Conservation
Dorset Gardens Trust has an active Conservation Committee which aims to protect the Dorset park and garden heritage by influencing local authority planning policies, and by submitting comments on planning applications affecting the county’s garden heritage.
Nationally Registered Sites
The Gardens Trust is a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting parks and gardens that are included in the Historic England [HE] Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. This national register includes about 1700 sites at grade of I, II* or II, in a similar way to listed buildings. These sites are visible on the Historic England website.
Locally Listed Sites
The National Planning Policy Framework allows for the preparation of Local Lists of heritage assets by local authorities, using inputs from local sources. Dorset Gardens Trust, working with garden owners, has compiled a Local List of parks and gardens, which has passed to heritage officers in the Dorset and BCP Councils for incorporation with any future policy document. The Trust is working with Dorset Council to seek the incorporation of this list into the appropriate future planning policy document. The Trust will work with the new BCP Council when a similar heritage policy consultation is begun. This Gazetteer is now online, please go to our Research and Recording page.
Planning Policy
Parks and gardens form part of the government’s concept of “heritage assets”, be they nationally designated or locally listed. They are therefore covered by national and local heritage policies. The Trust seeks to influence national policy through The Gardens Trust’s (TGT’s) national Conservation Committee, and at a local level through inputs to the consultative processes on the evolution of local heritage policy in the Local Plans now under preparation by the new BCP and Dorset Councils.
Small Grants
The Trust also considers applications from garden owners for a contribution towards the renovation of structural elements of parks or gardens that are in disrepair. Grants of up to £5,000 are given subject to matched funding from the landowner. DGT Small Grants are only available to gardens on the HE Register or the DGT List of Gardens of Local Significance. Click here for more information.
Planning Applications
HE and TGT have only very limited resources to comment on planning applications affecting the most significant sites. For the great majority of planning applications it is for the County Trusts to make comments, the details of which are passed to them by TGT. The Dorset Gardens Trust monitors submitted planning applications to ensure that any appropriate comment can be made, or a visit arranged. Discussions prior to submission are always to be welcomed.
The Trust can only make comments on planning applications where the future of a park or garden is compromised, and does not make more general comments or objections.
Your Input
If you are aware of any proposals for a listed park or garden that concerns you, then please let us know. Also, if you want to know about the Dorset Local List, contact us. Please send an e-mail to conservation@dorsetgardenstrust.co.uk.