ELECTIONS: Somerset County Council freezes its share of Council Tax bill

SOMERSET County Council has approved to freeze the Council Tax for a sixth straight year - but will be cost-cutting some services to the tune of £16m.

Councillors at the Conservative-controlled county council last week voted 31-17 in support of the proposals to set a budget of more than £310m of spending and £57m of capital investment.

The revenue budget, which sets out £16m of savings, also includes spending of £86m on frontline services for adults and £40m for children, while a Capital Investment Programme outlines £57m to improve schools, roads and other infrastructure.

Council leader, Cllr John Osman, said: “Despite the difficult economic climate which has seen our budget from Government reduced by £20m this year along, I'm pleased we have still been able to freeze Council Tax and spend millions on key areas such as looking after vulnerable adults and children, fuelling the local economy, and investing in our highways and schools.

"We have also had to make some very difficult decisions to reflect the fall in Government funding. There is no doubt that we would rather not be making some of these savings, and if the Government hadn't reduced our funding by so much then we wouldn't have to.”

The budget has been criticised by the leader of the Liberal Democrat group at County Hall with Cllr Jane Lock describing the £16m cuts as “savage.”

“We all accept the council faces another challenging financial settlement, but what is proposed here is a doom and gloom budget,” she said.

“Instead of leading from the front taking the opportunity to shape our county and be advocates for our communities, the administration presents us with a pass the buck budget.

“The NHS, the police, young people, those living in rural areas and the vulnerable are all victims of the savage cuts proposed by the administration.

“We believe there is a better way even in these tough times.”

The council is pressing ahead with its Fairer Funding for Somerset campaign - regardless of which political power is in charge at Westminster following May's General Election.

A protest was held by Taunton Trades Council outside County Hall headquarters ahead of last week’s budget meeting opposing the cuts.

The £16m savings from the budget over the next 12 months will hit almost all areas of the council’s activities.

The county council receives the lion’s share of the overall Council Tax with the rest shared between the district council, Avon and Somerset Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and the town/parish councils.

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