EARLY figures indicate some 14,000 Dorset residents responded to the eight week public consultation on super councils.

They show 4,192 responses to the household survey and 9,960 responses to the open consultation - of which 8,911 were given online. The consultation ended on Tuesday.

A final proposal for the future of local government in Dorset, which could see the county’s nine councils rearranged into two unitary authorities, will be decided in a series of meetings in January.

Speaking for the nine councils Tony Williams, chief executive of Bournemouth council, said: “We have been heartened with the level of engagement local people have shown, with thousands stopping to chat or pick up more information at the 40-plus roadshows that took place across the county, attending residents’ meetings and completing the survey.”

“I would like to thank each and every person and organisation who took the time to read and digest the wealth of detailed information available, and subsequently fill in the questionnaire.”

The councils have hired external firms to prepare documents for each council, including Local Partnerships, a company jointly owned by HM Treasury and the Local Government Association, which has carried out a financial analysis, and social research firm ORS, which carried out the consultation and will provide an analysis of the feedback.

Professional services giant PricewaterhouseCoopers is preparing what the councils call the “case for change”, arguing against maintaining the status quo.

Councillors will receive the reports in December, with reports published by each authority on December 23, and the public full council meetings following in January.

Mr Williams said: “It is not until these have all taken place that a decision will have been made on which, if any, proposal the Dorset councils will submit to the Secretary of State for consideration.”

Commenting on claims councillors from the nine authorities are being gagged, the chief executive said members had been given legal advice to “not have a fixed view” until the final reports are available.

“I would expect councillors to wish to see the collated views of residents and other stakeholders and to take these views into account before coming to a final conclusion,” he said.

He said members should be “absorbing the results of the consultation” and considering the evidence in the “case for change” and financial report before making a decision.