Somerset councils merger approved despite criticism

A protest banner was held at the Taunton Deane Borough Council meeting on Monday night

A planned merger between two Somerset councils has been voted through amid criticism from local councillors.

West Somerset and Taunton Deane Borough councils are set to merge, pending final approval from the government, which has been supporting the plans.

Taunton Deane's leader, John Williams, said the decision would keep up the levels of investment into its main front line services, such as housing.

Opponents say the merger weakens local democracy.

'Shabby business'

Taunton Deane councillor, Liberal Democrat Jefferson Horsley, said: "It really is an end of democracy.

"It's the demise of Taunton and the reduction of Taunton to lower than county town status. This signals the end of 47 years of a council, it's a very sad day."

Since 2013, both councils have been sharing resources, saving £2.6m.

The Liberal Democrats, as well as some Conservative councillors and West Somerset and Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger opposed the merger.

Mr Horsley added: "What we want are decent public services for everybody but what we're witnessing is the role of local government being diminished.

"We're paying more for getting less of everything."

West Somerset Council voted for the merger to go through

Once the merger goes through, the Conservative-led councils claim they will save £500,000 a year.

Savings will be made by halving the number of councillors and meetings.

Taunton Deane's leader Mr Williams added: "What the opposition has lacked, it's never come up with an alternative... that would have solved West Somerset Council's financial problems."

West Somerset's leader, Anthony Trollope-Bellew, added his council was "not financially sustainable in the long term".

Two meetings were held simultaneously on Monday evening for the councils to secure consent under Section 15 (4) of the Cities and Local Government Act to dissolve both councils and create a new one.

Final approval is needed from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid.

Once merged the council will be named Somerset West and Taunton Council.