Services
Blandford Forum Town Council is the parish authority for the town of Blandford Forum and has an estimated population of 10,325, is 409 hectares in area and has approximately 4,806 dwellings (2011 census). It is the fourth tier of government after parliament, the county council and the district council and its legal powers are granted to it and regulated by various government acts. The Town Council supplements the provision of local government services in Blandford Forum and provides a range of social and recreational facilities, such as:
Woodhouse Gardens, Allotments, Grit bins, Churchyard, The Skate Park, Cemetery, Grants, Sports Pitches, Outdoor fitness equipment, Markets, Play Areas, and CCTV
while promoting and representing the town with other national and statutory bodies. For example, the Town Council acts as a consultee and lobbying force with both the County and District Councils and regional and national government putting forward the wishes and needs of the local community.
The District Council, which covers the whole of North Dorset is mainly responsible for:
Planning, Refuse collection, Council Tax, Dog Warden, Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Car Parks, Revenues and Benefits, Building Control, Conservation, Trees, Electoral Services, Environmental Health, and major recreational facilities such as the Blandford Leisure Centre.
It also consults with the Town Council on such matters as the District Wide Local Plan, planning applications within Blandford Forum, the economic development strategy, etc.
Dorset County Council, covers the whole of the county (except Bournemouth and Poole) and its main responsibilities include:
Education, Social services, Highways, Strategic planning, Libraries, Trading Standards, Verge grass cutting, Winter maintenance, and On Street Parking.
It consults with the Town Council on such subjects as the County Structure Plan, the Local Transport Plan and the Mineral and Waste Local Plan
Click here to view the document Council Services – Who’s responsible for what?
Play Areas
The Town Council owns and maintains three play areas out of the seven play areas in Blandford Forum. The equipment in our play areas is aimed to teach and challenge young children. Listed below are the three Town Council owned play areas.
Langton Road Play Area
Langton Road Play Area was refurbished in March 2013 and due to the size of the site has equipment suitable for children up to 12 years old. There is also equipment suitable for disabled children.
Park Road Play Area
Park Road Play Area was refurbished in March 2013, and was partly funded by the Big Lottery Fund through Awards for All. The site has equipment that is suitable for children up to 6 years old. There is also equipment suitable for disabled children.
Larksmead Play Area
Larksmead Play Area was refurbished in 2008 and is suitable for children aged up to 6 years old. The Town Council’s Recreation & Amenities Committee has recently agreed to install a swing for disabled users at Larksmead play area and was installed in February 2013.
Persimmon Homes Development – Badbury Heights Play Areas
The Town Council has received the transfer of Phase 2 of Badbury Heights, which includes a play area known as a Local Equipped Area of Play (LEAP) on Balmer Road.
Following a public consultation the below design has been awarded the contract and it will be installed by the beginning of June 2018.
Once Phases 3a £ 3b are transferred, there will be another LEAP, two Local Area of Play, and a Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play (NEAP)
Other Play Areas
There are four other play areas in Blandford Forum. The Milldown Play Area, owned and maintained by North Dorset District Council and Hunt Road Play Area, owned and maintained by Signpost Housing Association, two play areas in Westbury Way owned and maintained by Persimmon Homes, and one play area in Diamond Way owned and maintained by a private management company.
The Skate Park
Stour Park, Blandford St Mary, DT11 9LQ
Owned and maintained by the Town Council the Skate Park is situated behind Tesco’s next to the free Stour Meadows car park. There is a cycle rack available on site. Its equipment includes a Half Pipe, Jump Boxes, a Pyramid, a Fun Box and a Driveway.
Outdoor Fitness Equipment
New exercise equipment that is free to use for people living in and around Blandford Forum is provided at Larksmead Playing Field. The equipment has been funded by Blandford Forum Town Council and NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group North Dorset locality. Instructions on how to use the equipment is displayed on a notice board at the site and on each piece of equipment.
The Cemetery
Blandford Cemetery, Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum DT11 7LR
Blandford Forum Cemetery Records, Maps, Grave Locations and Memorial Photos Are Now Available To View Online at Deceased Online.
Please see relevant forms below:
2018-19 Cemetery Fees
Cemetery Regulations Old Part
Cemetery Regulations Top Field
Application to Purchase a Grave Space
Notice of Interment or Burial
Notice of Scattering of Ashes – Existing grave space
Application to Erect a Memorial
Rose Bush Memorial Plaque Application
Application Notes for Transfer of Exclusive Right of Burial
Application for Transfer of Exclusive Right of Burial
Assent of Executor or Administrator
Statutory Declaration
Assignment of Right of Burial
MEMORIAL TESTING AT BLANDFORD CEMETERY
Blandford Forum Town Council has a responsibility for public safety at Blandford Cemetery.
