I would like to add my name to the growing call for a public debate for a Dorset Unitary Council (DUC). Dorset and Wiltshire are similar size counties and in 2007 Wiltshire decided to become a unitary council. Also in 2007 the six Dorset District Councils and the County Council decided to implement the Pathfinder model of local government for Dorset involving partnership working rather than become a unitary council. This decision was made despite a financial modelling exercise carried out in 2006 by Deloitte’s for DCC demonstrating the potential savings.

Why did Dorset decide not to become to become a unitary council? There are 246 county and district councillors. If a DUC was created, there would be no more than 100 councillors, resulting in at least 146 councillors being made redundant.

Each councillor’s annual cost is about £20,000. A saving of about £3 million annually. Was this the reason for a no vote?

In Scotland and Wales, all the councils are unitary. Also the council tax for unitary councils is usually lower than that of two-tier county/district councils such as Dorset.

On May 7, 2015 the general and district council elections take place.

You are likely to be contacted by the political parties over the next six months seeking your vote. I suggest you ask them why Dorset is not a unitary council and seek more powers to local councils in England.

Tom Murphy Bridport