Cllr Matt Bell

15/06/2026

I've joined the Alzheimer's Society Councillor Network! If you are an elected representative, click here to join: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/form/councillor-network

We would be interested to know more about what you would like to gain from the Councillor Network through this short questionnaire.

15/06/2026

💚 Our Greenspaces team take great pride in carrying out tasks to help make Weymouth look bright, vibrant and welcoming. Recently, our gardener Jon has spent some time planting up the boats by Westham Bridge - we love the splash of colour this has added to the area!

15/06/2026

We have delivered our first ever budget underspend since becoming a unitary authority, marking a major step forward in managing our finances with tighter control over spending.

We ended the 2025/26 financial year broadly on budget, with a very small underspend of £169,000 from a total budget of £417 million. This means we spent slightly less than planned overall – the first time this has happened since Dorset Council was formed in 2019.

Read more below.

14/06/2026

Exciting news from Radipole Lake Café ☕🦆

While many of our visitors already know SWRAC as the team behind the day-to-day running of the café, we're delighted to share that we have now fully taken over the management of Radipole Lake Café from the RSPB.

What does this mean? The good news is that everything you already love about the café remains the same, great coffee, stunning views, friendly faces, and a welcoming place to relax while enjoying the reserve.

The difference is that this new arrangement gives us greater freedom to invest in the café's future and introduce exciting new ideas that will enhance the visitor experience while maintaining the café's important connection to nature and conservation.

For those who don't know us, SWRAC is a specialist college supporting young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The café plays a vital role in helping our students gain real-world work experience, develop confidence, build employability skills, and prepare for greater independence.

Looking ahead, we're excited to introduce a range of new features and activities, including bird recording journals, guided walks, pond dipping, a refreshed wildlife library, accessible equipment to help more people enjoy the reserve, and much more.

The RSPB remains focused on managing and protecting the reserve, and many of the wonderful volunteers visitors know and value will continue to be part of the café community.

We're incredibly proud of what the café has become and even more excited about what's to come.

Thank you for your continued support, we look forward to welcoming you soon 💚

Want to follow along? Follow our new social media pages for the café
Facebook: Radipole Lake Cafe
Instagram:

10/06/2026

08/06/2026

02/06/2026

We want to hear from you. If you live or work in Dorset, your views can help shape how we keep our communities safe.
The Dorset Community Safety Partnership – including Dorset Council, Dorset Police, NHS Dorset and other partners – is developing its new Community Safety Plan for 2026 to 2029. This plan focuses on key issues such as domestic abuse, anti-social behaviour, violent crime and rural crime.
Join our online webinar on Thursday 18 June at 10am to share your thoughts and help set future priorities.
To register for the webinar and view the draft plan go to the first comment in the chat

30/05/2026

Let us know your ideas!

Littlemoor and Broadwey are to receive £2 million a year for the next decade through the UK government's Pride in Place programme. How could this money best be used to make the area an even better place to live - for current and future generations? We have already received lots of great suggestions at our community events, but did you know you can also contribute your ideas online?

You can submit your suggestions and comments online link in first comment . You need to create a login to take part, but ideas can be submitted anonymously.

A new Neighbourhood Board is currently being set up to represent local people and decide on priorities for investment. All the ideas we receive will be passed to the board for consideration.

29/05/2026

29/05/2026

It is an absolute pleasure to be able to support the work of The Friendly Food Club through my new role as Cabinet Member for Public Health, Prevention and Communities at Dorset Council.

Dorchester’s event showed just how powerful cooking and sharing food can be. It helps people build confidence, make friendships and develop healthier habits, and it’s something everyone can be part of.

This can happen anywhere. If you’re part of a community group, or just have an idea and a local space, you can start cooking sessions that work for your community. The Friendly Food Club offers practical help, training and encouragement so groups feel confident to get started.

This is about bringing people together locally, reducing isolation and supporting wellbeing in simple, everyday ways. If you’d like to help your village, town or neighbourhood get cooking, I’d really encourage you to get in touch. Find out more by visiting the article linked in the first comment.