The Corn Exchange, the Market Place and the town centre
Hopefully you have all now taken the opportunity to view our beautifully restored Corn Exchange complex, including the Town Hall and Council Chamber, at one of the very successful events and activities which have been taking place.
Attention has now turned to the possible trial pedestrianisation of the Market Place, which was put on hold while the restoration was underway.
The revitalisation of the town centre has become even more of an issue following the closure at the beginning of February 2026 of the Spar shop, adding to the number of vacant properties which now include three banks, half of a fourth and the former Clarks shoe shop in the Market Place alone. It seems that Blandford’s ability to ‘buck the trend’ of town centre decline has finally failed, with the additional closure of Miles of Value and continued lack of use of the Crown & Anchor in West Street, the closure of the Original Factory Shop, the Laundrette and the Sye Ryder Shop in East Street, the closure of the Paddocks Bar in Salisbury Street and continued vacancies of other former retail properties in the town.
People ask on social media why ‘the council’ doesn’t do something about it (they do not say which council!) but there is little either of them can do in the face of rising rents and other costs, falling turnover, and the wider economy. If anyone has any ideas of how and who to persuade to fill our empty spaces, please get in touch!
Perhaps there is some hope in the work being carried out at the Kings Arms in Whitecliff Mill Street, the fact that it is back on the market and advertised as an 11 bedroom hotel., pub and restaurant, and the recent planning application (P/FUL/2025/07628) for the conversion of 13/15 West Street, next to the Crown & Anchor, into an hotel.
Is Blandford, with its famed Georgian architecture, its unique history, and its position in the centre of some of the most beautiful Dorset countryside, becoming even more of a visitor destination?
Other Blandford Development news
Works following the closure of Lloyds Bank in the Market Place have now been approved by Dorset Council , and we welcome Lloyds’ decision to continue offering an automatic telling machine (ATM) until a new use is found, and its Tuesday community banker in the Parish Centre.
The planning authority has also now approved application P/FUL/2025/06515 for the installation of an ATM at Jerry’s in West Street which will provide a 24 hour banking facility.
The next phase of development at the Blandford St Mary brewery, 21 dwellings in Lot 4, remains under consideration (P/FUL/2025/04719), and concerns regarding the shortage of parking have been withdrawn after the applicant submitted new proposals for more.
Permission has now been finalised for the transformation of part of the historic Blandford Brewery site which will convert existing buildings into 24 new homes, alongside the construction of 17 further properties and associated parking infrastructure.
Town councillors were concerned at plans to convert the first and second floors above 9/9a West Street and 1 Barnack Walk to a single residential unit (P/FUL/2025/07609) instead of individual flats, but found no grounds to object to the scheme put forward by John Long.
It is sad to see that a property developed as flats and apartments for the North Dorset Housing Association (Pines Court) only 30 years ago have now being put on the market in need of restoration, along with the listed No 1 East Street which sold at auction on January 27th for £365,000 (and was possibly flooded when it went under the hammer!)
Storm Chandra on that day certainly highlighted how lucky we are in Blandford to have the flood defences after the last major flood of 1979, but also how vulnerable we remain to the deluges we are getting from the skies, and how important it is that new build is designed to withstand them, as happened when the Crews Garage site in Wimborne Road was redeveloped with housing.
For those seeking to ‘do their bit’ to combat the climate crisis, here are some dates for your diary:
- March 9 – 13: Food Waste Action Week organised by Love Food Hate Waste;
- March 9 – 15: The Big Plastic Count, in which people count their use of plastic packaging for one week to put pressure on government to legislate against it;
- March 13 – 29: Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean;
- March 18: Global Recycling Day;
- March 16 – 22: World Forest Association’s Trees are the Key Awareness Week, with the International Day of the Forests on 21 March.
You can find more details on these by clicking on the links above.
Civic Voice
The umbrella group for Civic Societies, Civic Voice, of which we are members, has agreed to reform itself as a volunteer organisation following the loss of its paid officers, and is seeking help to reorganise and maintain its service to members in providing guidance and a strong voice on matters such as the review of the National Planning Policy Framework. They have urged local Civic Societies to work together, and we will be hoping to establish communications with societies in Weymouth, Dorchester, Wimborne and other Dorset towns. If anyone wants to get involved in this, please contact Nicci Brown, 01258 459346 or niccitab15@gmail.com.