The right for communities to bid for local assets – including pubs, toilets and post offices – has failed to have any impact in West Dorset.

Despite around 20 properties being identified – none has been bought using the community legislation which allows them to bid as part of the Localism Act.

The list is made up mainly of village pubs, village stores and small post offices and includes both the Admiral Hood pub and the post office and stores at Mosterton, the Corner House Stores and Post Office at Broadmayne; the Chalk and Cheese at Maiden Newton; Ilchester Arms and Symondbury and the Sly Fox at Osmington and the village public toilets.

Almost all of those on the list are still trading and have been nominated by a parish council or community group. A complete list can be found on the Dorset for You website by searching “assets of community value”.

The legislation to give a community the right to bid has been in place since 2012.

West Dorset council leader Cllr Tony Alford said that since the legislation came into being the district council had received 19 nominations, one of which has since lapsed and one which was removed.

“No nominations of assets of community value in West Dorset have resulted in a sale to a community or voluntary body,” he said.

Broadwindsor post office was one of those removed from the list – having gone beyond the five year limit. It was not re-nominated. The other was the Black Dog pub at Broadmayne which was de-listed at the request of the new owners who are running it, once again, as a village pub after a period of about a year when it was closed.

Cllr Alford was responding to a question at the full meeting of the district council on Tuesday asked about the scheme by Dorchester councillor Trevor Jones.

He made no comment after being given the statistics about the scheme other than to confirm that no properties had been sold under the legislation.