29 January 2022
It has been announced that elections are to be held in 2022 for the new unitary council which is being called 'Somerset Council'. Here is a brief outline of what is happening followed by a personal statement from Cllr. Martin Dimery leader of the Green Group on Somerset County Council.
What is a Unitary Council and why are we having elections?
At the moment we have 4 district councils in Somerset which are concerned with housing benefit, council tax, housing, planning and licensing. The one county council we have is based in Taunton and is mostly concerned with schools/education, social care, roads and transport.
Central Government in Westminster has now decided we should have just the one unitary ‘Somerset Council’ responsible for all of these activities, based in Taunton. The 4 districts will then cease to exist. Elections on 5th May 2022 are to choose 110 councillors for the new unitary council, based on 2 county councillors per ward. The wards for our branch are Frome West, Frome East, Frome North, Mendip Central & East. There will also be parish and town council elections in May 2022.
So our district councillors will not exist after May next year then?
Actually, the district council will stay in place until May 2023 when the new ‘Somerset Council’ elected in May 2022 properly starts work. Those elected will spend 2022-23 sorting things out, making plans, getting things ready, etc.
Why are Greens standing?
We will be asking people to vote Green because we need a genuine green voice to hold the council to account on important issues like schooling, housing, roads,social services, car parks and, of course, the environment. There is the real possibility of the Green Party sharing power as in other councils across England as well as in the Scottish Government. This is an opportunity to vote for strong voices to represent Frome and build on the success of the Green Party in recent district and county elections.
Statement from Councillor Martin Dimery, Somerset County Council
"The new Somerset Council is intended to be an amalgamation of the county council and the four districts. In reality, it could be seen as the abolition of the districts with all power being devolved to the county in Taunton. In Frome, we have often complained about our planning matters and car park fees being decided by councillors spread across the Mendip area and managed from Shepton Mallet. In the future, these issues may be decided even further away, in Taunton, by councillors elected to serve areas as far away as Exmoor. The number of councillors representing our communities overall will be reduced by about two thirds and may mean decisions being made, not in the best interests of each community, but along political lines.
"There are some positive aspects however. At least all our services will be under one roof and should enable closer links between the Planning and the Highways departments, for example. More importantly, there is the promise of creating Area Planning Boards and Local Community Networks which will bring together Somerset councillors with their area town and parish councillors and other important parties, to help make decisions in the best interests of local areas. We must push hard to insist these committees are formed and are listened to. The more power that can be devolved out of Taunton and back into Frome, the better."
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