The Bournemouth One News Centre

All the news you need for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with travel information and national headlines.

• Dorset Council staff sickness rates rising

  Dorset Council staff are taking more sick days, averaging over nine days per employee each year. The council says long-term sickness is the main reason for the increase, while short-term absences have stayed the same. Efforts are underway to support staff and reduce sickness levels. Serious workplace accidents have also risen, with more incidents being reported than the council’s target.

• Bournemouth death treated as suspicious

  Dorset Police has launched an investigation after a 51-year-old woman was found dead at an address in Paddington Grove.

• Dorset parking review sets out options

  Dorset Council is reviewing parking across more than eighty car parks and nearby on-street spaces. New data shows some town centre and coastal car parks are busy during peak periods, while others are regularly underused. The council says this can lead to congestion, drivers searching for spaces, frustration and poorer air quality in busier locations. Early ideas include more local approaches to charges, greener incentives, stronger enforcement and closer links with public transport. No decisions have been made, with councillors due to consider the findings on Thursday the ninth of July.

• Rachel Farrell confirmed as Dorset Police chief

  Rachel Farrell has been confirmed as Dorset Police’s next Chief Constable. The current Deputy Chief Constable was approved by the Dorset Police and Crime Panel after being named as the preferred candidate in May. She will replace Amanda Pearson, who is retiring later this summer after leading Dorset Police. Rachel Farrell has served communities in Dorset and Hampshire for more than thirty years, including senior roles tackling serious crime and protecting vulnerable people. She says her priorities include keeping people safe, supporting victims, bringing offenders to justice and maintaining community trust.

• Poole concert to support RNLI lifeguards

  A major choral concert in Poole will support the RNLI’s life-saving work. Bournemouth Symphony Chorus will join Bath Minerva Choir at Lighthouse on Saturday the eleventh of July, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary year of RNLI Lifeguards. The programme celebrates the sea through music by Britten and Vaughan Williams, alongside the first performance of Paul Carr’s new work, Beacon of Hope. The combined choirs will perform with the Salomon Orchestra and soloists Sophie Bevan and Gareth Brynmor John, conducted by Gavin Carr. Money raised will support the RNLI, whose headquarters are based in Poole.