This section looks at data relating to the natural and built environment. Please use the menu links on the left hand side to access data such as conservation areas, environment levy, land use statistics and planning decisions.
Bournemouth has 21 Conservation areas. The earliest designated conservation area was Holdenhurst East and West, which was designated on 18th June 1974. The last designated conservation area was Boscombe Spa, on 1st March 1994.
Important considerations in a conservation area (in addition to features of a building) include features common to several buildings, spaces between buildings and views into and out of the area.
The Environment Agency levy for 2005/06 is £147,000. The amount has fluctuated from year to year however funding arrangements for the Environment Agency changed in 2004/05. As a result, the levy has decreased over the years and the Council has received a corresponding decrease in its grant.
The Environment Agency's main government sponsors are the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) and levies on Local Authorities.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) – previously ODPM) has published experimental statistics for land use. The statistics are taken from the Generalised Land Use Database and have been calculated for each local authority area and ward. Various land use categories have been used such as domestic buildings, paths, green spaces and water.
Local authority areas with a high proportion of gardens, such as Bournemouth (highest proportion of gardens in the Dorset sub-region with 34%), are generally the most highly developed and consequently hold high population densities.
Bournemouth also has the highest percentage (14.10%) of roads of all the districts in the Dorset sub-region.
In Bournemouth as well as England and Wales (2001), private household numbers have risen since 1981. The average household size in Bournemouth has decreased however since 1981 from 2.32 to 2.25 in 1991 and 2.19 in 2001. A decrease is also apparent in the former county of Dorset, the South West and in England and Wales.
By definition, the conurbation is a built up area and therefore requires a significant number of planning applications. These include applications for house extensions, new dwellings and commercial buildings such as offices or shops.
From October to December 2005 there was a total of 480 planning applications determined in Bournemouth, of which 77% were granted. In Christchurch, 146 planning applications were determined of which 83% were granted. Poole had 785 applications determined, of which the 431 planning decisions were granted.
| 
