A GROUP of 13 Taunton Deane councillors who oppose the merger with West Somerset Council have started a legal challenge to the move and are financing the £840 High Court fees out of their own pockets.
Papers have been lodged with the High Court and in the next few weeks judges will decide whether the allegations merit a full judicial review hearing.
If so, this could take place in the new year and cause a costly delay to the merger process.
The Taunton Deane councillors claimed that the council’s decision last July to merge with West Somerset was “unlawful” and that a report recommending local government reorganisation was based “largely on the financial implications and failed to address all the relevant considerations”.
The councillors also accused the authority of only consulting with staff over the merger and ignoring the views of “interested communities, other tiers of local government and neighbouring authorities”, causing “conspicuous unfairness”.
In a letter earlier this month, the protestors asked the council to submit documents it would rely on in any trial.
A council spokesman said on Wednesday: “We have received no official notification of High Court action from the court and, should we do so, we will consider our response.
“We did receive a letter before action to which we have responded in full.”