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Dorset Council (UK)

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Dorset Council
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2019
Preceded byWeymouth and Portland
West Dorset
North Dorset
Purbeck
East Dorset
Dorset County Council
Leadership
Stella Jones,
Liberal Democrats
since 16 May 2024[1]
Nick Ireland,
Liberal Democrats
since 16 May 2024
Matt Prosser
since 1 April 2019[2]
Structure
Seats82 councillors
Dorset Council composition
Political groups
Administration (46)
  Liberal Democrats (42)
  Green (4)
Other parties (36)
  Conservative (30)
  Ind. for Dorset (3)
  Labour (2)
  Independent (1)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
2 May 2024
Next election
3 May 2029
Meeting place
County Hall at Dorchester
County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ
Website
www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Dorset Council is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Dorset in England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county of Dorset, which also includes Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The council was created in 2019 when local government across Dorset was reorganised.

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2024 election. It is based at County Hall in Dorchester.

History

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Prior to 2019, the non-metropolitan county of Dorset had a two-tier structure of local government, with Dorset County Council serving as the upper-tier authority, and the six district councils of Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, and Weymouth and Portland serving as lower-tier authorities. The boroughs of Bournemouth and Poole had both been removed from the non-metropolitan county in 1997 to become unitary authorities, but remained part of the ceremonial county.[3]

Following consultation on proposals described as 'Future Dorset', which concluded in 2018, local government across the whole ceremonial county of Dorset was reorganised with effect from 1 April 2019. The nine previous councils (Dorset County Council, the six lower-tier district councils and the two unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole) were all abolished. They were replaced by two unitary authorities: Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. [4]

The way the changes were implemented was to redefine the non-metropolitan county of Dorset to remove the borough of Christchurch, which was merged with Bournemouth and Poole to create Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The redefined non-metropolitan county therefore covered the combined area of the former districts of East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, and Weymouth and Portland. A non-metropolitan district of Dorset was created matching the new version of the non-metropolitan county. Dorset Council is legally the district council, and there is no separate county council; the district council also performs county council functions, making it a unitary authority.[5]

A shadow authority was established in May 2018 to oversee the transition, comprising all elected councillors from the five districts in the new Dorset Council area, plus all councillors on Dorset County Council except the five who represented divisions in Christchurch.[6] Rebecca Knox, the Conservative leader of Dorset County Council, was appointed leader of the shadow authority.[7]

The new district and council formally came into being on 1 April 2019, at which point the old councils were abolished. The shadow authority continued to run the council until the inaugural election in May 2019.[8]

Governance

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As a unitary authority, the council provides both district-level and county-level services. The whole area is divided into civil parishes, which form an additional tier of local government.[9]

Political control

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Following the 2024 election, the Liberal Democrats had a two-seat majority on the council.[10] They therefore could have formed a majority administration alone, but opted instead to form an administration with the Green Party.[11][12]

Political control of the council since its formation in 2019 has been as follows:[13]

Party in Control Years
Conservative 2019–2024
Liberal Democrats 2024–present

Leadership

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During the shadow period 2018–2019, Rebecca Knox, Conservative leader of the outgoing Dorset County Council, served as leader of the shadow authority.[14] At the first formal meeting of the new Dorset Council after its first elections in 2019, Spencer Flower was appointed leader of the council. He had been the last leader of the former East Dorset District Council.[15]

Councillor Party From To
Spencer Flower Conservative 16 May 2019 16 May 2024
Nick Ireland[16] Liberal Democrats 16 May 2024

Composition

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Following the 2024 election, the composition of the council was:[17]

Party Councillors
Liberal Democrats 42
Conservative 30
Green 4
Independents for Dorset 3
Labour 2
Independent 1
Total 82

The independent councillor sits in a group with the local party Independents for Dorset.[18][19] The next election is due in May 2029.

Elections

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Main articles: Dorset Council elections and List of electoral wards in Dorset

Since the first election in 2019 the council has comprised 82 councillors representing 52 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors.[20][21][22] As part of the reforms creating the new council, it was specified that the first two elections in 2019 and 2024 should each be for a five year term of office, reverting to the normal four year terms used by other English local authorities from 2029 onwards.[23][24]

Premises

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The council has its headquarters at County Hall at Colliton Park in Dorchester, which was completed for Dorset County Council in 1955.[25][26]

Cabinet

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On 14 May 2024, the new cabinet was announced, including Green Party councillor from Rodwell and Wyke, Clare Sutton.[27] 'Lead councillors' (deputy portfolio holders) were scrapped to save money.[28][29] Four councillors representing wards in Weymouth were appointed, which was significant as the previous Conservative cabinet had no members from Weymouth, despite it being the largest town in the council's area.[30]

Councillor Party Portfolio Ward
Nick Ireland Liberal Democrats Council leader, performance, communications, the environment, climate change and safeguarding Crossways
Richard Biggs Liberal Democrats Deputy leader portfolio holder for property and assets, economic growth and levelling up, Dorchester councillor Dorchester Poundbury
Simon Clifford Liberal Democrats Finance, corporate assets and strategy Chickerell
Ryan Holloway Liberal Democrats Corporate development, transformation, digital and change Wareham
Jon Andrews Liberal Democrats Commissioned services, highways, waste and travel Sherborne East
Steve Robinson Liberal Democrats Adult social services Lytchett Matravers and Upton
Gill Taylor Liberal Democrats Public health, environmental health and housing Chickerell
Shane Bartlett Liberal Democrats Emergency planning Wimborne Minster
Ryan Hope Liberal Democrats Customer, culture and community engagement Westham
Clare Sutton Green Party Children’s services, education and skills Rodwell and Wyke

Other posts, including council chair, committee chairs and vice-chairs were elected at the council’s annual meeting in Dorchester on 16 May 2024.[31]

Committee chairs:[32]

  • People & Health Overview Committee – Cllr Beryl Ezzard
  • People & Health Scrutiny Committee – Cllr Toni Coombs
  • Place & Resources Overview Committee – Cllr Andy Canning
  • Place & Resources Scrutiny Committee – Cllr Noc Lacey-Clarke
  • Audit & Governance Committee – Cllr Gary Suttle
  • Appeals Committee – Cllr Andrew Starr
  • Harbours Advisory Committee – Cllr Rob Hughes
  • Licensing Committee – Cllr Derek Beer
  • Strategic & Technical Planning Committee – Cllr Duncan Sowry-House
  • Northern Area Planning Committee – Cllr Richard Crabb
  • Eastern Area Planning Committee – Cllr David Tooke
  • Western Area Planning Committee – Cllr Dave Bolwell
  • Pension Fund Committee – Cllr Andy Canning

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dorset Council key roles announced". Dorset Council. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Council report, 27 September 2018" (PDF). Dorset Council. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. ^ "The Dorset (Boroughs of Poole and Bournemouth) (Structural Change) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1771, retrieved 29 June 2024
  4. ^ "Future Dorset - Two new authorities for Dorset". futuredorset.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  5. ^ "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018: Article 7", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/648 (art. 7)
  6. ^ "Parliament passes Dorset councils merger plan despite legal challenge". BBC News. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Dorset County Council leader elected to shadow authority top job". Daily Echo. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  8. ^ "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018: Article 26", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/648 (art. 26), retrieved 2 July 2024
  9. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  10. ^ Ford, Emily (3 May 2024). "Lib Dems win Dorset Council from Conservatives". BBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  11. ^ Bevins, Trevor (14 May 2024). "Green councillor to join Dorset Council Lib Dem cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  12. ^ Boothroyd, David (17 May 2024). "Revolution in Runnymede". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Dorset Council Election Results 2019 - All results". Dorset Council. Archived from the original on 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Shadow Executive minutes, 18 June 2018". Dorset Council. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  15. ^ Bevins, Trevor (7 May 2021). "No change in senior roles at Dorset Council". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  16. ^ Jones, Paul (20 May 2024). "New leadership revealed for Dorset Council after Lib Dems' election win". Purbeck Gazette. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Local elections 2024: full mayoral and council results for England". The Guardian. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Dorset". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Your councillors by party". Dorset Council. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  20. ^ "The Dorset (Electoral Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/1373, retrieved 2 July 2024
  21. ^ "Dorset | LGBCE Site". www.lgbce.org.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  22. ^ "New ward boundaries plan unveiled". BBC News. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  23. ^ "The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018: Article 39", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/648 (art. 39), retrieved 2 July 2024
  24. ^ "Election timetable in England". Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  25. ^ Bevins, Trevor (1 November 2023). "County Hall 'may be redeveloped' as more work from home". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Our offices". Dorset Council. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Green councillor to join Dorset Council Lib Dem cabinet". BBC News. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Major changes under new regime at council". Bournemouth Echo. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Major changes under new regime at council". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  30. ^ "'Amazing for Weymouth': Four councillors take top roles at Dorset Council". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Major changes under new regime at council". Dorset Echo. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  32. ^ "Dorset Council key roles announced". Dorset Council. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
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