Charities

Swanage Town Council

Administration of Charitable Trusts

The Town Council is the corporate trustee of three charitable trusts.

1) De Moulham Estate – Mowlem Land Trust

In May 1990 the Town Council was presented with Sandpit Field and a number of rear service roads in north Swanage, under the will of Arthur Rainsford Mowlem. The Council was also granted the benefit of the covenants placed on the houses built over the previous hundred years on what had been the Mowlem estate.

The Trust, which is a registered charity, has a legal status as a corporate body in its own right. The Town Council is the sole ‘corporate’ trustee of the charity, and Councillors therefore manage the Trust on behalf of the Council: they are not ‘trustees’ in their own right. The Trust provides an annual return and accounts to the Charity Commission which are publicly available by typing the charity number 1049323 into the online register of charities at The Charity Commission - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The grant of the covenants enables the Town Council to influence developments within the boundaries of the estate. The extent of the Council’s influence is determined by the site-specific nature of the covenants. Large-scale developments, such as the demolition of an existing property and the construction of flats cannot be undertaken without the Trust’s consent. The Trust must act reasonably and property owners could appeal to the Lands Tribunal if the Trust were to unreasonably refuse permission for a development. Where permission is granted a fee is payable, which has to be spent for the ‘benefit of the inhabitants of Swanage’, in accordance with the Charities Act, 2006. Special regard, so far as may be, must be given to the inhabitants of the De Moulham Estate.

The Trust invites applications for grants under three separate funding streams:

Applicants seeking sums not exceeding £1,000 should fill in the Small Grant Application Form.  Such applications will be determined at the Trust's quarterly meetings, the deadlines for which are 28th February, 31st May, 31st August and 30th November.

Applicants seeking sums above £1,000, but not exceeding £10,000 should fill in the Medium Grant Application Form.  These applications will be determined at the Trust's quarterly meetings, the deadlines for which are 28th February, 31st May, 31st August and 30th November.

Applicants seeking sums above £10,000, but not exceeding £50,000 should fill in the Larger Grant Application Form.  These applications will be determined at the Trust's quarterly meetings, the deadlines for which are 30th April and 31st October.

Applications should be for specific projects, not on-going or revenue costs.  Applicants should ensure that their proposed projects meet one of the charitable purposes contained in the Charities Act 2006, further details of which are contained on the Charity Commission website

Map of the De Moulham Estate
De Moulham Estate Assent

2) King George’s Field, Swanage

King George’s Field was acquired by Swanage Urban District Council in 1937 and in 1951 was dedicated as a playing field as part of the King George V Memorial Fund.

The objects are ‘to keep and maintain the land owned by Swanage Town Council as a public playing field’. Parts of the field are being used as a play area, skate park and a formal wetland feature. Together with proposals to replace the pavilion, all of these schemes met with the approval of the National Playing Field Association’s Chairman and Policy Director when an official inspection was made in February 2001.

Constitutionally, as with the De Moulham Estate Trust, the Council is the sole corporate trustee. The Council re-affirmed the field’s charitable status on 21st May 2007. The Trust provides an annual return to the Charity Commission which is publicly available by typing the charity number 1085459 into the online register of charities.

Further information about the play area, skate park and field can be found here.

3) Gift of Public Pleasure Grounds

This charity was established to protect four parcels of land as public open space: Weather Station Field, Shore Road; Prospect/Rabling Green and Prospect Nursery; land at south side of junction Northbrook Road and Victoria Avenue; strip of land south of Gilbert Road. These were gifted to the former Urban District Council by John Ernest Mowlem in 1924.

Again, the Town Council is the sole corporate trustee. The Trust provides an annual return to the Charity Commission which is publicly available by typing the charity number 231052 into the online register of charities.

Further information about the fields can be found here.