IN response to Mr Caine’s letter (November 20) entitled ‘Make them give us a say’, I would just like to set the record straight regarding what has and has not already been agreed and voted on in reference to the creation of a unitary authority.

The leader of Poole Council, in conjunction with the leaders of the other respective councils, has indeed had preliminary discussions around the potential for a unitary authority as a possibility for the future. The vote on November 17 at full council was to put protections in place in order for those discussions to move forwards and enable the leaders to proceed with research into the viability of creating a unitary authority. The protections state that a full business case showing that the unitary authority must be advantageous to Poole and must show Poole’s heritage, customs and civic history be preserved. In addition to that, a business case will be submitted as a proposed for, which will then be open to public consultation and full scrutiny.

The motion to council on November 17 was not a vote to create the unitary authority. It was a vote to allow the research into whether indeed it such a creation was at all possible with those protections in place. Until the research has been done and until the business case has been built, there is nothing to put to the public for consultation and nothing to scrutinise. At this point wWe simply do not know what the unitary model would look like.

Having a referendum on something that, after research and study, may not even turn out to be possible, viable or in the best interests of Poole, would be a tremendous waste of time, money and resources, which is why we feel the model chosen in the motion is the best course of action at this juncture.

CLLR RUSSELL TRENT Alderney ward