Somerset a step closer to a unitary authority

AMAJOR shake-up of local government in the Westcountry has come a step closer with a letter from Government paving the way for a unitary council in Somerset.

County Council leader David Fothergill received the letter from Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick which could start the process of sweeping away district councils and putting the control of all local authority services into the hands of a single authority.

Somerset County Council has asked the Government to consider replacing the five existing councils in Somerset with One Somerset.

The county council says it would create “a simple, single unitary council to end confusion for residents, remove duplication and free up funding to invest in vital public services.”

District council leaders in Somerset have also received a letter, inviting them to submit their case for change by November 9 2020.

Cllr Fothergill said: “I am delighted that the Secretary of State has invited us to submit a business case for local government reform in Somerset. I have long campaigned for a single unitary approach for our county which will reduce duplication, deliver significant savings and most importantly improve lives for residents in our county.

“From investing in climate change to reducing inequalities, we are convinced a single unitary approach is the right way forward. Our proposal ticks all the boxes for the Government’s tests and we are confident we have a compelling case to put before the Secretary of State.”

The County Council and all four district councils in Somerset have voted in favour of a unitary system in recent months.

The One Somerset business case was approved by county councillors in July and passes each of the Government’s tests for unitary status – it is based on local people having more say on decisions that affect them; it is the right size for the population; and it has good support.

It would create a system like the one created in Cornwall in 2009, where district authorities were scrapped.