A BRIDPORT councillor has hit out at West Dorset District Council's delay of introducing a new committee system following last month's referendum.

As reported in the Bridport News, the Public First group's campaign for the district council to revert back to a committee executive was approved after 16,000 or 25,000 votes cast in the referendum backed the campaign.

But the district council has revealed the changes will not be implemented until May 2017.

Cllr Kelvin Clayton, Green Party member on Bridport Town Council, has called the apparent delay a "slap in the face" for democracy.

He said: "People voted by a big majority to replace this unpopular single party cabinet with a wider range of voices and opinions. So why don‘t they get on with it?

“You could send a manned space mission to Mars in less time than west Dorset councillors say it will take to rearrange the seating around their cabinet table.

“I call on the leader of the council to explain why this implementation will take so long.

"The latest decision to ignore the verdict of the referendum for the next 12 months is an insult to the 25,000 people who took the time and trouble to take part."

Leader of West Dorset District Council, Cllr Anthony Alford said the authority's constitution needs to be reviewed before the changes take place.

Cllr Alford said: "The change to the committee system cannot be implemented overnight, it’s a fundamentally different form of local governance falling under different legislative control.

"It will require a complete review of the council’s constitution covering everything from committee procedures to financial regulations.

"The district council will be involving all councillors in the review process. The public would expect members to have a full debate and consideration of the alternatives and the ways that procedures will change.

"The overall process will take many months to complete and will be followed by the formal decision making process by councillors.

"If there is a possibility to implement a change sooner than May 2017 then this will be reviewed over the months ahead and after the relevant consideration of the processes and legislation."