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Somerset West and Taunton

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Somerset West and Taunton
Non-metropolitan district
Official logo of Somerset West and Taunton
Council logo
Somerset West and Taunton district within the county of Somerset
Somerset West and Taunton district within the county of Somerset
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Ceremonial countySomerset
  • Established
  • Abolished
  • 1 April 2019 (2019-04-01)
  • 1 April 2023 (2023-04-01)
SeatTaunton
Government
 • TypeSomerset West and Taunton Council
Area
 • Total
459 sq mi (1,188 km2)
Population
[1]
 • Total
157,909
 • Density340/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Websitewww.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk

Somerset West and Taunton was a local government district in Somerset, England, from 2019 to 2023. It was established on 1 April 2019 by the Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018.[2][3] The council replaced the Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils, which governed the same area from 1974.

On 1 April 2023, the district was abolished and replaced by Somerset unitary district for the area previously served by Somerset County Council.[4]

Background

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In September 2016, West Somerset and Taunton Deane councils agreed in principle to merge the districts into a single one, subject to consultation.[5] The new district was not a unitary authority, with Somerset County Council still performing its functions at county level.[6] In March 2018 both councils voted in favour of the merger and it came into effect on 1 April 2019, with the first elections to the new council in May 2019.[7][8][9]

The new council was approved by James Brokenshire the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 30 May 2018.[2][10] The merger was expected to save £3.1 million each year.[11]

West Somerset covered a largely rural area, with a population of 35,300[12] in an area of 740 square kilometres (290 sq mi);[13] it was the least populous non-unitary district in England. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics in 2009, the population of West Somerset has the oldest average age in the United Kingdom at 52.[14] The largest centres of population were the coastal towns of Minehead (population 10,000) and Watchet (4,400).

Taunton Deane was based in Taunton. Taunton Deane had an estimated population of 102,600 in 2001.[15]

Governance

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Somerset West and Taunton Council
Somerset West and Taunton District Council logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 2019
Disbanded31 March 2023
Elections
Last election
2 May 2019
Meeting place
Deane House, Belvedere Road, Taunton

A shadow authority was created in 2018 to oversee the transition to the new council, comprising all the councillors from the two outgoing councils.[16] The Conservatives held a majority of the seats on the shadow authority, which was led by John Williams, the last leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council. The first elections to the new council were held on 2 May 2019, which saw the Liberal Democrats win a majority of the seats. John Williams was unsuccessful in securing a seat on the new council.[17]

Liberal Democrat councillor Federica Smith-Roberts was subsequently appointed as the leader of the council on 22 May 2019.[18][19] She remained the leader until the council's abolition in 2023.[20]

Premises

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West Somerset House in Williton

Full council meetings were held at Deane House on Belvedere Road in Taunton, which had previously been the headquarters of Taunton Deane Borough Council.[18] The council's administrative offices were split between Deane House and the former West Somerset District Council headquarters at West Somerset House in Williton.[21]

Abolition

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On 1 April 2023, the council was abolished and its functions passed to Somerset County Council, which was renamed Somerset Council on the same day, becoming a unitary authority.[4] Elections for the new council took place in May 2022, and it ran alongside the other councils until their abolition in April 2023.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 2021
  2. ^ a b "Somerset councils merger approved by government". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. ^ "The Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018". Legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Frequently asked questions". Somerset County Council. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ^ "West Somerset Online". Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Your New Council". Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Somerset councils merger approved despite criticism". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  8. ^ Simmons, Alice (19 March 2018). "Taunton Deane and West Somerset vote in favour of council merger". Somerset County Gazette. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  9. ^ Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (24 May 2018). "The Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Government Decision on New Council". Your New Council. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Councils 'delighted' with Somerset merger government approval". Public Sector Executive. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Statistics & Census Information". West Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. ^ "West Somerset (Local Authority): Key Figures for Physical Environment". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  14. ^ "Maps chart UK's ageing population". BBC News. 1 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  15. ^ "Population Summary" (PDF). Somerset County Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  16. ^ "The Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/649, retrieved 7 December 2024
  17. ^ Mumby, Daniel (3 May 2019). "Local Elections 2019: Conservative leader of Somerset West and Taunton Council John Williams 'disappointed' at losing seat in 'Battle of the Blackdowns'". Somerset Live. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Council minutes, 22 May 2019". Somerset West and Taunton Council. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  19. ^ Cole, Amy (23 May 2019). "Somerset West and Taunton Council leader Federica Smith-Roberts announces her executive". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  20. ^ Hill, Phil (27 April 2024). "Taunton Town Council election candidates' stories and photos". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  21. ^ Mumby, Daniel (15 September 2023). "West Somerset House in Williton could be sold by council". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Elections for new Somerset Council to be held in May 2022". BBC News. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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