Dorset_Council_(UK)

Dorset Council (UK)

Dorset Council (UK)

Local authority in England

Dorset Council is a unitary local authority for the district of Dorset, encompassing almost all of the county of the same name (Dorset) except for the district of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Created in April 2019, the council was formed when the county moved from a two-tier county council and district council system to a one-tier system, with the county divided into two districts administered by two independent unitary authorities (Dorset district and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole district).[3]

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History

Statutory Instruments for local government reorganisation in the ceremonial county of Dorset were made in May 2018. Under the plans, dubbed "Future Dorset", all existing councils within the county were to be abolished and replaced by two new unitary authorities. One was formed from the unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole which merged with the non-metropolitan district of Christchurch to create a unitary authority known as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The other, Dorset Council, was created from most of the area administered by Dorset County Council (apart from Christchurch) and the non-metropolitan districts of Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck and East Dorset.[4]

Shadow authority

Statutory instruments for the creation of the new authority were made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 25 May 2018, and a shadow authority was formed the following day.[5]

The Shadow Dorset Council consisted of all elected councillors from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, West Dorset District Council, North Dorset District Council, East Dorset District Council, Purbeck District Council and all councillors from Dorset County Council with the exception of the five that were elected from divisions within Christchurch.[6]

The first meeting of the shadow authority was held on Thursday 7 June 2018 where Hilary Cox was elected to be Chair of the shadow authority and Peter Shoreland was elected as Vice-Chair.[7][8]

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England recommended that the new council should have eighty-two councillors representing a mix of single-member, two-member and three-member wards.[9][10]

Elected council

See also: Dorset Council elections

The inaugural elections for Dorset Council were held on Thursday 2 May 2019, alongside other local elections. Whilst the shadow authority had 172 seats, the new council had 82 seats, with revised ward boundaries. The Conservatives were the largest party, with 43 seats (out of 42 required for a majority), but with a reduced majority. The Liberal Democrats (29), Greens (4), Independents (4) and Labour (2) all won seats as well. The Independents subsequently sat as the Alliance for Local Living Group,[11] and in October 2019 Rowell and Wyke Councillor left the Labour party to sit as an independent, leaving Labour with just one seat.[12] Further seat changes occurred in 2022, when Daryl Turner resigned in Lyme and Charmouth [13]

Spencer Flower, a Conservative was appointed the leader of the council at the first meeting of the council after its first elections in 2019. He had been the last leader of the former East Dorset District Council.[14]

In 2021, Liberal Democrat councillor for Corfe Mullen Mike Barron joined the Conservatives.[15]

On 6 November 2023, Conservative councillor for Littlemoor and Preston Tony Ferrari died after collapsing while running.[16]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Council minutes, 3 September 2020". Dorset Council. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  2. [2]
    "Council report, 27 September 2018" (PDF). Dorset Council. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. [3]
    Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (25 May 2018). "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  4. [4]
    "Future Dorset - Two new authorities for Dorset". futuredorset.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  5. [5]
    "Parliament passes councils merger plan". Bbc.co.uk. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  6. [6]
    "Historic day, as Parliamentary process to create new councils concludes - Future Dorset". futuredorset.co.uk.
  7. [7]
    "Shadow Dorset Council on Twitter".
  8. [8]
    "Shadow Dorset Council on Twitter".
  9. [9]
    "Dorset | LGBCE Site". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  10. [10]
    "New ward boundaries plan unveiled". BBC News. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  11. [11]
    "Dorset Council Political Composition and Political Group Leaders".
  12. [12]
    ""It is no longer a party I recognise" - Councillor Kate Wheller quits Labour Party". Dorset Echo. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  13. [13]
    "Lyme and Charmouth by election results". Dorset Council. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  14. [14]
    Bevins, Trevor (7 May 2021). "No change in senior roles at Dorset Council". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  15. [15]
    "'Long time coming': Councillor makes switch from Lib Dems to Conservatives". Dorset Echo. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  16. [16]
    "Dorset councillor Tony Ferrari dies after collapsing while running". BBC News. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
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