23 October 2024A consultation on division boundaries for Somerset Council has begun
Today (22 October 2024) is the start of a 10-week public consultation inviting proposals for new council divisions and division boundaries for Somerset Council.
Our consultation will close on 20 January 2025.
After we have considered all representations made to us during this consultation, we intend to publish draft recommendations in June 2025.
We will then hold a further period of consultation on our draft recommendations. Our final recommendations are expected to be published in December 2025.
The new electoral arrangements will come into effect at the local elections in 2027.
What is an electoral review?
Our electoral review will recommend new electoral arrangements for Somerset Council. We will propose:
- the total number of councillors elected to the council in the future;
- the number of divisions;
- the number of councillors representing each division;
- division boundaries; and
- the names of divisions.
How to get involved
This is a public consultation and we welcome views from individuals and organisations across Somerset Council on where they think new division boundaries should be drawn.
We are minded to recommend that 96 councillors should be elected to Somerset Council in the future.
This is 14 fewer than the current number of councillors.
We are now inviting proposals to help us draw up a pattern of divisions to accommodate 96 councillors.
In drawing up new electoral divisions, we must balance three legal criteria, namely:
- to deliver electoral equality: where each councillor represents roughly the same number of electors as others across the county;
- that the pattern of divisions should, as far as possible, reflect the interests and identities of local communities;
- that the electoral arrangements should provide for effective and convenient local government.
We will treat all submissions equally, and judge each case on its merits and against the legal criteria.
If you wish to put forward a view, we would also urge you to ensure that evidence supports your submission.
For example, if you wish to argue that two areas should be included in the same electoral division, make sure you tell us why they should be together, providing evidence about community facilities, ties, organisations, and amenities, rather than simply asserting that they belong together.
There is more advice on our website about how you can get involved in the consultation.
Our website features technical guidance that explains the process and our policies, as well as guidance on how to take part in each part of the process.
We have also set up a webpage dedicated to the review of Somerset Council, where you can find all the relevant information, access interactive maps of the current ward boundaries, and give your views.
09 October 2024Dunball Roundabout and other Bridgwater works
November start for Bridgwater Dunball roundabout improvement works
Work on a major upgrade of the busy Dunball roundabout linking
Bridgwater and Junction 23 of the M5 is set to commence in November.
Somerset Council’s Executive has approved the award of a contract to
deliver the scheme to Centregreat following a tendering process and
funding has been confirmed from the Department for Transport.
The total value of the project and associated active travel schemes is
£10.7m and is wholly funded by ring-fenced Government and partner
funding, and developer contributions. The condition of the funding is that
it must be used to deliver the Dunball scheme on a previously agreed
time scale.
The project will see the roundabout layout improved to increase capacity
and traffic flow at peak times, reducing congestion in the long term.
There will also be better walking and cycling facilities.
Dunball comes at a busy time for Bridgwater with major ongoing work on
two important schemes in the area. These projects represent a big
investment in the area, but also brings significant pressure on the road
network in and around Bridgwater.
Agratas power supply works
Work on several roads needed to connect the battery cell facility in
Puriton to the Bridgwater substation. These include some closures and
traffic management is expected to continue into early spring next year,
including some work on Puriton Hill.
The Celebration Mile
Work to deliver Bridgwater’s Celebration Mile, a walking, and cycling
between the station and the town centre is continuing apace. This also
involves road closures and traffic management and is set to complete
autumn 2025.
Ideally, the work would be staggered, but all the projects are highly time-
sensitive and - in the case of Celebration Mile and Dunball – funding
must be spent within a certain timescale.
Working together
The Council’s Streetworks Team is working closely with the contractors
on all three schemes to minimise disruption for residents and businesses
when work commences on Dunball.
The team is constantly reviewing traffic management with the contractor
working for Agratas and making changes where possible. However, a
level of disruption is unavoidable.
We will be giving as much notice as we can when there is significant
disruption, to allow people to plan and to promote alternative routes
where possible.
Key Dunball facts
- Work is due to start week commencing 11 November and is
expected to take about 12 months. - As well as improving capacity and traffic flow and helping to
prevent queuing back on to the motorway junction and slip road,
the Dunball scheme will improve walking and cycling access as
part of the scheme’s commitment to active travel and improved
links into Bridgwater.
This includes a toucan crossing at the north side to ensure safer
crossing of the busy A38 as part of the route through Downend to
Puriton. - Most of the improvements will be done with lane closures and
temporary traffic signals in place but the scheme will require some
short-term evening closures of the link road between the Dunball
roundabout and J23 in early 2025.
People will still be able to enter and exit the M5 via J23 following
diversion routes.
Advanced notice will be issued, and diversion routes published as
soon as possible. The team will do its utmost to minimise
disruption on the network. - The junction will have traffic signals and a ‘through about’ lane, in
a similar arrangement to one introduced on the Westlands
roundabout in Yeovil during the Western Corridor works a few
years ago.
The aim is to ease peak traffic flow through this crucial route which
links the town to Junction 23 of the M5, along with the Gravity
Smart Campus in Puriton, site of the proposed Agratas Gigafactory
which is set to create 4,000 jobs in Somerset. - The Dunball scheme contributes to the creation of a complete
walking, cycling and wheeling route from the centre of Bridgwater
along the A38 corridor, which will stretch from the Gravity site to
the town centre, including upgraded provision planned at the
Canon Cross Rifles Roundabout.
A significant part of the A38 Active Travel corridor has already
been completed along the A38. - As well as a contribution from Government, the project has been
funded jointly by developer contributions, the Heart of the
Southwest Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) National Highways,
and Bridgwater Town Deal. - The Council’s Communications Team will be liaising regularly with
Agratas and contractors to update the public and stakeholders as
these various projects progress.