DORSET Council says it is not to blame for new charges being planned for town and parish elections.

Its chief executive, Matt Prosser, said that the majority of the changes due to come into effect by April 1, 2019 were already being proposed and planned by the existing district and borough councils.

He told a meeting of the Dorset Council shadow executive on Monday that by agreeing the charges now, across the whole of the new council area, it would allow towns and parishes to budget for planned elections in May.

Cllr Peter Wharf told the meeting that claims the new charges would result in increases was not necessarily the case. “It could be, that for some, initially the total cost will reduced,” he said.

Under the proposals the cost of elections, including setting up polling stations, which are held at the same time as elections for the Dorset Council will be shared 50-50, although the full cost of ballot papers would fall to the town or parish council. Separate parish elections, or polls, would be charged at the actual cost.

A schedule of proposed charges includes staffing costs of between £335 and £460 per polling station, plus a ‘training fee’ of £50 for each presiding officer and poll clerk; £5 to prepare each ballot box; £15 per hour for each count assistant and £50 per hour for staff attending and running the count as count manager.