A SPECIAL meeting of Dorset County Council’s full council has been called next week to decide the immediate future of Conservative leader Cllr Spencer Flower.

The 72-year-old politician of Verwood was charged by police last Monday with three offences of failing to declare an interest in property planning in East Dorset.

He is due to appear before Bournemouth magistrates on Tuesday.

The day after he was charged, he announced he would “step aside” from the leadership for an initial six weeks after he was charged with three criminal offences. But he remains as council leader.

Deputy leader Cllr Robert Gould has been “fulfilling” Cllr Flower’s duties during this six week period, but has not been designated acting leader.

But now all 54 members of the Conservative controlled council have been summoned to a special meeting on Wednesday at 10am with the only item of business being ‘election of leader.’ 

Dorset County Council said council members will decide on longer term leadership arrangements while court proceedings are completed.

The agenda item for the meeting states: “The county council is asked to consider the arrangements for the office of the leader of the council. As the leader has advised that he is unable to fulfil his duties for a period in excess of six weeks, members are asked to consider whether:
• To remove him from office and appoint a new Leader, or
• To appoint a county councillor to act as leader on a temporary basis until the annual meeting of the county council on 23 April 2015, or until such a date as the current leader is able to resume office.”

DCC said the decision will 'help the county council to continue focus on its important work transforming services at a time of unprecedented budget reductions'.