Somerset Council

Somerset Council is the unitary authority for Somerset. It was established on 1 April 2023, replacing Somerset County Council and four district councils (Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset, Mendip, and Sedgemoor). The council's 110 councillors were previously elected to the county council in 2022, with a majority for the Liberal Democrat party.

Somerset Council
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2023 (2023-04-01)
Leadership
Chair
Mike Best,
Liberal Democrats
since 1 April 2023[lower-alpha 1][1]
Bill Revans,
Liberal Democrats
since 1 April 2023[lower-alpha 2][2]
Structure
Seats110 councillors
Somerset County Council composition
Political groups
Administration (61)
  Liberal Democrat (61)
Other parties (49)
  Conservative (36)
  Green Party (5)
  Labour (5)
  Independent (3)
Length of term
4 years (from 2027)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
2027
Meeting place
County Hall at Taunton
County Hall, The Crescent, Taunton, TA1 4DY
Website
www.somerset.gov.uk

History

The Conservative governments of Theresa May and Boris Johnson undertook structural changes to local government in England that resulted in several county councils and their district councils being replaced by unitary authorities.[3]

Somerset County Council drew up initial plans for unitarisation in 2018.[4] Its proposal was for a single new unitary authority that would encompass all the districts, while the joint counter-proposal of the four district councils (Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset, Mendip, and Sedgemoor) was for two new unitary authorities representing respectively the areas of East Somerset and West Somerset.[5] A non-binding referendum of residents held in June 2021 expressed a preference for the two-authority proposal.[6] Nevertheless, the central government minister responsible, Robert Jenrick, selected the plan for a single authority.[7][8]

An election in 2022 chose the final councillors for Somerset County Council, who automatically became councillors for the new Somerset Council with effect from 1 April 2023 when the old county council and district councils were abolished. The chair and leader of the old county council automatically became the chair and leader of the new council.[9][10][11]

2022 election
Main article: 2022 Somerset Council election

On 5 May 2022, the Liberal Democrats won 61 of the 110 county council seats, giving them control of the unitary authority from 2023 when councillors transferred across to the new body.[12]

Affiliation Members
Liberal Democrats 61
Conservative Party 36
Green Party of England and Wales 5
Labour Party 5
Independent 3

See also

References
  1. Chair of the old Somerset County Council from 25 May 2022.
  2. Leader of the old Somerset County Council from 25 May 2022.
  1. "Councillor details". Somerset Council. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. "Somerset election results 2022: Lib Dems win control". BBC News. 6 May 2022.
  3. Bunn, Jon (2 October 2019). "Jenrick: 'no long-term future' for districts in devo push". Local Government Chronicle (LGC). Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  4. "REVEALED: Plans to scrap SIX Somerset councils in bid to save millions". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  5. "Unitary Somerset: 'Based on a giant lie' or 'the right way forward' for the county's future?". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  6. "Somerset: controversial poll opts for two-council future". BBC News. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  7. "Somerset councils to merge into single unitary authority". BBC News. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  8. "Next steps for new unitary councils in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset". GOV.UK. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  9. Mumby, Daniel (2 December 2021). "Elections to new Somerset Council set for May 2022". SomersetLive. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  10. "Name revealed as plan for one council in Somerset takes next steps". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  11. "The Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/329, retrieved 10 April 2023
  12. "Somerset election results 2022: Lib Dems win control". BBC News. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
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