THERE is less than a week left to have your say on the proposed merger of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

The people of Christchurch expressed a strong view in a postal referendum, those in Bournemouth and Poole have had no such opportunity.

Writing as a lifelong Poole resident I see no advantage in being "merged" in with Bournemouth. Most of the savings promised by a merger have been made already without the merger. The only popular one to be made, a minor one reducing the number of councillors, is possible without a merger. The Boundary Commission could be called in to review local wards, based on say, two members per ward and a maximum number of councillors per authority, e.g. 32 for Poole rather than 42. It just takes the will to do it.

I fear that under a merger people living in outlying places like Turlin Moor, Merley, Broadstone, Creekmoor, and Alderney (the ward where I live), will be ignored whilst having the things that no one else wants thrust upon them by an elite group of councillors sitting in their "ivory tower". The democratic deficit will hit everybody at some point in the future. Why wait to find out the hard way?

You can write to or email the Secretary of State (deadline for receipt 8th January) via sajid.javid@communities.gsi.gov.uk or The Right Hon. Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF. There are also petitions around, but a direct representation will be far more effective.

TONY TRENT

Fraser Road, Wallisdown, Poole