Dorchester, Dorset Planning Applications
Recent planning applications near Dorchester, Dorset.
Dorset · England · Town
Planning applications in Dorchester are administered by Dorset Council. View the full Dorset Council planning applications page for approval rates and decision timelines.
About Dorchester
Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, England, is located along the A35 trunk route, nestled between Poole and Bridport. This historic market town lies on the banks of the River Frome, surrounded by the scenic Dorset Downs and the South Dorset Ridgeway, which separates it from Weymouth, just 7 miles to the south. The town's civil parish encompasses the innovative community of Poundbury and the suburb of Fordington, making it a focal point for potential planning applications in the area.
Population: 21,358 (2021) · Area: 4.9 km² · Elevation: 55m
District: Dorset
Website: http://www.dorchester-tc.gov.uk/
Enter a postcode to search for planning applications near Dorchester.
Town Insights
Property Prices
Average property sale price: £352,519 (based on 50 recent transactions from HM Land Registry).
Area Information
- Admin district: Dorset
- Parliamentary constituency: West Dorset
- LSOA: Dorset 032C
Crime Statistics
0 crimes reported in 2026-05.
Flood Risk
No active flood warnings near Dorchester.
Keyword Scorecard
Planning constraint analysis based on the last 24 months of applications near Dorchester.
- Ecology & Wildlife Constraints (keywords: bats, bat survey, bat roost, great crested newt, GCN...)
- Trees & Landscape (keywords: tree preservation order, TPO, arboricultural, tree survey, root protection area...)
- Flood & Drainage (keywords: flood zone 2, flood zone 3, flood risk assessment, FRA, surface water...)
- Heritage & Conservation (keywords: listed building, grade II, grade II*, grade I, conservation area...)
- Green Belt (keywords: green belt, inappropriate development, very special circumstances, openness)
- Highways & Access (keywords: visibility splays, highway authority objection, access arrangement, parking provision, transport statement...)
- Refusal & Risk Indicators (keywords: refusal, delegated refusal, appeal dismissed, overdevelopment, character and appearance...)
- Planning Process & Appeals (keywords: appeal lodged, appeal allowed, appeal dismissed, public inquiry, inspector)
Planning Activity Summary
Approval rates, average decision times, and application type distribution for Dorchester based on the last 24 months of planning data.
Nearby Applications
563 planning applications found near Dorchester.
- - Builder Centre Great Western Road Dorchester DT1 1RZ
Demolition/conversion of buildings to provide 30 no. apartments and commercial floorspace (Use Class E) with associated parking & landscaping (outline application to determine access, layout).
Status: Undecided | Type: Outline | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-06-11
View full details - - Dorset Council County Hall Colliton Park Dorchester DT1 1XJ
Status: Undecided | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-06-02
View full details - - 6 St Helens Road Dorchester DT1 1SD
Erect flat roof extension & lean to porch
Status: Undecided | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-05-27
View full details - - Oak House Poundbury Road Dorchester DT1 1SW
Non material amendment - reduce the window size to southern west corner elevation serving bedrooms to Planning Permission P/FUL/2025/02576. (Demolition of the existing building and erection of 4-store
Status: Permitted | Type: Amendment | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-05-19
View full details - - Borough Gardens West Walks Road Dorchester
T1 Horse Chestnut - Remove Under Regulation 14 (S198)
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-05-15
View full details - - 51 Bridport Road Dorchester DT1 2NG
Certificate of lawfulness for change of use from dwelling (Use Class C3) to house in multiple occupation (Use Class C4).
Status: Undecided | Type: Outline | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-05-13
View full details - - 7 Damers Road Dorchester DT1 2JX
T1 Apple - Reduce crown height and lateral spread throughout by up to 2m, pruning back to suitable growth points and reshape T2 Holly - Reduce height and lateral spread throughout by up to 1m and resh
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-05-13
View full details - - 1 Arnhem Green Dorchester DT1 2PS
Erect Front porch, form garden steps and low wall.
Status: Permitted | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-04-28
View full details - - 28 Dagmar Road Dorchester DT1 2NA
Raise the wall on boundary conservatory elevation and extend the monopitch roof across the footprint. Install 4 no roof lights.
Status: Permitted | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-04-13
View full details - - 36 Olga Road Dorchester DT1 2LX
T1 Cordaline - Reduce height & reshape by approx 1-1.5m T2 Prunus - Remove
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-04-01
View full details - - 15 Mountain Ash Road Dorchester DT1 2PB
Erect first floor flat roof rear extension. Amend the existing ground floor flat roof from "cold" to "warm" .
Status: Rejected | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-03-30
View full details - - 2A Alice Road Dorchester DT1 2LJ
Erect first floor rear extension
Status: Permitted | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-03-27
View full details - - Vespasian House Barrack Road Dorchester DT1 1TS
Change of use & conversion from offices (Class E) to 34no. dwellings (Class C3) including amenity spaces ancillary to the dwellinghouses
Status: Permitted | Type: Outline | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-03-18
View full details - - 5 Cornwall Road Dorchester DT1 1RT
T1 - Holly - Reduce crown by up to 1.5m overall, pruning back to suitable growth points.
