We are collectively seeking A solution that helps councils reduce costs & reinvest in services
An opportunity to achieve a higher profile for Dorset nationally and globally
The chance to protect services and improve residents’ quality of life
Progress so far Collaborative approach Package of evidence Financial assessment Public & stakeholder views Government’s statutory tests All external, expert and jointly procured
Change must: Improve services for local residents Provide strong and accountable leadership Improve value for money and efficiency Deliver significant cost savings, with the cost of change recovered over a fixed period
Be sustainable in the medium–long term
The financial assessment Local Partnerships ÂŁ200m of savings achieved or planned 2009-2019 Change delivers ÂŁ108million over the first six years Makes funds available for reinvestment Implementation costs recovered in 1 year If Councils do nothing, essential and valued services will suffer further beyond 2019, or stop altogether
Case for Change
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Demonstrates statutory tests supported Evidences the case for change
“There is a compelling case for local government reorganisation in Dorset.” “Our analysis, as well as that carried out by Local Partnerships, shows that maintaining the current structure of local government in Dorset would inhibit the ability of its councils to continue to meet the needs of its residents, communities and businesses.” “The Dorset councils have bold ambitions, but the county needs a structure of local government that will help to achieve them.”
There is strong evidence that replacing nine councils with two has key strengths in the areas covered by the tests. Change would deliver:
Improved services Stronger leadership Increased efficiency Financial savings A sustainable solution
The Case for Change report concludes that replacing nine councils with two new ones would:
Improve Dorset’s economy Improve Dorset’s infrastructure, housing & environment Improve health & wellbeing in Dorset Improve education & skills in Dorset
Public consultation Opinion Research Services Household postal survey 20,000 households - over 20% response rate Open questionnaire 12,000+ respondents In depth deliberative events & interviews Business community, residents, parish and town councils, voluntary sector
Consultation Programme
Main consultation elements Written submissions
•82 responses • 10 community/voluntary groups, 7 local businesses/chambers of trade, 4 statutory organisations, 4 MPs/political parties, 3 Local Area Partnerships, 3 P&TCs, 51 residents
•376 people took part in 16 workshops
Workshops
• 158 members of the public, 117 Town and Parish Councillors 57 voluntary/community stakeholders, 44 business representatives (+ 9 depth big employer interviews)
Household survey
•4,258 households responded • Representative of the 9 local authorities 20%+ response rate
Consultation questionnaire
•12,542 responses
Town and Parish Councils
•120 questionnaire responses
• 74 organisations and 12,468 individuals
• Parish and Town Councils from all areas responded
Deliberative consultations 8 RESIDENTS’ WORKSHOPS West Dorset Weymouth & Portland North Dorset Purbeck Christchurch Poole Bournemouth East Dorset
ATTENDEES 21 16 23 21 23 17 16 21
TOTAL 158 2 BUSINESS WORKSHOPS Poole Weymouth
TOTAL 44
3 P&TC WORKSHOPS Western Dorset Northern Dorset Eastern Dorset
ATTENDEES 38 50 29
TOTAL 117 2 THIRD SECTOR WORKSHOPS Western Dorset Eastern Dorset
ATTENDEES 20 37
TOTAL 57 9 depth telephone interviews with…
ATTENDEES 33 11
Addo Group
Ageas Retail
Aim Aviation
Atlas Elektronik Siemens
JPMorgan
Agincare Group Hall & Woodhouse Yellow Buses
Quantitative responses by area (+1,443unknown) Open Questionnaire
Count
%
Household Survey (weighted)
Dorset population 16+
Count
Number
%
%
Christchurch
1,446
13%
459
6%
41,362
6%
East Dorset
1,453
13%
554
12%
75,187
12%
636
6%
439
9%
58,573
9%
1,426
13%
508
13%
85,076
13%
Weymouth & Portland
701
6%
391
8%
54,432
8%
Purbeck
662
6%
453
6%
38,727
6%
Dorset County Council
6,324
57%
2,804
54%
353,357
54%
Bournemouth
2,073
19%
670
25%
