GREAT - Dorset Council is debating on 15 July moving to the ‘Committee’ system of operating, replacing the more closed ‘Cabinet’ system.

In the latter the leader of the biggest party selects councillors for their Cabinet without regard to the proportions of how the electorate have voted for councillors, and personally appoints their Cabinet of 10 members, every one drawn from the same party, who effectively run the policy for the county! (And on just 39.3% of the electorate’s vote!) ‘Cabinet’ system can lead to strange decisions.

In 2016 ‘Public First Group’ couldn’t persuade the then Leader of West Dorset District Council to debate publicly the Cabinet’s incomprehensible plan to place £16m of new council offices and library on a central 226-bay car-park in Dorchester, eliminating it. Sadly the build went ahead. Today those offices are up for sale.

In 2016 that plan led to a landslide referendum decision to introduce the more representative, fairer, Committee system. In Sheffield the Labour Cabinet amazingly decided to cut down tens of thousands of trees on council property. Tragically the public outcry couldn’t stop it before 5,400 fellings.

A landslide referendum win has now introduced the more representative Committee system. Best of all….. Dorset Council has a shovel-ready model!

The leader who took over after the offices debacle in WDDC highly successfully introduced the Committee system there, and is today a DC councillor as are a dozen WDDC councillors from those cooperative ‘Committee’ days. The Chief Executive from then was also promoted to todays’ DC Chief Executive.

The DC Cabinet can agree the conversion without referendum time or cost. Post Covid gives a great new fresh start opportunity.

Probably wise however to plan well and delay its working introduction till May 2022.

JOHN GRANTHAM

Burton Bradstock