Somerset West and Taunton SWT | |
---|---|
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | South West England |
Ceremonial county | Somerset |
|
|
Seat | Taunton |
Government | |
• Type | Somerset West and Taunton Council |
• MPs: | Rebecca Pow (Con) Ian Liddell-Grainger (Con) |
Area | |
• Total | 459 sq mi (1,188 km2) |
Population | |
• Total | 157,909 |
• Density | 340/sq mi (130/km2) |
Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
Website | www |
Somerset West and Taunton was a local government district in Somerset, England, from 2019 to 2023. It was established on 1 April 2019 by the Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018. [2] [3] The council replaced the Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils, which governed the same area from 1974.
On 1 April 2023, the district was abolished and replaced by Somerset Council, a unitary district for the area previously served by Somerset County Council. [4]
In September 2016, West Somerset and Taunton Deane councils agreed in principle to merge the districts into a single one, subject to consultation. [5] The new district was not a unitary authority, with Somerset County Council still performing its functions at county level. [6] In March 2018 both councils voted in favour of the merger and it came into effect on 1 April 2019, with the first elections to the new council in May 2019. [7] [8] [9]
The new council was approved by James Brokenshire the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 30 May 2018. [2] [10] The merger was expected to save £3.1 million each year. [11]
West Somerset covered a largely rural area, with a population of 35,300 [12] in an area of 740 square kilometres (290 sq mi); [13] it was the least populous non-unitary district in England. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics in 2009, the population of West Somerset has the oldest average age in the United Kingdom at 52. [14] The largest centres of population were the coastal towns of Minehead (population 10,000) and Watchet (4,400).
Taunton Deane was based in Taunton. Taunton Deane had an estimated population of 102,600 in 2001. [15]
Somerset West and Taunton Council | |
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Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Chair | Hazel Prior-Sankey,Liberal Democrats since 22 May 2019 |
Leader | Federica Smith-Roberts,Liberal Democrats since 22 May 2019 |
Structure | |
Seats | 59(30 needed for a majority) |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
Elections | |
First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 2 May 2019 |
Website | |
www |
The Conservative Party held a majority on the new council following the merger of Taunton Deane and West Somerset districts on 1 April 2019. This majority was inherited from their seat totals on the predecessor councils rather than the result of a direct election to the council. Inaugural elections to the council were held on 2 May 2019 which saw the Lib Dems gain control of the council. The final composition of the council was the following (note one seat was vacant pending a by-election): [16]
Party | Seats | ||
---|---|---|---|
Liberal Democrat | 30 / 59 | 50.8% | |
Independent | 13 / 59 | 22.0% | |
Conservative | 10 / 59 | 17.0% | |
Labour | 3 / 59 | 5.1% | |
Green | 2 / 59 | 3.4% |
On 1 April 2023, the council was abolished and replaced by a Somerset Council, a unitary authority for the area at previously served by Somerset County Council. [4] Elections for the new council took place in May 2022, and it ran alongside the other councils until their abolition in April 2023. [17]
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the Bishops of Winchester. Parts of the inner ward house were turned into the Museum of Somerset and Somerset Military Museum. For the Second Cornish uprising of 1497, Perkin Warbeck brought an army of 6,000; most surrendered to Henry VII on 4 October 1497. On 20 June 1685 in Taunton the Duke of Monmouth crowned himself King of England in a rebellion, defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Judge Jeffreys led the Bloody Assizes in the Castle's Great Hall.
South Somerset was a local government district in Somerset, England, from 1974 to 2023. The district covered an area of 370 square miles (958 km2) ranging from the borders with Devon, Wiltshire and Dorset to the edge of the Somerset Levels. It had a population of approximately 158,000. The administrative centre of the district was Yeovil.
Taunton Deane was a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. Its council was based in Taunton.
West Somerset was a local government district in the English county of Somerset from 1974 to 2019. The council covered a largely rural area, with a population of 34,900 in an area of 740 square kilometres (290 sq mi); it was the least populous non-unitary district in England. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics in 2009, the population of West Somerset had the oldest average age in the United Kingdom at 52. The largest centres of population were the coastal towns of Minehead and Watchet (4,400).
Milverton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in the valley of the River Tone 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Taunton. The village has a population of 1,438. The parish includes the hamlet of Preston Bowyer.
Ash Priors is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated 5 miles (8.0 km) north west of Taunton. The village has a population of 155.
Bishop's Hull is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, in the western suburbs of Taunton. It includes the areas of Rumwell, Rumwell Park, Roughmoor and Longaller and is close to the River Tone. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Netherclay, has a population of 2,975 in total.
Cheddon Fitzpaine is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the Quantock Hills 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Taunton. The village is situated near the Bristol and Exeter Railway, the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, and the River Tone and has a population of 1,929.
Comeytrowe is a south western suburb of Taunton and former civil parish, now in the parish of Taunton in the county of Somerset, England. In 2011 the parish had a population of 5,463. The parish included the area of Galmington.
Halse is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of Taunton. The village has a population of 290.
Otterford is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is situated on the Blackdown Hills, 7 miles (11.3 km) south of Taunton. The village has a population of 356.
Ruishton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Tone and A358 road 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Taunton. The village has a population of 1,473. The parish includes the hamlet of Henlade.
Tolland is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 9 miles (14.5 km) north west of Taunton, between the Brendon Hills and Quantock Hills. The parish has a population of 81.
Trull is a village, electoral ward and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated near Taunton. The parish, which includes Dipford, has a population of 2,288.
West Hatch is a hamlet and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 5 miles (8.0 km) south east of Taunton. It has a population of 306.
Taunton Deane Borough Council in Somerset, England was elected every four years. The first elections to the council were held in 1973, ahead of it coming into being in 1974. The last election was held in 2015. The council was abolished in 2019 when the district merged with neighbouring West Somerset district to become Somerset West and Taunton.
Somerset Council, known until 1 April 2023 as Somerset County Council, is the unitary authority which governs the district of Somerset, which occupies the southern part of the ceremonial county of the same name in the South West of England. The council has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since the 2022 local elections, and its headquarters is County Hall in Taunton.
Wellington Without is a civil parish in Somerset, England.
Structural changes to local government in England took place between 2019 and 2023. Some of these changes continue the trend of new unitary authorities being created from other types of local government districts, which was a policy of Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick from 2019.
The 2022 Somerset Council election took place on 5 May 2022. It was the inaugural election of the new unitary authority, Somerset Council, which replaced Somerset County Council on 1 April 2023. All 110 councillors were elected, representing the same divisions as the old county council, but with twice as many councillors representing each. The councillors elected first sat as members of the existing county council until its replacement by the new authority. The same councillors are now members of Somerset Council.