Dan Peters 31 July 2020

Ministers to receive Somerset unitary business case

A business case for a single Somerset unitary has been sent to communities secretary Robert Jenrick and local government minister Simon Clarke.

Somerset CC leader, David Fothergill, hailed the ‘momentous vote’ that approved the business case.

Backers of the One Somerset plan have claimed a single unitary will end the ‘confusion, frustration and mess’ of dealing with numerous councils.

The county council estimates it will save £18.5m per year through reducing duplication and creating efficiencies of scale.

Cllr Fothergill said the two-tier system was ‘outdated,’ adding: ‘This was a big step, a really historic step, but one that will end confusion over which council does what, and bring real benefits to our residents, businesses and communities.’

But district councillors have claimed the proposals for a single county unitary are based on ‘failed examples of local government’.

#Unitary #Councillors #Finance #Reorganisation #Local democracy #Robert Jenrick

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