Somerset Council votes through 'heart-breaking' budget

Dozens of protestors gathered outside the council meeting in Bridgwater

A local authority has approved £35m of funding cuts to services including recycling centres, public toilets and arts.

Somerset Council voted through its budget, which had faced a £100m shortfall.

It also included using £36m of council savings and selling off buildings to pay for day-to-day costs.

Residents will see their council tax to the Lib Dem-run Somerset Council rise by 4.99% from April.

The council's 2024/25 budget was voted through with 52 councillors voting in favour, nine against and 31 abstentions.

Council's leader Bill Revans described the cuts as "heart-breaking".

He said it was a "hugely difficult job" but his leadership were "taking responsibility" for the council's finances.

Campaigners from Somerset Bus Partnership lobbied councillors as they arrived for the meeting

Opposition Conservative group leader Councillor David Fothergill said the council "stood on the precipice of bankruptcy".

He said the Lib Dem leadership was "floundering in a sea of excuses" for the authority's financial state.

A Band D home will pay Somerset Council an extra £82.14 a year in council tax from April.

However many town and parish councils have already voted through big rises in their share of council tax to pay for services they are taking over from Somerset Council.

Nigel Behan from Unite the Union at Somerset Council says staff morale is "very bad"

The council has said more than a 1,000 jobs could go at the authority and union members joined a protest outside the budget meeting.

"Staff are disillusioned; people aren't sure what future they've got - whether it's in local government at all," said Nigel Behan, Unite the Union rep.

"People are worried about ending up on the dole.

"It's a big employer in Somerset, the council, and for a lot of these jobs to go - where else can people find work?" said Mr Behan.

Karuna Tharmananthan volunteers with vulnerable people in Taunton

Members of the public asked councillors questions during the first part of the budget meeting.

Karuna Tharmananthan volunteers with vulnerable people in Taunton and told councillors the budget "does nothing" for the people he supports.

Drew Thompson presented a 1,632-signature petition against the closure of Castle Cary recycling centre

Two petitions were handed in to save Castle Cary and Crewkerne recycling centres.

Plans to close five recycling centres have now been revised, though a saving of nearly £1m from the centres' budget over the next two years was voted through.

Councillor Dixie Darch, lead member for environment, told the meeting commercial negotiations with the council's recycling centre contractor were "reaching a critical stage" and could see alternative ways of saving the money come forward.

She said until negotiations are complete she could not "rule in or rule out" closing centres, but if final proposals include the closure of sites there would be a further public consultation before a final decision.

Somerset Council declared a financial emergency in November 2023.

The council said the costs of delivering services, particularly adult social care, were rising significantly faster than income.

It has also blamed national factors such as inflation and higher interest rates.

Jason Vaughan, Somerset Council finance director told the budget meeting the authority's situation remained "precarious".

"We are burning through our reserves," he said.

On the prospect of effectively going bust Mr Vaughan said he "couldn't give members any guarantee" that would not happen "at some stage" in the future.