A 13-year-old girl who was reported missing from her home in Verwood on Tuesday afternoon has been found.
A road traffic collision on the B3081 sliproad towards the A31 on Wednesday afternoon caused a second incident moments later.
Two cars collided when a Ford KA passed in front of a Ford Galaxy people carrier.
Moments later, two cars approaching from the opposite direction pulled over to offer assistance, but the first one then reversed into the second.
Traffic was slow in the surrounding area with delays for commuters, as the incident happened just after 5pm. Details of the event were posted in the Verwood Traffic Alerts Facebook Group, and on @VerwoodToday on Twitter.
You can see the full drama unfold in the dashcam footage below.
Accident on the B3081 from the A31 junction. Short delays heading towards Verwood. pic.twitter.com/AvAfjvXvtK
— VerwoodToday (@VerwoodToday) June 19, 2019
The end of A338 morning commute hell is in sight for workers in Bournemouth as roadworks are almost finished.
Two lanes are now in operation at peak times in both directions, but some closures will be taking place between the hours of 9am and 4pm.
The full length of the new southbound on slip and the third lane from Blackwater Junction to the Cooper Dean Roundabout will be open within the next couple of weeks.
The council says: “This week we are continuing with drainage, utilities and barrier work on the southbound carriageway. These works are taking place around the widened Cooper Dean off slip and will require occasional off-peak southbound lane closures between 9am and 4pm. Ongoing works also prevent us from opening the full length of the new southbound on slip and third lane from Blackwater Junction.
The permanent average speed cameras are currently in operation and they are now supporting a 50mph limit of both sides of the carriageway.
Check out this video which explains more about the upcoming changes.
⚠ A338 Update ⚠
On schedule for completion at the end of June, this video provides a brief summary of the works that have been completed so far on the #A338 and Blackwater Junction improvement scheme. @TravelDorset pic.twitter.com/s01mw5GSkQ— BCP Council (@BCPCouncil) June 19, 2019
16-year-old Verwood resident Joseph Sanyal is flying to Sweden to represent Great Britain with his Poole Phoenix Handball teammate Joe Trent in Handball.
The pair have recently made the selection for the under 18 squad and will compete in the European Open this July. Both are in sixth form currently studying for their A-Levels.
Joseph, aged 16, is from Verwood and at Wimborne’s Queen Elizabeth School. He first tried handball when he was 14 at Poole Phoenix and was selected to play for Dorset.
Joe is 17 and from Corfe Mullen is at Corfe Hills School.
They will be facing Sweden, Czech Republic, Russia, Switzerland and Luxembourg allowing them to experience the game on a whole new level.
As the Handball Program currently receives little funding from national schemes, the squad is crowdfunding and would be incredibly grateful to any person or business willing to help via this page.
Officers are appealing for information after a cat was shot and injured with an air rifle in Verwood.
On the evening of Sunday 2 June 2019 the female cat returned to the family home in Hainault Drive injured. It was taken to the vet and underwent surgery. An x-ray was taken and the vet believes an air weapon was used as pellets were found lodged in her body.
The cat is expected to make a full recovery.
Police Community Support Investigator Kayleigh Hole, of Dorset Police, said: “The cat’s owner does not know of any reason why someone would want to harm her cat or who may have been responsible. She has understandably been left very upset by what has happened.
“I would urge anyone who has any information or knows the identity of the person or people involved to please contact Dorset Police. “
Up to 40 news jobs could be created in Verwood if a new proposal to open a Lidl supermarket gets the go-ahead.
The store would be built on Ringwood Road opposite the petrol station, in place of a current caravan store and two residential properties – a total area of 1.6 acres.
A car park would provide 90 free bays of which 6 will be disabled spaces and 6 will be parent and child spaces at the front of the property, with the store at the back. Customer cycle parking will be provided to encourage shoppers to visit the store by bicycle.
Verwood currently only has one supermarket, operated by Morrisons, and two smaller food shops provided by Tesco and Co-op.
