ON MAY 2 voters across Dorset will head to the ballot boxes to choose who they want to represent them in local government.

The first councillors on the county’s two new unitary authorities will be appointed while seats on a raft of parish and town councils will also be filled.

Dorset’s county, borough and district councils have been merged into two new local authorities representing about 800,000 people in a bid to save millions of pounds.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council will represent the south east of the county – taking over the mantle of three borough councils – while Dorset Council will run services elsewhere.

The merger came into force on April 1 following the abolition of all the preceding councils, despite opposition from Christchurch council.

As a result of its concerns about the impact of local government reorganisation, new neighbourhood and town councils have been formed to take on some of its responsibilities.

Councillors for the new Christchurch Town and Highcliffe and Walkford Neighbourhood councils will oversee a number of traditions previously upheld by Christchurch council, such as the mayoralty.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council chief executive Graham Farrant said all councillors would be expected to work in the best interests of the whole conurbation.

“This is a new council,” he said. “We have got the good fortune of having some really good ingredients moving forward.

“It’s also an opportunity to move things forward, what way that is done will be down to the priorities of members.

“We have an induction programme in place for all new councillors – no matter if they were representatives of one of the former councils or have never been elected.

“This will make it clear that everyone is working across the whole area.”

The first chief executive of Dorset Council is former Dorset Councils Partnership boss Matt Prosser.

Speaking on its first day, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the merger had gone well.

Elections for all of Dorset’s councils will take place on Thursday, May 2.

Votes in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area will be counted the following day at Bournemouth International Centre.

Ballots in the Dorset Council area will also be tallied up on the Friday.

The first meeting of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council will take place on Tuesday, May 21 at Bournemouth University.

Dorset Council will meet for the first time on Thursday, May 16 at South Walks House in Dorchester.