SIR — I would like to put one or two points forward that may have an effect on all the woes that our local government seems to be facing at the moment - the continual changing of the internal committee structure at Williton, the transfer of the council offices from Williton, the withdrawal of bin liner bags and the loss created by applying 'best value', which by its own vast bureaucracy costs more than it saves.
Then there is the reduction in the bank rate by about two per cent this year which will reduce the income from the £23,000,000 that West Somerset District Council has invested which keeps their heads just about above water.
At the South West Assembly meeting at Exeter last month, Stephen Byers informed the delegates that a White Paper would soon be published giving the Government's plans for regional assemblies.
They have promised a period of public consultation, the first of which started at Exeter.
The next meeting was at Taunton on November 22. Here there was much opposition to the idea but the chairman said that his committee would go through the process properly and report to the Government.
It was pointed out that most of the powers of the regions would be devolved from Westminster and not from the counties and district councils.
However the relationship between the existing councils and unitary authorities would be reviewed. Such a review could change the responsibilities of each council considerably.
I make these points because West Somerset District Council is in the process of making some large changes.
In the light of the above White Paper, I would suggest they delay some of those investments until the structural changes caused by regional government are known.
It would, for instance, be tragic if the district council was to spend any unnecessary money on new offices that would in the end be unwanted.
J A Walker,
Parkhouse Road,
Minehead.