The founder of Verwood’s biggest Facebook group has announced it will close down in 10 days.
A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with a reported robbery in Bournemouth.
The incident occurred at around 1.20am on Saturday 23 May 2020. It was reported that the victim, a boy aged in his late teens, was walking through an alleyway between High Howe Lane and Ringwood Road when he was approached by another teenage boy, who lifted his top to display a knife tucked into the waistband of his trousers.
They reportedly demanded the victim hand over his phone and threatened to stab him if he tried to run away. It was also reported that demands were made for cash and the victim was allegedly forced to go to a nearby cash machine to withdraw money, which was then handed over.
Following enquiries by detectives from Bournemouth CID, a 17-year-old Bournemouth boy has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and is assisting officers with their enquiries.
A 16-year-old boy from Bournemouth previously arrested in connection with the incident has been released from the investigation and will face no further police action.
BCP Council has been awarded £4.185 million in government funding following a successful Challenge Fund Bid submitted last year.
The funding enables additional key maintenance to be carried out at a number of locations across the BCP area, in addition to work already programmed in as part of the Local Transport Plan.
Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Infrastructure at BCP Council, said: “I am delighted that we have been awarded this additional money. It means that we can make important improvements to our local road network,
“The money will be spent on improving the maintenance and appearance of roads in a number of locations, that connect residential areas, commercial centres and community facilities to one another. It also complements the work we are progressing under our Transforming Travel programme, which seeks to promote sustainable forms of transport through new walking and cycling infrastructure, helping to free up our roads from traffic.”
The investment includes remedial works to 4.23km of highway at six locations and also includes pavement improvements and traffic signal refurbishment at three locations. Works will complement the proposed Transforming Travel corridors set to be delivered over the next three years, existing maintenance programmes and Local Transport Plan initiatives to be completed by March 2021.
The six locations are:
- A35 Commercial Road in Poole
- A3060 Castle Lane West
- A35 Poole Road in Branksome
- A35 Christchurch Road in Boscombe
- A341 Wimborne Road in Northbourne
- A35 Somerford Roundabout in Christchurch
A Verwood man in his 50s is currently in Southampton General Hospital with life-threatening injuries following a collision on Black Hill on Sunday morning.
The arrival of July the 4th meant a number of public services are now open in Verwood following changes to Government guidelines.
Detectives investigating an alleged knifepoint robbery in Bournemouth are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
Supermarket chain Aldi has named Verwood in a long list of places it wants to open a store in the future.
Council and emergency services have praised local people for showing restraint after a multi-agency response was needed to deal with the unprecedented visitor numbers arriving on the hottest day of the year.
A major incident has been declared in Bournemouth after thousands of people defied advice to stay away and descended on BCP Council beaches on the hottest day of the year so far.
A multi-agency emergency response has now been activated to co-ordinate resources across the area to tackle the issues.
Council Leader Vikki Slade said: “We are absolutely appalled at the scenes witnessed on our beaches, particularly at Bournemouth and Sandbanks, in the last 24-48 hours. The irresponsible behaviour and actions of so many people is just shocking and our services are stretched to the absolute hilt trying to keep everyone safe. We have had no choice now but to declare a major incident and initiate an emergency response.”
Services were left completely overstretched as visitors arrived in large volumes resulting in widespread problems of illegal parking, excessive waste, anti-social behaviour, gridlock on roads and prohibited overnight camping.
BCP Council issued 558 parking enforcement fines – the highest on record – and responded to many reports of cars parking and causing an obstruction.
Roads in and out of the area were heavily congested into the early hours.
Crews received widespread abuse and intimidation as they attempted to empty overflowing bins on the seafront. In the stretch between just the piers, eight tonnes of waste was collected yesterday on the second collection run of the day. This morning, a further 33 tons of waste was removed along the full stretch of coastlineThere were also a number of incidents reported which involved excessive alcohol and fights.
Thousands of people from the area and further afield packed the beaches and town centres across Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole today.
On what was the hottest day of the year so far, the beaches were packed and a number of incidents on the roads meant some people were stuck for hours on the A338 and A31.
Durdle Door was once again closed by Police after too many people tried to access the popular tourist spot, and too many people on Sandbanks saw traffic queuing back to Canford Cliffs to board the Sandbank Car Ferry.
The A31 will also be closed this evening eastbound for the recovery of a vehicle which came off the carriageway this morning, adding to the delays.
Four views of Bournemouth seafront today. Not the busiest I ever seen it but still a huge number of people. To be fair, people are trying to be socially distant but the sheer number of people and quite a few large groups make it very difficult especially near the Pier. @AlamyNews pic.twitter.com/SlrdPcL8X2
— Richard Crease (@RichardCrease) June 24, 2020
Grundon Sand & Gravel has announced the first stage of its second phase consultation into its plans to extract sand and gravel from land known as Purple Haze, south of Verwood.
Verwood residents wanting to visit the ‘tip’ will need to book a slot in advance starting today (Monday 15th June 2020).
Hampshire County Council, owner of the Household Waste Recycling Centre at Somerley, has introduced a pre-booking system to avoid large queues forming along the B3081, which became an issue in recent weeks.
Verwood residents, plus those in neighbouring East Dorset areas including Three Legged Cross and Alderholt, do not need to register their car, themselves or their details but they do need to visit a web page before visiting.
Once there, enter your location (Verwood will do), then select Somerley as the centre you’d like to visit. If you are lucky, you’ll have the opportunity to pick a 30 minute slot within the next 48 hours, 9am till 6pm.
If you do not see any availability, it means the next two days are fully booked. Only two days at a time are being released, so it is not possible to book a slot ahead of this time period.
Only one visit per week per household will be allowed and restrictions which have been in place since reopening are still active.
You can also call 02380 179 949, Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm to reserve a slot. See more details here.
In addition, any East Dorset resident can use a Household recycling centre operated by BCP Council (Christchurch, Millhams and Nuffield) if you take proof of address, or those owned by Dorset Council.
A group of travellers has vacated a site on Manor Road in Verwood after being told to move on by local authorities.
Verwood Fire Station crew were called to an unattended fire between Potterne Park and the solar panel farm on Thursday afternoon.
Hampshire County Council is introducing a pre-booking system for all of its Household Waste Recycling Centres including the one at Somerley.
A crew from Verwood Fire Station, along with colleagues from Ringwood and Fordingbridge were called to a ‘small’ fire at The Chase on Wednesday afternoon.
Moors Valley and Avon Heath parks are reopening on Tuesday morning following weeks of closure due to the coronavirus.
Urgent changes are being made to the way people visit the Somerley Waste Recycling Centre.
If your commute usually involves the Blackwater West Junction just off the A338 at Hurn, you’ll be pleased to hear the improvements works have now finished.
Dorset Police and the NPAS helicopter helped Hampshire Police carry out a search for two female teenagers on Saturday night in Verwood.
A 13-year-old boy has gone missing from Moors Valley Country Park on Thursday afternoon and Police are asking for help in the search to find him.
Lidl is asking Verwood residents to write to the Council showing support for its proposed store in the town.
The Somerley Household Waste Recycling Centre will reopen on Monday morning at 10am but only for those who cannot store waste safely at home.
Harlees fish and chip shop has confirmed it will be reopening for a limited-service starting Tuesday 12th May.
Three residents of Verwood and Three Legged Cross have died from coronavirus, official data from the Office of National Statistics reveals.
Plans are being made to reopen the Somerley Household Waste Recycling Centre aka Verwood Tip starting May 11th.
Verwood Council is reminding residents not to gather at the war memorial on Friday to commemorate VE Day.
A woman and her son have been abused and assaulted in Potterne Park after being approached by three boys on mountain bikes.
Dorset Council is resuming its garden waste kerbside collections in Verwood from Monday 27 April.
A fire in a garage at a residential property in the early hours of Good Friday has totally destroyed a car.
A woman reported missing from an address in Bridleways, Verwood, has been located in the Wimborne area.
Verwood Council is reminding parents that local playgrounds remain closed during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Officers are appealing for any witnesses to come forward following an alleged indecent exposure incident in Verwood.
Stores in Verwood and around the UK are enforcing new rules for those shoppers visiting for essential items.
A woman in her 40s has suffered from two bites to her leg by a Collie causing her to bleed, whilst running in Moors Valley.
Police are on the lookout for three young people after an arson incident at Moors Valley.
Verwood First, Hillside First, Trinity First and Emmanuel Middle School, along with all other schools across the UK, will close their doors to most pupils at 3pm on Friday 20th March to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The Verwood Carnival, planned for Bank Holiday Monday 25th May 2020 on the Fuzzy Bit, has been cancelled.
All football games at Verwood Town FC are suspended for the foreseeable future following advice from the Football Association.
A new Facebook Group has been created to organise support in the community for anyone in need of help in Verwood and Three Legged Cross.