As unsafe memorials have been the cause of severe injury in some cemeteries the Town Council’s grounds staff have undergone memorial condition training with the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management. Our trained members of staff carries out an annual inspection programme checking the condition of memorials, which may result in unsafe memorials being either laid flat or staked to prevent damage or injury and the grave owners will be notified by way of a notice being placed on the effected grave.
The registered owner of the memorial is requested to arrange for repairs to be carried out within twelve months. If the memorial is not repaired within this time, Blandford Forum Town Council will consider taking appropriate action. The Town Council therefore asks that memorials are not leant on or used for support and that visitors keep to the footpaths as much as possible in order to avoid shortcuts between memorials. The Town Council staff working at the cemetery understands the importance and significance of the graves and memorials to remaining friends and family. Please be assured that all memorials will be treated with the utmost care and respect.
Grit Bins
The Town Council have installed a number of grit bins throughout the town. Please see the link below for locations of grit bins in Blandford Forum.
Dorset County Council has announced that if a grit bin is Strategic then they will be refilled free of charge, however if a grit bin is a Community grit bin the Town Council will be charged £45 to have it filled.
Local Winter Maintenance Plan
Please see the interactive map for more information. Click on the snowflakes to find out whether the grit bin is a community one or a strategic one.
Grass Cutting
The Town Council has now taken on the maintenance of several amenity areas in Blandford Forum from North Dorset District Council (subject to contract). The areas are on the Damory Down Estate (within the vicinity of Jubilee Way and Holland Way) and are shown shaded/striped in the map below. Highway verges are still being maintained by Dorset County Council.
Blandford Forum Town Council owns, maintains and leases a number of locations in Blandford Forum. Grass cutting is carried out fortnightly throughout April to October, and adjusted where necessary. Currently the Town Council carries out grass cutting at the locations listed below.
- The Cemetery including Cemetery Field
- Closed Churchyard of St Peter and St Paul
- Damory Down Amenity Areas
- Dr David’s Memorial Plot
- Langton Play Area
- Langton Car Park/back of Somerfields
- Larksmead Recreation Ground
- Larksmead Play Area
- Marsh and Ham
- Park Road Recreation Ground
- Park Road Play Area
- Woodhouse Gardens
CCTV/ANPR
The Town Council has been working with the Police since 2004 in providing CCTV coverage in the most needed locations. Since then the Town Council has installed CCTV cameras which have proved to be valuable to the police on various occasions.
Currently, CCTV is in operation in the following locations:
- At the bottom of Sheepmarket Hill
- At the junction of The Market Place, West Street and Salisbury Street
- Salisbury Street
- The junction of Wimborne Road, Damory Street and East Street
These cameras are viewed by Dorset Police and one of their volunteers, who describes a bit about his role here: https://www.dorset.police.uk/news-information/news-archive/volunteers-week-profile-alan-cctv-volunteer/
- Larksmead Recreation Ground (this is a mobile CCTV camera, which is relocated subject to incidents in the town and vandalism)
- Glenmore Depot (Town Council unit)
- Town Clerk’s Office
These cameras are viewed by the Town Council staff on an ‘as and when’ basis. For example, they will be viewed if there has been an incident and this data will then be shared with the Police.
Please click the following link for the Self-Assessment Tool for the CCTV monitored by the Town Council:
Self assessment tool for the CCTV
In addition, the Town Council agreed in November 2017 to install 4 x Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras in the following locations:
- Milldown Road
- Salisbury Road
- West Street
- Wimborne Road
For further information about the use of ANPR cameras please follow the link to Dorset Police website:
The cameras will be installed early 2018.
The Town Council owns the systems, however they are managed by Blandford Police (CCTV) and Dorset Police (ANPR).
Allotments
Blandford Forum has two allotment sites.
