Somerset to sell off bulk of county farms, stop virtually all building projects

Somerset County Council is to sell off two-thirds of its 60 farms and stop almost all building projects as it tries to tackle a debt of more than £350m.

The asset sale – which council leader Ken Maddock said had prompted "one of the most heartfelt debates" of recent months – is part of a package of measures that will include the loss of some 1,500 jobs from a total of 6,500 over the same period.

Maddock said: “Servicing debt is our second biggest bill – not fixing roads, not looking after vulnerable people, not improving schools but debt. This can’t go on.

“Change is essential and we are bringing a new approach to what we do it and how we do it at this council.”

Maddock admitted that the council would have to stop some services and become a smaller and better-run authority. “There is no wriggle room here,” he added.

At a press conference earlier this month, Somerset’s leader revealed that:

• The council intended to deliver a second year commitment to a zero per cent increase in its council tax bill
• The gap between what the local authority spends and what it receives from central government grants and the council tax is expected to be £75m over the next three years
• A trawl for voluntary redundancies was expressions of interest from 1,000 members of staff, which meant some compulsory redundancies would be inevitable. A recruitment freeze has saved £1.5m
• The “vast majority” of its planned building projects would be halted, including a new school for Yeovil and participation in a £6m plan to pedestrianise Yeovil town centre
• There will be reduced opening hours at some libraries and possibly greater involvement of communities, charities and voluntary groups in running them
• Major cuts will be made to arts budgets.

Maddock said the majority of tenants of the county's farms had expressed an interest in purchasing some or all of the holding. Discussions are also ongoing with major farming concerns such as the Crown Estate.

Everything the council does is being reviewed, he stressed. “Does it really need to be done? Does it provide value for money? Are we the best people to be doing it? Key questions but with our funds slashed at a national level we have to find the answers and make difficult decisions.”

Maddock highlighted increasing demands on services from an ageing population, more vulnerable people living for longer and with more complex (and therefore expensive) needs, and stricter national regulations following cases like Baby P that “quite rightly” have a direct impact on the numbers of children in care.