Ward boundaries for the new super-council have been published ahead of its inception next year.

Final recommendations for ward boundaries of the future Dorset Council have been released by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) following a public consultation.

Local government in Dorset is set to change next year, with the new Dorset Council covering the western part of the county. The new council will replace Dorset County Council as well as East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset district councils.

The review has created new wards that will be represented by the council’s 82 councillors, and the arrangements will come into effect at the council’s first elections next year.

The commission's final recommendations propose six three-councillor wards, 18 two-councillor wards and 28 one-councillor wards.

It is proposed that Bridport will become a three-councillor ward, Lyme Regis and Charmouth will become a one-councillor ward and Marshwood Vale, Beaminster, Eggardon and Chesil Bank will each become one-councillor wards. 

A review of ward boundaries for the new Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, covering the east of the county, has taken place at the same time.

Professor Colin Mellors, chairman of the LGBCE, said: "We are grateful to everyone who took the opportunity to have their say on how they should be represented in the future. We looked carefully at every submission we received before finalising the recommendations.

"We think this pattern of wards strikes the right balance between delivering fairness for voters as well as reflecting the shape of communities across Dorset."

The commission says it changed some of the proposals it put forward in July following public feedback.

In the west of the county, the commission has changed its proposals in the Bridport area as a result of local views expressed during the public consultation.

As part of its draft proposals, the Commission had included the Walditch area in Chesil Bank ward. Strong local evidence concerning the clear links between Walditch and Bridport persuaded the Commission to change its proposed boundary so that the community will now be part of Bridport ward.

In Dorchester, local people proposed reducing the size of the multi-councillor wards put forward as part of draft recommendations for the town. After looking at evidence and visiting the area, the commission changed its proposals in the west of Dorchester to create a Dorchester Poundbury ward which will elect one councillor.

The proposed new arrangements must now be implemented by parliament. A draft order – the legal document which brings into force the recommendations – will be laid in parliament in the coming weeks. It provides for the electoral arrangements to come into force at the authority’s first elections in 2019.