We are writing in response to the report in the Free Press on September 7 which said that 22 staff members from a joint workforce of 659 had been made redundant in the Phase One merger between West Somerset and Taunton Deane Borough Council.

It was stated that this was done to deliver significant efficiencies and lead to annual savings of £3.1 million.

It has always been West Somerset and Taunton Deane Borough Councils’ intention to transform the way the councils were run and become one council. The business case for transformation gave a figure of 22 per cent in staff cuts to make the savings.

This will eventually be a significantly higher number of redundancies than the number so far. The current number of staff cuts is 34 within Phase One, with a sizeable number in Phase Two also ‘at risk’ of redundancy.

It must be stressed this is across the entire range of council services for both authorities, and UNISON is concerned about the loss of business continuity during this period of uncertainty.

By phasing the process, the full impact of how many staff will be made redundant has not been reported, but the target is to reduce the workforce by approximately a third - approximately 200 staff - by March 2019.

UNISON is concerned both for the existing staff and also the effect these changes will have on the ability of the new council from April 2019 to deliver services to the communities that our members serve.

Linda Sully and Neil Anderson, Joint Branch Secretaries, Taunton Deane and West Somerset UNISON