new patient spaces

Three new NHS dental practices offering a combined 20,000 patient places are opening in a county to help tackle a lack of dental care.Two new dental practices which opened in Chard and Wellington in Somerset will be followed by a third due to open in Crewkerne in January.This marks the first large-scale procurement of NHS dental services in the county since local NHS commissioners took over responsibility for dentistry from NHS England in April 2023.Among the first patients…

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Alanis Morissette to play Powderham Castle in 2026

Alanis Morissette to play Powderham Castle in 2026

Canadian pop legend Alanis Morissette has been confirmed as the latest headliner for a music event being staged in Devon in 2026. Morissette is the final headline artist announced for TK Maxx presents Live At Powderham in Exeter and is due to play on Friday 26 June. The event is organised by Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor.Morissette featured at the Glastonbury Festival earlier this year, and returns to south-west England, alongside fellow festival stalwarts, Lewis Capaldi and…

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