PROPOSALS that could lead to a unitary authority for Somerset were slammed by local councillors this week as “foolhardy”, “wrong” and “insane”.

This followed surveys sent out by Somerset County Council to local councils, residents and businesses asking for views on the prospect of disbanding the county’s five major councils and replacing them with a single unitary authority by 2022.

The timeline for bringing any new council into being could involve two sets of local elections 12 months apart. A previous bid to create a Somerset unitary authority failed in 2007 when 80 per cent of residents opposed the idea.

A business case for a new council – known as the One Somerset proposal – could be presented to county councillors by the end of this month before being submitted to the Government.

The scheme’s supporters claim it would deliver savings of £47 million by abolishing Somerset’s County Council and four district authorities, including Somerset West and Taunton (SWAT), and giving more power to town and parish councils.

But this week the county council suffered a backlash of criticism for showing “a lack of empathy and judgment” over the timing of the proposals.

A statement from SWAT, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and Mendip councils said they were more concerned with supporting the community through the coronavirus pandemic. They added: “We agree that change is needed but the well-trodden single unitary path is not the right option for our county.”

In a letter to county council leader Cllr David Fothergill, Minehead Town Council objected “in the strongest possible terms to the decision to hold a public consultation on local government reorganisation at this time”.

It declared: “Many residents are struggling physically, mentally and financially and will likely continue to do so for quite some time to come. Businesses are facing an unprecedented economic challenge and thousands of people are not sure about their employment, income or future.

“In this time of national crisis, re-routing time, effort and money into a premature project is foolhardy and shows a distinct lack of empathy, awareness and connectedness of this region.”

Wiveliscombe Town Council has also followed suit by passing a motion at its last meeting deploring the county council’s decision to press ahead with a unitary survey. It believed any action on the subject should wait until after the health and economic crises were over.

Dulverton Town Council is considering a response which will be presented at its next meeting and Watchet Town Council have decided it is “inappropriate” to comment before having consultations with other authorities.

At a meeting on Monday, Williton parish councillors agreed to ask the county council to meet representatives of West Somerset town and parish councils at a public meeting to justify the case for a unitary authority.

It was also felt it was not an appropriate time to be making major local government changes.

Councillors also declined to make a decision on seven recommendations for a unitary authority on the grounds that they hadn’t been given enough information.

SWAT leader Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts claimed that it was wrong to push a unitary plan “when people are still dying and the country is facing unprecedented challenges”.

Cllr Fothergill said: “The evidence shows there are significant benefits in removing five councils and replacing them with one – benefits which will support our communities going forward.