Agenda and decisions

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 6 October 2026.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  by 8.30am on Thursday 5 November 2026.

When submitting your question or statement please note that:

•         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

•         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

•         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

•         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

•         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)

•         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.

•         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

•         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.  

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  8.30am on Thursday 5 November 2026. 

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13 

To consider the draft Cabinet Forward Plan.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources.

(i)             That the updated cost pressures and savings set out in the paper and the validation work that has been carried out on them, be noted.

(ii)            That the assumptions being used in the Medium-Term Financial Plan, be noted;

(iii)          That the financial gap arising from (i) and (ii) above, be noted

(iv)          That the 2027/28 principles for multiyear budget setting outlined in section 13 of the report to cabinet of 10 November 2026, be noted.

(v)           That the approach to closing the budget gap set out in the report, be noted recognising that this work was in progress

(vi)          That Cabinet continued to lobby local MPs and work with peers to press the case for fair funding for Dorset

(vii)         That Cabinet agree that Cabinet Members work with officers to continue to identify and develop further efficiencies and savings

(viii)       That Cabinet endorse the next steps and timetable leading up to the 2027/28 budget which will be presented to full Council on 11 February 2027.

Reason for the decision

Local authorities were legally obligated to set a balanced annual budget, meaning that planned expenditure must be matched by sustainable income sources. This excluded reliance on one-off or short-term funding that could not be maintained over time.

The Cabinet report of 10 November 2026 provided an update on the projected budget gap for 2027/28, and the subsequent years covered by the MTFP. It also outlined progress made to date on identified actions and savings, including the forecasted financial performance for 2026/27 against the approved budget.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Place Services.

(a)        That the proposed 2027/28 tariffs for car parks, multi-use parking areas, on-street parking (set out in Appendices 1A, 1B, 1C of the report to Cabinet of 10 November 2026), be approved as the basis for further public engagement.

(b)        That a one-year pilot scheme in which Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers will be eligible for a 15% discount for the Flexi Stay Permit, be approved.

(c)        That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Economy and Environment, in liaison with the Cabinet Member for Place, regarding:

                        i.         Adjusting and promoting the existing resident permit schemes

                       ii.         Conducting a public engagement about the parking proposals in this report

                      iii.         Making possible minor adjustments to tariffs and maximum length of stay times in each town or car park, in liaison with local stakeholders

                     iv.         Improving signage directing drivers to, and within, car parks

                       v.         Introducing charging in free car parks under Dorset Council’s control, for those car parks that are selected and viable to warrant the investment

                     vi.         Conducting further feasibility work to assess options for:

Medium term

-          Solar canopies above car parking bays

-          Park and Ride options for new sites

-          Methods to better utilise underused car park sites

Long term

-          Multi-storey car parks (MSCPs)

-          Dynamic pricing

(d)  That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Economy and Environment to prepare a five-year Parking Strategy and present it to Cabinet for approval.

(e)  That the Director for Economy and Environment should build upon the many car park safety improvements already implemented, and review car park safety to identify and implement any further measures needed to keep women and girls safe.

Reason for the decision

The decision enabled Cabinet to make key decisions about parking tariffs for 2027/28.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Prevention & Communities and the recommendations of the Place and Resources Overview Committee.

That the draft Dog-related Public Spaces Protection Order 2027 be approved with the proposed provisions as per the report of the Place and Resources Overview Committee of 1 October 2026 and as attached to the report at Appendix 1 (paragraphs 6.1 through to 11.9)

Reason for the decision

To protect public health and safety and animal welfare.

To comply with the requirements of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.

To assist with the efficient use of enforcement resources.

To recognise the public’s support, through the consultation responses, for certain restrictions required for public health and safety and animal welfare. To recognise and implement the requirements of equality legislation and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

To consider a report of Cabinet Member for Place Services and the recommendations of the Harbours Advisory Committee.

(a)               That the procurement of a five-year contract for annual maintenance dredging at Bridport (West Bay) Harbour from 2027 to 2031, be approved.

(b)               That Cabinet approves, as a contingency, the procurement of a single-year contract for the 2027 dredging campaign if it is not practicable to complete the preferred five-year procurement within the required timeframe.

(c)               That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Economy & Environment, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Place Services, to take all necessary steps to procure and award the contract(s) in accordance with the above approvals.

Reason for the decision

As the Statutory Harbour Authority, Dorset Council was responsible for the safe management of Bridport (West Bay) Harbour. Sediment build-up could reduce navigable depths and affect safe access, so regular maintenance dredging was essential to meet the Council’s obligations under the Port & Marine Facilities Safety Code and Marine Safety Management System. A competitively procured five-year dredging arrangement would help ensure these works were delivered reliably, provide better value for money, and strengthen operational resilience.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Place Services.

(a)  That the Outline Business Case for the Chesil Cove Seawall Improvements Scheme, be approved.

(b)  That the full value of the project and Dorset Council's capital contribution of up to £3.14 million towards delivery of the scheme and inclusion of the scheme within Dorset Council's Capital Programme, as detailed in section 7 of the report of 10 November 2026, be approved

(c)  That subject to confirmation of the external funding and the scheme remaining within the approved overall budget, the scheme be authorised to progress through to construction delivery including detailed design, procurement, environmental assessment, planning, marine licensing and other statutory approval processes.

(d)  That Cabinet authorise the submission of the Outline Business Case to the Environment Agency’s National Project Assurance Service and any relevant approval body.

