Stalbridge

Stalbridge is Dorset's smallest town. It stands on the Blackmore Vale, close to the Somerset border. Its long main street runs from the church to the 15th Century market cross, reputedly the best in the country. Stalbridge dates from Saxon times and has an unhurried, olde world atmosphere that adds to its charm.

Communications

Stalbridge is located on the A357. The nearest rail station is just over 3 miles away in Templecombe (Somerset).

Education

Sturminster Newton pyramid area:
6 primary schools (Stalbridge Primary School),
1 secondary school, 1 Special School.
The secondary school for the area
Sturminster Newton High (582 pupils-2009)

Commercial land

Between 1994-09, 2.43 hectares of land has been developed in Stalbridge. The total area of land with permission or allocated in local plans is 0.75 hectares.

Crime - domestic burglaries

Rate per 1,000 households 2008/2009

Area	Rate
Stalbridge	3.0
DCC Dorset	4.1
South West	8.2
England and Wales	12.2

Population

Latest population figure (2008 mid year estimate) for the town (Stalbridge Parish) is 2,610

Year	1921	1931	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Census population (enumerated)	1,220	1,250	1,540	1,520	1,960	2,320	2,280	2,580

Housing growth

Year	98	99	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Housing development	1	29	14	38	22	0	8	4	2	2	3	34

The 2001 Census records 1,112 dwellings in Stalbridge.
Since 2001, a further 75 have been built giving a total of 1,187.
At March 2009, a further 28 units have permission and 0 have been allocated in local plans.

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	Education	Health	Services	Crime	Living
Stalbridge Town	145	85	97	70	102	177	205	157

SOA = Super Output Area (minimum 400 households or 1,000 population) Note: the figure in the health column is a revision from the figure published in the 2008 Dorset Databook

House prices

Dwelling type	Average price
Detached	£342,374
Semi-detached	£196,000
Terraced	£257,066
Flats/Maisonettes	insufficient sales

Land Registry average prices (July-September 2009)
(Prices may be affected by low number of sales)

Area
Approx 'built-up' area = 80 hectares (198 acres)

Local authority revenue

Year	Council tax payable
Council tax band D for year 09/10	£1,532.83
Council tax band D for year 08/09	£1,477.21
Council tax band D for year 07/08	£1,408.53
Council tax band D for year 06/07	£1,337.39
Council tax band D for year 05/06	£1,289.87
Council tax band D for year 04/05	£1,226.88
Council tax band D for year 03/04	£1,158.24
Council tax band D for year 02/03	£1,023.21
Council tax band D for year 01/02	£936.82
Council tax band D for year 00/01	£885.38
Council tax band D for year 99/00	£836.84

Car availability, 2001 (% of households)

Number of cars	percentage
No car	15.4%
1 car	42.6%
2 cars	33.5%
3+ cars	8.5%

2001 Census data:

Gender breakdown	Stalbridge	Dorset
Resident Population	2,254	390,979
Males	1,106	188,780
Females	1,148	202,199

Age structure (%) - 2001 Census data

Age range	Stalbridge	Dorset
0-15	18.6	17.9
16+17	2.1	2.4
18-44	29.4	29.6
45-59	22.4	20.8
60-84	25.0	26.2
85+	2.5	3.1

Ethnicity (%) - 2001 Census data

Ethnicity	Stalbridge	Dorset
White	99.7	98.7
Non-white	0.3	1.3

Household characteristics - 2001 Census data

Household category	Stalbridge	Dorset
Number of All Household Spaces	987	178,065
% Second Residences / Holiday Homes	0.3	2.8
% Vacant Household Spaces (no residents)	1.9	2.9
Number of Households (with residents)	966	167,998
% of Households with No Car/Van	16.9	17.0
% of Households with 2 or more Cars/Vans	39.3	36.7
% of Households without all Basic Amenities (Bathroom &/or Heating)	4.8	7.2

Household composition (%) - 2001 Census data

Householder status	Stalbridge	Dorset
Pensioner	32.0	33.4
Married Couples	43.2	37.8
Co-habiting Couples	7.4	7.0
Lone-parent	5.6	6.8
Owner Occupied	75.6	76.3
Renting Publicly	15.1	12.1
Renting Privately (& other)	9.3	11.6

Economic activity - 2001 Census data

Employment category	Stalbridge	Dorset
Economically Active Population (16-74 yrs)	1,074	178,519
% Employed: Part-time	20.7	20.9
% Employed: Full-time	56.3	55.3
% Self-employed	18.4	17.6
% Unemployed (Economically Active)	2.6	3.1

Economic inactivity - 2001 Census data

Economic inactivity category	Blandford	Dorset
Economically Inactive Population (16-74 yrs)	526	96,674
% Retired	51.9	56.1
% Student	6.7	7.9
% Looking after Family / Home	20.7	17.5
% Permanently Sick / Disabled	14.5	11.4

Occupational characteristics - 2001 Census data

Skill category	Stalbridge	Dorset
% High Skill	31.3	39.7
% Low Skill	23.7	18.7

Qualifications - 2001 Census data

Qualifications category	Stalbridge	Dorset
% with No Qualifications	31.3	26.2
% with Higher Qualifications (level 4+)*	7.9	18.3

* First degree; Higher degree; NVQ levels 4 and 5; HNC; HND; Qualified Teacher Status; Qualified Medical Doctor; Qualified Dentist; Qualified Nurse; Midwife; Health Visitor.

Health - 2001 Census data

Health category	Stalbridge	Dorset
% with Long-term Illness / Disability	18.9	19.2
Health: % Good	69.0	68.1
Health: % Not Good	7.6	8.4
% Providing Unpaid Care	10.2	10.8
% in Communal Establishment	1.2	2.6

Retail profile - total town floorspace

16 Shops (2005) 14,000 sq.ft. Mainly local shops

Industrial estates

Stalbridge Trading Estate (7.1h), Gibbs Marsh Trading Estate (7.7h), The Sidings (0.2h), Station Road Business Park (0.5h)

Poverty indicators

Benefit population (2009) as a % of total town population = 13.3%

Unemployment % (persons)

Year	Male	Female	Total
July 1997	2.0 (18)	1.0 (7)	1.6 (25)
July 1998	1.0 (9)	1.4 (10)	1.2 (19)
July 1999	0.8 (7)	1.8 (13)	1.2 (20)
July 2000	1.0 (9)	0.8 (6)	0.9 (15)
July 2001	0.8 (7)	0.5 (4)	0.7 (11)
July 2002	0.7 (8)	0.3 (2)	0.5 (10)
July 2003	0.6 (8)	0.4 (4)	0.5 (12)
July 2004	0.6 (6)	0.4 (4)	0.5 (10)
July 2005	0.3 (3)	0.1 (1)	0.2 (4)
July 2006	1.2 (12)	0.3 (3)	0.8 (15)
July 2007	0.3 (3)	1.1 (10)	0.7 (13)
July 2008	0.6 (6)	0.3 (3)	0.5 (9)
July 2009	3.0 (30)	0.3 (3)	1.8 (33)

Of July 2009 unemployment figures, the long term unemployed = 0.0%

2008 employment

Total number of people working in the town: 1,000

Number of firms (excluding the self-employed): 180

Work pattern/gender category	percentage
Full-time	71%
Part-time	29%
Male	58%
Female	42%

Type of employment	%
Manufacturing	*<30
Other non service activities	*<5
Construction	11
Wholesale and retail trade;repair of motor vehicles/motorcycles	27
Accommodation and food service activities	*<10
Business services	17
Public administration, Ed and Health	*<10
Other services	*<5