It’s been a long road for Shaftesbury, and though £880k in council funding has been awarded, some residents aren’t celebrating yet
When the chance to create a new community centre arose in Shaftesbury, few could have predicted the lengthy negotiations that would follow before the project could finally get under way. Finally, in October, Dorset Council voted in favour of the Shaftesbury Town Council proposal for new community facilities at Mampitts Green. While it looks as though a solution has now been reached, the issues around Mampitts Green have certainly not disappeared.
In a nutshell
Section 106 funding is allocated to communities from building developers to provide infrastructure for new developments – it is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a significant change for small communities.
When the previous Shaftesbury Town Council found itself with a significant sum of money to allocate to a community centre, a councillor was designated to led the project. However, there were strong differences in opinion and the people of Shaftesbury ended up in the unexpected position of having two proposals for what the town should do with the land on Mampitts Lane.
One was submitted by the Mampitts Lane Community Interest Organisation (MLCIO), led by local councillor Peter Yeo. The other was from Shaftesbury Town Council, led by Councillor Piers Brown.
In March, Dorset Council approved the planning permission application (P/FUL/2023/05314) for the MLCIO’s proposal.
However, during its cabinet meeting on Tuesday 15th October, Dorset Council resolved to award Section 106 (S106) funding to Shaftesbury Town Council (STC) for its proposed development of the Mampitts Community HUB.
At the meeting, Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland introduced it as “possibly the most controversial item on the agenda this evening.” A unanimous vote saw £880,000 of S106 monies awarded to Shaftesbury Town Council.
Community champions
One of the critical aspects of the town council’s proposal was the community leadership and co-operative design.
Piers Brown explains: ‘The town council recruited six volunteer community champions. They sat on advisory committees and we developed the proposal together. What they said was crucial. For example, they didn’t like their part of town referred to as “other”. They also wanted to see the community facilities used by the whole of Shaftesbury, not just The Maltings estate.
‘The entire town was consulted. Every household received a questionnaire, and we had 450 returned, which was fantastic. We also did some pop-up consultation events in Mampitts Green. And there were some key messages from the public. They wanted a social space, and they wanted an area where they could get back to nature. They also wanted us to get on with the project!
Interestingly, what they weren’t so keen on was a play park, preferring an imaginary play area. So we listened to the feedback on the needs of people who actually live there – they differed from the perceived requirements when The Maltings development was first planned.’
Peter Yeo’s MLCIO project also involved the community, and included a petition with 720 signatories from the town.
‘I live at Mampitt’s Lane. We had a brilliant plan which included an area for the air ambulance to land. Dorset Council made us present our case to the town council in 2021, and tried to get us to work together. It didn’t work. Instead, the town council launched a rival bid! They turned up at Mampitts Lane with a gazebo … it was farcical.’
Peter says he is not alone, and is adamant that local residents don’t support the council’s plans for a community centre: ‘It’s an absolute farce,’ he says. ‘We got planning permission for our design, and Dorset Council gave them extra time to catch up. We also had detailed costings.
‘Now our village green is being built over and we’ll have uncontrollable parking.’
Learning and next steps
The Mampitts Green experience is a serious and lasting challenge for Shaftesbury. Peter is considering the options, which include complaining to the Planning Ombudsman and a possible judicial review. ‘The town’s next steps are to do a public tender and then to get on with the work,’ says Piers Brown. ‘We’ll be working with Pavilion in the Park from Poundbury, part of the Talk About Trust which works with young people. They also have further connections with other services that would benefit the town.
‘It’s always easier to take people with you and disappointing when people don’t want to work together. Compromise is key. No one has got 100 per cent of what they want from this project – but I hope everyone will be happy with what we do. Our starting point was what people want.
‘I hope that in five to ten years time these challenges will be a distant memory, and people will see it as a fantastic facility for Shaftesbury. When it opens – hopefully in the spring of 2026 – it will bring benefits for the entire town.’