(e)  That Cabinet authorise the ongoing drawdown and acceptance of external Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Grant in Aid and any additional external contributions secured for the scheme.

(f)    That subject to the total expenditure remaining within the approved budget and compliance with the Council’s procurement and financial regulations, authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Economy and Environment, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Place Services, to procure and award all works and associated professional services.

Reason for the decision

To enable Dorset Council to deliver a nationally significant coastal infrastructure resilience project which protected people, property, businesses, strategic transport infrastructure, economic activity, tourism and future investment, including opportunities such as MEMO, from the increasing risks associated with coastal erosion, landsliding and climate change.

The proposal was also expected to secure £7.34 million of external investment; deliver approximately £42.9 million of economic benefits; provide high value for money with a benefit cost ratio of approximately 3.9 and contribute directly to Dorset Council's strategic priorities relating to economic growth, resilient communities and climate adaptation, as well as other national strategic policies. 

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health and the recommendations of the Shareholder Committee for Care Dorset Holdings Ltd.

That the Care Dorset Annual Performance report be received and noted.

Reason for the decision

To oversee the performance and governance of Care Dorset and the receipt and acknowledgement of the annual accounts by the shareholder enables review of the Care Dorsets financial health as of 31 March 2026.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Planning Enforcement.

(a)           That the Council ‘makes’ the Modified Shillingstone Parish Neighbourhood Plan (as set out in Appendix A of the report to Cabinet of 10 November 2026) part of the statutory development plan for the Shillingstone Neighbourhood Area.

(b)           That the Council offers its congratulations to Shillingstone Parish Council and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group for producing a successful neighbourhood plan review.  

Reason for the decision

To formally make the modified neighbourhood plan part of the statutory development plan for the Shillingstone Neighbourhood Area. In addition, to recognise the significant amount of work undertaken by the Parish Council and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group in preparing the plan review and to congratulate the Council and the Group on their success.     

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources.

(a)    That the Senior Leadership Team’s forecast as September 2026 including progress in addressing demand for services and on the transformational and efficiency savings incorporated into the budget, be approved.

(b)    That an additional capital budget allocation of £482,829 from the Capital Contingency Fund to meet the unforeseen asbestos remediation costs incurred as part of the demolition and site clearance works at Bridport Connect (see section 26 of the report of 10 November 2026), be approved.

(c)    That an addition to the capital programme: Countryside & Greenspace Mowers and Equipment up to £1.0m (see section 26 of the report), be approved

(d)    That the number and extent of contract exemptions (as set out in Appendix B of the report), be noted.

Reason for the decision

Although the report was primarily for noting the outturn position, Cabinet approval was required for the changes to the Capital programme.

The report did not seek Cabinet approval of the forecast of the financial position.  The information contained in the report was critical in informing the refresh of the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and the development of the 2027/28 and 2028/29 budget strategy. It was important for Cabinet to review the risks the organisation now faced and to consider areas where it wished to make strategic investments and/or to repurpose and prioritise its reserves to facilitate these aims.

It is also important for Cabinet to understand the developing financial performance and projected position this year.  This ensured that resources were deployed to deliver the Council’s services in line with the Council Plan priorities, and so that the organisation remains in good financial health and that service delivery remains sustainable.  The Council makes a significant contribution in supporting employment, training and economic prosperity, as well as being a provider and commissioner of critical public services.  Balancing all of these strategic, and often, competing priorities is a responsibility taken extremely seriously.
  

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Growth & Strategic Assets.

The exempt appendix associated with this report is set out at item 20 below.

That the inclusion of the properties listed in Appendix 1 (exempt) of the report to Cabinet of 10 November 2026 within the Asset & Property Disposals Pipeline to facilitate their disposal, generate future capital receipts, reduce ongoing liabilities and support the optimisation of the Council's estate, be approved.

Reason for the decision

The properties listed in Appendix 1 had been identified through the asset review process as no longer required for current or future service delivery, or as assets where disposal would represent the most effective use of resources. Their inclusion in the Disposals Pipeline would support delivery of the Strategic Asset Management Plan by enabling the generation of capital receipts, reducing holding and maintenance costs, managing risk and ensuring the estate remained aligned with service and corporate priorities.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Growth & Strategic Assets.

The exempt appendix 1 associated with this report is set out at item 21 below.

(a)           That the leasehold acquisition of the former Hanson's site adjacent to Crookhill Depot be approved, subject to satisfactory completion of legal, property, environmental and financial due diligence and agreement of terms with the landlord and current leaseholder.

(b)           That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Economy and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Growth & Strategic Assets and the Section 151 Officer, to approve leasehold acquisition of this site and method of acquisition.

Reason for the decision

Crookhill Depot was a strategically important operational asset supporting waste and recycling services across Dorset. The depot operated at capacity, creating operational constraints and significant health and safety challenges. Securing the adjoining site provided a rare opportunity to expand the depot footprint, improve operational efficiency and health and safety, strengthen service resilience and support future service requirements.

The proposal formed part of a wider programme of improvements to the council's waste depot estate.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

To consider passing the following recommendation:  

Recommendation  

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in the following item(s) because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.  

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered. (Any live streaming will end at this juncture).  

Reason for taking the item in private

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).  

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Growth & Strategic Assets.

That the recommendations set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason for the decision

The proposal provided certainty for the Harbourside Car Park.

Exempt appendix associated with item 15 above.

Exempt appendix associated with item 16 above.