Two councils vote in favour of creation of single authority
Two councils in Somerset – Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council – have backed plans for the creation of a new, single authority.
Taunton Deane voted for the merger in July and councillors at West Somerset this week approved the combination, which is subject to approval by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
The minister will also make the decision on the number of councillors for the single authority, once local proposals have been submitted.
The councils have agreed to implement a shared programme to change the way services are delivered and how decisions are made. They acknowledged that the changes would have a cost – new technology for example – but added that the merger would, “conservatively”, deliver savings of £3.1m a year.
In a statement the Leaders of the two councils said the agreement would better protect vital services for residents in both areas "for now and into the future".
Taunton Deane and West Somerset have had a partnership since 2013 which is estimated to deliver annual savings of £1.8m.
The merger would formalise the links between the two authorities while scrapping costly duplication and reducing bureaucracy, they said.
Leader of Taunton Deane, Cllr John Williams, said: “This is a huge and radical step – one that is being taken to make us fit for the future and stronger together. As one council covering Taunton Deane and West Somerset, we will not only save money to invest in our community but have a far stronger voice.
“It is a brave and ambitious decision and cements the solid partnership that was created three years ago. We have come a long way together and we can make a fresh start as a single authority.
“Now agreement has been reached, we will undertake appropriate consultation as part of the process.”
Cllr Anthony Trollope-Bellew, Leader of West Somerset Council, said: “It was a tough decision to make, the hardest I have faced in 15 years in local government, but we owe it to our community now – and future generations – to show strong leadership and do what is right.
“We are taking control of our future rather than waiting for a solution to be imposed. Our residents will still receive the services they rely on – if we had done nothing the future of those services were at risk. We are putting people, rather than politics, first.”
The Leaders said: “Our message to our communities is one of optimism and the strong belief that by merging our councils we can protect the services that people rely on. It’s local government that will change, not our people, not our values and not our determination to succeed.”
