The unitary authority for the county is to be called ‘Somerset Council’ as of April 1, 2023, a new Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) joint committee agreed at its meeting on Friday (November 5).

The nine-member committee also discussed terms of reference, programme governance, budget, future meetings and agreed a work programme.

Some matters regarding the draft Structural Changes Order (SCO) – the basic operating and governance principles for transition from five existing councils to the new unitary council – were deferred to allow for further consultation within individual councils.

They included the date of the next elections (either May 2022 or May 2023), plus the proposal that Somerset County Council will be the ‘continuing authority’ for the new council.

Chairman of the LGR joint committee and leader of Somerset County Council, Cllr David Fothergill, said: “This was an historic day for public services in Somerset and I’m both honoured and proud to be a part of it along with my county and district colleagues.

“Collectively we can now focus our efforts on developing a new council that will deliver first rate services for our communities.

“The new Somerset Council will be more responsive, effective and accountable to our council tax payers, our partners and our service users and will free-up millions of pounds that we can invest into improving lives across the county.

“The new council will see decisions made by, and in communities, wherever possible. This will be a very different sort of council.”

All five councils – Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton and South Somerset district authorities and Somerset County Council – supported the creation of the LGR joint committee at their cabinet or executive meetings during October. 

Newly-appointed vice-chairman of the committee and leader of South Somerset District Council, Cllr Val Keitch, said: “The joint committee demonstrates co-ordinated local leadership, and enables us as a group to adopt clear, common positions.

“As a single-point of resolution, we’ll also be well-placed to make prompt decisions and ensure we are best prepared locally for the transition, and the volume of work ahead.”

Papers for the inaugural meeting of the joint committee can be viewed online. The meeting was recorded on Microsoft Teams and this recording will be available shortly.