DORCHESTER

The historic Dorset town of Dorchester has a population of 18,280 people and was the Durnovara of the Romans (who founded it in 70AD) and the fictional Casterbridge of Thomas Hardy's novels.

Dorchester is the centre of employment in West Dorset with approx.

14,700 employees in employment and around 960 businesses, excluding the self-employed.

Communications

Dorchester lies at the junction of the A35, South Coast trunk road, and the A37 to Yeovil and the north. It also has direct rail links to London and Bristol.

Commercial land

Between 1994-2010, 8.3 hectares of industrial land has been developed in Dorchester. The total area of land with permission or allocated in the local plan is 5.2 hectares.

Dorchester offers a number of established industrial estates across the town with new office and industrial business space at Poundbury on the western outskirts. There are also a number of industrial estates within the Dorchester hinterland: Enterprise Park at Piddlehinton and Hybris Business Park at Crossways.