A NEW system for preserving civic and ceremonial rights of Dorset's towns will not be considered before October.

The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Joint Committee has indicated it intends to create a 'charter trustee' for each borough which will allow for the legal retention of its mayoralty and other traditions.

However, the Government says the plan will require changes to the Lieutenancies Act and the Sheriffs Act, and therefore an order will not be laid before Parliament until October at the earliest.

A report to the committee, which next meets on Wednesday, May 23, calls the delay "frustrating in part".

The report by Richard Jones, legal and democratic services manager, states: "This additional time was welcomed by the task and finish group.

"It will provide the group with the opportunity to consider the draft recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England when drawing the defined areas, take into account the outcome of the community governance review for Christchurch, complete a full review of the schedule of assets to be transferred, provide clarity and draft protocols for the respective role of the chairman of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and the mayors of the charter trustees."

The group will also be seeking to establish the "mechanism" for calculating the costs and precept requirements for each charter trustee body, the report says.

The community governance review in Christchurch is currently looking into the possibility of preserving the borough's mayoralty and a degree of autonomy by establishing a town council.

A boundary review is due to be carried out by the Boundary Commission, looking into the shape of the wards of the future conurbation authority, assuming it is approved in Parliament.

With some proposed wards split between the current borough boundaries, this review would likely have a major impact on the form of the charter trustee bodies, determining who can sit on them and who is eligible to stand for the mayoralty.

Originally the committee expected to see the Parliamentary order appear in the House of Commons before the summer recess.