FORMER Gillingham councillor David Milsted was among five new  honorary aldermen created today at North Dorset District Council’s final meeting before its abolition on 31 March, writes Richard Thomas.

Others were Councillors Bill Batty-Smith of Stalbridge, Victor Fox and Michael Roake of Sturminster Newton, and Deborah Croney of Hill Forts ward, all of whom are standing down at the forthcoming May elections.

As its final act, the meeting, at Durweston village hall near Blandford, unanimously adopted the management plans for the Dorset and Cranborne Chase Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to 2024 as well as neighbourhood plans to 2031 for Sturminster Newton and Hazelbury Bryan

.Council chairman Councillor Val Pothecary ended the meeting by wishing well to all those members retiring and good luck to those standing as candidates in the May elections to the new unitary authority for Dorset.

She said the new council had much to do and faced many challenges but she hoped the ethos that had made NDDC ‘the best district council in Dorset’ would be carried forward to the new Dorset Council. Dorset Council takes over the functions of all Dorset’s district councils and its county council on 1 April.

It runs in ‘shadow’ form until its 82 new councillors are elected on 2 May.