D-Day: here’s when councils are meeting to decide the future of local government in Dorset

Cllr John Beesley, Bournemouth council leader, Cllr Janet Walton, Poole council leader, Cllr Ian Monks, former leader of East Dorset District Council and Cllr Ray Nottage, leader of Christchurch council, launch the ‘super council’ talks Each of the nine existing authorities will discuss the ‘super council’ proposals – either no change, or one of three variations of a two unitary model – intended to mitigate against a predicted future crisis in local government finances. Already the majority of Dorset’s MPs have backed combining Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, although Christchurch MP Christopher Chope and several of the town’s councillors have indicated a preference for ‘no change’.