Lidl is proposing a new neighbourhood foodstore with 1,175² sales area, which would have 2,000 core products and “only 2 or 3 deliveries a day to a recessed loading bay on the side of the building. The existing access to the caravan storage site will be adjusted slightly and moved 6m to the west of the existing access. The accesses to the residential properties will be closed to leave one vehicular access point. Pedestrian and cycle access will also be directly from Ringwood Road.
A public consultation event is taking place to allow local residents and other interested parties the opportunity to view the proposed plans, voice their opinion and offer suggestions and feedback on any aspect of the application. Members of Lidl’s Development Team will be on hand to answer any queries.
It’s happening at St Michaels Parish Centre, 34 Manor Road in Verwood on 12th June from 3pm till 7pm.
Lidl UK’s Regional Head of Property, James Mitchell, told VerwoodToday: “We are extremely excited about the prospect of opening a Lidl in Verwood and serving our fresh, quality and incredibly good value produce which shoppers across the country have come to love. We look forward to welcoming anyone along to the public consultation day and showcasing our plans whilst answering any questions.”
Lidl’s closest stores to Verwood are Ferndown and Ringwood, with around 760 locations around the UK, and over 10,000 worldwide.
The new permanent average speed cameras on the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road are now switched on.
The cameras will support a temporary 40mph speed limit on the southbound carriageways of the A338 from Blackwater Junction to the Cooper Dean Roundabout.
The 40mph southbound limit will be in place for the remainder of the works whilst cameras will support a 50mph limit on the northbound carriageway.
Following the completion of the scheme next month, average speed cameras will support the 50mph limit that was previously in place on both sides of the carriageway. The cameras will be managed by Dorset Police.
Gary Powell, the senior responsible officer for the A338 improvements, said: “The cameras will help make the Blackwater slip roads easier and safer to use as motorists travel at a consistent speed through the area. They will also help improve the flow of traffic.
“We would like to remind motorists to follow the speed limit and be mindful that the speed cameras will become operational at the end of the month. These are in place for the safety of our operatives who are working during the day, at night and at weekends to complete the improvements as soon as possible.’’
Currently, work on the multi-million pound A338 / Blackwater Junction Improvements scheme is running to schedule for completion at the end of June. Until near the end of the scheme, there will be a series of overnight road closures to enable surfacing and barrier installation works to be carried out.
Depending on a variety of factors, such as speed and previous offences, the funds generated by speeding fines will go to one of two locations.
In cases dealt with by the Courts and Fixed Penalty Fines (with the addition of points on the driving licence) will be sent to the Central Government Consolidated Fund.
Alternatively, fees from drivers on the Driving Awareness Scheme after costs will go directly towards improving road traffic safety schemes
The two biggest questions from Verwoodians this weekend will be where is the Verwood Carnival procession going and is Morrisons open.
The new permanent average speed cameras on the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road, will go live on Friday 31 May 2019.
They will support a temporary 40mph speed limit on the southbound carriageway of the A338 from Blackwater Junction to the Cooper Dean Roundabout.
The 40mph southbound limit will be in place for the remainder of the works and the cameras will support a 50mph limit on the northbound carriageway.
Following the completion of the scheme next month, average speed cameras will support the 50mph limit that was previously in place on both sides of the carriageway, managed by Dorset Police.
Gary Powell, the senior responsible officer for the A338 improvements, said: “The cameras will help make the Blackwater slip roads easier and safer to use as motorists travel at a consistent speed through the area. They will also help improve the flow of traffic.
“We would like to remind motorists to follow the speed limit and be mindful that the speed cameras will become operational at the end of the month. These are in place for the safety of our operatives who are working during the day, at night and at weekends to complete the improvements as soon as possible.’
Currently, work on the multi-million pound A338 / Blackwater Junction Improvements scheme is running to schedule for completion at the end of June. Until near the end of the scheme, there will be a series of overnight road closures to enable surfacing and barrier installation works to be carried out. There will be no overnight closures over the coming May bank holiday weekend.
Dorset Council will be carrying out maintenance work on The Kingfishers during the day on the 11th and 12th June 2019.
