Non- Dorset councils

It just shows that Christchurch is full of old pharts who don't like change.

The councillors of Christchurch have shown time and time again they can't run a party in a brewery, but they still want to keep individual power to themselves.


 
DJ - 5/12/2016 18:39

billythekid - 5/12/2016 15:55

Headline says public want merger, reading the story re Christchurch I am not so sure.

The principle of reducing the number of councils to two was backed by 73 per cent in the household survey and 67 per cent in the open survey.

But there was a disparity at Christchurch, where a merger with Bournemouth and Poole was backed by 54 per cent
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So the majority in Christchurch did back it then?
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Wasn't fully concentrating as watching the FA Cup draw when originally replying to your post and noticed you left "this part off".

But there was a disparity at Christchurch, where a merger with Bournemouth and Poole was backed by 54 per cent "of the 459 households who responded to a postal survey but by only 24 per cent of the 1,446 who chose to take part in the open survey".




 
SlowDownDerek - 5/12/2016 19:18

I think the Echo story has been edited - it now says that 54% opposed any sort of merger but this was just the 'open' surveys where anyone could complete it rather than the household survey, which was randomly sent out and had 63% support for the merger. This was still lower than the rest of Dorset.

Interestingly the Echo has tweeted that a dubious unofficial 'advisory guide' was returned with some of the questionnaires with instructions on how to 'strongly disagree' with the merger proposals. This was not official council correspondence. There's no indication of how many there were but it is possible that some kind of orchestrated campaign happened in Christchurch - that might explain why they had significantly more respondents that other areas per capita. Not that this means they are wrong to oppose it but something is odd.
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Yes they have edited it since my original post.
 
billythekid - 5/12/2016 19:57

SlowDownDerek - 5/12/2016 19:18

I think the Echo story has been edited - it now says that 54% opposed any sort of merger but this was just the 'open' surveys where anyone could complete it rather than the household survey, which was randomly sent out and had 63% support for the merger. This was still lower than the rest of Dorset.

Interestingly the Echo has tweeted that a dubious unofficial 'advisory guide' was returned with some of the questionnaires with instructions on how to 'strongly disagree' with the merger proposals. This was not official council correspondence. There's no indication of how many there were but it is possible that some kind of orchestrated campaign happened in Christchurch - that might explain why they had significantly more respondents that other areas per capita. Not that this means they are wrong to oppose it but something is odd.
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Yes they have edited it since my original post.
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I was sure it said that 20 odd percent of the open surveys were pro merger, which may well be from the same set of figures but just phrased to sound more positive. Pressure from councillors on the Echo editors? Surely not.

 
Interesting choice of words by Christchurch councillor on tv last night, describing his 'hungry neighbours'
Dont ever expect Christchurch councillors to back the plan, most of them would be dropped out of the club whilst those used to running bigger councils take up the reins

 
GaryRB - 6/12/2016 13:01

Interesting choice of words by Christchurch councillor on tv last night, describing his 'hungry neighbours'
Dont ever expect Christchurch councillors to back the plan, most of them would be dropped out of the club whilst those used to running bigger councils take up the reins
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Gary are you referring to the Sally Taylor interview with our MP Chris Chope?

There seems a difference of opinion within our Council and think there is to be a motion to be put soon for a no confidence vote on the leader.
 
This local sovereignty doesn't seem to be going well, not a good time to be lacking leadership.

What is the way ahead for Christchurch if it goes it alone, presumably a loss of funding from central government and more expensive bought in services from the noisy neighbours. Maybe the best option would be to adjust the Hampshire border ?
 
CHRISTCHURCH council leader Ray Nottage said he would ignore members if they called for 'no change' in their upcoming super council vote, according to MP Christopher Chope.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday (DEC 1), Mr Chope said the leader made the comments at a meeting with him, housing minister (WHO) and East Dorset District Council leader Spencer Flower on Friday, November 25.

But Cllr Nottage has says the MP has got it wrong.

Mr Chope said: "Despite the fact that Christchurch councillors have at no stage given approval to any suggestion that their council should be abolished, the leader of the council told my Hon Friend the Minister: 'We don’t think option 1' - no change - 'is really an option'.

