The Bournemouth One News Centre

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

• Police patrol heathland during wildfire alert

  Police patrols have increased across East Dorset heathland as agencies work to reduce the risk of wildfires. East Dorset Police officers have joined firefighters, rangers and volunteer groups at local beauty spots following the introduction of a red wildfire alert. Teams met Forestry England rangers at Ashley Heath and firefighters from Ferndown Fire Station during morning patrols.

• Wetherspoons makes a comeback in Ferndown

  A new Wetherspoons pub will open at the former Smugglers Haunt site in Ferndown next month. The Cranborne Hundred is due to welcome customers from Tuesday the eighteenth of August at the Ringwood Road premises previously occupied by Beefeater. The Smugglers Haunt was among the Beefeater restaurants affected by closures across the country, leaving the Ferndown building available for a new operator. It will become the town’s new Wetherspoon pub after The Nightjar permanently closed in September twenty twenty-three.

• Some Ferndown roads get lower speed limit

  A new thirty mile per hour speed limit is coming to roads in Ferndown and West Parley. The lower limit will apply along parts of New Road and Christchurch Road, replacing the existing forty mile per hour restrictions from Friday the seventeenth of July. Signage work is due to begin on Monday the thirteenth of July, with advisory signs remaining in place for six weeks after the changes are introduced. Dorset Council says residents, local councils and councillors showed strong support for the plans during a public consultation earlier this year. The changes are also being introduced ahead of further road improvements planned for next year

• Emission-based parking fees thrown out

  Dorset Council has rejected a plan to offer reduced parking fees for lower emission vehicles, citing concerns about fairness and practicality. Councillors argued the scheme could penalise those unable to afford newer cars or access charging points, and instead suggested discounts for low-income workers and families. The committee supported lower resident parking fees but has not decided how to implement them due to legal restrictions. The council continues to review parking policies, with further discussions expected before any changes are finalized.

• Plans propose relocating Poole train station

  Poole railway station could be relocated as part of plans to regenerate the town centre. The proposal is included in the Local Transport Plan, which aims to support housing and employment growth in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. Council documents highlight the town’s maritime heritage and suggest that moving the station could help drive heritage-led regeneration. The project, which also involves replacing Poole Level Crossing, is expected to be costly and is planned for delivery between twenty thirty-one and twenty thirty-six.