Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2025.

The minutes of the meeting on 24 November 2025 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests 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.

There were no declarations of interest.

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 9 February 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.

There was no public participation.

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] by 8.30am on 9 February 2026

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13

There were no questions from Councillors.

To receive the report from the Director of Public Health and Prevention.

The report on Working with Communities was set out by the Director of Public Health & Prevention who described the changes being made by Dorset council and how the approaches detailed in this report will lead to service improvements.

There was appreciation shared by members of the committee for the approach taken and to address the comments from the meeting in November where the original report was raised.

The Committee covered the role of DAPTC and the representation of it a member organisation that doesn’t represent all views of town and parish councils.

The important role of elected representation and the difference between elected bodies and membership organisations were discussed along with the role of charities and community groups with the delivery of community work.

Recognition of the difference between the Town and Parish Councils in Dorset and the merits of looking at no geographical approaches.

The importance of not taking a predetermined approach to the ways of working and the iterative approach to meaningfully codesign the approached that meet the needs of local communities. The Overview Committee requested involvement in supporting the design process.

Recommended changes the paper going to Cabinet.

1.     The role of DAPTC as a representative for all town and parish view when not all are members and a request for rewording to include “most” or deletion.

2.     There was an addition of Ward councillors to 4.2 of the statement of reasonable expectations that was recognised and agreed by the Director of Public Health & Prevention

Recommendations in the report.

1.     Place and Resources Overview Committee is asked to consider and endorse the Community Conversations approach outlined in this paper, which supports how we will work with communities to deliver the Council Plan objectives, prepare for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment legislation, and to recommend adoption by Cabinet.

2.     Place and Resources Overview Committee is also asked to recommend to cabinet that the revised Statement of Reasonable Expectations between Dorset Council and parish and town councils be approved and adopted.

The Place and Resources Overview Committee unanimously agreed the recommendations above.  

To receive the report from the Corporate Director for Planning and the Environment, Policy & Partnership Manager

The Biodiversity Duty was described by the Corporate Director Planning and the steps taken and the legal framework that the biodiversity fulfils.

Following the introduction the discussion covered off serval key themes and areas of interest. The discussion covered;

·       Climate resilience and nature-based solutions

·       The future actions planned and the importance of clear measures and KPI’s to effective monitoring.

·       The integration of the biodiversity duty within work of the council and the local nature strategy as a delivery mechanism for improving biodiversity.

·       Sites of Special Scientific Interests and their inclusion within the report and the Biodiversity’s Duty’s reporting requirements

·       Specific areas of consideration such as Moors valley and the Moor river

·       Litter free Dorset and enabling of their activities to improve environmental outcomes.

·       The limitations of the framework and the restrictions upon the reporting requirements of Department

The Committee resolved to recommend the report to Cabinet and the recommendation passed with 8 votes in favour and 1 abstention.

To review the Place and Resources Overview Committee Work Programme.

To review the Cabinet Forward Plan.

The committee reviewed the forward plans and discussed the future items.

To consider any items of business which the Chair 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.

There were no urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.