Meetings
The councils are working to decide how best to bring together services and have established a Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Advisory Board and the new Implementation Board.
Agendas and minutes for future meetings will be available via this page. The meetings are open to the public.
LGR Implementation Board
Next meeting: Friday 29 July 2pm – agenda here
To join click here
The Implementation Board has responsibility to inform and act on behalf of the SCC Executive to ensure delivery of the new council on time and to budget.
Membership includes: three members of Somerset County Council nominated by its Leader:
- Cllr Bill Revans
- Cllr Liz Leyshon
- Cllr Val Keitch
Two members of Somerset County Council nominated by the leader of that council’s largest Opposition political group:
- Cllr David Fothergill
- Cllr Faye Purbrick
One member of each of the four district councils nominated by the leader of their respective council:
- Cllr Ros Wyke (Mendip)
- Cllr Duncan McGinty (Sedgemoor)
- Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts (Somerset West and Taunton)
- Cllr John Clark (South Somerset)
The LGR Implementation board will meet on:
- 29 July 2022
- 9 September 2022
- 21 October 2022
- 2 December 2022
- 13 January 2023
- 24 February 2023
The Implementation Board replaces the LGR Joint Committee arrangements.
The Local Government Reorganisation Advisory Board
Next meeting – Details to be confirmed
The Advisory Board is a less formal public meeting and is designed to provide a way for councillors, public sector partners, the public and other interested groups to feed into the process and share ideas as the new council takes shape. The Board will develop links to Somerset Youth Parliament.
The Board’s role is advisory, but its proposals, ideas and recommendations will feed into the unitary programme and the decision-making Joint Committee. Meetings will be held monthly in locations around the county.
Previous meetings:
- Thursday 17 March: Williams Hall, Stoke St Gregory, Taunton. Slides from the meeting are available here
- Thursday 3 February: Virtual meeting. Slides from the meeting are available here:
- Thursday 16 December: Virtual meeting.
- A short survey has been issued to gain further insight into views regarding the role description for new unitary councillors. This builds on discussion at the 16 December LGR Advisory Board meeting. Responses are welcome from all. The survey will remain open for two weeks, and close on 26 January.
The slides from the meeting are here Discussion on the role of Somerset Councillors. Here are example job descriptions from other counties that helped to inform the discussion.
- Thursday 25 November: Donyatt Village Hall. The presentation can be found here.
- 21 October – Bridgwater Town Hall
We discussed recommendations made by city, town and parish representatives (SALC and SLCC) and presented detail of the Local Community Network pilots in Exmoor and Frome
Discussion focused on how the various organisations could best work together to deliver real change and improve lives in Somerset
- 30 September – Holy Trinity Church, Frome
We introduced the Board and our initial focus on developing Local Community Network (LCN) pilots. Discussion highlighted the importance of working with city, town and parish councils.
LGR Joint Scrutiny Committee
The Committee represents all five councils in scrutinising progress towards delivery of the new council. It will have 16 members, eight from Somerset County Council and eight from the from the four district councils.
- Somerset County Council (8 members)
- Somerset West and Taunton Council (2 members)
- South Somerset District Council (2 members)
- Sedgemoor District Council (2 members)
- Mendip District Council (2 members)
The LGR Joint Scrutiny Committee will meet on:
- 19 August 2022
- 30 September 2022
- 11 November 2022
- 16 December 2022
- 3 February 2023
- 17 March 2023