A computer generated image of the restored Second World War bunker.
Published: August 6, 2021 | Updated: 7th August 2021
Bunker at former radar station to be restored as holiday let
A Grade II listed Second World War bunker at Ringstead is to be restored and brought back into use as a two-bedroom holiday let overlooking the Jurassic Coast.
Planning consultancy Boyer and Lipton Plant Architects (LPA) have teamed up on the project to celebrate the bunker’s significant history and retell its story.
Once part of the RAF Ringstead radar station, a ‘glazed opening’ will be created within the concrete structure to let in light and reveal coastal vistas.
The bunker is almost invisible from the outside.
A spokesperson for LPA said: “This oppressive, windowless WWII bunker was built to ‘see’ the enemy at long range by bouncing radio rays off the wings of German aircraft.”
Ben Pope, Principal Planner at Boyer, pictured left, said: “Restoring this bunker is a fantastic development for the history of the local area.
“It will provide a unique opportunity for keen historians from across the country to stay within the bunker and learn more about its wartime past.”
RAF Ringstead was constructed in 1941 as a Chain Home radar station, and was fully operational by March 1942.
Chain Home was a ring of early warning radar stations built around the coastline from the late 1930s and formed an important part of Britain’s Second World War defences.
From 1963-1974 the US Air Force used Ringstead to provide a cross-channel relay link from High Wycombe Atomic Joint Co-Ordination Centre in Buckinghamshire to various US nuclear forces abroad.
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Wessex Water cash helps DCF support environmental projects
A partnership with Wessex Water has allowed Dorset Community Foundation to award more than £16,000 to grassroots groups.
It will fund projects aimed at improving the environment in their communities.
Recipients include:
Island Community Action volunteers working on a garden at Atlantic Academy on Portland.
Grant Robson, Director, Dorset Community Foundation, said: “The company’s generosity and commitment to the area will mean these fantastic projects will bring communities together, improve the environment and create better places for people to go.”
Kirsty Scarlett, Wessex Water’s Head of Community Engagement, pictured right, added: “We are really pleased that these grants are going to support projects important to Dorset communities and will help people come together who want to protect and enhance nature in their local area.”
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Estate agency franchise reports record results on back of boom
Meyers, the home-based estate agency franchise which has its head office at Poundbury, has reported record results.
It exchanged on 330 per cent more properties in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same timeframe in 2020.
Mark Meyer, CEO, Meyers Estate Agents, pictured left, said: “Due to Covid, the past 18 months have shown us some extraordinary times.
“The stamp duty holiday plus buyers’ desire to move to properties with gardens and home offices fuelled by the homeworking revolution, has created a booming property market.
“Our franchised agents, who are mainly home based, were already well placed to accommodate altered working conditions but the increase in business and the results we’ve seen in the past six months have been incredible.
“Our franchisees are busier than ever, with one home-based franchisee agreeing sales on just shy of £9m worth of property in the first five months of 2021.
“As well as experienced estate agents who are looking for a better way to do business, we welcome applications from any individuals interested in a career change.
“Low-cost franchise opportunities are available for the most suitable candidates with strong links to their local community.”
