Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 215 KBVenue: Webcasting - Virtual. View directions
Contact: Marcus Prouse Email: m.prouse@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
Webcast: View the webcast
| No. | Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Chris Booth, Hazel Prior-Sankey and Danny Wedderkopp. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Declarations of Interest
To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.
(The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.) Additional documents: Minutes: Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Public Participation
The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.
For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.
Temporary measures during the Coronavirus Pandemic Due to the Government guidance on measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), we will holding meetings in a virtual manner which will be live webcast on our website. Members of the public will still be able to register to speak and ask questions, which will then be read out by the Governance and Democracy Case Manager during Public Question Time and will either be answered by the Chair of the Committee, or the relevant Portfolio Holder, or be followed up with a written response. Additional documents: Minutes: Four members of the public submitted statements and questions which were read out on their behalf:
1) Mr David Orr
I am a resident in the Unparished Vivary Ward of Taunton (formerly Killams and Mountfield). Taunton Unparished wards have long suffered from a democratic deficit when compared to the parished wards: No rights to statutory consultation on any community matter; no share of planning gain; no say, basically.
Highways England proposed an A358 Expressway but with just one flawed Orange route and a huge new M5 junction proposed at Killams adjacent to homes. Our Unparished ward had to fight to be heard and used our own money to fund the campaign for a meaningful consultation with multiple routes.
We worked closely with the parish of Stoke St Mary and envied their statutory consultation rights, paid clerk, community recognition and purpose. It took 3 years for this Council to be formed from Taunton Deane and West Somerset Councils. It is a major oversight that the issue of anomalous Unparished wards in Taunton was not addressed at the same time. The Charter Trustees were then formed but with the principal purpose of saving the ceremonial role of Mayor. However, that role and those costs are borne only by the Unparished wards and 45% of Taunton’s population, which is neither ideal nor fair.
It is my view that the Charter Trustees should not behave as a Shadow Town Council given the limited geography and community tax base. When the coronavirus pandemic is over, the UK will be left with a wartime level of debt and effectively be in negative equity. Any “New Normal” cannot involve the costly and confusing two tiers of five councils for Somerset. The County Council unitary proposal has the merit that by removing one of the current confusing two tiers of Local Government, it creates space for a Town Council for Taunton for an area far wider than the Unparished wards. All wards in Taunton will then be equally represented.
I worked with the late Sir Chris Clarke OBE and former County Council Leader back in 2004 when he worked for the Ministry for Communities and Local Government. Our preferred unitary model in 2004 was to revert to the historic boundaries of the ancient County of Somerset (to include North Somerset and Bath & NE Somerset) and create two new unitary councils (from eight existing Councils). That is still my preferred option. In this initial survey by the County Council, I believe that each Taunton Unparished ward should make their own survey response, just as each parished ward will.
Any attempt at a single response would add to the impression that the Charter Trustees are a Shadow Town Council. It could also result in a majority vote whereby the Lib Dem in-built majority on the Charter Trustees could be seen as imposing a party political view without any serious or meaningful consultation with communities in each Unparished ward.
Should the Secretary of State start a formal consultation on options ... view the full minutes text for item 11. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Unitary Proposal and its proposed impact on the Unparished Area of Taunton
Firstly, Councillor David Fothergill (Leader of Somerset County Council) to attend and present an update an overview of the One Somerset Programme.
Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts to follow in her role as Leader of Somerset West and Taunton Council and provide an overview of the District Councils views. Additional documents: Minutes: The Mayor of Taunton introduced the item and stated that it was disappointing that the Charter Trustees had received the survey eleven days after other Town and Parish Councils and an extension to the response deadline had been requested of Somerset County Council, which had been refused. The Mayor welcomed Councillor Fothergill, Leader of Somerset County Council and introduced him to the meeting.
Firstly, Councillor David Fothergill (Leader of Somerset County Council) attended and presented an update and overview of the One Somerset Programme.
Councillor Mike Rigby (Executive member for Somerset West and Taunton Council) followed and provided an overview of the District Councils views.
During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · It was queried as to whether the timing was right to try and re-organise the whole of democracy in Somerset during a pandemic and the economic consequences of said pandemic. · The impact on District Council staff who had already gone through a Transformation process was going to be difficult. · The Unitary model in the right circumstances was felt to have some merit. · The Leader of the County Council responded that now was absolutely the time and all Councils were going to face significant challenges during the Coronavirus and getting through this required organisations to pull together. South Somerset District Council and SWT had been doing work on how to improve the current system. SCC had spent £43m on the pandemic, with thousands of staff deployed in new areas. The direction from Government and the Local Government white paper was supportive of this move. · Cllr Rigby clarified that the only work that had been done on this was in the last couple of weeks. SWT had done no work on this until SCC resumed. · It was stated that One Somerset did not have overall support lacking the support of the District Councils. The last re-organisation did not have a public vote, and the lack of democratic engagement in the process was questioned, and why there was no referendum. · The Leader of the County Council responded that the Government had a clear process for Local Government re-organisation based on geography, number of residents and level of support. The consultation process would be required by the Secretary of State who would then decide. · It was queried that Somerset County Council was struggling due to the spiralling costs of Adult and Children’s Social Care and that the Unitary question had been promoted as an idea by the Leader in 2018 when merger between the two former District Councils was taking place. · The Leader of the County Council responded that the County Council had increased reserves dramatically last year, but did have to make difficult decisions two years ago. · The Leader of the County Council responded that the residents do not belong to SCC or SWT and they are all the same people. The primary driver was inefficiency of service, not the finances. · The Leader of the County Council responded that concern about West Somerset Council’s solvency ensured the speed with which ... view the full minutes text for item 12. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Response to One Somerset Survey
The Charter Trustees will consider the Somerset County Council survey Questions and draft their response. The SCC survey closing date is Friday 3rd July. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED that The Charter Trustees for Taunton at their meeting on 2nd July 2020 were to submit the following collectively agreed comments to the One Somerset Survey being conducted by Somerset County Council and sent to all Towns and Parish Councils;
Minutes: The Charter Trustees considered the Somerset County Council survey Questions and drafted their response. The SCC survey closing date was Friday 3rd July.
RESOLVED that The Charter Trustees for Taunton at their meeting on 2nd July 2020 were to submit the following collectively agreed comments to the One Somerset Survey being conducted by Somerset County Council and sent to all Towns and Parish Councils;
|