The road will be closed daily between the hours of 9.00 and 16.00 but it will be open overnight and at weekends.
They will be repairing sections of the road.
In the current financial climate, the highways service says it has had to focus its budget on targeting the most damaged sections of road and areas with safety issues.
If you wish to discuss any issues regarding this work please contact 01305 228100
Verwood-based radio station Forest FM is celebrating two decades of broadcasting this weekend, as the team covers the Verwood Carnival for the 20th time.
Forest FM started life in 1999 as Verwood FM, broadcasting on a temporary licence from the Radio Academy. It was many years later when it was granted a permanent licence that it changed its name to Forest FM to reflect a slightly larger coverage area.
The station will once again be in the procession and providing music and entertainment from its outside broadcast unit at the Carnival.
Station founder Steve Saville told VerwoodToday.co.uk: “I never imagined we’d still be doing this twenty years later – but it certainly hasn’t lost the buzz and excitement and we love doing live broadcasts from local community events. A few beers may be consumed!”
Plans are underway to improve the FM signal of the service, and a £7,000 donation has been granted from the National Lottery Awards for All fund. The changes are subject to approval from the radio regulator Ofcom.
Here’s a flashback to ’99:
The Verwood Carnival has returned to a three-day event for 2019 and here’s what you can expect over the Bank Holiday Weekend.
Pennyfarthing Homes has teamed up with Hillside First School and the Trinity C of E VA First School in Verwood and Fordingbridge Infant School in Fordingbridge for Walk to School Week.
Fire crews from Verwood, Ringwood and Christchurch were called to a fire behind The Chase in Verwood on Thursday evening.
The Verwood Town Council is looking for two new councillors in Dewlands South Ward.
Dorset Police officers investigating the theft of cigarettes from a store in Verwood have issued CCTV images of the suspects.
Two women entered the Co-op store on Ringwood Road at around 3.05pm on Tuesday 9 April 2019 and confused the cashier, claiming they had paid for cigarettes the day before and had come to collect them. They made off with around £700-worth of cigarettes and other items without paying.
The women were reportedly seen to get into a navy blue people carrier, possibly a Citroen C8 or a Peugeot 807.
Police Sergeant Carmel Ryan, of Dorset Police, said: “We have obtained CCTV of the suspects from the store and have made efforts to identity them but have so far been unsuccessful.
“I am now issuing the CCTV in the hope that someone might have information as to their identity.”
Plans for a part three/part four-story dementia care home with new vehicular access and parking provision in Verwood Town Centre have been revised.
The new plan proposed the same height with 38 bedrooms
There are no changes to the amount of car parking spaces included in the site plan, even after complaints were received by local residents that 12 was not enough.
At the time of publication, at least half a dozen letters of objections have been submitted to Dorset Council, saying the size of the building in that plot is too big, and that the narrow roads in the area would not cope with the traffic needed to provide facilities of a care home.
The applicant wants to demolish the buildings on Edmondsham Road (numbers 5, 7 and 7a), to the side/rear of Irving and Sons Estate Agents off Station Road.
The Highways Authority has requested an extension of time to the normal consultation period in order for the implications of the proposal can be properly assessed.
See the planning application on the Dorset Planning Website with the reference number 3/19/0341/OUT
Starting tonight, and lasting for the next five weeks, the A338 will see some overnight closures between 8pm and 6am.
It will affect journeys from Verwood to Bournemouth and Bournemouth to Verwood, using the A338.
The Council says barriers will be moving and workers will be resurfacing the entire area of the works.
This will result in work at night and weekends until the completion of the scheme in June. The full schedule of closures is expected to be published shortly.
Once these works are complete, an extra lane will be provided between Blackwater and Cooper Dean on the southbound side of the carriageway, and the northbound ‘off slip’ from the A338 on to the B3073 at Blackwater West Junction will be improved.
Officers investigating the theft of two mobility scooters in Verwood are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
The scooters were stolen from outside flats at Verwood Manor Court in Howard Road sometime between 10.30pm on Wednesday 24 April and 8am on Thursday 25 April 2019.
