Your report on Minehead Town Council with an increased local tax to £115 for an average band D home (Free Press January 11) is not unusual for a seaside town.

Dorset is changing to unitary authority status and this means that currently unparished Weymouth is forming a new town council.

The Conservative led shadow council has kept all of Weymouth’s car parks that generate income. They have passed on expenditure for public toilets, green spaces, beach and town management. For the first year the precept will be £3.3 million, meaning a £184 local band D tax rate for Weymouth.

Next year’s band D cost for the new Dorset wide authority was set at £1,629 against our county and district councils’ cost, which I have projected as totalling £1,387. Not much scope for a unitary council saving money in Somerset.

In our new council area, almost a quarter of electors will live in un-arished Taunton - local tax of just over £3 for a band D home. Our many green spaces and public toilets are funded by the district council with the help of Taunton’s car park revenues.

We too need a town council for the county town, but funded in part by historic assets like Firepool, car parks and buildings that we invested in the new Taunton Deane Borough Council when created in 1974.

Roger House, St Augustine Street, Taunton.