163,268
25%
Poole
2,641
24%
781
19%
124,123
19%
Total
11,038
100%
4,255
100%
640,748
100%
North Dorset West Dorset
Outside of Dorset
61
Town and Parish Council responses by Area Parish and Town Councils Survey
Count
Bournemouth
-
Poole
-
Christchurch
2
East Dorset
14
North Dorset
29
West Dorset
57
Weymouth & Portland
1
Purbeck
17
TOTAL
120
SUBMISSIONS
NUMBERS
TYPE OF CORRESPONDENT
Local Residents
51
Community/Voluntary Organisations
10
Local Businesses and Chambers of Trade and Commerce
7
Statutory Organisations
4
Members of Parliament and Political Parties
4
Local Area Partnerships
3
Parish and Town Councils
3
TOTAL
82
Headlines
• Consistent findings
Headline summary Clear general support for moving to 2 councils…
…in both the quantitative and deliberative elements Emphatic preference for 2b in both quantitative and deliberative elements because…
2a = ‘unbalanced, unfair, unsustainable’ 2b = ‘fair and balanced’ + ‘natural urban area’ 2c = Bournemouth and Poole ‘too small’ No major contradictory findings Sound consultation programme – not generally challenged
Duplication and Costs
• Question 1
Q1. Cutting duplication/reducing admin costs Open Questionnaire: All responses received 8%
Household Survey: Representative of all residents 5%
Individuals
88%
4%
1%
Base: 12,322
91% Base: 4,075 Town and Parish Councils
Organisations
94%
92%
Base: 69
Base: 120
Cutting duplication/reducing admin costs: by area Open questionnaire
93
16
88
76 96
Dorset CC
85
92 86
88 92
Cutting duplication/reducing admin costs: by area Household Survey
93
93 82
94
Dorset CC
89 91 92
91 87
Criteria for Local Government
• Question 3
Criteria for Change – Average Rank Workshops
CRITERIA
Questionnaires
Residents
P&TCs
3rd Sector
Accountability
3
3
5
2
3
3
Quality of Services
1
1=
1
1
1
1
Local Identity
5
5
4
5
5
5
Access
4
4
3
4
4
4
Value For Money
2
1=
2
3
2
2
OCQ
HH Survey
T&PC Survey
Option 1: Replace nine councils with two?
• Question 2
Reducing councils: DELIBERATIVE consultations RESIDENTS AREA
INITIAL OPINIONS Proportion (%) favouring reduction (4/5)
FINAL OPINIONS Proportion (%) favouring reducing to 2 councils
West Dorset
48% (10/21)
66% (14/21)
Weymouth & Portland
56% (9/16)
56% (9/16)
North Dorset
39% (9/23)
61% (14/23)
Purbeck
66% (14/21)
66% (14/21)
Christchurch
48% (11/23)
65% (15/23)
Poole
53% (9/17)
65% (11/17)
Bournemouth
31% (5/16)
25% (4/16)
East Dorset
66% (14/21)
52% (11/21)
Not all ‘non-supporters’ were opponents e.g. Purbeck 3/21 (14%) wanted 9 councils and 4 ‘don’t knows’ e.g. Bournemouth 7/16 (44%) were ‘don’t knows’
Reducing councils: BUSINESS consultations Overwhelming absolute majority supported 9 2 councils in Business Workshops (85% support in Poole, unanimous at Weymouth) Interviews: all 9 big employers supported 9 2 councils (consolidation, simplification, efficiency)…and… …Duplication, bureaucracy, inconsistency + inefficiency when dealing with several councils Positive experience of Wiltshire Unitary… Wiltshire have a can-do, helpful attitude and their approach is very co-ordinated and cohesive…that contrasts with the difficulties we have dealing with nine different authorities
Larger, regional-style councils less insular outlook…eg… for infrastructure and economic development
Reducing to 2 Councils: QUANTITATIVE conslt’n Household Survey: Representative of all residents
Open Questionnaire: All responses received
14%
27% Individuals
68%
73%
Base: 12,126
Base: 4,205
15%
14%
Organisations
79% Base: 72
72% Base: 121
Town and Parish Councils
Reducing to 2 Councils: QUANTITATIVE conslt’n Open questionnaire
16 26
80
69 54
12
41
84 32
Dorset CC
17 63
77
29
28
66
67
16 78
Reducing to 2 Councils: QUANTITATIVE conslt’n Household Survey 12 16
78
71
24
11
63 77
16
Dorset CC
12 74
15
73
15 74
73
16 70
Reasons for reducing to 2 councils - ALL
Savings, efficiencies and eliminate duplication
Mitigate against service + quality reductions
Reduce number of managers/ councillors
Easier/better cooperation, communication and integration between councils
Synergise two culturally-distinct rural/urban and tourist/non-tourist areas of Dorset
Simplify varying/ complex structure of local govt.