The mobility scooters were both new models made by Rascal Mobility. One is red and the other black.
Police Sergeant Jane Moore, of East Dorset police, said: “Both the victims rely on their mobility scooters and have understandably been left upset at losing their essential transport.
“I am appealing for any witnesses to the theft, or anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area of Howard Road on the night of Wednesday 24 April 2019, to contact police.
“We would also like to hear from anyone who comes across a mobility scooter matching the descriptions given in unusual circumstances.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55190061964.
A person reported missing in the Verwood area has been found safe and well after a search mission by Dorset Police.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) were called in to help local police on Tuesday night after a call reporting a missing teenage girl was received at 9.24pm. She was last seen at 5.30pm.
The girl was located safe and well at around 1am this morning, Wednesday 24 April 2019, in the West Moors area.
The NPAS helicopter was heard by residents in Verwood around 11pm circling the area for about around two hours.
NAPS tweeted on Wednesday morning saying the missing person was found: “We had just the one job last night, assisting Dorset Poloice with a missing person search in the Verwood area. Person subsequently found safe and well away from our search area.”
We had just the one job last night, assisting @dorsetpolice with a missing person search in the Verwood area. Person subsequently found safe and well away from our search area. ^RK
— NPAS Bournemouth (@NPASBournemouth) April 24, 2019
Hearing @NPASBournemouth @dorsetpolice hovering and circling many times in #VerwoodDorset tonight. – @VerwoodToday #Dorset #NPASBournemouth #Bournemouth #NPAS999 #NPAS #PoliceHelicopter #NotATrainingExercise #Verwood #Wimborne #DoresetEcho #DorsetCulture pic.twitter.com/isZJbK9O3I
— Matt™ | TruckersMP ? (@MattTrucker_TMP) April 23, 2019
Police are looking for criminals who fired ball bearings from a moving car into Harlees fish and chip shop in Manor Road Verwood around 4pm on Tuesday.
CCTV shows a green or grey BMW X5 going around the roundabout outside the shop, and something being fired from the passenger window.
Several other incidents were also reported on the same day, with damage to a vehicle in Earlswood Road, and properties in Pennine Way, Verwood, and Daggons Road in Alderholt.
On Wednesday, the damage was found on a vehicle in Home Fard Road, Verwood.
A defibrillator kiosk in Station Road, Alderholt, has also been targetted, with five bullet-type holes and shattered glass.
Further details, plus a CCTV video, is available here.
The ReCreate Festival in Alderholt is raising money in loving memory of Verwood resident Neil Zebedee.
The 5k Colour Fun Run, including a junior 1k mini colour fun, is taking place at the Alderholt Rec on Saturday 13th April at 10.30am.
“We were incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Neil Zebedee in September 2018,” organisers say. “Neil was very supportive of the ReCreate festival and performed brilliantly as part of ‘Nothing But Trouble’ at the evening with Dodgy back in 2014.
“Mind is one of the charities that Neil’s family and friends supported in recent times and it feels appropriate this year for us as a festival to do the same.”
A minimum donation of £5 per adult and £2.50 per child at the point of registration is recommended but runners are strongly encouraged to give more on the day and/or get sponsorship to enable the good work that is being done to improve mental health.
Youngsters at Emmanuel CE Middle School in Verwood spent a whole week unearthing new discoveries in a fun-packed Science Week.
Kids at the school, which is part of Wimborne Academy Trust, staged daily fun scientific activities for its pupils to try out, including taking part in a dry ice extravaganza.
With a special theme of ‘journeys’ a different activity was held every lunchtime for the children to pop in and try.
From examining raisins to see the nucleation process of carbon dioxide build-up to discovering how model boats can be propelled using the force of washing up liquid, the students got to enjoy a wide range of the sciences.
Executive headteacher, Ron Jenkinson, said: “For Science Week our special theme was designed to take students on a journey of different scientific activities that might not be covered in the curriculum.
“It was wonderful to see so many of our students get involved and show such enthusiasm for science.
“This week was made possible thanks to our head of science, Angela Etheridge, who planned and ran all the events.”
