PARISH and town councils in Dorset are unlikely to see much change in the way they work after local government reorganisation – at least in the first year or two.

The association which represents the majority of the 160-plus smaller councils in the county say they are willing to work with the new Dorset Council and its counterpart in Bournemouth and Poole, and, in some cases, to take on services.

In diplomatic terms the Dorset Association of Town and Parish Councils told shadow Dorset Council members that they wanted more information and to be kept closely involved in the change process.

In equally polite terms members of the shadow overview and scrutiny committee suggested on Tuesday they were unlikely to get much of what they wanted – at least in the short term.

Committee chairman Cllr Trevor Jones said that the key priorities of the new council would be keeping adult social services and children’s services going – with public toilets and other areas of concern at parish level, down the list of priorities.

He said the chances of parishes being told what services they might expect to run by the autumn were slim because by September, or October, when the budget setting process begins, it was unlikely the shadow executive would have an overall view of the shape and services of the new Dorset Council.

“The message going out at the moment, from the shadow executive, is that if it makes money we want to keep it; if it loses money we will get rid of it,” he said.

Cllr Jones said that while many of the bigger parishes and town councils were keen to take on services, there were others who “would run a mile in the opposite direction, especially when the equalisation of council tax hits them…

“There just isn’t time to reach agreement with 160 or so parish councils, even if some of them don’t want change.”

He said it was inevitable that little would be agreed by April 2019 when the new council comes into being and that it may take a year, or two, beyond that for agreements to be reached with all the towns and parishes which wanted to do more.

Chief executive of the Dorset Association of Town and Parish Councils, Hilary Trevorah, told the committee that the need for co-operation had never been more essential: “let us help you shape services in innovative ways,” she offered.

Swanage town clerk, Dr Martin Ayres, said that transferring assets and services and removing legal obstacles could empower bottom tier councils to act in positive ways for local people, allowing the Dorset Council to focus on strategic issues.

Said Alderholt parish councillor Adrian Hibberd: “Please don’t leave smaller parishes out of it…we are desperate to be part of it, but we need to know budgets, ideally by November…we need to know ahead what you intend to do, or not do.

“The communication is not coming down the line and we are getting left out at the moment.”

Cllr Ray Novak also made a plea for early decisions over which services, if any, town and parish councils could run.

“I can’t see the new authority wanting to provide non-statutory services, such as public toilets…if parish and town councils are to provide services next spring they need to know about it now so they can explore how to fund it and, possibly, how to work together with neighbouring parishes.”

Cllr Hibberd said that handing over some services at the very local level would revitalise parishes: “One of the main reason we have so many vacancies is that people find there is very little they can do.

“This is a new start and we can revamp the image of the parish councillor from something like in the Vicar of Dibley to something more professional.”