Council cabinet to go on tour for meetings

Most Dorset Council meetings are held in County Hall in Dorchester

A council's senior councillors will be going on tour for their cabinet meetings in the autumn.

The new leader of Dorset Council, Nick Ireland, has proposed to take the meetings to some of the county's market towns from September.

While some committee meetings do meet elsewhere, for example planning committees meeting at Sturminster Newton and Wimborne, most council meetings take place at County Hall in Dorchester.

Mr Ireland said the details had yet to be finalised, but the market towns were the most likely venues, provided that the council’s broadcasting equipment would work.

The group, which oversees and directs council business, does not usually meet in August, along with most other council committees.

Mr Ireland told councillors at the July cabinet meeting in Dorchester that they could expect to be meeting elsewhere from September.

The leader also announced that some portfolio holders, who sit on the cabinet, are having their titles shortened.

Other internal changes being proposed include splitting the licensing committee into two groups - one to deal with premises and event licensing and the other to deal with issues such as gambling, sex establishment licensing and taxi driver applications.

It is expected that the current chair, Derek Beer, would chair both groups if the change was approved.