Dorset Council (UK)

Last updated

Dorset Council
Dorset Council.svg
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2019
Preceded by Weymouth 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
United Kingdom Dorset Council 2024.svg
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
Dorchester - County Hall (geograph 3007327).jpg
County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ
Website
www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

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.

Contents

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

History

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

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

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 ControlYears
Conservative 2019–2024
Liberal Democrats 2024–present

Leadership

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]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Spencer Flower Conservative 16 May 201916 May 2024
Nick Ireland [16] Liberal Democrats 16 May 2024

Composition

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

PartyCouncillors
Liberal Democrats 42
Conservative 30
Green 4
Independents for Dorset 3
Labour 2
Independent 1
Total82

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

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

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

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]

CouncillorPartyPortfolioWard
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]

See also

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Dorset is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south-east, the English Channel to the south, and Devon to the west. The largest settlement is Bournemouth, and the county town is Dorchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weymouth and Portland</span> Former non-metropolitan district and borough in England

Weymouth and Portland was a local government district with borough status in Dorset, England from 1974 to 2019. It consisted of the resort of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, and includes the areas of Wyke Regis, Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Southill, Nottington, Westham, Radipole, Chiswell, Castletown, Fortuneswell, Weston, Southwell and Easton; the latter six being on the Isle of Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Forest District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

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Bournemouth Borough Council was the local authority for Bournemouth in Dorset, England between 1974 and 2019. Prior to 1974 Bournemouth had been a county borough within Hampshire. Under the Local Government Act 1972 Bournemouth became a non-metropolitan district within Dorset on 1 April 1974, with the same boundaries as the former county borough. On 1 April 1997 it became a unitary authority, taking over the functions previously provided for the area by Dorset County Council. In 2019 the council was abolished, merging with Christchurch and Poole to form Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitary authorities of England</span> Local government in some parts of England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poole Borough Council</span>

Poole Borough Council was the unitary authority responsible for local government in the Borough of Poole, Dorset, England. It was created on 1 April 1997 following a review by the Local Government Commission for England (1992), becoming administratively independent from Dorset County Council, and ceased to exist on 1 April 2019. Its council comprised 16 wards and 42 councillors and was controlled by a Conservative administration before it was merged into Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.

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Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. The district was created on 1 April 2019 by the merger of the areas that were previously administered by the unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole, and the non-metropolitan district of Christchurch. The authority covers much of the area of the South Dorset conurbation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council</span> Unitary local authority for the district of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poole People Party</span> Local political party in England

The Party for Poole People is a movement and local political party in Poole, Dorset, England. Defining itself as neither left or right wing, the party has stood in elections for the former Poole Borough Council and the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council which replaced it. On the council it is part of the Poole Independents Group, which includes all three Poole People Councillors, one Alliance for Local Living (ALL) Councillor and one independent Councillor. It was previously part of the "Unity Alliance" administration on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council from 2019 until a vote of no confidence in 2020, after which the party has been in opposition. It was founded in 2010 by Mark Howell, and has contested three local elections, as well as the Poole constituency in the 2015 UK general election.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorset (district)</span> Unitary authority area in England

Dorset is a unitary authority area, existing since 1 April 2019, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. It covers all of the ceremonial county except for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The council of the district is Dorset Council, which is in effect Dorset County Council re-constituted so as to be vested with the powers and duties of five district councils which were abolished, and shedding its partial responsibility for and powers in Christchurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council election</span> 2019 local election in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance for Local Living</span> British political party

The Alliance for Local Living (ALL) was a minor localist party and political group based in Dorset, with separate branches in the two authorities, ALL for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and ALL for Dorset. The BCP office was based in Poole, whilst the Dorset office was based in Weymouth. The party was deregistered in November 2023, at which point it had four councillors on Dorset Council, who continued to sit together as an informal grouping. The group became Independents for Dorset in 2024.

The Christchurch Independents (CI) are a political party and group in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, formed by journalist Andy Martin and (former) Conservative and Independent Councillors after the reorganisation of local government in Dorset, with new candidates joining to stand in Christchurch wards for the inaugural 2019 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council Election. Originally not forming a registered political party, CI was initially the joint-third largest alongside the Poole People and ALL group. In 2020, Christchurch Independents councillor Colin Bungey died, leading to a by-election being held the next year in the Commons Ward, for which the Christchurch Independents were registered as a political party.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is a unitary authority in Dorset, England. It was formed in April 2019, with the inaugural elections held in May of that year. The council is made up of 76 councillors from 33 wards, elected for a four-year term, with the next elections due take place in 2027.

Dorset Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Dorset in England. There are 82 councillors, elected every five years until 2029, after which elections will be held every four years.

References

  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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