Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Mike Byatt, Andrew Cattaway, Mervyn Jeffery and Ros Kayes.

There were no declarations by members of disclosable pecuniary interests under the Code of Conduct.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that advice by Monitoring Officers for all Councils was that all dual members on the County Council and District/Borough Councils were fully entitled to take part at both meetings to debate, speak and vote in relation to the options for the future of Local Government in Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset.

To consider a report by the Chief Executive and the minutes of the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 11 January 2017 (Pages 55-56).

The Council considered a report by the Chief Executive on the future of Local Government in Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset, following reports to the Council on 10 March, 21 July and 10 November 2016.  The Chief Executive provided an extensive summary of the transparent and open approach that the County Council has taken in reporting to Council meetings and providing presentations to members, together with the work of the Shaping Dorset’s Future Board.  The Case for Change, Financial Analysis and Public Consultation were explained as the three reports commissioned as part of the process of evaluating the opportunities for reorganisation across all nine authorities and in terms of the public engagement, and other factors such as devolution of powers to town and parish councils, the potential for service transformation, impact on economic growth and a test of financial assumptions.  The previously agreed timetable was highlighted in respect of making a case to the Secretary of State and the ability to obtain consensus by councils to move forward with a recommended option which would see the formation of two unitary authorities comprising i) Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, plus the services currently provided by Dorset County Council in the area, and ii) East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland, plus the services provided currently by Dorset County Council in this area. It was noted that all authorities would consider the same report (albeit with local covering reports) throughout January 2017.

In relation to the scrutiny of the report, the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the same report on 11 January 2017 and made two recommendations for the Council to consider.  One of the recommendations specifically related to the potential receipt of a request from Christchurch Borough Council to become part of a Dorset County Unitary Authority, and for the County Council to support their request.  This contradicted the recommendations in the report and it was confirmed that this would create an unclear decision and potentially put the County Council in a position of needing a decision from another authority, have to consider a further report, and adversely impact on the timetable.  An information note was circulated to members outside of the meeting by the Chief Executive to assist in providing the current position of Christchurch Borough Council which showed that so far scrutiny from its members had resulted in a resolution that the case for change had not been made, and also that no formal request had been received by the County Council.  The second of the recommendations related to the ongoing need to consider and develop ‘double devolution’ of powers to town and parish councils.  Cllr David Walsh, the Chairman of the Committee, introduced the draft minutes of the meeting and clarified that due to the update provided by the Chief Executive in relation to the current position of Christchurch Borough Council the recommendations would not be considered until later in the meeting, after the main recommendations within the report had been considered.

Cllr Gould,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.