The Allotment Management Committee runs the management and provision of these sites under the terms of an agreement with the Town Council. If you are interested in having an allotment please use the contact details below to make a request:
Grants
Blandford Forum Town Council has an annual grants budget and local groups can apply for funding. These requests are considered at the Finance & Staffing Committee meetings, which are held quarterly and in public session. To apply for a grant, please read the grants criteria and complete the application form (the link is on the right). In addition to the one-off grants, the Town Council also holds Service Level Agreements with the following local organisations:
- Treads – £4,000 (2016-2019)
- Blandford Tourist Information Centre – £2,000 (2016-2019)
- Blandford Forum Museum Trust – £2,000 (2016-2019)
- North Dorset Citizen Advice Bureau – £2,000 (2016-2019)
- Blandford Fashion Museum – £2,000 (2016-2019)
- Blandford Stour Valley Band – £1,500 (2017-2019)
- Blandford Youth and Community Centre – £15,000 (2017-2019)
The Grants criteria and an application form can be downloaded by clicking on the link below:
The Town Clerk, Responsible Finance Officer and Finance & Staffing Committee at Blandford Forum Town Council, Town Clerk’s Office, Church Lane, Blandford Forum, DT11 7AD, who can be contacted on 01258 454500, will be in control of the data you provide. Please contact the Town Clerk for access to the Data Protection Officer for the organisation. The information which you provide in this application form and any other information obtained or provided during the course of the application is a contractual requirement to assess your grant application and failure to provide all of the information requested will impact on the likelihood of your organisation being offered a grant. Your information will be used solely for the purpose of assessing the application. A redacted version of grant application will be published in the public domain as part of the Finance & Staffing Committee agenda. If your application is successful or unsuccessful, the information will be retained as part of Town Council administrative and financial records, until there is no longer an administrative requirement, after which time it will be archived at the Dorset History Centre or destroyed after review. You have the right to data portability, request access to, rectification or erasure of your data collected as part of this process. If your application is successful, the information will form part of our grants payments process and we will be entitled to process it as part of the successful grants process. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner.
Grounds and Maintenance Services
The Town Council has a limited number of staff to carry out its range of functions. However, the Grounds and Maintenance team may be able to assist your organisation or Parish Council with grass cutting should you wish to enter into an agreement with the Town Council to do so. For example, the Grounds team cuts the grass at the Blandford Scout Hut and it also carries out health and safety checks on behalf of Blandford St Mary Parish Council on the outdoor equipment at Stour Meadows. NDDC pay the Town Council to cut the grass verges around the Langton Long car park, long stay. In addition, the District Council contracts the Town Council’s Grounds team to weed kill its car parks in the town and to cut the Marsh & Ham area.
Items for hire
The Town Council offers several items for hire. The list below outlines items that are currently available, together with prices:
To take away for use off site:
| ITEM | HIRE CHARGE | DEPOSIT |
| 350xTraffic Cones | £0.50 per cone | £0.50 per cone refundable (£5.00 per cone for damaged or missing cones) |
| 25xSafety Beacons | £25.00 for all 25 | £25 refundable |
| 40xTables (1.8mx0.7m) | £5.00 for 5 tables | £100 (for 5 tables) refundable |
| 30xTables (0.9mx0.7m) | £3.00 for 5 tables | £70 (for 5 tables) refundable |
| 120xPlastic Chairs | £1.00 for 10 chairs | £50 (for 10 chairs) refundable |
| 160xCushioned Chairs | £1.50 for 10 chairs | £75 (for 10 chairs) refundable |
| 46xXL Hi-Vis Jackets | 50p for 10 jackets | £10 (for 10 jackets) refundable |
| Projector | £20.00 | £75 refundable |
| Screen | £10.00 | £30 refundable |
| PA System | £20.00 | £75 refundable |
(All prices quoted above are for a period of 3 days and excluding VAT)
To use on site:
| Projector | £6.00 |
| Screen | £3.50 |
| Flipchart Stand + Paper | £4.50 |
| PA System | £6.00 |
(All prices quoted above are per event/booking and excluding VAT)
PHOTOCOPYING CHARGES 2016/2017
| Charities | Companies | |
| A4 single sided b/w | 3p | 7p |
| A4 double sided b/w | 5p | 10p |
| A4 single colour | 8p | 11p |
| A4 double colour | 13p | 14p |
| A3 single b/w | 6p | 10p |
| A3 double b/w | 9p | 13p |
| A3 single colour | 14p | 17p |
| A3 double colour | 20p | 23p |
FAX CHARGES 2016/2017
| UK | 15p per fax |
| International and 0845 Numbers | 20p per fax |
(All prices quoted above are including VAT)
Prices above are for Blandford Residents/Charities/Organisations. Double for Non Blandford Residents/Organisations
* Please note that the waiver of these charges is at the discretion of the Town Clerk.
Venues for Hire
There are several venues for hire which may be suitable for a range of meetings and activities. To view any of the Town Council’s venues or to make a booking please contact the Bookings Receptionist at the Town Council on 01258 454500 during office hours Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.
Email: bookings@blandfordforum-tc.gov.uk
To find out more about each venue please see the information below:
The Corn Exchange
The Corn Exchange, Market Place, Blandford Forum is the largest of the Town Council’s venues available for hire by members of the Public.
