Two years ago the County Council and the six district and borough councils in Dorset agreed to start working more closely together under the Pathfinder programme. We did not wish to be forced into a one size fits-all unitary authority across the County but to retain the democratic accountability of the local districts. After all, Lyme Regis is a very different place from Christchurch. However, we also recognised we needed to work together more closely to make savings and provide better services. We have made progress but now, with increasing financial pressures, is the time to move to the next phase. Last Thursday saw a meeting of Dorset Leaders and Chief Executives agree how we would like to move forward. It envisages two clusters of district and borough councils (West Dorset joining with Weymouth and Portland and Purbeck) each with a combined officer structure but retaining existing democratic control. In addition we will be joining all seven authorities together in certain areas such as waste, ICT and procurement. It’s a clear vision that will make savings and protect front line services.
The next step will be for the proposals to be presented to each individual authority for approval by their members over the next few months. Of course, staff will also need to be fully involved. It is an ambitious programme but will bring real benefits to West Dorset.
Tags: Efficiency
