Unitary authority · England

Dorset

Dorset is a unitary authority. It is a single-tier authority, so it runs both local and larger services.

What this council is responsible for

Dorset
Unitary authority · E06000059
  • Planning applications
  • Bin and recycling collection
  • Council tax and business rates collection
  • Housing and homelessness
  • Licensing
  • Environmental health
  • Parks and leisure
  • Local elections
  • Schools and education
  • Adult social care
  • Children’s services
  • Roads and highways
  • Waste disposal
  • Libraries
  • Trading standards
  • Public health
Official website →
Type
Unitary authority
Single tier
Official code
E06000059
ONS GSS code
Nation
England
Local planning authority
Yes. Decides planning applications in its area.

Other bodies covering this area

Dorset & Wiltshire
Fire and rescue authority
  • Fire and rescue
73
Postcode sectors
47
Wards
5
Constituencies

11 of these postcode sectors are shared with a neighbouring council. Postcode sectors are a Royal Mail construct and do not follow council boundaries.

Boundary

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Ultra-generalised boundary (500 m) from the ONS Open Geography Portal, Open Government Licence v3. Indicative at this scale; not for legal or planning use. See it among its neighbours on the UK map →

Towns in this area

Parliamentary constituencies

Wards

47 wards recorded in this council area.

Beacon · Beaminster · Blackmoor Vale · Blackmore Vale · Blandford · Bridport · Chalk Valleys · Charminster St Mary's · Chickerell · Colehill & Wimborne Minster East · Corfe Mullen · Cranborne & Alderholt · Cranborne Chase · Crossways · Dorchester Poundbury · Dorchester West · Eggardon · Ferndown North · Ferndown South · Gillingham · Hill Forts & Upper Tarrants · Littlemoor & Preston · Lyme & Charmouth · Lytchett Matravers & Upton · Marshwood Vale · Melcombe Regis · Portland · Rodwell & Wyke · Shaftesbury Town · Sherborne East · Sherborne Rural · Sherborne West · South East Purbeck · St Leonards & St Ives · Stalbridge & Marnhull · Stour & Allen Vale · Sturminster Newton · Swanage · Upwey & Broadwey · Verwood · Wareham · West Moors & Three Legged Cross · West Purbeck · Westham · Wimborne Minster · Winterborne North · Yetminster

Postcode sectors

BH16 5 · BH16 6 · BH19 1 · BH19 2 · BH19 3 · BH19 9 · BH20 4 · BH20 5 · BH20 6 · BH20 7 · BH20 9 · BH21 1 · BH21 2 · BH21 3 · BH21 4 · BH21 5 · BH21 6 · BH21 7 · BH21 8 · BH21 9 · BH22 0 · BH22 2 · BH22 8 · BH22 9 · BH24 2 · BH31 6 · BH31 7 · BH31 9 · DT1 1 · DT1 2 · DT1 3 · DT1 9 · DT10 1 · DT10 2 · DT10 9 · DT11 0 · DT11 1 · DT11 7 · DT11 8 · DT11 9 · DT2 0 · DT2 7 · DT2 8 · DT2 9 · DT3 4 · DT3 5 · DT3 6 · DT4 0 · DT4 4 · DT4 7 · DT4 8 · DT4 9 · DT5 1 · DT5 2 · DT5 9 · DT6 3 · DT6 4 · DT6 5 · DT6 6 · DT6 9 · DT7 3 · DT8 3 · DT9 3 · DT9 4 · DT9 5 · DT9 6 · DT9 9 · SP7 0 · SP7 7 · SP7 8 · SP8 4 · SP8 5 · SP8 9

Sources: ONS Open Geography Portal (boundaries and names, retrieved 2026-09-05, Open Government Licence v3); National Statistics Postcode Lookup May 2026; Wikidata (official website, CC0). Official code E06000059.