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Dorset (district)

Coordinates: 50°48′N 2°18′W / 50.800°N 2.300°W / 50.800; -2.300
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Dorset
The Dorset unitary authority area within the eponymous ceremonial county. To the east is the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area.
The Dorset unitary authority area within the eponymous ceremonial county. To the east is the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area.
Coordinates: 50°48′N 2°18′W / 50.800°N 2.300°W / 50.800; -2.300
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Ceremonial countyDorset
Historic countyDorset
Admin HQCounty Hall, Dorchester
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
 • Governing bodyDorset Council
 • ChairCllr Val Pothecary
 • LeaderCllr Spencer Flower
Area
 • Total962 sq mi (2,491 km2)
 • Rank9th (of 296)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total383,274
 • Rank20th (of 296)
 • Density400/sq mi (154/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time)
Postcodes
BH, DT, SP
ISO 3166-2GB-DOR
ONS codeE06000059
NUTSUKK22 (partially)
Websitewww.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata
County Hall, Dorchester

Dorset is a unitary authority area, existing since 1 April 2019, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. It covers all of the ceremonial county except for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The council of the district is Dorset Council, which is in effect Dorset County Council re-constituted so as to be vested with the powers and duties of five district councils which were abolished, and shedding its partial responsibility for and powers in Christchurch.

History and statutory process

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Statutory instruments for re-organisation of Dorset (as to local government) were made in May 2018. These implemented the Future Dorset plan to see all councils then existing within the county abolished and replaced by two new unitary authorities on 1 April 2019.

Rationale and other tiers of government

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As regards to planning decisions, highways, cleaning, education and social care no confusion remains as to the potentially relevant body (including occasional open conflict of powers/responsibilities) between two tiers of local government (which can be the case where county and district councils co-exist).

Significant saving (economy of scale) follows from one highly skilled and well-remunerated executive and one body of councillors as compared to six each of varying functions. Co-working measures had long been shown locally to make inroads towards an efficient, combined approach. This delivers better value for ratepayers.

Allaying fears of democratic deficit, the council area's population, approximately 380,000, is smaller than the most populous and complex or larger unitary authorities such as Birmingham City Council (serving more than 1,000,000 people) and Wiltshire Council (covering a larger area). [according to whom?]

All of the unitary authority area retains another tier of local government, by having a civil parish, a late Victorian innovation which has been reduced to a consultative planning and minor amenities role such as co-funding events, festivities, footpaths and sports facilities during the 20th century. The funding of civil parishes is through a small tax supplement to council tax known as civil parish precept.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Dorset Local Authority (E06000059)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Future Dorset - Two new authorities for Dorset". futuredorset.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.