It has a large stage making it suitable for public performances with rear dressing rooms and toilet facilities. The main hall is large enough to hold “table-top” sales, markets, private functions and receptions. The floor is ideal for dancing. A kitchen is available for use and is equipped with refrigerator, urn, cooker and cups and saucers for 200. Pay and Display car parking is available within easy walking distance. There is disabled access at the main entrance where there are also toilet facilities including disabled.
The Corn Exchange will hold 200 close seated, standing and dancing. The venue measures 21m x 10m. Tables, chairs and dancing area – maximum numbers 120 Tables and chairs with room for dancing etc., Session times for the hire of the Corn Exchange as from 1 April 2014 are as follows:
Morning Session 8.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon Session 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Evening Session 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
THURSDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY AND BANK HOLIDAYS (Market Days)
| 1 session | morning or afternoon | £88.00 |
| 1 session | evening | £45.00 |
| 2 sessions | morning and afternoon | £146.00 |
| 2 sessions | afternoon and evening | £127.00 |
| 3 sessions | morning, afternoon and evening | £188.00 |
Hire of the Corn Exchange Kitchen Free of Charge
ALL OTHER DAYS
| 1 session | morning or afternoon | £40.00 |
| 1 session | evening | £40.00 |
| 2 sessions | morning and afternoon | £73.00 |
| 2 sessions | afternoon and evening | £73.00 |
| 3 sessions | morning, afternoon and evening | £92.00 |
An additional charge of £24.20 per hour or part thereof for bookings before 8 am and after 10.00 pm (applicable to all Town Council venues). From 1st April 2018.
Please note an additional fee of £50.00 applies for Funeral Services.
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Proof of hirers Public Liability Insurance of £1,000,000 minimum is required. Otherwise the Town Council will arrange liability cover at a cost of 11.0% of the hire charges + Insurance Premium Tax + VAT
COMMERCIAL HIRE RATES
The Corn Exchange is available to hire for commercial use. Charges and session times are available on request. Terms and conditions apply.
Discounts
The following discounts apply to the above session rates, only one discount is permitted per booking:
1. Blandford based registered charities and a Blandford, non-profit making, community based organisation – 50% discount. Please note that this discount is only applicable if the hire charge is over £50.00.
2. National registered charities – 25% discount.
Discounts 1 and 2 are not applicable to any event where individuals benefit from the sale of any item.
3. Regular users (minimum of 10 pre-booked sessions) – 20% discount
History
The buildings, colloquially known as “The Corn Exchange”, are centrally situated in the Market Place, the main shopping area. They carry a Grade I statutory listing and are located at the heart of a conservation area described as “the most complete and cohesive surviving example of a Georgian country town in England” in the 1970 Donald W. Insall report commissioned by the County Council to assess the area.
The facade of the Town Hall, built in 1734, is a uniquely important and pivotal feature in the centre of the Market Place in Blandford. Its size, design and use of Portland stone facade set it apart from its mostly red-brick Georgian neighbours and afford it a unique position in the 18th century townscape.
This complex of buildings comprise the “Shambles”, the Town Hall room, and Council Chamber, all housed in the original Town Hall building. They are linked by a single storey extension to the Corn Exchange, built in 1858, which has a opening cut through its northern wall to form a proscenium arch into another single storey building which forms the stage. This stage building is in turn is joined to the modern Council Offices built at the back of the complex in 1990. The entire site is wholly owned, run and maintained by Blandford Forum Town Council. The ‘Corn Exchange’ has been the centre of civic functions since 1734 and over its 271 year lifespan has periodically seen injections of local public money to adapt it for uses contemporary to the times.
The Community Room
Housed within the Town Clerks Office building the Community Room provides a comfortable venue for group meetings and courses. Fully carpeted, this room will accommodate 20 close seated or 9-11 maximum boardroom style. Wifi availability.
A ramp gives good disabled access and a disabled toilet is situated next to the main room. A Pay and Display car park is adjacent to the Town Clerks Office (maximum stay 2 hours).
Morning Session 8.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon Session 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Evening Session 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
| 1 session | morning, afternoon or evening | £15.45 |
| 2 sessions | morning and afternoon or afternoon and evening | £30.90 |
| 3 sessions | morning, afternoon and evening | £46.35 |
Refreshments (tea or coffee) can be ordered at a cost of 80p + VAT per head.
An additional charge of £24.20 per hour or part thereof for bookings before 8 am and after 10.00 pm (applicable to all Town Council venues).
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Proof of hirers Public Liability Insurance of £1,000,000 minimum is required. Otherwise the Town Council will arrange liability cover at a cost of 11.0% of the hire charges + Insurance Premium Tax + VAT
Discounts
Discount for Regular users (minimum of 10 pre-booked sessions) – 20%.
