WDDC Council Leader till early 2015 Robert Gould, and since then Dorset County Council Leader, commented on the just-issued South West Audit Partnership Report on the Charles Street, Dorchester development by saying ‘there has never been any suggestion that the (Charles Street development) scheme has been badly or inappropriately handled.’ At Public First Group we beg to differ. We have dozens of such examples. As a starter how about KPMG’s Report which pointed out that the contract for development works had not been published in the European Journal? And that the opportunity cost value of the land used for the offices/Library was not even costed in? Additionally the developer has walked away with the funds from a £250,000 ‘loan’, now said to be non-refundable (and our Freedom of Information request has failed to be reported on after the required 20 days in which they have a ‘duty’ to respond….. indeed we are now approaching 50 days with silence from WDDC.) I have written to Council Leader Gould to ask if he will kindly agree to a public, interactive discussion with me on his statement, with him choosing the time, venue and chairman.

The West Dorset Referendum on May 5th, won via a successful Petition with signatures flooding past the required level, is an opportunity for the people of West Dorset to show their disapproval of the risks inherent in a same-party ‘Leader and Cabinet’ system, and a desire to change to the more balanced and representative ‘Committee’ system the council used prior to 2006. This principle applies to district, county, unitary or any level of local government.

John Grantham,

Secretary, Public First Group