Bournemouth and Christchurch are historically part of the county of Hampshire, whilst Poole is historically a part of Dorset. By the mid 20th century the area 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, whilst still forming separate districts. In 1997 Poole and Bournemouth became unitary authorities, whilst 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. Christchurch Borough Council formally opposed the plans, whilst every other existing authority in Dorset supported the plans. Christchurch Borough Council unsuccessfully challenged the proposals in the High Court. 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.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
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. 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 6th June 2018. However, in the Local Government Boundary Commission's review, they reduced the number of wards for the new authority to 33 multi-member wards, with 76 councillors in total. 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 remained 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, Independents, Poole People, Labour, Green Party and Alliance for Local Living. The Unity Alliance therefore had 39 members, the number required for a majority. The remaining councillors, belonging to the Conservative Party and UKIP remained in opposition.
History
The area around Poole Harbour has been inhabited for at least around 2,500 years, with the Durotriges, a Celtic groups, settling the Dorset area in the Iron Age. The area continued to be important during Roman Rule, with Poole being one of the areas Roman troops landed, and with the Second Augustan Legion under Emperor Vespasian founding Hamworthy in 43AD, which today lies in the Southeast of the authority. Following the initial Saxon invasions in the 7th century, the area came under the Kingdom of Wessex. As shires developed, the area now covering Christchurch and Bournemouth became part of Hampshire whilst Poole became part of Dorset.
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.
Demographics
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. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole roughly overlaps with the South-East Dorset Conurbation, although the latter also spreads to the former East Dorset Borough and parts of the New Forest district of Hampshire. As such, the area lies within the South West Hampshire/South East Dorset Green Belt, created between 1958 and 1980, which regulates environmental and planning policy to manage development expansion.
