Dorset
Dorset is a coastal county known for its natural beauty, especially the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Historic market towns such as Dorchester (the county town), Weymouth, and Bournemouth feature prominently. Since 2019, the ceremonial county has been divided between two unitary authorities: Dorset Council (covering the rural heartland) and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP), which governs the more urban coastal region.
Local Authorities in Dorset
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (Unitary Authority)
- Dorset Council (Unitary Authority)
Dorset, in England’s South West region, has a unitary system of local government following reorganisation in 2019, when the former county and district councils were replaced. Most of the county is now governed by Dorset Council, a single unitary authority responsible for all local services such as education, transport, planning, housing, and social care across areas including Dorchester, Weymouth, and the rural heartlands. Alongside this, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council) operates as a separate unitary authority, covering the major coastal urban area centred on Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch. Together, these two councils manage a county known for its Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, seaside resorts, market towns, and rolling countryside, combining streamlined governance with locally focused services.
Districts in Dorset
(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ North Somerset ⁞ Somerset ⁞ Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ⁞ Dorset
Constituencies in Dorset
- Bournemouth East
- Bournemouth West
- Christchurch
- Mid Dorset and North Poole
- North Dorset
- Poole
- South Dorset
- West Dorset
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 8 of them are in Dorset.