CHRISTCHURCH council leader Ray Nottage said he would ignore members if they called for 'no change' in their upcoming super council vote, according to MP Christopher Chope.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, December 1, Mr Chope said the leader made the comments at a meeting with him, the housing minister and East Dorset District Council leader Spencer Flower on Friday, November 25.

But Cllr Nottage has says the MP has got it wrong.

Mr Chope said: "Despite the fact that Christchurch councillors have at no stage given approval to any suggestion that their council should be abolished, the leader of the council told my Hon Friend the Minister: 'We don’t think option 1' - no change - 'is really an option'.

"Although he was immediately contradicted by the leader of East Dorset District Council, the Christchurch leader went on to say that if he did not receive a mandate from his councillors for the council’s abolition, he would be ready to defy that decision when discussing with other council leaders the preferred option for Dorset.

"In throwing aside the caution that he had been seeking to impose on all other councillors around the issue of predetermination, he said: 'What is expected cannot be achieved with the status quo'."

Mr Chope said the leader's comments showed "his mind had been made up all along" and that the public consultation "was effectively a charade".

He said: "It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the public consultation has been so criticised as inadequate, biased and, indeed, untruthful."

However Cllr Nottage denied the MP's claims.

"I can assure both residents and my fellow councillors that during a private meeting with a government minister I did not say I would defy a mandate given to me if it did not support the council’s abolition," he said.

"I told the minister I am seeking a mandate from members on December 13 to take forward to discussions with other leaders on 15 December 15.

"However, if I do not receive a mandate from members at the full council meeting I will have no alternative but to rely on the results of the public consultation during future discussions with the leaders of the other eight councils in Dorset.

"I am disappointed this has been misinterpreted and I hope to move forward with a mandate from Christchurch borough councillors."

The council said Cllr Flower "confirmed that Cllr Nottage said he would take his mandate from his members".