News & Events

Celebration of our Seas 23 September 7-9pm, The Mowlem Theatre, Swanage 

As part of the Planet Purbeck Festival week, this event will explore our coast and journey under the sea! Listen to inspiring stories and learn how to uplift coastal communities by restoring abundance to our seas.

Plus the premiere of a ‘Studland’s Ocean Meadows’

DCF’s Sara has a key role in the film premier of ‘Studland’s Ocean Meadows’.

In 2019 Studland Bay was declared a Marine Conservation Zone, recognising the importance of its seagrass meadows for seahorses and a wealth of other marine life. Over the past year conservationists have come together with boat users and the people of Purbeck to plan how we will recover these underwater rainforests to their full glory while making sure people can continue to visit, enjoy and be inspired by Studland’s beautiful shallow waters. Come and watch this short film about how we are beginning to work together to restore Purbeck’s marine ecosystems, and find out how you can be a part of it.

Photo credit: Neil Garrick-Maidment, The Seahorse Trust

Opportunities continue for the public to Have Your Say on the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan with the deadline to complete the 5 themed surveys extended to the end of August. To find out more about the plan and complete the surveys online, please see Have Your Say on the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan | Dorset Coast Have Your Say .  You can also use our interactive map to highlight the spaces and places in Weymouth that you would like to see protected and enhanced for the future.

If you are a community leader, school, college, organisation or group in Weymouth keen to find out more about the Neighbourhood Plan and how it effects the places where you live, please contact Sara or Nikki at dorset.coast@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Our exciting new quarterly Swanage specific newsletter is available here Swanage Town Coastal Defence Scheme | Dorset Coast Have Your Say which is full of information about the scheme, updates and the events taking place. Future newsletters will incorporate other developments and activities taking place in Swanage, so watch this space!

We are calling for Swanage residents to please complete the communication survey which closes on 31 August, this is so we know the best way to reach, inform and gain feedback on potential developments in the area.  Thank-you in advance.

This month Sara took part in Swanage School’s Challenge Day – Healthy Planet on 6 July where Yr10 students drew their own ideas for innovative coastal defence management; engaged with residents and visitors with our stall on the seafront during Carnival week; and talked to Y8s at Purbeck School about careers in marine engineering and community engagement.

STUDLAND BAY MARINE PARTNERSHIP – ECO-MOORING PROJECT 

So far 600+ people have completed our Studland Bay Marine Partnership survey which is fantastic! You have until 30 September if you wish to join them, the survey can be found here Studland Bay Marine Partnership | Dorset Coast Have Your Say.

Whatever you enjoy doing at Studland – boating, swimming, walking, beachcombing or just enjoying this beautiful designated Marine Conservation Zone, find out more about the Partnership and help shape its future by visiting the webpages.

Our live link between Swanage School and the University of Southampton research labs provided a fascinating insight into why protecting Studland’s coastal habitats is so vital and we will be partnering again with the research team and the National Trust with some interactive activities for the public during October half term at Studland.

Find out more on the new SBMP newsletter and for details of all our upcoming events follow our DCF social media and our Events page.

Four new information panels and life-size characters have been installed completing the Weymouth Railway Heritage Trail. Take a visit to trail and find out more about Weymouth’s Railway Heritage, in the station forecourt, pocket park, the Loop (Cozens Quay) and on the Quay.

The flagman at pocket park showcases the flagman who used to ‘walk the trains’ down to the Quay, helping to clear the route. At times badly parked cars had to be lifted out the way, with passers by helping out!  We would like to give a huge thanks to local historians, residents and Weymouth Museum who contributed to the information, stories and photos within the panels. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we have.

With the final surfacing being laid on the forecourt and pocket path last month, contractors are off site but will return to install bollards and to complete any final snagging work that needs to be done over the next few months.

Sadly, the extreme drought and heat recently has taken its toll on the new planting, but we hope with extra maintenance some of the plants will make a recovery. Going forward we are pleased the Southwest Community Railway Partnership volunteers will be looking after the planting in the station forecourt and pocket park.

• Workshops are planned for developing the householder flooding guide for local residents, to discuss its content, design, and dissemination. We are aiming to have the guide produced by October.
• We are meeting with our flood warden volunteers to discuss how they can best serve the community and how we can help them develop the skills needed to increase community resilience.
• The community information screen is being finalised and we are currently looking for installation at the beach office in October. It will act as a community information point showing flood-related content, tide times, and other local information.
• We are currently organising our BRIC seminar in Canvey Island, Essex, hosted by our project partners Thames 21. This will take place on 19th – 21st October and will be an opportunity for stakeholders and community members to address the gaps in flood risk management, discussing how it could become more inclusive by involving all affected groups. This visit will also include a site visit and our project management group meeting, looking ahead to the legacy of the BRIC project beyond April 2023.

For more information, please contact dan.williams@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or visit Weymouth BRIC – Dorset Coast Forum

WEYMOUTH FLOOD AND COASTAL EROSION RISK MANAGEMENT 

The team are working on developing an Outline Business Case for funding. Throughout the summer, Weymouth’s FCERM team have been collecting data and information about the existing condition of Weymouth’s harbour and esplanade. Visual screening assessments of the harbour walls have been completed by our engineering team, while ecology surveys of the seafront, harbour and Radipole Lake have been taking place across the summer months.

In September, topographic surveying in the harbour will provide detailed information about the physical environment in the inner harbour and pleasure pier. The team will continue to meet and collaborate with partner organisations, helping to identify benefits for the community in Weymouth. Initial findings on socioeconomics will be published in October. Lastly, watch out for the launch our Communications & Engagement activities early in the Autumn.

If you have any questions, please contact coastalrisk@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Watch for updates for more details and upcoming opportunities to get involved.

• Sarah from Sustainable Swanage had an enjoyable day at the Rotary Fete in Swanage on 11th August playing the wonderful ‘snakes and ladders’ game kindly loaned from Litter Free Dorset. The messaging being reducing litter and pollution for our local environment.  She met some lovely people and discussed our new projects.
• We are busy planning our events for the Planet Purbeck Festival week The Planet Purbeck Festival – Planet Purbeck events include an ‘open day’ on the Swanage Downs, our Garden harvest Fayre on Prospect Green and the launch of our new Swanage Tree Trail created by the Greening Swanage group.
• Following the Rights of Way meeting in June, 17 volunteers also attended our footpath survey briefing event at the end of July. The volunteers are involved in surveying and monitoring the network of paths in and around the town and supporting the work of Swanage Town Council and Dorset Council Ranger team.