Lib Dem unitary power grab is massively rejected by West Somerset voters

RESIDENTS of West Somerset and the rest of the county have overwhelmingly rejected the idea of creating a super-size council to run all local government services.
The massive rejection of the Liberal Democrat-inspired plan comes in a postal ballot of everybody in Somerset who is on the electoral register.
Across the county, almost one-half of the entire population voted, answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question ‘do you support the idea of a unitary authority for Somerset?’.
The result was a four-to-one rejection of the idea with 82 per cent of voters saying ‘no’ and just 18 per cent being in favour.
The ballot was organised and paid for by the five district councils in Somerset, which were united in their opposition to Somerset County Council’s plan to abolish them.
West Somerset Council leader, Councillor Keith Ross, said: “The tremendously high turnout is something of a surprise, but the overall result is not.
“This vindicates our decision to hold the vote in the first place. The people of Somerset have spoken loud and clear.
"The county council ran a biased campaign seeking to spin its own plans and spread disinformation about the district councils’ alternative.
“But Somerset residents saw through this, and as for the county council’s claim that nobody was interested in this issue - well, the results speak for themselves.”
Councillor Ross together with chief executives and leaders of the other Somerset districts, were travelling to London today (Tuesday, June 19) for urgent talks with Local Government Minister Phil Woolas.
Sedgemoor District Council leader, Councillor Duncan McGinty, said: “Our message to him will be very simple.
“We are not against unitary authorities as a matter of principle, but we are against them where the proposers have failed to put together any kind of case for change, and where local residents are so clearly opposed.
“We will be urging the Minister to end any remaining uncertainty or speculation by announcing swiftly that the county council’s plans are off-the-table.
“It is now absolutely impossible for the county council to proceed with its plans. They are as dead as a dodo.
“The Government has made it crystal clear that unitary authorities can only proceed if they have broad public support. The plans for a unitary authority in Somerset could hardly be less popular.”
Almost 200,000 people voted in the postal ballot, with 158.754 against the Lib Dem unitary council scheme and 34,851 in favour of it.
In West Somerset, the turnout was 53.9 per cent (15,068) with 79.7 per cent (11,933) of valid votes being against, and 20.3 per cent (3,048) against. There were 87 invalid ballot papers.

• Our photograph shows some of the leaders and chief executives of the five district councils emphasising the postal ballot result at the announcement held in the Castle Hotel, Taunton, this morning (Tuesday, June 19). West Somerset's chief executive, Tim Howes, is second from right. Photo submitted.
  

Residents urged 'Vote No' to unitary council plans

LOCAL residents are being urged to take part in a postal ballot to tell the Government what they think of plans by Somerset County Council to seize control of all local government services in the county.
Liberal Democrat county councillors want to abolish West Somerset and the other four district councils in Somerset and run everything from County Hall, a move which it has been independently calculated would cost ratepayers £7 million a year.
Now, West Somerset and the other councils fighting the ‘unitary bid’ by the county authority have together commissioned a ballot to give every voter a say in the issue.
But the county’s new leader, Councillor Jill Shortland, has already refused to recognise the result of the ballot, claiming it was a ‘waste of money’ to allow a democratic vote by the public.
The postal ballot is being run by the Electoral Reform Services, and votes, which are free to send by post, should be returned by Friday, June 15.
The leader of West Somerset Council, Cllr Keith Ross, said, "We urge all voters to grab this chance to vote no to Somerset County Council’s proposed new mammoth unitary authority.
“A unitary authority would see West Somerset’s local representation slashed by over 75 per cent from its current total of 35 councillors, made up of 31 district and four county councillors, to eight ‘all-purpose’ councillors.
“This will hit local people hard because they are used to having an adequate number of local councillors to represent their views on local issues.”
Councillor Ross said West Somerset Council was also concerned because it had not received any assurances that local amenities such as parks and open spaces would be maintained, nor whether the county had the same commitment to economic regeneration schemes such as the provision of workspace in Williton, nor leisure and community projects such as ArtLife.
He said: “The county council has criticised the district councils for organising this poll, but we feel that their proposed reorganisation of local government will cost an awful lot more than the £13,500 we have spent on giving our local people the vote.
“It is a small price to pay for democracy. This is the only chance people are going to get. We hope local people make their voices heard by voting ‘no’.”