26.—(1) During the shadow period Dorset Council is a shadow authority for the purposes of the following provisions of this Part.
(2) Subject to paragraph (5), the members of the shadow authority are the persons who, on the coming into force of this Order, are—
(a)councillors of the County Council except those councillors who represent the Christchurch electoral divisions;
(b)councillors of the East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset district councils and of the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.
(3) Those persons are to be members of the shadow authority throughout the shadow period notwithstanding the dissolution of the County Council and the District Councils on 1st April 2019.
(4) The proper officer of the County Council must convene, and make all necessary arrangements for, the first meeting of the shadow authority, which is to be held not later than 14 days after the coming into force of this Order.
(5) Where, after the coming into force of this Order and before 1st October 2018, a casual vacancy arises in any electoral division of the County Council (except a Christchurch electoral division) or any ward of the District Councils, the person elected at a by-election held to fill the vacancy is to be a member of the shadow authority.
(6) Subject to paragraph (7), all questions coming or arising before the shadow authority shall be decided by a majority of the members of the authority present and voting at a meeting of the authority.
(7) Any member of the shadow authority who, on the coming into force of this Order or as a result of having been elected at a by-election referred to in paragraph (5), is a member of both the County Council and of one of the District Councils shall have two votes on all questions coming or arising before the shadow authority.