"Although he was immediately contradicted by the leader of East Dorset District Council, the Christchurch leader went on to say that if he did not receive a mandate from his councillors for the council’s abolition, he would be ready to defy that decision when discussing with other council leaders the preferred option for Dorset.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14950632.I_wouldn__39_t_listen_to___39_no_change__39__vote_if_it_happened__what_leader_apparently_said_about_supercouncil_merger/
 
That Nottage is surely a gonner next election either way. I wish the same could be said for Chope - surely the most disingenuous of all of our local MPs - the worst of a bad bunch. He can bleat on all he likes with his populist 'independence' rhetoric but he doesn't ever seem to address the key issue. Christchurch is not a unitary authority and the rest of the county council area seem to want change (nevermind Bournemouth and Poole). No change surely isn't an option under those circumstances. What is Chope's solution?

 
SlowDownDerek - 7/12/2016 10:22

That Nottage is surely a gonner next election either way. I wish the same could be said for Chope - surely the most disingenuous of all of our local MPs - the worst of a bad bunch. He can bleat on all he likes with his populist 'independence' rhetoric but he doesn't ever seem to address the key issue. Christchurch is not a unitary authority and the rest of the county council area seem to want change (nevermind Bournemouth and Poole). No change surely isn't an option under those circumstances. What is Chope's solution?
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I think this takes place next week.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/14920281.Motion_of_no_confidence_in_leader_to_go_to_council_next_month/

As for the MP.

In Dorset, Christchurch as it is now would be abolished, with the Christchurch borough included in a constituency with five wards from north Bournemouth.

This constituency would be named Bournemouth North and Christchurch.

A Bournemouth South constituency would also be created containing ten wards from the south of the borough.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14738794.Christchurch__abolished__in_planned_major_shake_up_of_constituency_borders_across_Dorset/

 
Local sovereignty rumbles on,

Six Dorset MPs back super council plans (but MP Chris Chope says they’re “ignorant” about merger)

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14979080.Six_Dorset_MPs_back_super_council_plans__but_MP_Chris_Chope_says_they___re____ignorant____about_merger_/?ref=mr&lp=18
 
“Do my colleagues realise that they will be condemning their constituents to substantial increases in council tax? In Poole, for example, the council tax would have to go up by 16 per cent to equalise with Christchurch.

“Some of my colleagues may be behaving like predators, but I’m determined to defend the interests of my constituents.”


If it does happen and the councils join up, all the bands will have to be the same figure, at the moment I think Band D in Christchurch is more than Bournemouth and Poole.
 
Council tax is going up everywhere soon. The government has been hinting about allowing council's to charge up to 6% more. This will probably mean 6% more for Bournemouth and Poole whether there is a merger or not. The only impact on CT of a merger will be Christchurch benefitting from a freeze until they are level. He could look at this as a benefit to his constituents but he deliberately doesn't because he's full of sh*t.

 
Not very happy with what is happening within our council at the moment.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/14976544.Police_investigating_claims_council_leader_assaulted_former_mayor/

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/14974494.Council_leader_told_former_mayor_to___39_f_ck_off__39__then_pushed_him_in_bust_up_over_no_confidence_motion/

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/christchurch/14974473.Council_leaders___39_ignored__39__Christchurch___councillor/

 
There seems to be some dreadful characters involved in Christchurch politics Chope included.

If I was from there I would ask the people that are proposing 'no change' how exactly that is going to work if the majority of people in the other parts of the county council area want to change. If the rest of Dorset want change surely that means no change really isn't an option in Christchurch even if they want it to be. Are they proposing Christchurch as a unitary authority?
 
SlowDownDerek - 21/12/2016 15:01

There seems to be some dreadful characters involved in Christchurch politics Chope included.

If I was from there I would ask the people that are proposing 'no change' how exactly that is going to work if the majority of people in the other parts of the county council area want to change. If the rest of Dorset want change surely that means no change really isn't an option in Christchurch even if they want it to be. Are they proposing Christchurch as a unitary authority?
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Think that's what is on the cards.
 
Christchurch as a unitary authority?

Interesting to see how much funding from our money would be allocated by central government.
The very expensive and extensive elected members and executives need to meet somewhere, where will the new resized council offices be built ? Cheaper and more credible to become a suburb of Southampton.
 
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14989807.County_councillors_urged_to_vote_for_Christchurch_to_merge_with_Bournemouth_and_Poole/

It seems the rest of Dorset doesn't want Christchurch so they are going to have to come up with something a bit more concrete than the 'no change' option. Time to put up or shut up.
 
It never left Hampshire.


Government Statement 1974:
“The new county boundaries are administrative areas and
will not alter the traditional boundaries of counties,
nor is it intended that the loyalties of
people living in them will change.”
 
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