AN EXTRA £400,000 is to be paid by Dorset County Council towards the cost of setting up the new Dorset Council.

By December the new council had already requested £5.24 million towards the cost of its creation from existing councils in the county. Dorset County Council has set aside £3.26 million as its share.

DCC Cabinet members heard this week that between £530,000 and £670,000 was still reserved for local government reorganisation costs – meaning that an additional £400,000 was needed to be taken out of general balances to meet a request for £930,000.

Councillors approved the new money after finance brief holder Cllr Tony Ferrari told them it was ‘a good news story’ because the earlier savings were made, the better it was in the long term.

“As well as some new officers arriving earlier than budgeted we have also crystallised redundancy costs on 2018/19 that were not originally expected until 2019/20…

“Exceeding anticipated costs this financial year in this situation is good news not bad news. With some activities the earlier we invest the earlier we make savings, giving us more money to spend on front line services. Other events, like the early arrival of new staff will allow us to be more effective in the new organisation.”

But the late publication of the item, added to the agenda as an urgent item at the last minute led Cllr Nick Ireland to demand an explanation.

He said the late publication meant councillors and the public were not being kept properly informed although the decision behind the request had been known about in December.

Cllr Ferrari apologised and pleaded ‘human error’, saying that it had simply been overlooked during the Christmas/New Year period: “It should have been spotted but it was not. Apologies,” he said.

n From April 1, two new unitary authorities in the county will replace the existing nine district and borough councils including Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset councils.

The two new authorities, one for the Dorset rural area, and one for Bournemouth,, Poole and Christchurch, will deliver all local government services in their respective areas.

In Weymouth, a new town council is being established.