Frome Town Council has “cautiously welcomed” the announcement that Somerset is to have one single unitary council from April 2023.
Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, MP, announced this week that he has decided to implement, subject to Parliamentary approval, the proposal for a single unitary council for the whole of the existing administrative county of Somerset.
The decision means that a single unitary council for Somerset will be formed on 1st April 2023 to replace the county’s five existing county and district councils.
“We welcome this once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink public services in Somerset and to put the community at the heart of them,” said Frome Town Council’s co-leader, cllr Maxine Crawley.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the current councillors and staff, working in both the county council and the four district councils in the run up to unitary elections in May 2022, and with the shadow unitary authority thereafter.
“Town and parish councils have a crucial role to play to ensure that decisions are made as locally as possible. The fine words in the One Somerset proposals now need to be translated into fine deeds and we will be working hard to ensure this happens. In addition, many of the excellent and innovative ideas in the Stronger Somerset proposals must not be lost.”
The decision has been criticised by the leaders of Somerset’s four district councils, who supported the Stronger Somerset proposal, which proposed the creation of two new unitary councils for Somerset.
They have said that the decision rides “roughshod” over the results of a recent poll, which saw the people of Somerset vote in the majority for the Stronger Somerset plan.
Whilst cllr David Fothergill, leader of Somerset County Council – which championed the ‘One Somerset’ plan – has welcomed the decision.
However, Somerset county councillor for Frome East, Martin Dimery, has warned that the decision will “severely marginalise” Frome and the north-east corner of Somerset and will “diminish” local democracy.