Emmanuel’s special week was launched with an assembly to engage the students in the possibilities of science both now and in the future. And in addition to the lunchtime activities, which also included creating flying machines, the students were also encouraged to enter two competitions.
The first competition was set by the British Science Association to design a poster for Science Week and for the second challenge, the school called on the students to produce their own journey sticks.
CEO of Wimborne Academy Trust, Liz West, said: “This has been a fantastic event, which has really brought science alive for our students. Events like these not only engage the children but also help to inspire them to consider a career in the sciences.”
British Science Week, run by the British Science Association, is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, featuring entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK for people of all ages.
Verwood Fire Crew attended a number of open fires in the town this weekend.
One of the incidents involved woodland on Moorlands Road on Sunday evening at around half past six. The fire was extinguished shortly afterward and nobody was hurt.
Moorlands Road runs from Edmonsham Road towards Stephen’s Castle past the former Hideaway venue, but no further details of the exact location are available at this time.
Firefighters were also called to Chiltern Drive near Morrisons on Saturday afternoon after reports of youths setting fires on a path, which were also quickly extinguished.
Verwood crew attend small fire on Moorlands Road. – https://t.co/YvTZs9p8hd
— DWFireControl (@DWFireControl) March 24, 2019
Verwood attend reports of youths setting small fires – https://t.co/WpwTwFgwie
— DWFireControl (@DWFireControl) March 23, 2019
Updated 10.55am: A 44-year-old woman who went missing from Verwood has been found.
Samantha Turner was last seen at her home address in Peel Close at 5am on Monday 18 March 2019 and was discovered missing at 12.30pm. She was reported missing at 10.26pm yesterday.
She has been located in Bournemouth and has been taken to hospital to receive the appropriate care.
Dorset Police would like to thank the public for their help in sharing the appeal.
The alarm was raised because Samantha left her home without her keys, mobile phone or the medication she requires each day.
The air and water service at Morrisons Verwood is currently out of action after it was knocked over.
The concrete slab on which the unit sits has been ripped out of the ground and cones are surrounding the area warning drivers not to use it.
It is believed to have been knocked over by a vehicle.
The nearest public car tyre air service is at the Texaco filling station on Ringwood Road – but this is also out of order.
The electric car charging points at Morrisons suffered a similar fate two years ago but are still awaiting repair.
Verwood Town YFC’s annual 6-a-side tournament at Potterne Park is now open for registrations.
The event is well known to be one of the best tournaments in the area, with teams entering from several counties, and is taking place on Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th June 2019.
This year, the event will also be joined by AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust with their Powerstrike machine, where attendees can test the speed of their penalty shot.
Spaces in the tournament usually sell out fast so it is recommended to reserve a space as soon as possible, with bookings now open online.
Closing date for entries is 19th May 2019.
Finally, a reminder that Potterne Park will be closed to the public during the weekend for the event to take place.
Timpson has been granted permission to open a new unit in Morrisons car park in Verwood despite 66 objections against the move.
The planning application, which gives the go-ahead for a stand-alone unit to trade in the car park, is part of a nationwide deal between the two companies.
Timpson at Morrisons will offer key cutting, shoe and watch repairs as well as phone and tablet repair.
The majority of objections claimed Timpson would threaten the survival of local businesses already offering a dry cleaning service and key cutting in Verwood.
Verwood Town Council also responded, but did not object to the opening of a new store in the town.
The unit will be opposite the main entrance, replacing three parent and child spaces which will be relocated elsewhere in the car park.
Roger Fogg, Director of Popular and Useful Services at Morrisons, said: “This partnership will mean that customers will find more popular and useful services at Morrisons stores.
“This is a way of growing our offer that is both capital-light and simpler for our colleagues.”
James Timpson, Timpson Chief Executive, added: “Through Timpson at Morrisons we will give shoppers our full service offer, from key cutting to mobile phone repairs, while they shop. We’re also looking forward to making our great value dry cleaning service available to new customers in even more Morrisons stores.”
The planning application says the unit will be open from 7am till 10pm Monday to Saturday and 10am till 4pm Sunday.