The Cemetery Chapel
Set within the grounds of Blandford Cemetery, the recently refurbished Cemetery Chapel provides a perfect venue for small funeral services, talks or meetings.
The Cemetery Chapel can hold up to 48 people seated on centre facing pews. Please note that this venue currently does not have any toilet facilities.
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
| Monday to Friday (8:00am to 10:00pm) | £60.00 per event or service |
An additional charge of £24.20 per hour or part thereof for bookings before 8 am and after 10.00 pm (applicable to all Town Council venues).
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Proof of hirers Public Liability Insurance of £1,000,000 minimum is required. Otherwise the Town Council will arrange liability cover at a cost of 11.0% of the hire charges + Insurance Premium Tax + VAT
History
During the first half of the nineteenth century considerable public concern was expressed about the growing health hazards posed by overcrowding in many urban churchyards. In a few cases parishes purchased land for churchyard extensions and in some large cities new cemeteries were built and operated by private companies. In the majority of towns no action was taken to relieve the pressure on existing churchyards and in 1842 a Royal Commission was appointed to consider the issue. It recommended the closure of overcrowded churchyards in the larger towns and giving powers to their borough councils to build cemeteries funded by the rates. These recommendations were implemented, and considerably extended, by the public health act of 1848, and the burial acts of 1852 and 1853, with the result that overcrowded cemeteries in any town, of whatever size, could be closed by order of the privy council and the borough council obliged to build a municipal cemetery.
It was as a result of this legislation that the parish churchyard at Blandford was closed and a municipal cemetery was opened by the borough council, on land then well outside the borough in the parish of Pimperne, in 1855. The cemetery buildings included an entrance arch, a lodge for the superintendent and two chapels, one licensed by the diocese of Salisbury for use by members of the Church of England, and the other for use by non-members of the Church of England. All these buildings still survive but the non-Anglican chapel has been converted into a workshop for use in the maintenance of the cemetery. The Church of England chapel is, however, the only such chapel in Dorset, and one of the relatively few in Britain as a whole, to retain its original furnishings with little or no modification. The only significant alteration to the interior of the chapel was the removal of the reading desk from its original position, directly opposite the entrance, to the north-east corner of the building to allow the introduction of an altar table. In order to restore this important building to its original condition, Blandford Forum Town Council, which succeeded the former borough council as owner and operator of the cemetery in 1974, agreed in January 2000 to remove the altar and to re-instate the reading desk in its original position. The interior of the chapel is therefore now as it was when it was first opened for public use in 1855.
The arrangement of the chapel is interesting as it reflects ideas about Anglican church design in the period before the full impact of the ecclesiological movement had been felt in the Church of England. It was this movement, in the last forty years of the nineteenth century, which produced the sort of arrangement which, with some modification, we tend to think of as normal today. Inspired by an idealised vision of medieval churches, the ecclesiologists produced churches arranged with the main focus on the altar. This would be placed at the far end of a long chancel, in which the choir was seated, and which was often separated from the main body of the church (nave) by a screen. Before the ecclesiological movement churches would have looked very different, with the emphasis on the pulpit and reading desk as the main focus of worship, and with the altar much less visible.
The seating in Blandford cemetery chapel is arranged facing inwards, as in a college chapel, an arrangement to be found in a number of Anglican churches between the late seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries. Those who wish to visit similar churches will find comparable interiors at Killerton (Devon) and Sexey’s Hospital Chapel at Bruton (Somerset). The Blandford chapel had the reading desk placed under the east window, with no provision for an altar, as it was never intended that Holy Communion should be celebrated in the chapel. An almost identical, though much earlier, arrangement, with stalls lining the north and south walls of the chapel and with the pulpit standing where an altar might otherwise be, can still be seen at Woodhey Chapel in Cheshire, which dates from about 1700. The open space between the stalls in the cemetery chapel at Blandford is still occupied by an excellent example of a mid-nineteenth century horse-drawn hearse.
Blandford cemetery chapel is a very conservative building for its date, representing an outlook towards worship in the Church of England which was beginning to become unfashionable by the 1840s. Its design is, however, consistent with the conservative religious outlook in Dorset in the 1850s, where there was much opposition, from both clergy and laity, to the reform programme sponsored by successive bishops of Salisbury, Edward Denison and Walter Kerr Hamilton, between 1837 and 1869. This opposition came to a head in 1867, when Bishop Hamilton wrote to his clergy advocating the innovations in Anglican worship and church design associated with the ecclesiologists. This provoked a petition by the clergy and churchwardens of the diocese of Salisbury to the archbishop of Canterbury, complaining about the letter. This petition received particular support in the large number of signatories from the area around Blandford. These were encouraged by the local landowners, Lords Portman and Shaftesbury, who were both strong opponents of Hamilton, and by the rector of Durweston, Lord Sidney Godolphin Osborne.
