THE legislation to allow local government reorganisation in Dorset to go ahead was approved in both Houses of Parliament yesterday.

A deferred division in the House of Commons took place on the structural changes, which will lead to the dissolution of the county's existing nine councils.

They will be replaced by two new unitary authorities.

One will cover Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, while the other will be responsible for the remaining 'rural' Dorset area.

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns said the reorganisation presented an "enormous" opportunity for the conurbation.

He said the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation would become the 16th largest urban area in the UK, creating the possibility to promote the area more effectively both nationally and internationally.

North Dorset MP Simon Hoare told the Daily Echo there was a "huge" majority of support during a vote in the House of Commons, followed by a short debate and support in the House of Lords.

Mr Hoare said the parliamentary process was now completed and the next step was delivery of the mergers.

"It is very welcome and I think those people who rely upon, use, or are interested in local services in Dorset can breath a huge sigh of relief," he said.