TURBULENT times are plaguing Shaftesbury with the loss of a major tourist event, a parking crisis, lack of affordable housing and the threatened closure of its advice centre.

Earlier this year the town was crowned one of Britain's top five property hotspots but civic chiefs say the town has never seen a period of such severe change and, with a development planned of over 500 new houses, there may be more bumpy times ahead.

House prices in the town are currently so high that many locals commute to London, Newbury, Winchester and Southampton daily in a bid to earn the high wages needed to get onto the property ladder.

And it is having a knock-on effect on community spirit.

Mayor of Shaftesbury Janet Lowe said: "Shaftesbury being ranked one of the most desirable places to live is a double- edged sword - it's nice they understand what a lovely place it is but it might drive demand for housing up and make it harder for locals to be able to afford to buy here.

"People are leaving home at 7am to work in the city and don't arrive back till 7.30pm, by which stage they're worn out and do nothing to contribute to the communities they live in - they don't get to know their neighbours.

"There needs to be a turnaround, people need to re-evaluate and realise there's a lot to get involved in here that doesn't cost money."

She added: "Shaftesbury has probably never seen this amount of change."

The past year has seen the opening of a new Tesco supermarket in the town, which traders fear has contributed to a lack of parking for high-street shoppers and threatens to take trade away.

John Fuller of Barlows Framing said: "Trade in Shaftesbury is dying fast. It is down to the parking."

But, while she acknowledged "a critical shortage of parking", Cllr Lowe said people are too quick to blame the supermarket and that the dip is just part of a national trend.

Emergency services are said to be struggling to make their way through some of the town's narrower streets because parked cars are clogging up the roads.

The latest bitter blow to hit traders is the temporary loss of the Moto Guzzi Italian motorbike rally, which has been held annually in Shaftesbury for the past 28 years. Organisers say the layout of the new supermarket garage has brought space restrictions, and work to convert the alternative site at Barton Hill into a car park makes that unsuitable this year.

Cllr Lowe said: "It is very sad in that it's the loss of a tradition but we hope to be able to sort something out in time for next year."

This week the Shaftesbury Advice Centre announced a lack of lottery funding means it will have to close by the end of the summer if alternative funds can't be found.

The town's only hotel The Grosvenor also looks set to downsize, with the owners hoping to divide it into flats and hotel rooms and some locals campaigning to save it in a bid to preserve tourism provision in Shaftesbury.

But the future of the town isn't all bleak. Plans by three major developers to build more than 500 homes to the east of Shaftesbury are expected to bring some affordable housing as well as new amenities such as a community hall.

Local organisations have played a major role in the design new development. In a process known as 'inquiry by design", they came up with a set of required facilities.

And moves are afoot to bring in an innovative new road layout to parts of the town centre.

Town leaders are trying to come up with schemes to drum up more parking and are having some success, with the district council promising £200,000 towards the Barton Hill car park.

Cllr Lowe concluded: "We do have one or two problems but they are not unsolvable."

First published: May 27