The A31 will be closed overnight for a month between Canford Bottom and Ameysford Roundabout from Monday April 1st 2019.
The closure is happening from 9pm till 6am each night as drainage maintenance work takes place.
Traffic will be unable to join from Uddens Drive during the roadworks too.
A local diversion will be in operation from April 1st to April 25th April.
Verwood is getting a return visit from Jay Miller’s Circus for six days in March 2019.
The entertainers will be based once again on The Fuzzy Bit, just off Bakers Farm Road.
Performance times from Thursday 21st to Tuesday 26th March are:
– Thurs 6pm only
– Fri & Mon 5pm & 7:30pm
– Sat & Sun 2pm & 5pm
– Tues 4:30pm only
If you want to pre-book your tickets, call the Jay Miller Circus Ticketline on 07976655180 or see their official Facebook page for more details.
Here’s the location on Google Maps:
Holt Road from Three Legged Cross towards Holt has reopened after emergency works.
The redevelopment of the old Barclay’s Bank in Verwood is back on track as a new Renoufs Wine Bar gets ready to open in the town.
Renoufs already has three venues – in Westbourne, Wimborne and Southbourne, and announced in October last year it was heading to Verwood.
But development has been slow after issues with land rights but these have now been sorted allowing the Cheese and Wine eatery to open before the summer.
Trevor Ayling, Founder and CEO of Renoufs Wine Bars Group told VerwoodToday.co.uk: “We have been overwhelmed with Resident messages asking for updates. We have had some issues with land rights for the development which, I have been assured, have now all be rectified.
“The development is now continuing which should take around 8-12 weeks to complete. We are so excited to be part of the Verwood community and will update you when we have a final opening date.”
Once open, the bar will accommodate around 40 people, with 10 members of staff employed initially. We’ll let you know the official opening date once it has been announced.
Former Bournemouth and Poole Critical Incident Inspector Simon Perry has been appointed as Neighborhood Inspector for East Dorset.
Simon has served in Dorset for almost 20 years in a number of roles, including at CID and as the Rossmore Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant.
Posting on social media, Simon says: “This week I have been appointed as the Neighborhood Inspector for East Dorset where I am responsible for ensuring we build relationships with the community we serve and ensure we’re tackling the issues you care about. I wanted to give you a bit of background on my career to date with Dorset Police.
“I have served in Dorset for 19 years, with the last two as a Critical Incident Inspector covering Bournemouth and Poole. I have completed a number of roles, including CID, proactive working on a unit targeting persistent offenders and three years as The Rossmore Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant. My career has been predominately at Poole but also two years at East Dorset as section Deputy Inspector.
“My experience means I can bring great skills around solving issues and targeting acquisitive crime such as burglary as well as drugs and anti-social behaviour which has a massive impact on our community.
“Please let us know what your key issues are across East Dorset in the comments below and I look forward to working with you.”
Inspector Simon Perry – follow on Twitter @NDorsetNPTInsp“
The committee for the Verwood Carnival is working on bringing back the traditional two-day event this year.
It’ll start on Saturday afternoon with Coles Fair, and the BMX stunt team will be running a skills and tricks workshop in the Carnival field to cater for all ages.
Sponsors and supporters are encouraged to get in touch with the organisers to help fund the event.
The search is also on for this year’s Carnival Queen and Princesses, with the theme of Rose Garden. Click here for more details on how to enter.
The committee is sticking with tradition by only allowing girls to enter the competition again this year.
The main Verwood Carnival event will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 27th May 2019 starting with the town procession.
Two electric vehicle charging points are planned to appear at the Texaco Garage on Ringwood Road in Verwood.
An outline planning application has been submitted to Dorset Council proposing a part three/part four storey 47 bedroom dementia care home with new vehicular access and parking provision in Verwood Town Centre.
Pennyfarthing Homes has put in a reserved matters application for 43 properties on land near Edmondsham Road in Verwood.
Of the 43 homes, 11 will be affordable rented homes and four shared ownership homes. There will be a mixture of 1 to 4 bedroom properties including bungalows.
