Dorset
A county of stunning natural beauty on the South Coast, home to the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site and Thomas Hardy's Wessex.
Planning Permission in Dorset
Planning permission in Dorset is administered by Dorset Council for most of the county, and by BCP Council (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) for the eastern urban conurbation. The two authorities have separate planning portals, validation requirements, Local Plans and CIL charging schedules.
Dorset Council's planning and building pages provide access to its suite of adopted planning documents. The Council currently operates under a collection of legacy Local Plan documents from the former district councils - Purbeck, North Dorset, West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland - while its new Dorset Local Plan is being prepared. The emerging Local Plan will replace these legacy documents with a unified spatial strategy for the county. In the interim, the relevant legacy local plan policies apply depending on the location of the site within the county.
The Dorset AONB Management Plan is a material consideration for all planning applications within the AONB boundary, which covers a large proportion of Dorset Council's area. Applications within the AONB must be accompanied by a landscape and visual impact assessment and must demonstrate how the proposal conserves and enhances the natural beauty of the designated landscape. The AONB Unit can be consulted at the pre-application stage for guidance on design and landscape integration.
Community Infrastructure Levy is charged by Dorset Council at rates set out in its CIL charging schedule. The schedule reflects variations in land values across different parts of the county, with higher rates applying in areas of stronger property market demand. Self-builders who qualify for the CIL exemption - intending to occupy the completed home as their principal residence for at least three years - can avoid CIL liability by submitting the exemption claim before development commences. Dorset Council's CIL team administers the exemption and can confirm the applicable rate for any specific site.
Validation requirements for planning applications in Dorset include a completed application form, location and site plans, a design and access statement, and the statutory fee. Site-specific additional requirements commonly include: a heritage impact assessment for sites near listed buildings, scheduled monuments or in conservation areas; a flood risk assessment for sites within or adjacent to Flood Zones 2 or 3; an ecological survey where the site has potential for protected species or habitats of principal importance; a contaminated land assessment for sites with a history of industrial use; and a landscape and visual impact assessment for sites in the AONB or open countryside.
BCP Council's planning service covers the urban conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This authority has its own Local Plan - the BCP Council Local Plan - and its own CIL charging schedule. The urban context of the BCP area creates a different set of planning considerations from the rural Dorset Council area, with design policies focused on urban form, townscape character and the management of the transition between the built-up area and the surrounding countryside and coast.
Pre-application advice from Dorset Council is available for a fee, depending on the scale and complexity of the proposal. Officers will advise on design acceptability, heritage constraints, flood risk, ecological issues and highway matters. Given the complexity of the policy environment in much of Dorset - particularly in the AONB, coastal areas and heritage-sensitive locations - pre-application engagement is strongly recommended before significant design costs are incurred.
Dorset Council's planning and building pages provide access to its suite of adopted planning documents. The Council currently operates under a collection of legacy Local Plan documents from the former district councils - Purbeck, North Dorset, West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland - while its new Dorset Local Plan is being prepared. The emerging Local Plan will replace these legacy documents with a unified spatial strategy for the county. In the interim, the relevant legacy local plan policies apply depending on the location of the site within the county.
The Dorset AONB Management Plan is a material consideration for all planning applications within the AONB boundary, which covers a large proportion of Dorset Council's area. Applications within the AONB must be accompanied by a landscape and visual impact assessment and must demonstrate how the proposal conserves and enhances the natural beauty of the designated landscape. The AONB Unit can be consulted at the pre-application stage for guidance on design and landscape integration.
Community Infrastructure Levy is charged by Dorset Council at rates set out in its CIL charging schedule. The schedule reflects variations in land values across different parts of the county, with higher rates applying in areas of stronger property market demand. Self-builders who qualify for the CIL exemption - intending to occupy the completed home as their principal residence for at least three years - can avoid CIL liability by submitting the exemption claim before development commences. Dorset Council's CIL team administers the exemption and can confirm the applicable rate for any specific site.
Validation requirements for planning applications in Dorset include a completed application form, location and site plans, a design and access statement, and the statutory fee. Site-specific additional requirements commonly include: a heritage impact assessment for sites near listed buildings, scheduled monuments or in conservation areas; a flood risk assessment for sites within or adjacent to Flood Zones 2 or 3; an ecological survey where the site has potential for protected species or habitats of principal importance; a contaminated land assessment for sites with a history of industrial use; and a landscape and visual impact assessment for sites in the AONB or open countryside.
BCP Council's planning service covers the urban conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This authority has its own Local Plan - the BCP Council Local Plan - and its own CIL charging schedule. The urban context of the BCP area creates a different set of planning considerations from the rural Dorset Council area, with design policies focused on urban form, townscape character and the management of the transition between the built-up area and the surrounding countryside and coast.
Pre-application advice from Dorset Council is available for a fee, depending on the scale and complexity of the proposal. Officers will advise on design acceptability, heritage constraints, flood risk, ecological issues and highway matters. Given the complexity of the policy environment in much of Dorset - particularly in the AONB, coastal areas and heritage-sensitive locations - pre-application engagement is strongly recommended before significant design costs are incurred.
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