POOLE will become a dumping ground for things Bournemouth doesn’t want under super council plans, a councillor has claimed.

Cllr Philip Eades, a Liberal Democrat, tweeted about the end of the Borough of Poole “after 769 years”. He told the Echo: “Poole will be run by Bournemouth, and the Tories in Poole have sold the borough down the river.”

The Future Dorset proposal, which will see the two towns combined with Christchurch under a new unitary authority, was given the green light by the Government on Tuesday, although there is a consultation period before the final decision in January.

Leaders backing the proposal, including Poole’s Janet Walton, have said it will be “more efficient, save money and protect public services”, particularly elderly care, having councils structured around the “urban and rural geography” of the county.

Christchurch councillors and residents opposed to the plans have also expressed their defiance.

Cllr Eades has previously warned that under a single council, more housing could be built on Poole’s green belt, while a gypsy and travellers site and a waste treatment site could end up in the borough.

“It’s a very sad day. There is nothing wrong with Poole to which the answer is a takeover by Bournemouth,” he said.

“It’s perfectly sensible for the two administrations to come together but Poole has its own issues and needs and these can only be property served by its own sovereign council,” he said.

“Make no mistake, this is going to happen but no one has a mandate for it.”

His comments were backed by Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Vikki Slade, who tweeted: “Flawed consultation, rules changing as we go through, a committee that doesn’t go anywhere near representing our community - welcome to the City of Greater Bournemouth!”

Meanwhile former Lib Dem MP Dame Annette Brooke said she supported the two unitaries scheme in principle, but was “very concerned” about the lack of an equivalent to rural Dorset’s parish councils, and the likelihood of a council tax rise in Poole

Cllr Eades said moves to ‘harmonise’ tax between the boroughs would lead to “six per cent council tax rises”.

In Christchurch, council tax payers currently owe £1,522 a year for a Band D property, compared with £1,358 in Bournemouth and £1,321 in Poole. The new Joint Committee, formed to oversee the transition to the new council in April 2019, has set up a task and finish group to examine options for bringing these figures in line, which the Government says must be achieved within 10 years.

Christchurch cllr David Jones said the proposal could mean “residents of Somerford will be subsidising the residents of Southbourne (and indeed the whole of Bournemouth and Poole) for the whole of that time”.

He said it would see control over the borough’s “open spaces, financial assets and environment” transferred to an authority “dominated by councillors elected from the Bournemouth area”.

“If this decision is implemented as it stands it will be a very bad deal for Christchurch and I, and others, will do everything we can to persuade the secretary of state to change his mind.”

The majority of the county’s councillors and politicians back the proposal and have dismissed claims it will reduce the autonomy of individual towns.

Cllr Claire Bath said: “Christchurch will have a strong voice in a new conurbation council, it will be a new group of councillors on a new council who will be building relationships in the best interest of the whole area.”

Cllr Trevor Watts said: “I think this is a wonderful opportunity. We won’t be swallowed up by Bournemouth, we will be treated as an equal,” he said.

“This is not an issue of sovereignty because Christchurch lost that a long time ago. This restructure is all about maintaining services and I’d rather we did that with positive, forward-looking, forward-thinking councils like Bournemouth and Poole, not Dorset.”

He said opponents were “sticking their heads in the sand and living in the Jurassic Age”.

Douglas Eyre, chairman of the Uniting the Conurbation campaign group, said: “We are the equivalent of a big city in this country or Europe with all the major issues that entails, traffic, housing for young people, careers and protecting the environment.

“These can’t be confronted by fragmented councils.”

Business and civic leaders in the county have expressed support for the Future Dorset proposal, saying it will attract investment and cut red tape.

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said: “A consistent approach to infrastructure and housing planning will make the county more attractive to businesses wanting to relocate.

“Businesses also clearly see the operating efficiencies that can be achieved with a streamlined approach to the structure and number of local authorities in the county.”

The move was also welcomed by Poole Hospital chief executive Debbie Fleming. The trust is currently involved in merger talks with the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

“We have concluded that this proposal is the best way forward,” she said. “We look forward to working with the new council structure in Dorset both during the transition and in the new structures going forward, as part of the Dorset Sustainability and Transformation Programme.”

Diane Grannell, chief executive of Bournemouth and Poole College, said the proposal would make it easier to match courses with demand from regional employers.

“With our focus on current and future jobs needs, we equip students to get the jobs they want in growing industries,” she said.