Swanage is a coastal town at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, about 6 miles south of Poole.
Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsComing soon
Every business we list is phoned and checked first, so towns fill up one at a time. Many businesses based nearby already cover Swanage: try the trade you need across Dorset.
Swanage is in the Dorset Council area, so planning applications and building control go through Dorset Council.
Purbeck stone has been used to build locally since the early days of quarrying on Purbeck.
The centre of Swanage is in a conservation area, and there are 95 listed buildings within a kilometre of the centre. In a conservation area the work you can do without planning permission is more limited, so check before changing windows, doors, roofs or front boundaries. Listed buildings need listed building consent for most changes, inside and out.
Swanage is inside the Dorset National Landscape (formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Permitted development rights are more limited there, for example for side extensions, roof extensions and cladding, so check with the council before you start.
The centre of Swanage is within 5km of the protected Dorset Heathlands. The Dorset Heathlands Planning Framework covers additional homes built between 400 metres and five kilometres of the heaths, so if you're planning to build a new home here, ask the council about it early.
Some land within a kilometre of the centre of Swanage is in Flood Zone 3, the Environment Agency's highest flood risk category, from rivers and the sea. Check the flood risk for your address before major ground-floor work, and ask about flood-resilient options when you replace floors, kitchens or electrics.
Close to the sea, salt air and wind are hard on metal fixings, window hardware and paintwork, so ask tradespeople about materials and finishes suited to coastal homes.
Updated 7 November 2026
