Bridport Town Council's recommendation to merge four parishes to create one council is one step closer to being implemented.

Dorset Council has published a report recommending that Allington, Bothenhampton & Walditch, Bradpole and Bridport should be served by one council.

The proposals were put forward in October by the town council as part of a Dorset-wide review of governance by Dorset Council, and would include a total of 20 councillors, rather than the 44 at present across the four parishes, and five wards and corresponding council committees within the new council area.

The Vearse Farm development, Foundry Lea, would also be included in the single council but Symondsbury would remain a separate parish.

A working group of councillors from Dorset Council has spent three months considering the town council's submission, and those of neighbouring parish councils, along with nearly 300 individual representations from local residents. of the 290 individual responses, 73 per cent favoured the town council's submission.

Its recommendation to go ahead with the proposals acknowledges the area is, in effect, a single larger parish with a strong sense of community cohesion. The report also states that local governance would be more effective and convenient under a single council and that very local identities within Bridport would be retained by the creation of wards.

Bridport Town Council leader, councillor Dave Rickard, said: "We're naturally pleased, although not surprised, that the report has accepted our proposals in full and we hope Dorset Council will confirm them in due course.

"They will deliver between local government for Bridport, a stronger local voce, greater democracy and fairness for all residents.

"At the same time, we have included measures that will respect and protect the identities of traditional village centres within parished areas that have, over a long period, become part of the town of Bridport because of new development.

"Anyone concerned about this aspect need only look at West Bay, which has a fiercely strong identity but has been part of Bridport parish since the parish was formed."

A Dorset Council meeting on February 15 will consider whether to put the recommendations to a second consultation, ahead of a final decision in May 2022. Any changes agreed then would not take effect until the next local elections in May 2024.

Cllr Rickard added: "The way forward is very clear now and assuming common sense prevails, we will have two years from May to prepare for the change. It's plenty of time to ensure a smooth transition, but now that we have a clear majority view in the town, I would encourage all four councils to begin working together immediately, towards a common and unified goal of getting the best for Bridport residents."

Bridport mayor, Cllr Ian Bark, is a resident of Bothenhampton, one of the parishes that would merge.

He said: "I can honestly say that I think of myself as being a Bridport resident and so do the overwhelming majority of people I meet.

"My very local identity in Bothenhampton won't change because of a change in parish council boundaries - that's not how people determine where they're from. I do however think people recognise that a single council could achieve so much more for them than the current fragmented arrangements."

Full details of Bridport Town Council's submission can be found here and the Dorset Council report can be found here.

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