Bournemouth and Christchurch were historically part of the county of Hampshire, while Poole was historically a part of Dorset and was a county corporate. By the mid-20th century, the towns had begun to coalesce as a conurbation, and in the 1974 Local Government Act the three areas were brought together under the ceremonial county of Dorset, while still forming separate districts. In 1997, Poole and Bournemouth became unitary authorities, while Christchurch remained within Dorset County Council.
The new authority was formed as a result of local government reorganisation in the ceremonial county of Dorset. Under the plans, dubbed "Future Dorset", all councils within the county were abolished and replaced with two new unitary authorities. One was formed from the existing unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole, which merged with the non-metropolitan district of Christchurch to create the unitary authority to be known as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The other was created from the merger of the existing non-metropolitan districts of Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck and East Dorset to form a new Dorset authority.[5]
The plans were supported by every affected body except Christchurch Borough Council, which formally opposed the reorganisation[6] and unsuccessfully challenged the proposals in the High Court.[7] Several Conservative councillors in Christchurch were suspended from the party for their opposition to the plan, with several of them subsequently standing as independents in the 2019 election.[8]
Statutory instruments for the creation of the new authority were made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 25 May 2018, and a shadow authority was formed the following day.[9][10] The shadow authority was composed of the existing borough councillors from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, as well as the county councillors representing Christchurch. The shadow authority had 125 members, and first met on 6 June 2018.[11] However, a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission's reduced the number of wards for the new authority to 33 multi-member wards, with 76 councillors in total.[12]
The first elections took place in 2019 alongside other local elections, and led to the Conservatives holding the most seats but lacking a majority, meaning that the council was under no overall control. Subsequent to the election, the Liberal Democrats, the second largest party in the council, led the creation of the Unity Alliance Administration, made up of the Liberal Democrats (15), Independents (11), Poole People (7), Labour (3), Green Party (2) and Alliance for Local Living (1). The Unity Alliance therefore had 39 members, the number required for a majority. The remaining councillors, belonging to the Conservative Party (36) and UKIP (1), remained in opposition. However, two Unity Alliance councillors died in 2020,[13][14] and two Poole People councillors left both their party and the administration,[15][16] leaving the administration in minority; a vote of no confidence in council leader Vikki Slade was subsequently passed, removing her as leader. A new leader was elected on 1 October 2020.[17]
The authority lies in the South East of the ceremonial county of Dorset around 150 km from London. Dorset as a whole is part of the South Westregion of England, which is used for statistical purposes. The three former boroughs are all historically seaside towns with tourism playing an important part in the local economy. Bournemouth and Poole lie north of Poole Harbour, whilst Christchurch contains Christchurch Harbour, with the Isle of Wight and Solent to the East and English Channel to the South and West.
Climate
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has an Oceanic Temperate Climate. The presence of the Gulf Stream ensures that the British Isles maintain an all-year-round ambient temperature, and, because of its position on the south coast of England, the area has slightly warmer winters and cooler summers than settlements further inland.
^In accordance with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recommendations, the Met Office maintains long-term averages of the UK climate, based on standard 30-year periods. The latest 30-year period is for 1981–2010.
Demographics
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Green belt
County borders
District borders
The major settlements within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Merley / Oakley. Within the ceremonial county of Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole are the largest two settlements, whilst Christchurch is the fourth, after Weymouth.
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