Block Management in Dorchester
An Article 4 over the whole conservation area, and a third of households in flats
Our block management service in Dorchester covers RMCs, RTM companies and freeholders, from budgets and accounts to repairs and compliance. Since June 2020 an Article 4 direction has put routine external changes inside the conservation area under planning control. Radon sits in the 3 to 5 per cent band at County Hall, the town centre and Fordington, and 33.1 per cent of households live in a flat.
What We Would Put First for a Block in Dorchester
Apply for Permission Before External Works
The Article 4 direction over the conservation area since June 2020 means routine external changes to a block there need planning permission. We would obtain consent before specifying windows, doors or other external works under Section 20.
ConsentsGive Notice on Conservation Area Trees
Works to any tree in a conservation area with a trunk over 75mm across need six weeks' notice. We would build that notice into the grounds maintenance programme, so tree work is never treated as a same-week instruction.
Maintenance and repairsMeasure Radon in Communal Areas
The national map returns the 3 to 5 per cent band at County Hall, the town centre and Fordington, placing Dorchester inside a radon Affected Area where measurement is advised. We would recommend measurement in ground-floor communal areas.
ComplianceInsure with the North of Town in Mind
The Frome's flood zones mostly affect the north of Dorchester, naming residential areas off the B3150, Frome Terrace and Caters Place, and the town is among Dorset's large groundwater risk areas. We would reflect that in insurance placement for blocks there.
InsuranceManaging a Block in Dorchester at a Glance
- Local authority
- Dorset Council
- Authority type
- Unitary
- Building control
- Dorset Council Building Control
- County
- Dorset
- Fire and rescue service
- Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
- Water and sewerage
- Wessex Water
- From our Plymouth office
- Approx. 98 miles by road, an hour and a half or so
- Setting
- Inland
What It Costs to Move a Block in Dorchester to Us
Management is a fixed annual fee, quoted for the building and agreed before we start. We take no commission and no third-party incentives, so the fee is the whole of what we earn from the building. Taking a block on carries a one-off start-up fee, set by size:
| Block size | Fee |
|---|---|
| Start-up fee, up to 10 units | £420.00 |
| Start-up fee, up to 25 units | £540.00 |
| Start-up fee, 50 units and above | £660.00 |
Taken from our published Additional Services price list, PBM Form #01-27 rev.6, effective 23 June 2025. All fees quoted are inclusive of VAT. See the full price list and how a handover works.
Routine External Changes Need Permission in the Conservation Area
An Article 4 direction has covered the Dorchester conservation area since June 2020, made to prevent further loss of features contributing to its character, so routine external changes on a block inside the area need planning permission. It is the only direction recorded for the town, and there is no HMO direction. Separately, works to any tree in a conservation area with a trunk over 75mm across need six weeks' notice.
A Third of Dorchester Households Live in Flats
Unusually flatted for an inland market town. At the 2021 Census 3,525 households in the Dorchester built-up area, 33.1 per cent, were in a flat. That is above the England figure of 22.2 per cent, above seaside Weymouth's 26.9, and more than double the 15.4 per cent across the Dorset Council area. With a third of households in flats, service charges, reserve funds and lease administration are everyday questions for a large share of the town.
River Frome and Groundwater Flooding, Mostly North of Town
River and groundwater rather than tidal, and concentrated north of the town. The council's assessment records that the flood zones of the Frome mostly affect the north, with the residential areas off the B3150, Frome Terrace and Caters Place at risk. It also records Dorchester among the large areas of Dorset at risk of groundwater flooding. On surface water the council's documents differ: the main report names Dorchester among the communities most notably at risk, while an appendix describes the risk in a high-risk event as low with minimal extent. Blocks in the north of the town need flood cover and drainage checked most closely.
About 350 Listed Buildings Inside One Conservation Area
A single Dorchester conservation area, designated in December 1969. A block's position against its boundary should be confirmed before any external works are specified.
The council's appraisal puts about 350 listed buildings inside the conservation area, and 288 listed building entries fall within the civil parish. Grade I entries include the Church of St Peter, the Shire Hall, Roman House and the Church of St George, with 16 at Grade II*.
Radon Measurement Is Advised Across the Town Centre
The national radon map puts County Hall, the town centre and Fordington in the 3 to 5 per cent band. That places Dorchester firmly inside a radon Affected Area, several times the one per cent threshold, and measurement is advised. Radon measurement in ground-floor communal areas belongs in a block's compliance record here.
Going Deeper in Dorchester
Towns and Villages We Cover Around Dorchester
Poundbury, Charminster, Crossways, Puddletown, Broadmayne, Maiden Newton.
Service charge or accounts query? Email accounts@
Dorchester Questions
Does Dorchester Have Any Tidal Flood Risk?
No. Dorchester's flood risk is river and groundwater rather than tidal. The Frome's zones mostly affect the north of the town, and the council records Dorchester among the large areas of Dorset at risk of groundwater flooding.
How Many Dorchester Households Live in Flats?
At the 2021 Census 3,525 households in the built-up area, 33.1 per cent, lived in a flat. That is above the England figure of 22.2 per cent, above seaside Weymouth's 26.9, and more than double the 15.4 per cent across the Dorset Council area.
Is There an HMO Article 4 Direction in Dorchester?
No. The only direction recorded for the town is the one covering the conservation area since June 2020, made to prevent further loss of features contributing to its character. It brings routine external changes under planning permission; there is no direction on houses in multiple occupation.
Nearby Areas
Talk to Us About Your Building in Dorchester.
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