Full Council

14 May 2026

Appointments to Committees, Joint Committees, Boards and Election of Chairs and Vice-chairs

For Decision

Cabinet Member:

Cllr N Ireland, Leader of the Council, Climate, Performance and Safeguarding

Local Councillor(s): All

Senior Leadership Team: J Mair, Director of Assurance and Governance

Report author and job title: Susan Dallison, Team Leader Democratic & Governance

Email: susan.dallison@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Statutory Authority: Local Government and Housing Act 1989

Report status: Public (the exemption paragraph is N/A)

Executive summary

1.1	Full Council is asked to review and approve the allocation of committee seats in line with the rules of political balance (see paragraph 5.3), the wishes of each political group and in accordance with the Council’s terms of reference relating to membership of committees.

1.2	As well as appointing members to committee seats for the 2026/27 municipal year, Full Council is also asked to appoint members to serve on several joint committees and boards in accordance with the nominations provided by the political group leaders. Full Council will also elect the Chairs and Vice-chairs for the ordinary committees for the forthcoming municipal year.

1.3	There is also a recommendation to delegate authority to Jonathan Mair, Director of Assurance and Governance, so that in year changes can be made to committee appointments, in consultation with the relevant political group leader, if the need arises.

Recommendation(s)

2.1	That, subject to 2.2 below, the allocation of committee seats and the appointments to committees and joint boards and panels, as nominated by the political group leaders be approved for 2026/27 as set out in Appendices 1, 2 & 3 respectively.

2.2	That, as an exception to the requirements of the Constitution the make-up of the Strategic Planning and Technical Committee comprise of 5 members from the Western & Southern Planning Committee, 4 members from the Eastern Area Planning Committee and 3 members of the Northern Area Planning Committee.

2.3	That delegated authority be given to the Director of Assurance and Governance, in consultation with the appropriate political group leader, to make in-year changes to committee, joint board and panel appointments.

2.4	That Full Council appoints committee Chairs and Vice-chairs for the 2026/27 municipal year (nominations set out in Appendix 4).

Reason for the recommendation(s)

3.1	To comply with the Local Government Act 1989 and the Dorset Council Constitution committee terms of reference.

4.	Political Groups and Percentage Entitlement

4.1	Where membership of Dorset Council is divided into political groups the council is required to allocate the total number of seats on ordinary committees in accordance with the overall strength of each political group.

4.2	Members will be aware that there are currently two vacancies on Dorset Council, Bridport Ward and St Leonards and St Ives. The by-election for the Bridport Ward will be held on 21st May and for St Leonards and St Ives it is anticipated that there will be a by-election in late June/early July. The political balance and allocation of committee seats will therefore be based on the status quo, and a review of political proportionality will take place as soon as the results of the by-elections are known. If the percentage entitlement of any political group changes as a result of the by-elections, then a further report will be submitted to the Full Council on 16th July to make any necessary adjustments to the political balance on committees.

4.3	The number of members of each political group and the overall percentage entitlement to committee seats is currently as follows:

Liberal Democrat Group – 41 members (51.25% entitlement)

Conservative Group – 29 members (36.25% entitlement)

Green Group – 4 members (5% entitlement)

Independents for Dorset Group – 4 members (5% entitlement)

Labour Group – 2 members (2.5% entitlement)

5.	Allocation of committee seats and appointments to committees

5.1	The number of seats on ordinary committees (listed in Appendix 1) are allocated to each political group in the same proportion as the overall size of each political group, as far as is practicable. This excludes appointments to the Cabinet which are decided by the Leader of Council, and any other panel or board where the political balance rules do not apply such as the Health and Well Being Board and the shareholder committees.

5.2	Where a political group has the majority of seats on the council is must also, where practicable, have a majority of seats on each individual body to which appointments are made.

5.3	The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 sets out the 4 principles to be followed, as far as reasonably practicable, when working out political proportionality.

(a) Preventing domination by a single group: That not all the seats on a committee should be allocated to the same political group:
(b) Ensuring a majority group enjoys a majority on all committees: If one political group has a majority in the Full Council, that political group should have a majority on each committee:
(c) Aggregating all committee places and allocating fair shares: Subject to (a) and (b) above, the number of seats on the ordinary committees of an authority which are allocated to each political group bears the same proportion to the total number of all the seats on the ordinary committees of that authority as is borne by the number of members of that group to the membership of the authority; and
(d) Ensuring as far as practicable fairness on each committee: Subject to (a) and (c) above, the number of the committee seats which are allocated to each political group bears the same proportion to the number of all the seats on that committee as is borne by the number of members of the group to the membership of the authority.

5.4	Full Council may waive the requirement to apply political balance rules for any committee(s) where the Full Council wishes to appoint an alternative number of members from political groups. For political balance to be waived no member must vote against the motion, an objection by a single member would make it necessary to apply strict political proportionality. This report assumes that the Council does not want an alternative arrangement to that prescribed in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

5.5	The terms of reference of the Strategic and Technical Planning Committee state that the committee will comprise of 4 members from each of the area planning committees. However, the nominations proposed by the Political Group Leaders means that there are 5 members from Western & Southern, 4 members from Eastern Area and 3 members from Northern area sitting on the Strategic and Technical Planning Committee, which does not comply with the Constitution. To rectify this situation the Council is asked to approve the nominations for this committee from the Group Leaders as an exception to the requirements of the Constitution.

6.	Joint Arrangements

6.1	As well as making appointments to the council’s ordinary committees, Full Council is also asked to approve nominations to the joint committees, panels and boards as set out in Appendix 3.

7.	Appointment of Committee Chairs and Vice-chairs

7.1	In accordance with the Constitution, the election of committee Chairs and Vice-chairs will take place at the Annual Meeting of Full Council, unless Full Council has agreed alternative arrangements. No councillor shall be the Chair of more than one committee and Vice-chair of more than one other committee except with the consent of Full Council.

7.2	In accordance with the Constitution the Leader of Council will be the Chair of the Cabinet and the Deputy Leader will be the Vice-chair of Cabinet.

8.	Alternative options considered

8.1	Nominations to committee seats can only be made by political group leaders, not by Full Council. If members wished to disapply the rules of political proportionality this would require a vote at Full Council with no member voting against.

9.	Legal considerations

9.1	Compliance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

10.	Financial implications

10.1	Members elected to roles of special responsibility will receive an allowance in addition to the basic allowance as set out in the Council’s Scheme of Members Allowances.

11.	Natural environment, climate & ecology implications

11.1	There are no implications.

12.	Well-being and health implications

12.1	There are no implications.

13.

Other implications

13.1	There are no other implications.

14.

Risk implications

14.1	HAVING CONSIDERED: the risks associated with this decision; the level of risk has been identified as:

Current Risk: LOW

Residual Risk: LOW

15.

Equalities

15.1	There are no equalities implications.

16.

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Allocation of committee seats (political proportionality)

Appendix 2 – Nominations to ordinary committee seats 2026/27

Appendix 3 – Nominations to joint committees, panels and boards 2026/27.

Appendix 4 – Nominations for committee Chairs and Vice-chairs

17.

Background papers

17.1	None.

18.	Report sign-off

18.1	This report has been through the internal report clearance process and has been signed off by the Director for Assurance and Governance and the Director for Resources and the appropriate Portfolio Holder(s)