Dorset Council carried out a Community Governance Review of Shipton Gorge and Loders parishes in the Dorset Council area from October 2025 to May 2026.
The Community Governance has now been completed and the relevant Order and maps are available for public inspection at the Council offices at County Hall, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ during normal working hours.
The changes set out in the Order will take effect on 1 April 2027. The first elections under the new community governance arrangements will take place in May 2029.
You can read about the Community Governance Review below.
A Community Governance Review is a legal process where the council will consult with those living in the area, and other interested parties, on the most suitable ways of representing the people in the parishes identified in the review. This means making sure that those living in the area, and other interested groups, have a say in how their local communities are represented.
The review could consider one or more of the following options:
The review couldn't:
Dorset Council was statutorily responsible for carrying out this Community Governance Review. Formal decisions as to the Terms of Reference for the Review and the recommendations arising from the Review were made by Full Council.
On 7 July 2025, Dorset Council received a petition seeking a review of part of the boundary between the parishes of Shipton Gorge and Loders. Following receipt of the petition, the council had a duty to undertake a review, which had to be concluded within 1 year of receipt of the petition, ie 6 July 2026.
At its meeting on 14 July 2022, Dorset Council agreed to change the parish boundary between these parishes following no adverse comments from either parish council or any local residents, and a related change to Dorset Council’s ward boundaries was subsequently made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to ensure that the parish and ward boundaries were the same (coterminous).
Local residents had since raised concerns about the changes to the parish boundaries as they did not believe the revised arrangements reflected community identity and had petitioned Dorset Council for a further review, asking that the boundary be returned to its previous line prior to the change that took effect in 2024.
The Community Governance Review was required to take into account:
The council was required to ensure that community governance within the area under review would:
Any other factors, such as council tax precept levels, couldn't be considered.
Before making any recommendations or publishing final proposals, the council had to consult local government electors for the area under review and any other person or body (including a local authority) which appeared to the council to have an interest in the Review.
The council therefore:
The council recognised that the development of strong, sustainable communities depended on residents’ active participation in decision making in respect of the governance arrangements of parish councils, and the council was therefore committed to engaging effectively with the diverse communities it served and to enabling local people to participate meaningfully in the creation of effective community governance arrangements where all people feel able to take an active part in influencing service delivery.
Theere were 2 periods of public consultation. The first period of public consultation, based on the Community Governance Review consultation paper, took place between 3 November and 5 December 2025. Following consideration of the submissions/representations received, a report of draft recommendations was considered and agreed by Full Council at its meeting on 10 February 2026. A second period of public consultation, based on the draft recommendations, took place between 23 February and 27 March 2026. A report of final recommendations was considered and approved by Full Council at its meeting on 16 April 2026 and you can view the accompanying minutes.
The council had to complete the Community Governance Review within 12 months of receipt of the petition, ie 6 July 2026. A Community Governance Review is concluded on the day on which the council publishes the recommendations made by the Community Governance Review..
| Action | Timeline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Report to Full Council | 23 October 2025 | Council approves the Community Governance Review Terms of Reference. |
| Publish Terms of Reference | 27 October 2025 | Publish Terms of Reference and notify stakeholders of the commencement of the Review. |
| Prepare consultation document and invite initial submissions | 3 November 2025 – 5 December 2025 (4 weeks) | Initial submissions invited:
Publish proposals on Dorset Council website. |
| Consider submissions | 8 December 2025 - 16 January 2026 | Consider any submissions/representations and prepare report of draft recommendations for Full Council on 10 February 2026. |
| Publish draft recommendations | 23 February – 27 March 2026 (4 weeks) | Publish draft recommendations for further consultation with:
|
| Make final recommendations | 16 April 2026 Full Council meeting |
Consider any further submissions/representations and prepare final recommendations for report to Full Council. |
| Publish final recommendations | May 2026 | Publish final recommendations and arrange for the preparation of a Reorganisation Order. |
View the following documents:
