FROME could be “severely marginalised” by the decision to create a single unitary council for the county of Somerset, a county councillor has warned.
Somerset County Councillor for Frome East, Martin Dimery, has said that the decision by Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to implement plans, subject to Parliamentary approval, to replace the county’s five existing county and district councils with a single unitary council will diminish local democracy.
And Frome Town Council – which initially said it ‘cautiously welcomed’ the announcement made last month – has said that it is “working extremely hard to ensure that Frome won’t become marginalised” by the decision.
“This decision will severely marginalise Frome and the north-east corner of Somerset even more than it is now,” said cllr Dimery. “A single authority incorporating 560,000 people stretching from the Wiltshire border to the edge of Dartmoor, is geographically and demographically too large. Effectively this is a power grab by Somerset County Council, abolishing the district councils and severely diminishing more localised democracy.
“Frome must not be reduced to becoming a dominion of Taunton, over 50 miles away. Only the most dedicated candidates should consider standing in the first election of 2022.”
Co-leader of Frome Town Council, cllr Maxine Crawley, told Frome Times, “The town council team is working extremely hard to ensure that Frome won’t become marginalised and as such, we welcome this once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink public services in Somerset and to put the community at the heart of them.
“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. 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 – which means that a single unitary council for Somerset will be formed on 1st April 2023 – has also 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.
The leader of Somerset County Council – which championed the ‘One Somerset’ plan – has welcomed the decision.
The decision follows a government-run consultation from 22 February to 19 April, with a reported 5,500 responses, and a local poll organised by the district councils that took place from 18th May to 4th June, that saw more than 111,000 people voting, with 65% preferring the Stronger Somerset proposal.
In a joint statement, the Leaders of Somerset’s four district councils said, “The Secretary of State is riding roughshod over the people of Somerset who voted 65% to 35% in favour of the Stronger Somerset plan over the other scheme chosen by the Secretary of State.
“That vote was the third time in recent history that the people of Somerset have decisively rejected a proposal for a single unitary – following the referendum in 2007 and the Ipsos MORI survey in 2020.
“By ignoring the will of the people, the Secretary of State is breaking the bond of trust between elected representatives and those they represent. The opportunities to address the real challenges our county faces – how to reduce demand on expensive crisis services, to break the cycle of inequality and under-achievement, to invest in local solutions to local issues – risk being squandered by foisting a manifestly unpopular new local government on our residents.
“We are duty bound to represent the interests of our constituents to our fullest ability. We will continue to seek to ensure that their voices are heard. There is still chance for Parliament to see sense and force a rethink. We just cannot understand why the wishes of the people of Somerset are being ignored.”
Leader of Somerset County Council, cllr David Fothergill said, “We’re delighted the Secretary of State has backed our ambitious plans to give Somerset the resilient, unified, and dynamic system of local government it deserves.
“The success of partnership work throughout the pandemic to support our most vulnerable and roll out the vaccination programme has clearly demonstrated what we can achieve in Somerset when we work together.
“One Somerset is simple, it is clear, and it delivers what our residents want – better services, better value for money, decisions made locally, and an end to the confusion and bureaucracy of having multiple overlapping councils.
“We are now calling on everyone to get behind One Somerset – and we look forward to working with our district councils, partners and everyone who lives or works in Somerset to deliver our vision of improved services for all.”
The Somerset County Council leader is now encouraging people to get involved with building the new council, confirming a move away from the ‘One Somerset’ campaign name.
He said, “One of the things we’ll need to agree collectively over the next 18 months is a name for the new council. It’s clear it won’t be called One Somerset and I think it’s important we stop talking about the campaign and devote our energies to building the new council.
“Our business case is much more than just reducing waste and confusion. It also sets out ambitious plans for up to 20 new Local Community Networks across Somerset, reaching every part of the county and giving communities real power and influence over the decisions that affect them most.
“This is the exciting part and in creating these, we have a fantastic opportunity to transform how public services operate and put our communities first. Please get involved and help us build a new council which works for everyone.”
Everyone is invited to join one of the new consultative groups – to register your interest, or to stay up to date with progress as the new council is created, please visit www.newsomersetcouncil.org.uk.
You can also follow @SomersetNew on Twitter, @NewSomersetCouncil on Facebook, email newsomerset@somerset.gov.uk or write to New Somerset Council programme, County Hall, Taunton TA1 4DY.
