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Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury is one of the oldest towns in England. The town overlooks the Blackmore Vale, and combined with its history and architectural character, it is certainly one of the most attractive.

The steep, cobbled Gold Hill is probably one of the most famous streets in the country. The town is the main shopping and service centre for the surrounding area, and provides a range of educational, health and recreational facilities, as well as its own art centre and museum.

Communications

Shaftesbury is located halfway between Blandford and Warminster on the A350, 7 miles south of the A303. The nearest railway station is at Gillingham, 4 miles away.

Education

Shaftesbury pyramid area:
4 primary schools, 1 secondary school.
The secondary school for the area
Shaftesbury School and Sports College (1,053 pupils in 2011).

For further information on Shaftesbury School & Sports College (opens in a new window)

Commercial land

Between 1994-10, 5.0 hectares of industrial land has been developed in Shaftesbury. The total area of land with permission or allocated in local plans is 7.3 hectares

Crime

Domestic burglaries

Rate per 1,000 households

Area2002/032003/042004/052005/062006/072007/082008/2009 2009/10
Shaftesbury
12.2  4.87.74.56.1 n/a3.810.9 
DCC Dorset
6.66.66.55.74.4n/a
4.1
3.8
South West
14.812.310.78.98.4n/a
8.2
7.6
England and Wales
20.018.6 (GB)14.413.513.1n/a
12.2
11.6

Note: Due to small numbers burglary rates for small geographical areas (e.g. towns) can vary significantly from year to year.
Source: Dorset County Council

Other sources of crime data

Access the  Police crime mapping Shaftesbury (opens in a new window) where you can find crime data on a month by month basis (starting December 2010) mapped to neighbourhood and street level. This looks at the crime types of burglary, anti-social behaviour, robbery, vehicle crime, violent crime and other crime. Note this comprehensive and up-to-date database only looks at numbers of crimes and not crime rates for individual crimes. It does give an overall crime rate (per 1,000 people) for the neighbourhood.

Population

Latest population figure (2010 mid year estimate) for the town (Shaftesbury Parish) is 6,640

Year
1921
1931
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
Census population
(enumerated)
1,810
2,820
3,300
3,370
3,980
3,940
6,180
6,670


Housing growth

Year
98
99
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007200820092010
Housing development
26
29
100
57
54
6
33
60
43
73446

The 2001 Census records 3,124 dwellings in Shaftesbury.
Since 2001, a further 256 have been built giving a total of 3,380.
At March 2010, a further 759 units have permission and 0 are allocated in the local plan

Note: Figures allow for losses from re-development etc. Method revised 2009.

Index of deprivation, 2007

(Figures show SOA ranking out of 247 SOAs in Dorset with 1 being the most deprived)

SOA
Multiple
Income
Employment
Health
Education & Skills
Housing & Services
Crime
Living
Shaftesbury Central
 36
30
 41
48
 31
 122
 58
 99
Shaftesbury Christy's
209154
 239
22091113186
212
Shaftesbury Grosvenor
121112159184
22
74
120
178
Shaftesbury Underhill
180183
192
2032139739
95

SOA = Super Output Area (minimum 400 households or 1,000 population)

Index of deprivation, 2010

SOAMultiple Income Employment Health Education & Skills Housing & services crime Living
Shaftesbury Central47 32 39 48 40 187 64 110
Shaftesbury Christy's226 194 236 200 132 154 221 219
Shaftesbury Grosvenor103 76 81 127 42 108 122 186
Shaftesbury Underhill174 184 170 75 223 142 63 90

Click here for detailed information and mapping of the The Index of Deprivation, 2010 

Source:DCLG

Average house prices

Dwelling typeAverage Price  July - Sept 2009Average Price  July - Sept 2010 July - Sept 2010 (sales)
Detached£236,878£329,95812
Semi-detached£160,646£181,75219
Terraced£151,619£182,45421
Flats/maisonettes£123,100n/a0

Land Registry average prices  (Prices may be affected by low number of sales). Data based on the postcode sector SP7 8.

Area
Approx 'built-up' area = 310 hectares (766 acres)

Local authority revenue

Council tax band D for YearCouncil tax payable
11/12£1,628.20
10/11
£1,623.18
 09/10
£1574.12
 08/09
£1,519.51
 07/08
£1,445.59
 06/07
£1,369.06
05/06
£1,322.92
04/05
£1,252.70
 03/04
£1,185.71
 02/03
£1,025.79
01/02
£924.97
00/01
£872.47
99/00
£827.06


Second/holiday and vacant homes, 2011

Total dwellings on Council Tax Register3,429
Total number of second homes45
Second homes as a % of total dwellings
1.31
Total number of long term empty properties40
Empty homes as a % of total dwellings
1.22

Source: Council Tax Register (parish figure, rounded)

Population 2010: Mid Year Estimates ONS

Gender breakdown
Dorset
Shaftesbury
Resident Population
404,790
6,640
Males
196,420
3,130
Females
208,370
3,520


Age structure (%): 2010 Mid Year Estimates ONS

Age range
Dorset
Shaftesbury
0-15
17.0
19.2
16+17
2.7
3.5
18-44
25.4
25.5
45-59
20.9
19.9
60-84
30.0
27.3
85+
3.9
4.4

