Block Management in Dorset
Two unitary councils, with radon, listed buildings and flat density all differing between them.
Blocks under either BCP Council or Dorset Council can be placed with us as managing agent for block, estate and leasehold management, on behalf of residents' management companies, RTM companies and freeholders. The split matters: 36.9 per cent of BCP households live in flats against 15.4 per cent in the Dorset Council area, and listed entries run 757 against 9,266. Radon is lowest band in the conurbation centres but exceeds 30 per cent at Easton on Portland.
Proposals are for developments of 50 or more units. Smaller building? Talk to our team.
BCP or Dorset Council: The Split That Changes Everything
- Local authority
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Council
- Authority type
- Unitary
- Building control
- whichever of the two unitary authorities covers the address
- Fire and rescue service
- Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
- Water and sewerage
- Wessex Water across most of the county, with Bournemouth Water supplying drinking water from Poole eastwards and Wessex Water taking the sewerage there
- Setting
- Coastal
Page last updated . Sources: ONS Census 2021, accommodation type (TS044); Environment Agency long term flood risk; Environment Agency flood map for planning; Historic England, National Heritage List for England; UKHSA UK radon map.
First Checks for a Block on Either Side of the Boundary
Establish Which Council Governs the Block
Dorset has two unitary authorities, neither with an adopted authority-wide local plan: BCP applies three legacy area plans and Dorset Council five former district plans. We would confirm which authority and plan govern the block before applying for any consent.
ConsentsAllow for Listed Building Consent in the West
The Dorset Council area holds 9,266 listed entries against 757 in BCP, so consent is a routine constraint on external repairs in the west of the county. We would obtain consents before specifying works and build the timing into Section 20 consultation.
Major works and Section 20Measure Radon Outside the Conurbation
Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch centres are lowest band, while Weymouth and Dorchester sit in an Affected Area and Easton on Portland exceeds 30 per cent. For a block in the Dorset Council area we would check the advice and arrange measurement in communal areas.
ComplianceHandle Subletting with HMO Restrictions in Mind
BCP's Article 4 directions remove the right to convert a dwellinghouse to a small HMO across Bournemouth since December 2011 and in Talbot Village since May 2013. We would deal with subletting requests in the light of those restrictions and the lease.
Leasehold managementConservation Areas and Listed Entries Split by Council
BCP Council records 48 conservation areas across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. In the Dorset Council area, figures are held per former district, including 15 for Weymouth and Portland, 48 for North Dorset and 25 for Purbeck.
Listed buildings split starkly between the two councils: 9,266 listed building entries in the Dorset Council area against 757 in the BCP area. Listed building consent is a routine constraint on external repairs in the west of the county and an occasional one in the conurbation.
BCP Has More Than Twice the Flat Share
Flat density differs by more than a factor of two across the county. At the 2021 Census 36.9 per cent of BCP households were in a flat against 15.4 per cent in the Dorset Council area, with England at 22.2 per cent. Purpose-built blocks account for 26.8 per cent of BCP households and 11.6 per cent of Dorset Council ones. Purpose-built blocks are therefore far more common in the conurbation than in the rest of the county.
Open Channel Coast Plus Poole and Christchurch Harbours
Dorset has an open English Channel coastline plus Poole Harbour, which BCP Council describes as Europe's largest natural harbour, and Christchurch Harbour. For a seafront or harbourside block, salt air shortens the life of balconies, railings and external paintwork, which should be allowed for in maintenance plans and the reserve fund.
Flood Risk Concentrates in Named Towns, Not County-Wide
Flood risk is very unevenly distributed. In the BCP area the Environment Agency flood zones identify five catchments at tidal risk, and the urban areas most susceptible to river flooding are in Christchurch. In the Dorset Council area the adopted plan names Weymouth town centre, the Park District and Chiswell on Portland as particularly vulnerable. The council's assessment names Dorchester, Bridport and Sherborne for surface water and Dorchester, Wareham, Sherborne and Blandford Forum for groundwater. For a block in any of those places, flood exposure should be disclosed to insurers and ground-floor drainage kept on the inspection list.
Radon Status Flips at Roughly the Authority Boundary
Radon status changes at roughly the authority boundary. Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch town centres are in the lowest band, below one per cent, and are outside any radon Affected Area. Weymouth is in the 1 to 3 per cent band and Dorchester in the 3 to 5 per cent band, both inside an Affected Area where measurement is advised. On Portland it reaches more than 30 per cent at Easton. For a block in the Dorset Council area, ground-floor and below-ground communal areas should be checked against the map and measured where advised; in the lowest band, only basements and other underground spaces need a look.
