WEST Somerset will continue its involvement in an organisation designed to attract new businesses to the county - even though the district has not benefited from any company relocations.

The inward investment partnership Into Somerset has historically received funding from all district councils, with Somerset County Council, the accountable body for the organisation, providing the lion's share.

However,Taunton Deane Borough Council has decided not to make its annual £12,500 contribution for 2012/13.

But West Somerset Council's cabinet agreed at its meeting last Wednesday to continue to pay the district's share of £3,000 a year - the smallest contribution of all local authorities.

Contributions from all councils involved are higher than expected because Into Somerset - whose services are delivered by the Somerset Chamber of Trade and Commerce - has failed to attract the previously predicted level of private sector income due to the tight financial times.

However, despite the economic squeeze, Into Somerset has secured £53,000 of private sector cash over the past year - £43,000 of which has come from French energy company EDF specifically in relation to its proposed new nuclear build Hinkley C, and the Hinkley B operator Magnox.

And it is principally the job opportunities that the Hinkley project are expected to deliver that persuaded cabinet members to continue West Somerset's support of Into Somerset.

In a report, economic regeneration officer Corinne Matthews said any reduction in the organisation's budget would inevitably lead to a reduction in its activity.

She said, over the next three years, the council would be expected to pay an additional £2,500 more than had previously been predicted because of the shortfall from the private sector.

Mrs Matthews said a report presented to councillors in January was candid in stating that West Somerset had not seen any external business relocate to the district as a result of any action by Into Somerset.

"Clearly, businesses will make their own choices about where to relocate," she said.

"But investing in Into Somerset does ensure that West Somerset could potentially be one of the places chosen."

Mrs Matthews said the organisation had received a number of enquiries from businesses looking at West Somerset and Into Somerset had also been working with existing high profile local companies needing to expand but wanting to stay in the area.

"Safeguarding what we have is as important as attracting new business," she said.

And if a current campaign to attract high speed broadband was successful, West Somerset would become much more attractive for inward investors.

Cllr Kate Kravis, the lead member for finance, said the council's continued membership of Into Somerset was "all about the Hinkley supply chain".

She said she had seen how much local businesses were already benefiting from the job opportunities associated with the proposed Hinkley C development: "If I had to justify this on other things, I would be asking a lot more questions."

Councillors were told that one local company had secured £1 million of business and would be taking on 30 additional staff after going on the Into Somerset portal specifically set up for the Hinkley supply chain.

But Cllr Hugh Davies said he recalled asking earlier this year what the organisation had done for West Somerset over the last three years and being told it had "helped with telephone calls".

"What has come out of it for West Somerset? The Hinkley opportunities are there anyway and we have our own ways of highlighting them," he said.

"I cannot see why we are a part of this organisation because over the last three years we have had nothing.

"If a powerful authority like Taunton Deane is saying no, then we should be thinking very carefully - I thought we were supposed to be poor?"

But Cllr Keith Ross said he believed £3,000 a year was exceeding good value for the service: "You have to be in it to win it."

Council leader Cllr Tim Taylor agreed that sometimes the benefits were difficult to quantify and that there were overlapping organisations: "But I believe we need to be there."

Cllr Peter Murphy said he remained sceptical about the benefits but accepted that it might be rather churlish to pull out this year.

"But if I was a business in Taunton Deane I expect I would still be able to access the Hinkley portal, even though my council was not a part of Into Somerset."

Councillors backed a move for a review to be carried out after the first year of delivery and also said they wanted annual break clauses in the agreement to allow councils to reassess their contribution due to budget restraints.