Ethnicity (%):  2001 Census

Ethnicity
Dorset
Shaftesbury
White British
96.8
97.0
BME
3.2
3.0

Health: 2001 Census

Health categoryDorset
Shaftesbury
% with Long-term Illness / Disability
19.2
17.5
Health: % Good
68.1
69.2
Health: % Not Good
8.4
7.2
% Providing Unpaid Care
10.8
9.5


Poverty Indicators: Housing/Council Tax Benefit, 2009

Benefit populationDorsetShaftesbury
as a % of total town population13.612.0


Socio-economic classifications, 2010 ACORN

ClassificationsDorsetShaftesbury
% Wealthy Achievers40.132.3
% Urban Prosperity7.12.1
% Comfortably Off33.243.2
% Moderate Means9.214.6
% Hard Pressed10.27.6
% unclassified0.20.2

ACORN is a geodemographic segmentation of the UK's population which segments small neighbourhoods, postcodes, or consumer households into 5 categories, 17 groups and 56 types.
The 5 higher level categories "wealthy achievers", "urban prosperity", "comfortably off", "moderate means" and "hard pressed" are shown above.

A full ACORN Profile for the town, with mapping of the wards is available. Access the Shaftesbury ACORN Profile (pdf, 1Mb) (opens in a new window)  here.

Retail profile - total town floorspace

75 shops/78,000sq.ft. (2005)

Town centre:

Mainly small shops but includes nationals such as Body Shop, Boots,  Somerfield, Superdrug and W H Smiths. Tesco's is based outside the main shopping area.

Catchment population:

The shopping catchment for Shaftesbury (major food shopping) extends around 4.5 miles in a N,S,E, & W direction, partly into Wiltshire. The Dorset population within that catchment is around 11,200  (mid 2001).

Library - Number of issues of books etc

Library2007-082008-092009-102010-11
Shaftesbury75,75574,22967,10765,508


Industrial estates 

Longmead Industrial Estate (7.7h), Wincombe Business Park (6.5h).

Unemployment % (persons)

Year
Male
Female
Total
July 1998
3.1 (49) 
 1.3 (20)
 2.2 (69)
July 1999
2.6 (42)
 0.9 (14)
 1.8 (56)
July 2000
1.9 (33)
0.9 (15)
 1.4 (48)
July 2001
1.0 (18)
0.8 (15)
 0.9 (33)
July 2002
1.3 (28)0.5 (9)
 0.9 (37)
July 2003
1.0 (26)0.3 (7)
 0.7 (33)
July 2004
 1.3 (26)
 0.5 (9)
 0.9 (35)
July 2005
 0.9 (17)
 0.5 (10)
0.7 (27)
July 2006
1.4 (28)0.7 (12)
1.1 (40)
July 2007
 1.0 (20)
0.5 (10)
0.8 (30)
July 20081.0 (20)0.3 (6)0.7 (26)
July 20091.8 (36)1.0 (19)1.4 (55)
July 20101.7 (34)0.8 (17)1.2 (51)

Of July 2009 unemployment figures, the long term unemployed = 3.6%
Of July 2010 unemployment figures, the long term unemployed = 9.8%

2009 Employment

Total number of people working in the town: 3,300

Number of firms (excluding the self employed): 310

Work patternpercentage
Full-time
65%
Part-time
35%
Type of employment
%
Manufacturing and other non service
15
Construction
13
Accommodation & Food Service activities6
Other Services12
Distribution including motor
20
Finance and business services
13
Public administration, Ed and Health
21

Source: Annual Source: Business Register and Employment Survey, 2009, ONS

Major employers

Blackmore Press, Dorset Chilled Foods, Dorset County Council,
HMYOI Guys Marsh, Pork Farms, Port Regis School, Royal Mail, Somerfield,
Stalbridge Linen Services, Tesco, Wessex Electricals.

Traffic counts in the Shaftesbury area - annual average daily traffic

RoadLocationAADF (Annual Average Daily Traffic)Percentage Growth Since
No.1983199020002005200820092010200920082005200019901983
1 Year2 year5 Years10 Years20 Years27 Years
A350North of Shaftesbury4,7007,0009,2009,6009,90010,0009,800-2%-1%2%7%40%109%
B3081West of Gillingham1,8003,0003,4004,7004,5004,6004,6000%2%-2%35%53%156%
B3081South of Shaftesbury3,7005,4006,4007,6007,6007,6007,7001%1%1%20%43%108%
A30East of Shaftesbury5,2005,7006,4007,4006,8006,8006,400-6%-6%-14%0%12%23%
A350South of Shaftesburyn/an/an/a4,2004,5504,5004,300-4%-5%2%n/an/an/a
A30West of Shaftesbury (Long Cross)n/an/an/a5,1006,3005,9005,800-2%-8%14%n/an/an/a
A30Christies Lane - Shaftesbury9,30013,900n/a16,90017,70017,60017,100-3%-3%1%N/A23%84%

Source: Dorset County Council Environment Directorate June 2011

Local authorities

Dorset County Council
County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XJ
01305 221000

North Dorset District Council
Nordon, Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 7LL
01258 454111

Town Council
Mrs Nicola Merefield, Town Hall
Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8JE
01747 852420

North Dorset District Council (opens in a new window)

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