Phew! what a week!

On Monday, in my role of Chairman of the Dorset Community Safety Partnership I was privileged to attend the interviews at Winfrith of the four candidates for Chief Constable of Dorset and as part of a lay panel ask each one the same question relating to what I call the democratic imperative driving partnership activities across Dorset. My question was as follows:- 'Recently steps have been taken for the three Community Safety Partnerships in the County to work together more closely and we now have a statement of shared priorities across the pan-Dorset area and a single group that brings together the three CSPs and the Dorset Criminal Justice Board in one forum. Please tell us what role you see Dorset Police playing in the ongoing development and functioning of these partnership arrangements and what leadership direction you, specifically as Chief Constable would wish to give.' Each candidate had to answer this and six other questions from the lay panel so you can imagine what an experience this was for them. All the candidates answered my question with a great deal of knowledge and I have to say enthusiasm but also very aware of what we were achieving in Dorset. It was a very long day especially as I had to race over to East Dorset for an LDF meeting getting home at about 9.0pm. On Tuesday morning to Bournemouth for a Local Enterprise Partnership meeting where the City Deal featured as well as an assessment of all the excellent work proceeding to take advantage of Government initiatives for economic development. Another long day, but again really interesting because of the 'Peer Challenge' being conducted by a team from the Local Government Association at CBC and EDDC, more about that later. We had our own LDF meeting at CBC on Wednesday and I was really pleased to see this piece of work into its final stages. It will go to Council on 26th Feb and if passed will then on to the Planning Inspectorate later in the year. When ratified it will mean that we have a robust local plan for the next fifteen years shaping the future of Christchurch after 46 weeks of public consultation and eight years work for our planning policy team. Thursday was all about the Peer Challenge about which I will blog at another date. Today an early Budget meeting lasted until lunch time as we are wrestling with the complexities of the reduced settlement grant and the new business rates system, all this in preparation for next week’s Resources meeting and the Budget meeting at full Council on 26th Feb.. My week finishes tonight at the SAMRA meeting which is always a lively affair.