Weymouth & Portland Borough Council backs change to local government structure

The likelihood of Dorset’s nine councils being replaced by two new unitary authorities is a step closer, after Weymouth & Portland Borough Council unanimously voted for change.

At a meeting of Full Council held tonight, councillors agreed to make a submission to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government requesting that Dorset’s nine councils should be replaced by two new unitary councils. 

Based upon the weight of public opinion, financial data and evidence of the likely benefits of change to the county as a whole, councillors agreed that the two new unitary councils should comprise of the following existing local authority areas: 

• Unitary A: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (including delivering the services currently provided by Dorset County Council in Christchurch). 
• Unitary B: East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland (including the services currently provided by Dorset County Council in this area). 

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council Leader, Cllr Jeff Cant, said: “Councillors unanimously agreed the recommendations of the report to change the current structure of local government from nine councils to two. The new unitary combined with the potential for strong town councils should deliver the best outcome for the borough.

“It will give us a voice at national level and will give the borough opportunities to help us achieve our ambitions. It will also enable us to make savings while protecting vital services.” 

All Councils in Dorset are considering the report during January.  Only once each Council has reached a decision will Councils be able to submit a proposal to the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, Sajid Javid MP requesting the change is approved by  Parliament during 2017/18. After that, Implementation Executives would be appointed, to determine the structure, budget and service delivery models of each new Council. The new councils would ‘go live’ in April 2019.

The dates and decisions of each Council are as follows: