Somerset Council shake-up: towns and villages want more power

Towns and villages in Somerset are preparing to negotiate more control of local facilities when the new Somerset Council comes in next month.

Somerset's four district councils and county council are being disbanded on 1 April.

It is the biggest shake-up to local government in the county since 1974.

Frome Town Council is one authority hoping to take on facilities currently run by the regional councils which will cease to exist.

With the move to one unitary authority at the top level, some towns and villages say there'll be more chance of power at a local level.

The Cheese and Grain music venue and café is currently owned by Mendip District Council but run by Frome Town Council.

It is in a prime town-centre location next to the large market car park and public toilets - operated by Mendip - with the Somerset County Council library on the other side of the car park.

Councillor Max Wide, deputy leader of Frome Town Council, said they hope to create a cultural quarter for the town, if they can take over ownership of some of these facilities.

"What we are hoping for is that we can transfer some control of things so that we could control this space much better and use it as a platform for the cultural identity of the town," said Mr Wide.

"That for us then grows business in the town, grows footfall in the town and everyone wins."

He said it has sometimes been awkward in the past to negotiate with multiple different authorities when they want to hold events in the town centre.

"We're hoping from this new relationship we have with this new unitary council that [...] where things which are best controlled locally, and where there's energy locally, can be owned and run locally - and we think everyone would benefit from that."

Frome is near the border with Wiltshire, which went through a similar local council reorganisation in 2009.

The mayor of Westbury, Wiltshire, Sheila Kimmins, has offered Mr Wide some advice.

"You have got to actually fight your corner because the county hall is so far away," she said.

"We have not perhaps kept our eye on the ball from the very beginning - it is very easy for decisions to be made without you having any input and when you do it is difficult for you to make your voice heard.

"We've got decisions that are being made that affect villages and towns that nobody (making the decisions) even knows where they are," said Mrs Kimmins.

The future leader of Somerset Council Bill Revans was visiting a council business centre in Bridgwater, and counting down the days until the new authority comes in on 1 April.

He said the changes would save money and make services more efficient and coordinated.

"Our housing function and our planning function will be mixed up with our highway function and our social care function, so we'll be able to deliver better services for our residents," he said.

"The other benefit is that we'll be able to speak to government with one voice on behalf of Somerset residents rather than having five different councils all pitching in.

"It's really important that we speak with one voice.

"I'm absolutely certain we'll be able to attract more resources into Somerset and build the vision we have for a flourishing resilient county."

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