Thanks for the suggestions everyone, i'm looking through those suggested to determine which is most suitable.
I still have one question though, I'm not too familiar with the whole concept of taxonomies and how they relate to nodes - so this question could be answered with some more understanding in that area. Assuming all blocks are enabled, how would I make sure than only Blocks 'X, Y and Z' are shown in the custom area and are not shown in any other areas, and conversly how do I make sure Blocks 'A, B and C' are not shown in my custom area?