Verwood Town FC is advertising for a Commercial Manager to join the club.
The upcoming Verwood Town Lost Centenary Celebration evening has been postponed.
Multiple reports of ‘doorstep scammers’ operating in the Verwood area have been made in recent weeks affecting elderly and vulnerable residents.
A joint bid by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Council has been awarded £79 million by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.
The funding gives the green light for the largest sustainable travel programme of change to transport infrastructure ever seen in the area, helping to transform local transport options, connecting local people and local jobs and education.
It means that significant changes can be made to the travel network to help meet the challenges of congestion being experienced, and support both Councils’ climate and ecological change ambitions.
Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council, said: “I’m delighted that our bid with Dorset Council has been awarded this money for our Transforming Cities project. As part of our Climate and Ecological Emergency declaration, we set an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
“This funding is huge and means that we can create so many opportunities for how people access different travel and leisure options. With the climate emergency upon us, it’s vital that we give people new options to rethink how they get around, now and for the future.”
Councillor Spencer Flower, Leader of Dorset Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for local councils to provide our residents with real transport alternatives that will tackle the climate and ecological emergency and help people get around more easily.
“By working closely with our colleagues at BCP Council, we can make a positive impact both in the short-term by easing traffic congestion and also in the longer-term by cutting down carbon emissions from vehicles.
“Improved transport links across the county will better connect the communities we serve, which can only be a good thing for our local economy. A renewed focus on active travel via cycling and walking will have obvious health benefits through improved air quality and possibilities for exercise.
“Dorset Council is excited to be part of such an ambitious project that will benefit both the people who live here and visitors to our beautiful county. I’m looking forward to working with partners and watching these plans take shape.”
Councillor Andy Hadley, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure at BCP Council, said: “The Transforming Cities project will enable us to make key transformations in our local transport options for people who travel by car, on foot, by bicycle or people with mobility assistance needs. As well as tackling congestion hotspots that create harmful emissions that blight the health of many people, we’ll be introducing a series of new, better-connected walking and cycling routes so that people can get around much more easily.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the individual projects taking shape – I passionately believe in a vision for a better-connected area.”
Dorset Council Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, Councillor Ray Bryan, said: “Our ambitious project with BCP Council will make greener travel significantly easier for residents in east Dorset and encourage more people to leave their cars at home for short journeys to work and school.
“Drivers will often bemoan congested roads and commutes taking longer, but there is no additional capacity to squeeze out of these busy routes – there are simply too many cars on the road. These transport infrastructure improvements will give residents a real choice in travel options and an opportunity to make a new travel plan for their journeys.
“We all have a role to play in reducing emissions by making even a small change in the way we live, work and travel – I’m hopeful that Dorset residents will take up the challenge to think differently about how they travel.”
Based on the DfT requirements, three bid options were submitted for different funding amounts, each supported by partnership funding from key stakeholders including Dorset Council, Dorset Public Health as well as local bus operators Morebus and Yellow Buses and sustainable transport operators, Beryl Bikes, who will contribute funding towards the overall £98 million programme.
Working together, the transport partnership will:
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- Create a series of local transport corridors with improvements to bus, cycle and walking routes, to connect homes to places of work and children and young people to schools and education centres more easily
- Create a larger and improved network of cycle routes complementing the corridors, connecting homes to work and children young people to schools and education centres more easily
- See the expansion of a local community bike-share scheme
- Enable access to grant funding for businesses and organisations to create workplace facilities, to encourage sustainable commuting
- Look at congestion hotspots to see how they can be reconfigured in order to speed up journey times, decrease time spent in traffic queues and improve air quality in the locality
- Details about the grant funding scheme for employers for workplace facilities will be publicised shortly.
The programme will have several individual schemes in different areas that will roll out over the next three years. Each project strand will look to improve transport links across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas, as well creating better links and connectivity between the north to south of the area, from Wimborne, Ferndown and other Dorset outlying areas into the major city hub of Bournemouth.
The 2019 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Cultural Enquiry – the first major external review undertaken by BCP Council – has now concluded.
West Moors council has decided to change its name from Parish Council to Town Council.
Two females and one male have been rescued from a house fire in Little Dewlands on Wednesday evening.
A motorcyclist in his 60s is in hospital with life-threatening injuries following a collision on the A31 near Ferndown on Monday evening.
Station Road in Verwood was closed for over an hour on Monday morning due to a fallen lamp post.
A second application to build a dementia care home in Verwood has been refused, but a decision on a revised, third application is yet to be made.