Shaping Dorset's Future

[Khunanup]

Jan 31, 2017 0:21:03 GMT peterl said:

Jan 31, 2017 0:02:13 GMT Khunanup said:

Presume it's dead then? I expect Purbeck to say no too.

Up to the Secretary of State ultimately, but throw in the fact that option 2b does not meet the Government's guidelines populations for new unitaries and I would say so. Why do you say Purbeck will vote no (I have no info on Purbeck one way or another)?

I expect us and the Indy to vote against and I understand there are some ructions within the Tory group including the deselection of a sitting district and county councillor for this May's election. He's quite a popular chap and he hates the idea of the merging plus there are some general misgivings so I think there'll be enough to vote it down.

As an aside, any scheme that doesn't put Purbeck (or at least the north eastern part of it) in with Poole if you're having expanded unitaries is a nonsense.

[Foggy]

Jan 31, 2017 0:58:21 GMT Khunanup said:

Jan 31, 2017 0:21:03 GMT peterl said:

As an aside, any scheme that doesn't put Purbeck (or at least the north eastern part of it) in with Poole if you're having expanded unitaries is a nonsense.

FTFY. The ferry service between Poole Harbour and Studland runs very frequently, and one local bus route even incorporates it. There are strong links between the southeast corner of Purbeck and Poole as well as the more obvious ones in the Lytchett/Broadstone area.

[peterl]

You can follow Christchurch's meeting going on at the moment here twitter.com/cb_edd_councils

[peterl]

Here's a gem

"Cllr David Jones-We are told the purpose of it is to allow Leader to remain in the room and I don't believe that is our wish."

[peterl]

Live updates are also going to be available from Bournemouth Council's meeting just starting twitter.com/bournemouthbc

Purbeck's feed is here, though I'm not sure if they are doing updates this evening or not twitter.com/Purbeck_DC

Edit: Yes it looks like we will have updates from Purbeck, so settle in for an evening of excitement from three council meetings.

[peterl]

Bournemouth says yes with only 1 vote against, 3 abstain. Christchurch is still at it.

[mrpastelito]

Jan 31, 2017 20:07:40 GMT peterl said:

Bournemouth says yes with only 1 vote against, 3 abstain. Christchurch is still at it.

So at the very least we'll see a Bournemouth-Poole merger to form a bigger unitary I presume?

[peterl]

I'm hopeful the whole thing comes to an abrupt halt following EDDC's refusal and the probable imminent no vote in Christchurch. Arguably there is no mandate for a Bournemouth Poole merger and would have to be a new consultation.

[peterl]

Christchurch says no by 14 votes to 8.

[Khunanup]

Oh look...

[peterl]

I confidently predict that Dorset's councils are now free from being "reshaped".

[peterl]

Well it seems I was wrong back in January. The Secretary of State is minded to approve the proposals.

Various reactions can be found here: news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/

I'm truly disappointed and disheartened.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Nov 8, 2017 20:21:20 GMT peterl said:

Well it seems I was wrong back in January. The Secretary of State is minded to approve the proposals.

Various reactions can be found here: news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/

I'm truly disappointed and disheartened.

Indeed, looks like it's the two council option: www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-News/javid-to-approve-strong-and-prosperous-dorset-council-merger

Rural Dorset: current Dorset county council becomes unitary, and five district councils are abolished (East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland)
Urban Dorset: Merger of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

[Khunanup]

Diabolic news and really, really stupid actually in terms of creating a consolidated non-urban council who can tell the new 'urban' council where to go especially with Bournemouth's chronic elderly care issues (ASC is what is at the core of these mergers fundamentally and of course ensuring virtual continuous Conservative hegemony in both new authorities).

As a fan of all unitary local government stupid oversized authorities like these really don't help the argument alongside ripping the urban centres entirely from their hinterland which has worked badly just about everywhere.

[Pete Whitehead]

Don't tell me they are actually going to call the councils 'Urban Dorset' and 'Rural Dorset' ?

[Adrian]

Nov 8, 2017 20:21:20 GMT peterl said:

Well it seems I was wrong back in January. The Secretary of State is minded to approve the proposals.

Various reactions can be found here: news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/

I'm truly disappointed and disheartened.

I am shocked but not surprised. Our governments have shown themselves increasingly "minded" to go for the option that saves the most money (or so they think), having little or no interest in local democracy per se.

[greenhert]

Nov 8, 2017 20:21:20 GMT peterl said:

Well it seems I was wrong back in January. The Secretary of State is minded to approve the proposals.

Various reactions can be found here: news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/

I'm truly disappointed and disheartened.

So am I and I do not even live in Dorset. The current set-up was perfectly acceptable and worked reasonably well.

[Foggy]

Nov 9, 2017 17:46:27 GMT greenhert said:

Nov 8, 2017 20:21:20 GMT peterl said:

Well it seems I was wrong back in January. The Secretary of State is minded to approve the proposals.

Various reactions can be found here: news.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/

I'm truly disappointed and disheartened.

So am I and I do not even live in Dorset. The current set-up was perfectly acceptable and worked reasonably well.

Except that Poole shouldn't be a unitary and that Bournemouth and Christchurch belong in Hampshire, yes. 

[Eastwood]

I'd still like to see Ferndown and West Moors in the Urban Authority and a tidying up of the Poole boundary but in general looks like a reasonable starting point.

[Pete Whitehead]

I think I like Khunanup's plan best on reflecction