Dorset County Council has been accused of “freewheeling” by Dorchester Liberal Democrat councillor, Richard Biggs.

He says that virtually all decisions are no longer being taken by the county council – but by the Shadow Executive which is preparing for the new Dorset Council in April 2019.

Cllr Biggs told Dorchester Town Council on Wednesday evening that all decisions, over £100,000, were now being referred to the Shadow Executive, rather than be decided by the county council.

He said that even things which cost nothing were not being dealt with. He said that a plea for support from the local Motor Neurone Disease group, made at last week’s full county council meeting, had not been put to the vote.

“This is unacceptable. We have a council which is freewheeling now.

“There was a task and finish group set up to look at the implications of leaving the EU for Dorset. It’s had one meeting and has been disbanded..it’s a sad state of affairs.”

He said that despite repeated requested there had also been no news about what powers and services might be devolved to town and parish councils.

Cllr Susie Hosford claimed a similar situation at West Dorset District Council: “It’s become painfully apparent that almost all decisions are being made at the Shadow Executive level even though the Dorset Council doesn’t come into being until next April. They are taking power from all the other authorities.”

She said that the current situation was having a poor effect on staff morale at the county and district council level as they waited to find out whether or not they would have jobs, or if they needed to apply, in some cases for the third time in two years, for their own posts.

Turning to devolution of assets she said she now thought of the exercise as: “off loading of liabilities” as the Shadow Executive was unwilling to let anyone else run services which had an income, but were keen to devolve anything which would cost them money to run.

She said that at West Dorset the council had been working with parishes on the issue for two years – but had produced few agreements.

“I’ve now discovered that it will have to go to the Shadow Executive if its value of above £100,000.”

Similar criticisms, made at last week’s county council meeting by Cllr Clare Sutton, were denied by Cllr Rebecca Knox, who chairs the Shadow Executive. She said that for the county council it was ‘business as usual’ and that only decisions which might have a financial impact on the new council after April 2019 were being passed to the Shadow Executive to consider.