Councillors have shown their support for plans to implement the biggest shake-up to local government in more than 40 years.

West Dorset District Council's full council met yesterday to hear an update from authority leader Cllr Anthony Alford on the Future Dorset project, and to agree the next step in the process.

Councillors agreed to Cllr Alford writing to the Secretary of State (SoS) to set out their continued support for the Future Dorset submission; their commitment to the Joint Committee and the task ahead of them; their concerns about the lack of time for any slippage and asking the SoS to expedite any announcement and concerns about ensuring his team at the Department for Communities and Local Government are given enough resource to support the council through the various processes.

Members also agreed to delegate authority to the chief executive, in consultation with Cllr Alford, to consent on behalf of the council to the making of the statutory order(s) necessary to permit the process of forming new unitary authorities in Dorset.

As reported council leaders had been awaiting a decision on the Future Dorset proposal since February, when it was submitted to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid.

Plans to split Dorset between two 'super councils' and dissolve existing authorities were given the thumbs up by the government in November.

The controversial plans were originally rejected by councillors in Christchurch, East Dorset and Purbeck district councils, however the government's final decision will overrule their objections.

Purbeck District Council recently withdrew its opposition to the reorganisation of councils in Dorset.

But Christchurch residents voted not to support joining a unitary authority with Bournemouth and Poole in a local poll in December.

By a majority of 84.18 per cent to 15.82 per cent of the 21,022 votes cast, residents voted no.

Councillors at the WDDC full council feared that Christchurch's objections could cause delays in creating the unitary authority by April 2019.

Cllr Alford said: "The Secretary of State has to make a decision by January 8. I don't think we need to worry too much over what is happening in Christchurch. There could be other implications coming in that might affect the decision.

"We will review the final decision when it is made."

Chairman of the council, Cllr Peter Shorland, added: "I would like to congratulate everyone on today, it's a big decision. We have a lot of work to do and we know that."