Dorset
Main towns: Dorset is split into the areas administered by Dorset County Council and Bournemouth and Poole, which are administered by unitary authorities. It is split into six main areas – Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, East Dorset and Christchurch.
Demographics: Dorset has a large and increasing proportion of older people. In 2005 45.1% of the population were aged over 50 and 30.7% were over 60. These percentages are significantly higher than the national averages, which are 33.4% and 20.9% respectively. Life expectancy in the county is higher than the national average whilst the birth rate is lower than average.
The county’s black and ethnic minority population is relatively small, with the figure standing at just 1.25%. Of this percentage, the largest minority group in Dorset, accounting for 0.21% of the population, is of Chinese heritage. Figures show that large numbers of gypsies and travellers frequent Dorset. The county is also becoming more popular with migrant workers from Eastern Europe and South Africa, with the figure more than doubling from 620 in 2002/3 to 1280 in 2005/6. Of the 98.75% of Dorset’s population who do not consider themselves to be black or minority ethnic, 96.78% describe themselves as being ‘White British’.
Employment levels stood at 77% in 2008 with 2.5% of the population unemployed and 10% collecting some form of welfare benefits.
The county council is Conservative controlled with the party holding 24 of 45 seats, followed by Liberal Democrats with 16, Labour with four and Independents with one.
Population: The estimated population of Dorset is 708,000 people. Population growth stands at 6.7% since 1995, above the national average of 4.3%. The county’s two largest counties are Weymouth with a population of 51,880 residents and Christchurch with a population of 45,070 people. Population density is low with an average of 158 people per square kilometre, compared to the national average of 380 people per square kilometre.
Places of Interest: Located in the South West of England, Dorset is mostly rural. More than 50% of land in the county is classified as ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. Dorset boasts 142 kilometres of coastline and is home to England’s first naturally occurring World Heritage site, known as the ‘Jurassic Coast’. Dorset is home to Chesil Bank, a 25 kilometre pebbled beach stretching from Weymouth to Bridport. The county is often referred to as ‘the best of both worlds’ because it offers sandy beaches as well as untouched rural villages and countryside. Lulworth, famous for its cove, was popular amongst smugglers in the early 1800s and visitors can still explore the coast’s caves at low tide..
House/Flat Prices: The average property price in Dorset today, including houses and flats, is £315,000. The average price five years ago, in February 2004, was £205,000.
According to the Audit Commission, house prices in Dorset are some of the highest in the country. Christchurch is the most expensive district in the country and Purbeck is the 23rd least affordable out of 407 districts.
Planning issues: Environmental campaigners have been angered by a firm’s decision to excavate on a Dorset island using 50 year old planning permission. Stone Firms Ltd was granted consent in 1951 and plans to begin excavating a quarry on the Isle of Portland immediately.
The Isle of Portland sits on Dorset’s ‘Jurassic Coast’, which is a European Special Area of Conservation.
Permission was granted after the Second World War to help restore houses and is valid until 2042. The company is currently excavating elsewhere on the island but says that stone supplies are running out.
‘Campaign to Protect Rural England’ is opposing the new work.