Somerset council's rival unitary bid 'will save £204m'

Four district councils have agreed a business case for creating two unitary authorities in Somerset which it claims will save over £204m.

The Stronger Somerset bid will see plans for a Western Somerset Council and an Eastern Somerset Council.

The County Council's One Somerset bid has been submitted to government.

Liberal Democrat leader of South Somerset, Val Keitch, said: "We feel two unitaries is a better democratic system."

She added the plans were not about reorganisation, but "complete reform".

The savings would be made by reforming care services "to ensure we deal with the reasons why people need the services and help people to have happy, healthy and independent lives".

Other areas being looked in the Stronger Somerset bid involve improving skills and creating better paid jobs, as well as tackling child poverty.

The four district councils have in the past opposed any plans for a unitary authority, but a u-turn was made earlier in the month, by Somerset West and Taunton, Sedgemoor, Mendip and South Somerset councils.

"We've always been against a single unitary," said Ms Keitch.

"Having had a meeting with the government minister it was quite obvious the government will be looking in the devolution white paper for some sort of unitarisation."

When the rival bid was announced, Conservative leader of Somerset County Council David Fothergill said it was frustrating but "at least they have dropped their opposition to unitary authorities".