Nigel Yates MA, PhD, FRHistS Senior Research Fellow in Church History University of Wales, Lampeter
In addition to the above information, readers should be aware that there was an arson attack at the chapel in September 2013. The chapel was broken into using paraphernalia taken from surrounding graves and a window was smashed. Three separate fires were started and extinguished and another window was smashed as an escape route. As a result, extensive refurbishment works costing over £33,000 have taken place between December 2013 and March 2014, including re-plastering the walls, washing down the timber frames, re-glazing the windows, re-building the fire damaged pew and panelling on the right side of the chapel and replacing the burnt floor at the foot of that pew. The chapel was reopened for public use in April 2014.
Published by Blandford Forum Town Council March 2014
The Shambles
The area inside the gates at the front of the Corn Exchange.
Morning Session 8.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon Session 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Evening Session 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
THURSDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY AND BANK HOLIDAYS (Market Traders)
| Single pitch | £19.50 |
| Double pitch | £39.00 |
| Single pitch (other days) | £18.50 |
| Double pitch (other days) | £37.00 |
The above prices include VAT at 20%.
MONDAY/TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY (Charities/Blandford non-profit making, community based organisations – For the sale of items the following charges apply.)
| Per session/per pitch | £17.00 |
| Per session for the whole area for the sale of items | £23.00 |
The above prices do not include VAT at 20%.
Discounts
Charities/Blandford non-profit making, community based organisations – Free of charge (including one trestle table) for the promotion of their charity/organisation or licensed charity collections.
The Town Hall
Situated on the first floor (no disabled access) at the front of the Corn Exchange. The Town Hall is suitable for group meetings and courses and can accommodate 50 people maximum. Pay and display car parking is available within easy walking distance.
Morning Session 8.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon Session 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Evening Session 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
| 1 session | morning, afternoon or evening | £16.50 |
| 2 sessions | morning and afternoon or afternoon and evening | £33.00 |
| 3 sessions | morning, afternoon and evening | £49.50 |
An additional charge of £24.20 per hour or part thereof for bookings before 8 am and after 10.00 pm (applicable to all Town Council venues).
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Proof of hirers Public Liability Insurance of £1,000,000 minimum is required. Otherwise the Town Council will arrange liability cover at a cost of 11% of the hire charges + Insurance Premium Tax + VAT
Discounts
Discount for Regular users (minimum of 10 pre-booked sessions) – 20%.
The Council Chamber
Next to the Town Hall the Council Chamber (no disabled access) offers a traditional setting for formal meetings or smaller groups and can accommodate up to 15 seated around the large meeting table.
Morning Session 8.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon Session 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Evening Session 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
| 1 session | morning, afternoon or evening | £16.50 |
| 2 sessions | morning and afternoon or afternoon and evening | £33.00 |
| 3 sessions | morning, afternoon and evening | £49.50 |
An additional charge of £24.20 per hour or part thereof for bookings before 8 am and after 10.00 pm (applicable to all Town Council venues).
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Proof of hirers Public Liability Insurance of £1,000,000 minimum is required. Otherwise the Town Council will arrange liability cover at a cost of 10.6% of the hire charges + Insurance Premium Tax + VAT
Discounts
Discount for Regular users (minimum of 10 pre-booked sessions) – 20%.
Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion
Situated within Woodhouse Public Gardens next to the main Post Office in the centre of the town, Woodhouse Gardens Pavilion has recently been refurbished and provides an ideal setting for local organisations’ meetings. Popular for Art and other educational courses and suitable for small private functions and receptions, the Pavilion can be divided by a central partition and there are French doors, which open onto the main footpath of the gardens. There is a cloakroom with toilet facilities and a kitchen equipped with refrigerator, cooker and basic crockery. Set on one level a ramp is provided for disabled access, the Pavilion will accommodate 60 close seated. There is Pay and Display parking within easy walking distance.
Morning Session 8.00am to 1.00pm
Afternoon Session 1.30pm to 5.30pm
Evening Session 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Fees and Charges 2018/2019
| 1 session | morning, afternoon or evening | £21.00 |
| 2 sessions | morning and afternoon or afternoon and evening | £42.00 |
| 3 sessions | morning, afternoon and evening | £63.00 |
An additional charge of £24.20 per hour or part thereof for bookings before 8 am and after 10.00 pm (applicable to all Town Council venues).
All prices are exclusive of VAT. Proof of hirers Public Liability Insurance of £1,000,000 minimum is required. Otherwise the Town Council will arrange liability cover at a cost of 11.0% of the hire charges + Insurance Premium Tax + VAT
Discounts
Discount for Regular users (minimum of 10 pre-booked sessions) – 20%.
