Somerset Council has passed on several functions to a local town council after it narrowly managed to set a balanced budget with a pledge to devolve powers.
Services like street cleansing, road sweeping, the management of open spaces, market rights and carnival clean-ups are now in the remit of Bridgwater Town Council.
Bridgwater’s new director of amenities, Scott Mason, said taking charge of street cleansing and road sweeping was a ‘significant responsibility’, but said the council was dedicated to making the town clean and attractive.
Somerset was established as a new unitary authority in April 2023, replacing the county council, but had declared a financial emergency by November.
With no government support forthcoming, the council saw a need to seek local solutions, leader Bill Revans said.
He asked the county’s 279 parishes if they would take on any services that were at risk of cuts and received dozens of expressions of interest.
The unitary authority said it was ultimately only able to set a balanced budget this year by committing to ‘heartbreaking’ cuts, increasing council tax, and by pledging to have fewer council offices, significantly reduce its workforce – and roll-out devolution.
With conversations taking place about the transfer of functions to other city, town and parish councils across Somerset, it is hoped that Bridgwater will be the first of many devolution deals.
