The controlling Conservative group on Dorset Council is giving up some of its committee seats to allow Green and Independent councillors a place.

Proposals to be voted on at the annual council meeting on Thursday will, if approved, see Dr Jon Orrell, (Weymouth, Green) take a Conservative place on the people and health scrutiny committee; Dorchester’s Les Fry (Ind) taking a Tory seat on the place and resources overview committee as vice chair in addition to a Conservative seat he is being offered on the police and crime panel; Weymouth’s Brian Heatley (Green) is expected to be taking a seat on the resources scrutiny committee in place of a Conservative and Portland’s Sue Cocking (Ind) being offered a place on the audit and governance committee.

On the west and south planning committee Conservatives seats are being given up to John Worth, (Ind, Chickerell) and and Kate Wheller, (Ind, Wyke Regis). Mrs Wheller is also being offered a Conservative seat on the corporate parenting panel. Although the former chair of the harbours committee she has not been nominated for the harbours committee at all in the coming year. Another chair not featured on an existing committee they lead is Toni Coombs who has chaired the corporate parenting board, but she has been put forward for one of the area planning committees.

Also missing from planning is West Dorset councillor Simon Christopher who has chaired the west and south area planning committee. He says he is proud of his record in often achieving cross-party unity on many applications but has decided to spend more time fighting local issues in his Marshwood ward.

On the Dorchester joint markets panel, its existing chair Tony Alford is the only Conservative name put forward, the other three Tory seats are shown, at the moment as ‘vacancy.’

Nominations for committee chairs  and vice chairs – people and health overview Andrew Kerby, vice chair Pauline Batstone; place and resources overview Daryl Turner, vice chair Les Fry;  appeals Bill Pipe, Paul Harrison; harbours Mark Roberts, Rob Hughes; licensing Emma Parker, Jon Andrews; strategic planning Robin Cook, Sherry Jespersen; northern planning Sherry Jespersen, Mary Penfold; eastern planning Toni Coombs, Shane Bartlett; west and south planning David Shortell, Bill Pipe; pension fund committee Andy Canning, Peter Wharf.

Some committee chairs will be appointed later, normally at their first meeting and the Cabinet posts and the new roles of 'lead councillor' will not be known until the September 3 meeting.