Other venues for hire
Blandford Scout HQ
Eagle House Gardens, Blandford Forum, DT11 7BT. For further info contact Shelley Gamble 07770382632 email: blandfordscoutgroup@gmail.com. This community hall has 2 rooms (20’ x 30’) available, which can be combined to form a large ‘L’-shaped hall, if required. They can accommodate 120 people seated, more standing and have chairs, tables and kitchen facilities. There is ample parking for 30+ vehicles, toilets and disabled facilities. They accept long-term hires or regular bookings for clubs, groups and educational activities as well as occasional parties or private functions. In addition there is ½ acre camp site with shower/toilet facilities that can be hired. Hire Charges are £25 per session (Morning, Afternoon or Evening); Parties and overnight by arrangement.
Blandford Evangelical Church
Albert Street, Blandford Forum. For further info contact: Administrator on 01258 450689 or 01258 459756. This venue has flexible accommodation that can take up to 300 people in its main room including a seated balcony area. In addition it has a 12m x 8m room with an adjoining kitchen, upstairs a large creche room 12m x 8m and a youth room with a large flat screen for presentations and some sofas and chairs. The main downstairs room boasts a raised platform area, spotlights, a PA system, hearing loop, wi-fi, media projection facility, tables and chairs and kitchen facilities. There is wheelchair access to the main downstairs area, male, female and separate disabled toilet and parking although this is limited to 6 cars maximum with further on road parking. The venue is generally only available for hire by members of the community who have some contact with the church or its activities. The building is regularly in use and for this reason hiring out is restricted. Website: www.becbygrace.com
Blandford United Reformed Church
Salisbury Street, Blandford Forum. For further info contact: Mrs M Evans 01258 450518 (Bookings) or 01258 459939 (Church Office). This venue has 1 hall and 2 rooms for hire. The main hall can seat 70 and the other rooms can manage 35 and 20 people seated. Equipment includes a stage, lighting, sound system, changing rooms and 2 kitchens. There are parking facilities, toilets, disabled facilities, and a baby changing unit. The venue is hired by clubs and groups, and also holds a mini-market on a Tuesday morning. Their Sunday worship times are 10.30am for the family service and 6.30pm on alternate evenings with the Methodist Church. Details of hiring times can be obtained from the Lettings Manager, Mrs Margaret Evans on 01258 837767. The charges are as follows:- £6.00 per hour for the hall £5.00 per hour for other rooms £1.50 per hour for the main kitchen.
Pimperne Village Hall
Pimperne, Dorset. For further info contact: Robina Pierrepont on 01258 459034. This excellently appointed village hall, built in 1990, has one main room measuring 28′ wide by 54′ long and a smaller meeting/committee room that can be hired separately from the main hall. The commitee room can accommodate up to 20 people seated and the main hall can hold about 100 seated. There is a separate kitchen, stocked with professional catering equipment that has a closable serving hatch into the main hall. The hall enjoys lot of natural daylight with floor to ceiling windows and all have full length curtains. There are tables, chairs, central heating, an amplification loop for the hard of hearing, a sound system with amplifier and microphone, and a de-mountable stage. Badminton courts are marked out on the floor of the main hall and there is a payphone in the Committee room. There are toilets and extensive parking facilities for up to 50 cars. Disabled access into the hall is excellent and there is a large disabled toilet. The hall accepts bookings for meetings, club activities such as knitting, short mat bowls, badminton, toddlers groups, brownies, music nights and occasional parties and private functions. Booking fees for the main hall are £14.00 for the morning session, £18.00 for the afternoon, and £25.00 between 6pm and 10pm. The fees for the Committee Room are £10.50 for each session whatever time of day, again up to 10 pm. The hall is well used and details of available hiring times are available from the Lettings Manager, Robina Pierrepont on 01258 459034.
Archbishop Wake Primary School
Black Lane, Blandford Forum, DT11 8SW. For further info contact: Jo Hicks on 01258 453120. This school has various rooms available. Please call to enquire. Typical bookings are for club activities, and church related activities. During term-time bookings are restricted until after 6 pm. Hire charges vary so contact the school for more information.
