ONLY three area planning committees will cover the new Dorset Council when it takes over from the existing district and borough councils in April.

Councillors unhappy about the decision have been promised a review during the year.

One of the problems has been making sure each committee has enough members when the number of councillors in the area shrinks from more than 170 to 82.

Cllr Peter Wharf (Purbeck) said he was concerned that fewer committees would mean less of a connection with local people.

“It remains a concern for me” he said “I would like us to think about it after a year to see if it is possible to increase the number of committees.”

He was promised by Cllr Spencer Flower, who headed up the work on shaping the new council, that there would be a review.

Said Cllr David Walsh : “It would be difficult to populate any more that three because of the amount of members we will have and cabinet members who will not be able to sit on planning.”

The shadow executive meeting, held in Dorchester this week, approved the outline of the council's constitution which will now go to a full meeting of the shadow council on February 20th.

It allows for six full council meetings a year, a cabinet of up to ten; a strategic planning committee which will meet 4-6 times a year and three area planning committees which will each have 12 members and meet monthly.

Apart from panels and task and finish groups there will also be scrutiny committees for 'people' and 'place', a resources scrutiny committee and a health scrutiny committee.

The structure also allows for area forums to generate community involvement.

Smaller committees include audit and governance, staffing, appeals, a pensions fund committee, health and wellbeing board and harbours committee.

Elections for the new council will be held on May 2nd with nominations to stand as a councillor closing on April 3rd.