Dear Editor,

In Williton there is a new development being built of exactly 375 homes.

Somerset Council and the so-called government have not thought carefully about how the schools, doctor’s surgery, bus service which never turns up on time or does not turn up at all, cope with the volumes of new people moving into Williton.

Is this going to be the new normal way of life, building on rural country areas?

Our country will be like a concrete jungle soon.

When new developments are built, the council receives from new developers hundreds of thousands of £s.

Councils and the Government are always blaming other situations that they have no money.

They need to look in a mirror which will reflect on themselves and the mistakes they are making every day, which taxpayers have to pick up.

Think of the Westcountry and all our communities as money is being wasted on stupid projects in the past and the present.

Linda Sparks

Williton

Dear Editor.

I had similar misgivings to Jim Sokol (Postbag October 17). However, the initial announcement confirmed that the red squirrel, and pine marten live in, if not a happy relationship, but one in which both survive.

The red squirrel does not stick around to be eaten by anyone. In other parts of the UK pine martens and red squirrels can be seen.

As Jim pointed out greys carry nasty things that see off red squirrels; and reds benefit from a population of pine martens.

Charles Birch

Watchet

Dear Editor,

We write in response to the excellent letter from Tony Sutcliffe (Postbag October 17) concerning the European Convention on Human Rights and the importance of the UK remaining a signatory.

The ECHR and the UK’s Human Rights Act are in place to protect us all, to enable us to speak truth to power and to ensure there is justice and fairness for all.

As members of the Minehead Local Group of Amnesty International we fully support the message so clearly set out in Tony’s letter. Thank you, Free Press for printing it.

Susan Mew, Carhampton

Cherry Bird, Roadwater

Dear Editor,

Councils across the country are facing the same financial storm. From Somerset to Kent, local authorities of every political colour are struggling to balance their budgets while protecting vital services. Even Kent County Council, now under Reform UK administration, has announced record council tax rises, showing that the crisis in local government finance is nationwide.

Somerset Council is working with the cards handed to us by previous governments. Years of underfunding and short-term policies have left councils with impossible choices. We are now being pressed by central government to sell public assets, including buildings, land and community facilities, simply to fund day-to-day revenue costs such as adult and children’s social care. That approach is not sustainable and it is not fair to residents who depend on those services.

More than seventy per cent of Somerset’s spending is tied to statutory care services. These are essential, life-saving responsibilities that cannot be cut without serious consequences. At the same time, rising demand, inflation and reduced government grants have created a budget gap of over one hundred million pounds in the next two years.

This is not a local failure but a national funding crisis. The Liberal Democrats believe the only credible way forward is to work together across parties, sectors and communities to protect essential services while improving efficiency, innovation and partnership.

The Liberal Democrats are determined to lead with honesty, collaboration and responsibility. Somerset deserves a sustainable future, not another cycle of short-term fixes. By working together, we can protect residents, strengthen our communities and rebuild trust in local government.

Cllr Habib Farbahi (Lib Dem, Comeytrowe & Trull)

Taunton

Dear Editor,

Decades after the communication and digital revolutions transformed business efficiency, Somerset’s councils finally merged into a single unitary authority — a sensible move that should have streamlined services and saved millions. Yet, over two years on, the result is chaos and crisis.

Auditors Grant Thornton have twice issued statutory warnings, out of only four issued nationally, because £18.5-million savings from the One Somerset merger never appeared. The Liberal Democrat council now teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. Despite having an extra year to prepare, there was no meaningful merger planning after May 2022.

Instead of focusing on core services, the council has approved a “Modern Data and AI Council” — despite government trials showing no real productivity gains from such technology. At the same time, millions in regeneration funding for the Glastonbury Life Factory remain unaccounted for, risking a £2.4-million clawback.

Somerset residents deserve competent, accountable leadership from the Liberal Democrats — not another officer led costly experiment or headline-grabbing distraction. This is not just a financial emergency or a planning emergency. It is a leadership emergency.

Chris Mann

Taunton

In our edition of September 26 we reported on plans to install outdoor gym equipment in Porlock Recreation Ground and mistakenly attributed the planning application to the parish council, when it had been submitted by the recreation ground committee. The comments taken from the application papers also mistakenly attributed to council chairman Cllr Duncan McCanlis when he had actually been acting for the recreation ground committee and not the council. The Free Press is happy to clarify that the application had nothing to do with the council.