AN ATTEMPT to postpone next month’s meeting of BCP Council has been quashed.

Chief executive Graham Farrant said the scheduled December 17 date clashed with the December 12 general election and called for it to be pushed back into next year.

He said the timings made it difficult in terms of putting together reports for the meeting which would need to be published a week in advance.

But Conservative councillors criticised the move saying local issues should not be sidelined for national politics.

And concerns were also raised that it would delay their receipt of an update on its climate emergency work.

The postponement was brought to Tuesday’s meeting of the council as an urgent item, following the announcement of next month's general election.

Mr Farrant urged councillors to agree to postpone their December meeting until January due to concerns about the clash.

But Conservative group leader, councillor Bob Lawton, led calls against the move.

“BCP Council is now seven months old and there’s much work to do to make this an exemplar council,” he said.

“Dorset Council is not cancelling any of its meetings and it’s business as usual – we should be doing the same.

“We were elected by residents to oversee the business of BCP, not serve the political aspirations of some of our members.”

He referred to councillors who are standing as parliamentary candidates, including council leader Vikki Slade.

She is standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Mid Dorset and North Poole.

But the council’s two Green councillors, Chris Rigby and Simon Bull, who themselves are both standing, also opposed the postponement.

Cllr Rigby warned it would delay the publication of the report on actions the council will be taking to meet the requirements of the climate emergency declaration it made in July.

“This is more important than politics and we should be taking this forward as quickly as possible,” he said.

A move by Cllr Lawton not to postpone the meeting and for the council to carry on as normal passed after receiving the support of 39 councillors.