Shaftesbury & District Task Force

Contact Us

SDTF, 1 Bimport, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8AT 

Telephone: 01747 228363

Email: mail@taskforceshaftesbury.org.uk 

Office hours: Monday - Wednesday and Friday, 9am to 12.30pm 

Other times by appointment, call 01747 228363 

About the Task Force

The Shaftesbury District Task Force was set up in 2001 as a Community Partnership that could serve as a focus for the delivery of a community plan for the area.

The Community Plan was launched in 2005 and is currently under review.  Already it has proved to be a powerful tool in helping to secure funding for local projects.  It is established as a private company, limited by guarantee, and has been funded by Shaftesbury Town Council, North Dorset District Council, and South West Regional Development Agency.

Its mission is:

To provide the communities of Shaftesbury & District area an opportunity to participate in the community planning process.

To ensure that all projects within the community plan offer a cohesive and representative view of what needs to be done.

To provide a voice for (and where appropriate support for) local people and local groups to articulate their needs and aspirations for the area.

Shaftesbury Community Action Plan Vision 2020

Executive Summary

The area covered by "The View of the Hill" consists of Shaftesbury town and the surrounding 24 parishes in both North Dorset and the south west of Wiltshire - a population of approximately 22,000.  Although there have been other ‘plans' for the town and the surrounding area dating back to 1968, this is the first Community Strategic Plan (CSP) drawn directly from research and consultation with local people, businesses and interest groups, which will form part of the North Dorset District Council's overall Community Strategy.

The CSP comprises the research and community evidence, collated into a number of supporting documents, and the all important Action Plan to influence and help to guide the successful development of Shaftesbury and the surrounding communities over the next 15 years, up to 2020.

"The View of the Hill"

Shaftesbury in 2020: strong, safe and sustainable

* A strong and diverse local economy

* Safe and healthy local communities

* A sustainable and conserved environment

The View of the Hill Action Plan is divided into four interlinked themes:

Prosperity - covering issues of economic development, agriculture, transport, training, employment and waste management.

Community - covering issues to do with young people, older people, village and town life, access and local democracy.

Quality of Life - covering issues of housing, local services, health, safety, recreation and the arts.

Character - covering issues of heritage, countryside, open space and the wider environment.

Delivering the actions and projects identified in The View of the Hill will require commitment and resources, both human and financial, from a wide range of organisations, groups and individuals working together to achieve a common goal - a Shaftesbury Area Community Partnership.

This new Partnership will evolve over the first year of the plan's implementation, building on the hard work of hundreds of volunteers and members of the Shaftesbury District Task Force who prepared the plan. The role of the Task Force will be redefined, within the new partnership to take account of the requirement to monitor implementation and provide capacity building/support to assist with project promoters.

The Shaftesbury Area Partnership needs people, groups and organisations willing to offer their skills and creativity, time or resources, but most of all commitment to securing a prosperous and sustainable future for the whole Shaftesbury area and the communities who live and work there.

To see the full version of "The View Of The Hill" please click HERE 

To see the Action Plan Tables is available HERE