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-03-17
View full details - - 31 Cornwall Road Dorchester DT1 1RY
T1 Birch - Fell
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-03-05
View full details - - 35 Maud Road Dorchester DT1 2LP
Change of use from former butchers (Ea) to Nail Salon (Sui generis) and Bubble Tea (Eb). Form new opening within the principal elevation and install a new timber hatch
Status: Permitted | Type: Full | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-02-12
View full details - - Fourgates Dorchester DT1 2NL
Beech (T1) - Prune lateral growth on building (northern) side of the crown to remove up to 2m
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-02-09
View full details - - 4 West Walks Dorchester DT1 1RE
Remodel of the lower ground floor and associated works
Status: Permitted | Type: Heritage | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-02-04
View full details - - 8 Cornwall Road Dorchester DT1 1RT
T1 Alder - Fell T2 Plum - Fell
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-02-02
View full details - - Grove Court The Grove Dorchester DT1 1XL
T1 Cotoneaster - Re-pollard to previous pollard points, reducing the crown by up to 3m T2 Whitebeam - Reduce crown by up to 2–3m back to previous reduction points T3 Lime - Reduce crown by up to 3–4m
Status: Permitted | Type: Trees | Council: Dorset | Date: 2026-02-02
View full details
Use the filter and sort options to search descriptions, addresses, and references. Sort by newest or oldest applications.
A brief summary of Dorchester in Dorset
Dorchester, the county town of Dorset, England, is located along the A35 trunk route, nestled between Poole and Bridport. This historic market town lies on the banks of the River Frome, surrounded by the scenic Dorset Downs and the South Dorset Ridgeway, which separates it from Weymouth, just 7 miles to the south. The town's civil parish encompasses the innovative community of Poundbury and the suburb of Fordington, making it a focal point for potential planning applications in the area. The Town has a population of approximately 21,358 (2021 estimate). It sits within the Dorset district.
Dorchester sits at an elevation of 55 metres above sea level and covers an area of approximately 4.9 km². The surrounding landscape and character of the area play an important role in how planning applications are assessed by the local authority.
Property prices in Dorchester show an average sale price of £352,519, based on 50 recent transactions recorded by HM Land Registry.
There were no crimes reported in the immediate area during the most recent reporting period. This makes Dorchester a particularly low-crime area.
Dorchester has 2 conservation areas within its boundaries: Dorchester, Charminster. Planning applications within or near these conservation areas are subject to additional scrutiny to preserve the architectural and historic character of the area. Homeowners and developers should be aware that permitted development rights may be restricted.
Ecology & Nature Designations
The area around Dorchester includes 1 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): Dorset. These designations may affect planning decisions, as proposals near protected sites require environmental impact assessment and may face additional restrictions.
For anyone interested in property development or monitoring local planning decisions, Dorchester planning applications can be searched by entering a local postcode above. Further local information can be found on the community website at http://www.dorchester-tc.gov.uk/. Results include full application details, decision status, and the ability to track applications over time and set planning alerts to help you monitor and review pending planning applications.
Planning Activity in Dorchester
In the last 24 months, 253 planning applications were submitted near Dorchester. Of these, 94% were approved, with an average decision time of 54 days.
This is notably above the national average of approximately 87%, suggesting a relatively permissive planning environment. Applicants near Dorchester may find that well-prepared applications have a strong chance of success.
The average decision time of 54 days is within the government's 8-week statutory target for minor applications, indicating an efficient planning department.
The most common application types near Dorchester were full planning applications (93), tree works (63), listed building and heritage (44). Full planning applications account for 37% of all submissions, covering new builds, change of use, and works that go beyond permitted development rights.
In terms of development scale, 4 large-scale (major) developments, 5 medium-scale applications, 243 smaller schemes were submitted.
5 planning appeals were lodged, of which 1 was allowed and 4 were dismissed (20% success rate). This low success rate indicates that the council's refusal decisions are generally upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.
Application Outcomes
- Approved: 212 applications
- Refused: 8 applications
- Withdrawn: 6 applications
- Awaiting decision: 27 applications
Nearby Towns
Explore planning applications in nearby areas:
- Poundbury planning applications
- Burton planning applications
- Winterborne Herringston planning applications
- Charminster planning applications
- Winterborne Came planning applications
- Stinsford planning applications
- Kingston Maurward planning applications
- Winterborne Monkton planning applications
Related Planning Guides
- What Is Planning Permission in the UK? — Planning permission is the formal approval you need from your local council before making certain changes to a building or piece of land.
- What Is Permitted Development? — Permitted development rights allow certain building works and changes of use without the need to apply for planning permission.
- How Long Does Planning Permission Take? — Typical timelines for planning permission decisions in the UK, from submission to approval, and what can cause delays.