Establish larger political entities with more local, regional and national power/ influence
Maintain successful partnership-focused direction of travel between authorities
Three Two-Council Options
• Question 4 Options 2a, 2b and 2c
Two-Council Options – RESIDENTS (DELIBERATIVE) Option 2b % support
Option 2c % support
Don’t know/Abstain
West Dorset
52% (11/21)
10% (2/21)
38% (8/21)
Weymouth & Portland
50% (8/16)
50% (8/16)
AREA
Option 2a % support
North Dorset
13% (3/23)
43% (10/23)
22% (5/23)
22% (5/23)
Purbeck
5% (1/21)
81% (17/21)
5% (1/21)
9% (2/21)
Christchurch
75% (17/23)
2% (1/23)
23% (5/23)
Poole
71% (12/17)
29% (5/17)
Bournemouth
100% (16/16)
East Dorset
5% (1/21)
OVERALL
3% (4/158)
48% (10/21)
38% (8/21)
64% (101/158) 19% (30/158)
10% (2/21)
14% (22/158)
Two-Council options – QUANTITATIVE CONSULTATIONS Open Questionnaire: All valid individuals (Q2 & Q4)
2A
Open
28
Household
10
48
36 0%
Household Survey: Representative
18
20%
Open
14
40% 53
35 60%
10 80%
9
100%
27
11
2B Household
65 0%
Open
20% 28
12 40%
12
60%
15
7
80%
45
100% 14
2C Household Open Base: 12,126 0% Household Base: 4,205
26
19 20%
40%
43 60%
12 80%
100%
Option 2A
Option 2B
Two-Council options – NET SCORES Open
Option 2C
questionnaire
+%
-%
Net Score
+%
-%
Net Score
+%
-%
Net Score
Bournemouth
35
40
-4
67
16
+51
31
41
-10
Poole
31
48
-17
55
30
+25
31
48
-17
Christchurch
18
67
-48
32
57
-26
25
60
-35
East Dorset
24
62
-38
62
26
+36
31
48
-17
North Dorset
31
46
-15
61
21
+40
27
48
-22
West Dorset
30
51
-21
65
20
+45
32
45
-13
Weymouth & Portland
33
47
-14
55
28
+27
36
43
-8
Purbeck
28
52
-24
51
31
+21
23
55
-32
Dorset CC
26
56
-30
54
32
+22
29
50
-21
Option 2A
Option 2B
Two-Council options – NET SCORES Household
Option 2C
+%
-%
Net Score
+%
-%
Net Score
+%
-%
Net Score
Bournemouth
38
34
+5
74
10
+64
32
41
-9
Poole
37
34
+4
63
15
+48
27
41
-14
Christchurch
31
41
-10
64
18
+46
17
53
-36
East Dorset
27
45
-17
66
15
+51
20
42
-23
North Dorset
42
35
+7
61
18
+43
26
47
-21
West Dorset
38
33
+6
64
16
+48
21
44
-22
Weymouth & Portland
35
31
+4
54
21
+33
31
41
-10
Purbeck
36
33
+2
62
20
+42
18
51
-32
Dorset CC
35
36
-1
62
17
+45
22
45
-23
Survey
ALL: Reasons for supporting 2b = ‘fair and balanced’ Clearly most popular option overall because…
Bournemouth and Poole ‘natural’ urban and coastal unity with Christchurch + economies/infrastructures inter-linked Christchurch not ‘naturally’ part of rural Dorset authority (probably governed from Dorchester)
Most ‘balanced’ approach with good savings Most efficient division of existing local authorities
City by the Sea punch above its weight
Alternative Suggestions
• All sources
Six main alternative suggestions Eastern Dorset 3rd Sector Wrkshp few proposed Christchurch/East Dorset unitary BUT not echoed elsewhere Resident – 3 unitaries North D+East D +Christchurch // West D+W&P+Purbeck // Bournemouth+Poole Some business people and submissions proposed one all-Dorset unitary – but widely rejected where discussed Resident one unitary (capital Dorchstr) with 2 ‘merged districts’ based on admin from Bournemouth and Blandford Forum
Residents (minus DCC) // 4 unitaries (pairs) OR 8 unitaries
Further questions or comments at the end please
Key dates December 2016 Receive evidence: 5th December Determine recommendation: 15 th December Publish report: 23rd December
5th – 31st January 2017 Consideration and debate in public at each Council
February 2017 Submission to Secretary of State (subject to council decisions)
Questions See the full reports at www.reshapingyourcouncils.uk