Durweston Village Hall
For further info contact: Davina Tanner on 01258 488883. This newly built village hall(2003) has one main room of approximately 130 m² and a separate meeting room of 23m² for hire. Each room can accommodate up to 170 and 16 people respectively and connect to a very comprehensively equipped kitchen with catering for 120+. Facilities includes a stage, lighting, sound systems, hearing loop, changing rooms, chairs and tables and a fully functional IT community learning centre with 5 desktop computers, 2 laptops and wireless internet connection, scanner and colour printers. The hall also has a digital data projector for showing films (VHS/DVD) and VGA projections and also Freesat digital TV. There are toilets and ample parking facilities. There is good disabled access and toilet facilities. Typical bookings are for meetings, film shows, theatre productions, private parties and weddings. For more information please visit our website at www.durweston.org.uk Hire charges vary but are typically £37.00 per session and there are local rates for village residents. Special rates for evening parties and weddings.
Charlton Marshall Village Hall
Green Close, Charlton Marshall, Dorset. For further info contact: Paul Hannam on 01258 459153. This excellently equipped hall has one main room measuring approximately 25′ wide by 65′ long and has a stage at one end with an associated changing room containing its own WC. The hall can accommodate up to 180 people standing, up to 146 seated and up to 90 seated at tables. There is also a modern well stocked kitchen that has two closable serving hatches into the main hall. The hall enjoys lots of natural daylight and has fully double glazed windows with neat roller blinds. There are tables, chairs, heating, an amplification loop for the hard of hearing, a sound system, stage lighting, network cabling for PC’s, a wipe board, exhibition display boards, and toddlers’ gym equipment . There are toilets and baby changing facilities. Outside there are extensive parking facilities and a separate play area. Disabled access into the hall is excellent and there is a large disabled toilet. The hall accepts bookings for meetings, club activities, indoor bowls, ladies aerobics, toddlers gym classes, brownies, cubs, beavers, scouts, art workshops and exhibitions, dog training classes and occasional parties or private functions. The general hire rate is £6.50/hr but for regular or contract bookings this reduces to £4.50/hr. Charity events such as jumble sales can hire the hall for £18.00 for the afternoon and private functions such as afternoon and evening wedding receptions are charged at a rate of £6.50/hr up to a maximum of £80.00. The hall is very well used and details of available hiring times are available from Margaret Chambers 01258 456572.
The Alchemy Centre
HAS MOVED. The New Address is Sutton Hill Farm House, Iwerne Minster, Blandford Forum, Dorset. DT11 8LQ For further information please contact Ian Thorp on 01258 450404/07939 030875. For Details of all rooms available please follow the website link below. info@alchemycentre.co.uk or visit our website www.alchemycentre.co.uk
Other Services
Council Tax
The District Council is the local authority responsible for collecting Council tax and has signed up to the Stour Valley Partnership. If you have any enquiries about your Council Tax please email customerservices@north-dorset.gov.uk or phone 01258 454111.
The council tax charge for North Dorset residents is made up of charges for Dorset County Council, Dorset Police Authority, Dorset Fire Authority, North Dorset District Council and the parish or town council. The total council tax charge for each property band for 2016/17 for the Blandford Forum is shown below:
- Band A – £1,227.61
- Band B – £1,432.22
- Band C – £1,636.81
- Band D – £1,841.42
- Band E – £2,250.62
- Band F – £2,659.83
- Band G – £3,069.03
- Band H – £3,682.84
Housing
Housing advice in North Dorset is available at:
North Dorset District Council, Nordon, Salisbury Road, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7LL – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays will be appointments only, Thursdays drop in between 10am-3pm
OR
at Gillingham Direct Tuesday 9am-1pm Appointments only (cancelled until November 2012) Friday 9am-1pm Appointments only
Anybody facing immediate homelessness outside these hours can contact the out of hours service on 01202 733255
Highway issues and Street Lighting
Dorset County Council is the authority that is in charge of the above services, however will not accept requests from individuals and look toward the Town Council to assess at a lower level whether the suggested amendment would be acceptable to the local community. Therefore if you have a request in relation to these matters then please Contact Us
Town Twinning
Blandford Forum is twinned with Mortain, Normandy, France.
The Blandford & Mortain Twinning Association promotes the interests of individuals, groups, clubs and associations between the two towns of Blandford Forum, Dorset and Mortain, Normandy. New members are always welcome – please contact the Secretary for details.
Mr Steve Thornewill, Secretary, 16 Orchard Street, Blandford Forum DT11 7QZ
Email: steventhornewill@gmail.com
Blandford Forum is also twinned with Preetz, North Germany.
Blandford & Preetz Twinning Association is an Anglo/German exchange group for student and adult exchange visits between the two towns of Blandford Forum and Preetz in North Germany. The student exchange has been running for almost 50 years and the adult exchange has just celebrated its 30th anniversary. During the year we hold various social events for all members and friends, in the form of Dining in Nights, Beetle Drives and a Summer Social.
Mrs Carole Brannigan, Secretary (Tel: 01258 459452)
Email: blandfordpreetzsociety@aol.co.uk
