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April 2018 April 2018

aligns well with other public service provision, including health, police, and the fire
and rescue service. In short, the area of each of the new unitary councils is a
credible geography.
Local support, I am satisfied that across Dorset as a whole there is a good deal of
local support for these two new councils. The consultation, which the nine
councils undertook using a professional Social Research Practice prior to
submitting their proposal, included a representative household survey which
showed that across the area as a whole 65% of the public support the new two
unitary structure. Nearly 80% of councillors across the whole area support the
proposal, and the representations that I have received demonstrate that
businesses and key public-sector partners overwhelmingly support the new
structure. I have also carefully considered the advisory poll which Christchurch
Borough Council undertook, the representations I have received about it, and its
result showing that a majority of those that voted were against a single council for
Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. In short, I am satisfied that not only the
majority of the public across Dorset support the proposal, but that the poll,
involving only some 6% of the area’s population, does not undermine my
judgment that the local support criterion is met.

In conclusion I will now be seeking the necessary Parliamentary approvals to
implement the proposals to establish the two new unitary councils on 1 April 2019.
I intend to lay before Parliament towards the end of March the draft secondary
legislation, which if approved by Parliament and subsequently made, will establish
the new councils. Before laying the final drafts, I will share drafts of this legislation
with you, the other council leaders and with the Dorset MPs. I know that your
council and the other eight councils will be continuing to work in joint committees
to plan for implementation, and my officials will be working closely with your
officers as detailed arrangements are developed which will feed into further
secondary legislation, in particular on the financial arrangements of transition.
I envisage bringing forward this further secondary legislation around June or July.
Central to this will be provisions on council tax harmonisation which give effect to
my role of specifying the maximum period for equalisation. In deciding what that
maximum period shall be I shall have regard to local preferences, the impact on
individual council tax bills across the areas concerned, and the financial
implications for the authorities. There is a balance to be struck between ensuring
council tax payers do not experience a large increase in bills and not allowing
residents in one predecessor area to be concerned that they are effectively
contributing more to the cost of services than others in the area.

I am also proposing to make and lay before Parliament shortly an order to
postpone the May 2018 elections in Weymouth and Portland by one year. This will
avoid members being elected for only one year, if Parliament approves the
legislation establishing the new unitary councils.
Finally, in my 7 November statement I said that once I had made my final

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