Somerset County Council FER

Draft Recommendations

On 21 February 2012 we published our draft recommendations for the further electoral review (FER) of Somerset County Council. Between 21 February 2012 and 9 April 2012 we invited local people and other interested parties to view and comment on our draft recommendations for Somerset.

Consultation closed on 9 April 2012.

Below are the submissions we received:

Local Authority

Somerset County Council submission (PDF) and corresponding maps (PDF)

South Somerset District Council (PDF)

Taunton Deane Borough Council (PDF)

West Somerset District Council (PDF)

MPs, Political Groups and Councillors

Somerset Liberal Democrat County Group (PDF)

Bridgwater Town Council Labour Group (PDF)

Yeovil South Branch Liberal Democrats (PDF)

Taunton Labour Party (PDF)

Taunton Deane Liberal Democrats (PDF)

Cllr A Paul (PDF)

Cllr D Fothergill (PDF)

Cllr R Henley (PDF)

Cllr N Mermagen (PDF)

Cllr J R Williams (PDF)

Cllr J Govier (PDF)

Cllr K Durdan (PDF)

Parish Cllr R Hancock (PDF)

Parish Cllr E Harper (PDF)

Parish Cllr E Harper supplementary submission (PDF)

Local organisations

Somerset PCT (PDF)

Chamber of Commerce (PDF)

Rockwell Green Primary School (PDF)

Taunton & Wellington Pensioners Forum (PDF)

We received a petition with 790 signatures from the Taunton & Wellington Pensioners Forum (PDF). This is an example page of the petition.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce (PDF)

Wellington Childrens Centre (PDF)

Wellington Medical Centre (PDF)

Wellington Young People's Centre (PDF)

Parish and Town Councils 

Parish and Town Councils (PDF)

All the submissions are contained in one PDF document. At the front of the document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions

Local residents

Local residents A - G (PDF)

Local residents H - W (PDF)

At the front of each document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions

The recommendations can be found using the links below.

Maps of the area recommendations:

Please note: some of these maps may be large and take some time to download.

 

Information gathering & analysis

Following preliminary discussions with Somerset County Council, on 23 August 2011 we started a period of information gathering for new division arrangements for the council. Between 23 August and 14 November, we invited local people and other interested parties to provide information on new division arrangements for the authority. We are especially looking for information on communities within Somerset, how people relate to and interact with them and how this may relate to any new division boundaries.

Consultation closed on 14 November 2011

Below are the submissions we received:

Local authority

Somerset County Council (PDF)

West Somerset District Council (PDF)

MPs, Political groups and Councillors

Liberal Democrat Group (PDF)

Taunton Deane Constituency Labour Party (PDF)

Cllr Wedderkopp (PDF)

Local organisations

North Taunton Partnership (PDF)

Victoria Park Action Group (PDF)

Local residents

P Goodenough (PDF)

R House (PDF)

M Whitmarsh (PDF)

Parish and town councils

Parish and town councils (PDF)

All the submissions are contained in one PDF document. At the front of the document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions

Read our news release

Letter sent to the Chief Executive of Somerset County Council (PDF)

The Commission is minded to recommend a council size of 55 for Somerset, following the receipt of evidence supporting this number from Somerset County Council. You can read submissions on council size from Somerset County Council (PDF), the Opposition group (PDF) on the council and two parish councils (PDF).

Here are the electoral figures (PDF) for Somerset. You may also find a map of the variances (PDF) in Somerset useful.

You may wish to read our document Electoral Reviews: Technical Guidance (PDF), which contains detailed guidance on the review process and information on the legislation reviews are carried out under.