The company achieved outline permission late last year, in which Verwood Town Council said suitable bollards should be installed along the east side at the wildlife buffer zone to stop vehicles parking there.
The area, on land North and South of Edmondsham Road, borders onto Trinity C of E VA First School and Eastworth Farm.
Objections have been received citing the lack of infrastructure in the town to cope with hundreds of new homes. Horse riders have also objected to the proposal to convert a well-used bridleway in Eastworth Road into a footpath and cycle route.
In the larger development, public open space will be retained and the small play area will be improved and extended. East Dorset District Council is resolved to grant ‘outline’ planning permission for 230 new homes in total.
Around ten homes are now occupied at Verwood’s newest housing development by Linden Homes, just off Ringwood Road.
The body of a man found in woodland next to Potterne Park has been announced as 29-year-old William David Sullivan.
A public exhibition will take place at The Hub in Verwood to give questions about the upcoming Purple Haze project.
Verwood Town Council has registered a strong objection to the development of a sand quarry at Horton Heath near Three Legged Cross.
The body of a man has been found in Potterne Park, Verwood.
Police were called to an area of woodland between Potterne Park and Hazelwood Drive in the town on Tuesday morning just after 7am to reports of the sudden death of a man.
Officers attended and very sadly the body of a man was found.
Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious, and the coroner has been informed.
Enquiries are underway to inform the man’s family.
Hillside Road is closed at the junction with Ringwood Road, the B3081, for emergency repair work to be carried out.
Two Verwood schools have joined Wimborne Academy Trust (WAT), making it one of the biggest multi-academy trusts in Dorset.
In what has been described as a ‘powerful partnership of schools’ the additions of Verwood and Hillside first schools has seen the Trust grow to 11 schools.
It also means three of Verwood’s four first and middle schools, including Verwood Nursery, are now WAT members after Emmanuel CE Middle School joined the Trust last year.
CEO of Wimborne Academy Trust, Liz West, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Verwood and Hillside first schools to our Trust.
“The vision and ethos of both schools fit very much with ours – we’re based in the local community, serving the local community.
“Having two excellent schools join us really strengthens our team and we have in place a powerful partnership of schools all working together to provide the best possible education for our children.”
With the addition of Verwood and Hillside, WAT now has more than 3,300 pupils and 500 staff.
In addition to the three Verwood schools, the Trust is also home to Allenbourn Middle and St Michael’s CE Middle schools in Wimborne, Lockyer’s Middle School in Corfe Mullen, Merley First School, St John’s CE, Colehill, and Hayeswood first schools in Wimborne and Witchampton CE First School.
Hillside First School headteacher, Jeremy Harrison, said: “We’ve just celebrated our 50th anniversary and with such a milestone it’s not just about looking back but also looking forward.
“To ensure Hillside is here for another 50 years we wanted to join a bigger multi-academy trust and WAT, being local and successful, was the perfect fit.
“We look forward to accessing the excellent pool of talent that Wimborne Academy Trust offers.”
Adam Parsons, headteacher at Verwood First, added: “We have been really impressed with the excellent work WAT has done at our close neighbours Emmanuel CE Middle School and now we’re excited to be part of that same team.
“Almost all of our pupils and Hillside’s pupils go on to Emmanuel and our already close ties with the middle school will be further strengthened.
“This is not only about providing the best possible education for our present children but also the future children of Verwood.”
Photo:
HILLSIDE AND VERWOOD FIRST SCHOOLS JOIN WIMBORNE ACADEMY TRUST’S FAMILY OF FIRST AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS. BOTH HILLSIDE AND VERWOOD FEED INTO EMMANUEL CE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PUPILS FROM ALL THREE SCHOOLS ARE PICTURED WITH TRUST CEO LIZ WEST, VERWOOD HEADTEACHER ADAM PARSONS, EMMANUEL EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER RON JENKINSON AND HILLSIDE HEADTEACHER JEREMY HARRISON.
A car has collided with two gas mains on Ringwood Road in Verwood on Friday evening resulting in a large fire and road closure.
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