The Leader of Somerset Council has urged the Prime Minister to take action to prioritise local government.
This comes as the council’s executive held a discussion on many of the key issues that highlight the challenges that local authorities face, with the Council Leader pledging to stand up for the people of his county.
Last November the county council declared a financial emergency, with this leading to a number of ‘unprecedented’ decisions. This includes today’s Executive decision to devolve certain assets and services to Yeovil Town Council with the aim of reducing costs and consulting on potential changes to the Council Tax Reduction scheme.
Somerset Council leader Cllr Bill Revans said:
“We have worked incredibly hard to reduce our spending and have never shied away from taking decisions ourselves, no matter how difficult.
“We want to invest in services for our communities and protect vital schemes like Council Tax Reduction which supports our most vulnerable residents. But it is clear we cannot do this without Government action. We will not take these decisions lightly. We have a duty to stand up for our residents.
“The funding model for local government is broken and this is a national problem which needs a national solution.”
Also discussed at the Executive meeting was the Somerset Council Productivity Plan. The document, requested by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, comes as part of a national review and lays out how the council plans on improving efficiency and reducing waste.
Also commenting on the plan, Revans added:
“The Productivity Plan outlines the council’s efficiency improvements and the obstacles local government face, which was submitted to national government for review.
“We are doing everything in our power locally. We have already saved millions of pounds by moving from five councils to one, we are selling assets and property, we are working in partnership with city, town, and parish councils to protect services and we are currently going through a top-to-bottom restructure to reduce our pay bill by up to 25 percent.
“But we need this country to prioritise local government – and all the vital services it provides, from bin collections and roads to social care and children’s services. The new government faces many challenges but there is a crisis in local government that is having a real and devastating impact on local services, and it needs urgent attention. We have a duty to raise this matter urgently.”
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