A PIONEERING partnership between West Somerset and Taunton Deane councils has received Government praise for its "exemplary" progress.

The two authorities formally signed up to a new joint working arrangement for shared services and management last November.

The deal went ahead despite an unsuccessful bid for funding from the Government's Transformation Challenge Award scheme to help achieve the new link.

But this week West Somerset leader Cllr Tim Taylor told his councillors that the approach taken to the link-up and the progress made had been described as exemplary by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

He said two representatives of the DCLG had visited both councils in the last ten days to get an update on the partnership and to provide feedback on the unsuccessful funding bid.

"They confirmed that our bid ticked all the boxes regarding their expectations, was the type of bid they were expecting and made it into the final round of selection," Cllr Taylor told a meeting of the full council on Wednesday.

However, he said far more applications than expected had been received - 145 in total - and this had made the final selection very difficult.

"The majority of those finally selected were across public sector services such as partnerships with the NHS and emergency services."

But Cllr Taylor said the DCLG representatives were impressed with the progress made by the West Somerset/Taunton Deane project.

"Despite their initial concerns that the business case appeared to lack pace, having visited us and spoken with the project team they could understand why we had taken the approach we had and said progress made and the approach taken was exemplary.

"They also said it was the right decision to push ahead despite not receiving Transformation Challenge Award funding and through the distractions encountered immediately prior to the business case being presented for a decision at both councils."

The "distractions" included an 11th-hour attempt by Sedgemoor District Council to change the proposal by suggesting a three-way tie-up between West Somerset, Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor.

However, Sedgemoor failed to secure the political mandate requested by the other two authorities ahead of the partnership decision meeting.

Cllr Taylor said the visit by the DCLG representatives had been very worthwhile.

"This is extremely positive and we now know that we have support at the highest level and we are pleased that the relationship with the DCLG will continue," he said.

Cllr Taylor said the Local Government Association had also made "positive noises" about the project and offered its support.

And he praised and congratulated officers and councillors for their commitment to finding a way to resolve the council's problems for the benefit of people in West Somerset.

Cllr Taylor was thanked for his efforts in helping to make the partnership proposal a reality.