COUNCIL leaders are today expected to tell the government that Dorset’s nine big local authorities should be replaced with just two.

But local government secretary Sajid Javid will already have received a letter from Christchurch saying the borough should not be made to go along with the idea.

Christchurch, Purbeck and East Dorset councils have each voted to dissent from the view of the other six that Dorset would be best-run by two big councils. The proposals would see Christchurch merging with Bournemouth and Poole, while another council would run the rest of Dorset.

But critics say other options should be reopened – including that of a council consisting just of the three areas that want no part of the current plans.

A meeting of all nine council leaders was held yesterday afternoon. The leaders of the six in favour of change were expected to agree a formal proposal to Mr Javid.

The mayor of Christchurch, Cllr Trish Jamieson, has already written to Mr Javid to set out the position of her council, which rejected the views of its leader Cllr Ray Nottage that the shake-up should go ahead.

She told the Daily Echo: “I said that at the extraordinary meeting on January 31, members voted by 14-8 to reject the proposals for a joint authority and that East Dorset and Purbeck rejected them as well.”

She added: “We’re asking for clarification because in the past we’ve been told that the government wouldn’t use its power to force change on any authority .We’ve asked them to confirm it’s not the government’s wish for the two-tier system to be abolished.”

Long-serving Christchurch councillor Colin Jamieson insisted it was not too late to consider other options.

“Nobody was saying that change was anathema – it was to be embraced,” he said.

“It needed to be the right change in order to meet the needs of the community and the options that were on the table were unpalatable and we need to continue to explore other options.

“It’s a big decision and it shouldn’t be rushed and it appears that this has been pushed and pushed without time for much reflection.”

Other options could include a single Dorset-wide council or one that included just Christchurch, East Dorset and Purbeck, he said.

A statement released after the recent round of full council meetings said six councils had “supported the public mood and backed a change to local government structures”.

Matt Prosser, chairman of the Dorset chief executives group, said: “We now have a mandate from our councils and we have the backing of the public and other stakeholders. That is clear from the consultation results.”