A call for jobs at the new Dorset Council to be moved into Weymouth and Portland has been labelled ‘arrogant.’

Clare Sutton, Rodwell councillor and Green Group leader on the county council, said that when the new authority is formed in April next year it would be a boost to the local economy if some of its jobs were transferred into the borough.

But Conservative councillors overwhelmingly voted the motion down.

She was told that to suggest what the new Dorset Council might do was 'arrogant' – although there was widespread recognition that the area did need more jobs, suffering one of the highest unemployment rates in the county.

Cllr Peter Wharf (Cons, Purbeck North), Cabinet member for the workforce, said: “There will be a new authority in a year’s time. In the time we’ve got left, even if we approved this, we wouldn’t be able to do much towards this. It would be arrogant to try and dictate to a new authority.”

Fellow Conservative and borough mayor, Kevin Brookes (Broadwey), also used the word ‘arrogant’ to describe Cllr Sutton’s motion: “A lot more work needs to be done before we start trying to influence a future council. It would be very arrogant of us…I can’t agree to a motion which tells the new authority what to do.”

Cllr Sutton argued that the county council had a duty to challenge inequality and would show itself to be doing just that if councillors backed a call for council jobs to be brought into the borough.

“All 46 of use have a responsibility to advocate for those in our constituencies, but we also all have a responsibility for all Dorset residents.

“Weymouth and Portland needs these skilled jobs more than other parts of the county,” she said.

Cllr David Harris (Westham, Lib Dem) gave his support to the motion. He said he was fed up of everything being taken out of the borough – citing a recent meeting where all Weymouth and Portland councillors were invited, but it was at South Walks House, the West Dorset District Council headquarters, in Dorchester.

Council leader Cllr Rebecca Knox said that there was a recognition that the borough did need more help. She said that investment was being made in the borough and good work being done through the Melcombe Regis Board to tackle inequalities and deprivation.

Cllr Dr Jon Orrell (Green, Weymouth Town) admitted there had been investment in Weymouth and Portland – naming the relief road as an example.

“But what it does is take people out of Weymouth. In the morning you can see them queuing up the hill towards Dorchester and then in the evening queuing to come back again.”

He said many of those commuters were council workers in Dorchester. To transfer some of those positions into Weymouth and Portland would help the borough’s economy, cut down on commuting and help reduce pollution and congestion.

“We may not be able to bind the hands of the new authority but I hope that they remember what we are asking for,” he said.

* In the Social Mobility Commission’s report published in November 2017, Weymouth and Portland came 322nd out of 324 local authority areas in England.

Nine of twelve Dorset areas in the ‘State of Dorset 2018 – Deprivation’ report identified as being amongst the top 20 per cent nationally for multiple deprivation are within Weymouth or Portland.