Two councils in west Dorset have pledged to undertake a three-year service review to meet £7m in combined central funding cuts.

Councillors in West Dorset DC and Weymouth & Portland said public views would be ‘critical’ as sweeping assessment of town hall roles takes place.

Reviews will commence in April, with proposed changes to public services facing ‘extensive’ public consultation.

West Dorset’s government grant will have reduced by £4m (52.5%) between 2010/11 and 2015/16, with Weymouth & Portland facing a £2.9m (56.8%) cut.

‘Our two authorities are taking a proactive approach and tackling this in a managed way. The service reviews will help ensure the councils are able to provide appropriate and affordable services which best meet the future needs of local residents and businesses,’ West Dorset DC leader, Robert Gould, said.

Weymouth & Portland BC corporate affairs and continuous improvement briefholder, Mike Goodman, said: ‘We will be conducting in-depth reviews of all services – both statutory (those we have to provide by law) and discretionary (those we choose to provide).

‘There will be difficult decisions – some services will stop, others will have to be delivered in significantly different ways. The views of the public and other important groups will be critical to getting this right.’

The two councils are already saving £3m each year through an existing shared services partnership.