A £6 million scheme to help disadvantaged young people in West Somerset should have begun in March but key decisions on funding and timelines have yet to be made.

A year ago, Education Secretary Justine Greening announced that West Somerset had been chosen as one of six “flagships” as part of a new government Opportunity Area scheme to improve social mobility.

Under the scheme, West Somerset would get £6 million of funding over three years to help youngsters get the best start in their early years, improve teaching and leadership in schools and work with prospective employers.

But West Somerset Council’s cabinet was told at its meeting last Wednesday that delays meant the council’s scrutiny committee would be unable to make a decision on a detailed action plan until the autumn.

There was also a warning from councillors that unless local education was changed from a three to a two-tier system, the £6m investment was unlikely to have its intended effect.

Economic regeneration and tourism manager Corinne Matthews told councillors that in a Government report on social mobility published last year, West Somerset came 324th out of 324 areas.

That meant that a child from a disadvantaged background in West Somerset had less chance of doing well at school and getting a good job than anywhere else in the UK.

Ms Matthews said the plan was due to be submitted to the Government earlier this month: “The time frame has slipped because of the General Election and local parties are becoming a little concerned that year one of the three-year duration project began in March, 2017, so time is already being lost.”

She said that a study into the area’s social stability commented: “At every key stage of life, from the early years foundation stage to 19, outcomes for children and young people in West Somerset are below the national average.”

Ms Matthews said that the area had improved on a number of measures since the assessment was published.

A West Somerset Opportunity Area Board had also been established, with Dr Fiona MacMillan as independent chairman and representatives from business, education and the community.