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Environment Directorate

Environment addresses the challenges of sustainable development in Dorset and is responsible for strategic planning, transport, property management and supporting the Dorset economy.

The Director for the Environment Directorate is Miles Butler.

The department is responsible for 2,475 miles of road and hundreds of acres of countryside for recreation and conservation purposes.

Dorset Property

Dorset Property is an advisory and consultancy service of Dorset County Council.  We provide services to all parts of the county council and other public sector clients through the provision of timely, cost effective, professional advice and management of the highest quality in respect of all matters related to property and real estate assets.

A key aspect of our role is to help our clients to make best use of the properties that they occupy for the delivery of their services.

Dorset Property provides advice on all property matters, from first thoughts, through inception, acquisition, options appraisal, feasibility, design, investment and development, construction, maintenance, management, refurbishment, demolition and disposal. We can also provide an assessment of need, consideration and evaluation of options, analysis and review of utilisation and recommendations for use, re-use, acquisitions and or disposal.

Dorset Property is also responsible for for managing the county farms estate.

For further information please contact Dorset Property.

Countryside and Business Development Division

Countryside and Business Development Division delivers a broad range of services.  It provides support services to the directorate and its customers including dealing with customer queries, financial, secretarial and administrative services, communication, IT and design, Gypsy and Traveller liaison, management information and personnel recruitment and payroll. The section also provides countryside ranger and access services, including managing country parks.

The Countryside Service runs local facilities such as  Durlston (opens in a new window) and Avon Heath country parks and cares for and maintain 4,800 km (3000 miles) of rights of way.

Dorset Highways

Dorset County Council is the highway authority for Dorset, not including Bournemouth and Poole.

Dorset Highways, the county council's highways and transportation service, is responsible for maintaining roads and pavements except the A31 and A35 trunk roads, which are managed by the Highways Agency (opens in a new window) .

We also:

  • manage traffic and work to reduce accidents on our roads through physical improvements and road safety education

  • support public transport services and promote sustainable types of travel, such as cycling and walking

  • develop a five-year Local Transport Plan in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole to attract Government funding for transport in Dorset

In addition, Dorset Highways provides a diverse range of services for customers, including vehicle maintenance, grounds maintenance and sign manufacturing.

We are based between County Hall in Dorchester, our main depot in Charminster and at local depots around the county.

Planning

The Planning Division carry out the county council's statutory functions as the Minerals Planning Authority and Waste Planning Authority for Dorset in determining planning applications. It also deals with planning applications that relate to developments proposed by the county council. In addition it monitors minerals and waste sites and operations to ensure compliance with planning control.

The division deals with developing strategies and policies to guide the council's activities in land use planning, transportation, the economy, tourism, the environment and Europe. They also carry out research and information services for the council and the public, including population statistics and forecasting; economic and tourism information; and data on development and the environment. They also provide information on our work to promote business and the economy in Dorset.

The Planning Division is a diverse body of teams and individual specialists dealing with the important work of balancing development needs with the need to protect Dorset's beautiful and historic environment.

The division has a broad range of environmental specialists covering the historic environment (archaeology and historic buildings), ecology, coast and countryside, landscape and sustainability, waste and minerals.  The division also includes the Geographic Information Systems, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Dorset Coast Forum and World Heritage teams.

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