MORE than £6million is about to be ploughed into creating the new Dorset Council.

The money, although already agreed, is now being asked for from borough and district councils earlier than originally planned.

Almost £3.3 million has already been paid in to fund the process, £1.13 million in November 2017 and £2.2 million in May 2018.

Now the Dorset Programme Board says it will need another £6.36 million to fund the transformation project.

The money will be used for a range of items varying from changing logos to alterations to buildings, extra staff to help with the process, training for new staff, closing down existing councils.

Costs will be shared, proportionately, between the existing councils with the biggest slice, of £4.5million being added to the new council’s 2019/20 budget.

Dorset County Council is being asked to pay in £930,000; West Dorset District £252.000; East Dorset £222,000; North Dorset £177,000; Weymouth and Portland £163,000 and Purbeck £116,000.

When the process is complete an estimated £13.2 million will have been spent on the transformation with the new council estimating that, in time, it will save in excess of that each year because of reduced overheads and efficiencies.