Bournemouth and Talbot Village Restrict Small HMO Conversions
BCP Council operates two Article 4 directions removing the permitted development right to convert a dwellinghouse to a small house in multiple occupation: the whole Bournemouth area from December 2011, and Talbot Village in Poole from May 2013. Dorset Council's 78 directions are conservation area or site specific and none removes that right. Mandatory licensing applies county-wide; neither authority operates an additional or selective scheme.
Where the Two Dorset Councils Part Company
- Two unitary authorities with two different sets of planning policies, and neither has an adopted authority-wide local plan: BCP withdrew its draft in 2024 and still applies three legacy area plans, while Dorset Council applies five former district plans pending a new plan targeted for May 2027.
- The drinking water boundary splits the county and runs through Poole, so neighbouring blocks can have different water undertakers while both are billed for sewerage by Wessex Water.
Dorset Blocks Before the Tribunal
| Development | Issue | Decided |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic House, 1 Ayton Drive | Service charge | 7 November 2024 |
| Charmouth Court, Fairfield Park | Section 20 consultation | 21 February 2022 |
One Price List for Both Dorset Councils
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 changing your managing agent.
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Dorset Towns Covered from This Page
| Town | Council | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | Dorset Council | An Article 4 over the whole conservation area, and a third of households in flats. |
| Christchurch | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | Harbour flood risk, and shoreline policy that varies by frontage. |
| Blandford Forum | Dorset Council | A Georgian town rebuilt after the 1731 fire, with eight Grade I buildings at its core. |
| Bridport | Dorset Council | Nine flood warning areas on two rivers, each naming its own streets. |
| Broadstone | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | Untouched by any Environment Agency flood area, with surface water incidents logged on named streets. |
| Corfe Mullen | Dorset Council | Radon advice splits Corfe Mullen in half, and the address decides which half applies. |
| Ferndown | Dorset Council | No river warning area applies; surface water ranks third in Dorset. |
| Gillingham | Dorset Council | Six flood warning areas, because three fast-responding watercourses meet at the town. |
| Highcliffe | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | Cliff-top blocks behind a hold the line policy, with new defence works timetabled for 2035. |
| Lyme Regis | Dorset Council | A stabilised eastern coastline, a marine atmosphere and radon that changes square by square. |
| Portland | Dorset Council | Land slip, quarried ground and class 6 radon at Easton, on an open-coast island. |
| Shaftesbury | Dorset Council | No mapped river flood zone touches Shaftesbury, but surface water does. |
| Sherborne | Dorset Council | Eleven Grade I entries in one town, and class 5 radon in the centre. |
| Sturminster Newton | Dorset Council | The Stour floods the south end, where the Grade I bridge and Grade II* mill stand. |
| Swanage | Dorset Council | River, surface water and sea converge on the same streets around The Square. |
| Verwood | Dorset Council | No conservation area at all, and surface water risk ranked fifth in Dorset. |
| Wareham | Dorset Council | Tidal Poole Harbour and two rivers act together on a town ringed by Saxon walls. |
| West Moors | Dorset Council | A village free of conservation areas, defended on the Uddens Water to a two year standard. |
| Wimborne Minster | Dorset Council | Demountable flood defences on the Allen, and a once outstanding conservation area. |
Areas with Their Own Page in Dorset
| Area | Local authority | From Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Block management in Weymouth | Dorset Council | 100 miles |
| Block management in Poole | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | 123 miles |
| Block management in Bournemouth | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | 126 miles |
What Dorset Boards Ask About the Two Councils
Do the Same Planning Policies Apply Across Dorset?
No. BCP Council withdrew its draft local plan in 2024 and still applies three legacy area plans, while Dorset Council applies five former district plans pending a new county-wide plan. Neither has an adopted authority-wide local plan, so the policies that apply depend on which authority, and which former area, covers the block.
Is There Additional or Selective Licensing in Dorset?
No. Mandatory licensing applies county-wide, and neither BCP Council nor Dorset Council operates an additional or selective scheme. BCP does use Article 4 directions to remove the right to convert a dwellinghouse to a small house in multiple occupation, covering the whole Bournemouth area from December 2011 and Talbot Village in Poole from May 2013.
Where Is Flood Risk Greatest in Dorset?
It is uneven. In the BCP area five catchments are at tidal risk and Christchurch is most susceptible to river flooding. In the Dorset Council area the adopted plan names Weymouth town centre, the Park District and Chiswell on Portland, while the council's assessment names Dorchester, Bridport and Sherborne for surface water, and Dorchester, Wareham, Sherborne and Blandford Forum for groundwater.
Neighbouring Counties
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