RESIDENTS of Christchurch will vote in a referendum on the future of the borough.

Councillors last night agreed to hold a poll in May on whether to remain a ‘sovereign’ authority or merge with Bournemouth and Poole.

And afterwards council leader David Flagg said a resident had offered £30,000 towards the costs.

The extraordinary council meeting came on the eve of an expected decision by Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid, on whether to allow the creation of two unitaries in Dorset - the Future Dorset proposal.

Chief Executive David McIntosh said the process needed to be seen to be even-handed, fair and unbiased.

He said it could be a postal poll or run like a local election on May 18 after the county council elections on May 4.

“Whatever you do, you need to make people see it is fair and reasonable,” he added.

Finance director Ian Milner told the meeting: “I am very concerned and unconvinced that this is a good use of public money. It would carry little weight as an indication of public opinion across Dorset.”

He asked them not to proceed in view of the costs of around £60,000-£80,000.

Cllr David Jones said the minister had been given misleading information in the Future Dorset submission and that the financial arguments for merger were unravelling.

“We need to know beyond doubt what the people of Christchurch think,” he added.

“This is about £49m worth of Christchurch assets disappearing across the river forever.”

And Colin Bungey said the consultation had not been done properly.

But Cllr Lisle Smith said she had big concerns about the poll.

Cllr Margaret Phipps said there had been little democracy in the whole two-year process. “Now we have the chance to ask Christchurch people what they want.”

Cllr Bernie Davies said he could not believe that any member would go against the advice of their finance officer.

Cllr Sue Spittle said: “We are a small cog in Dorset and we can’t afford to waste money on this poll.”

The spending could be challenged as unlawful she claimed.

Chairman of the finance committee, Cllr Trevor Watts added: “This will probably cost nearer £100,000. We won’t lose our sovereignty if we go in with Bournemouth. Let’s stop living in the Jurassic Age.”

Cllr Claire Bath described it as “a bad use of taxpayers’ money.”

Members voted by 13 votes to 9 to go ahead with a postal poll.