It was created in 2019 and covers much of the area of the South East Dorset conurbation, including the towns of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

By the mid-20th century, the towns had begun to coalesce as a conurbation, and in the Local Government Act 1972 the three areas were brought together under the non-metropolitan county of Dorset, while still administered as separate districts.

In 1997, Poole and Bournemouth became unitary authorities, while Christchurch remained a lower tier district with county-level services provided by Dorset County Council.

[5] The plans were supported by every affected body except Christchurch Borough Council, which formally opposed the reorganisation[6] and unsuccessfully challenged the proposals in the High Court.

The conurbation is bordered by the South West Hampshire/South East Dorset Green Belt, created between 1958 and 1980, which regulates environmental and planning policy to manage development expansion.

The presence of the Gulf Stream ensures that the British Isles maintain an all-year-round ambient temperature, and, because of its position on the south coast of England, the area has slightly warmer winters and cooler summers than settlements further inland.The major settlements within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Merley / Oakley.