Early report on new council

On 19 October 2023, Cllr Gwil Wren and I were asked to give a talk to the Wiveliscombe Civic and Historical Society about the new Somerset Council.

As explained below, a lot of progress has been made, but the new council is still settling in. The biggest issues relate to over-spending on social care and a £100m budget gap to close over the next three years.

Gwil and I presented a series of slides (click link to view) covering:

• The change from county and district councils to the new unitary authority. Somerset County Council continued and simply had its name changed to Somerset Council, with district services and staff transferred over to form a new structure.
• The business case approved by government was put forward by the County Council when Conservative controlled. Following elections in 2022, the Liberal Democrats have a majority and are now leading on implementing the approved plan.
• The new council took over in April 2023, following intense preparations over preceding months. The change over appeared well-managed and there was a smooth transition. Directors were in post and an interim officer structure in place. New staff teams are now being formed, which should be largely completed by the end of the year. This process feels as though it has been more disruptive. Some vacancies have also become apparent in the interim structure, including for a few managers, that has affected the delivery of some services, although nothing too serious that I’ve seen.
• There is a committee structure for councillors, which starts from the full council and executive, along with scrutiny (matching the new directorate structure) and regulation committees (planning and licensing). Gwil is on the Communities Scrutiny Committee and I’m on Climate & Place.
• There is a new tier of 18 Local Community Networks (LCNs), including one for Wellington and Wiveliscombe (covers Upper Tone plus Wellington and West Buckland). These meet every two months. There have been two meetings to date, so it is still early days for these too. Beyond support for their administration, LCNs have no budget and will need to secure funding for any plans they wish to implement.
• Town and parish councils remain in place as before and can raise their own local precept through Council Tax.
• To guide and improve Somerset Council services, a Council Plan was agreed in February which provides a vision and sets four priorities. A Business Plan is now being prepared to provide details, which should be completed and agreed by the end of the year. In addition, there are many strategies and plans carried forward from the previous councils, and work on some new ones underway, including a new Transport Plan, and a refresh of the Climate Emergency Strategy will start soon.
• Old district Local Plans (including supplementary documents) to guide land use and building development still apply to the four council areas.
• Work has started on a new Local Plan for Somerset which is a big task. It is expected to take five years, including consultation, and to be completed by March 2028.
• By far the biggest issue for the council is its budget position. Most is spent on statutory children’s and adults social care services, which take up 63% of the annual revenue budget. Due to demand, following Covid and new government policies, these services significantly over-spent last year and are projected to do so again this year. As part of budget controls, most other service areas are under-spending.
• The finance director has warned that, if nothing is done to rebalance the budget, the council will have to issue a Section 114 notice (council equivalent of bankruptcy) within two years. He also says there is a budget gap of £100m to be closed over the next three years. Early steps are being taken to address this, with potential savings and actions starting to be identified. It is inevitable there will be difficult decisions needed.
• Further information on budget issues:
• Current level of Care spending could put council viability at risk within two years warns Somerset Council
• At least 26 English councils ‘at risk of bankruptcy in next two years’
• LGA analysis – Councils face almost £3 billion funding gap over next two years
• What happens if a council goes bankrupt?
• Guidance was given on accessing council services and the many reporting opportunities online at the Council’s website.
• The presentation concluded with with a quick look at some action and issues in Wiveliscombe, including: the town centre vision and improvements, council funding for local projects, parking enforcement (wardens are visiting regularly) and the threat to our bus service.