Dear Editor,

In February, Liberal Democrat-run Somerset Council announced sweeping changes to car parking including scrapping free car parking and introducing Sunday charges - all on the promise of “fairness and consistency.” These plans were built straight into the Council’s budget, with extra income assumed before a single resident or business had been consulted.

Months, councillors were told the Council simply did not have the officer resources to get on with delivering these changes. Consultations with the public and with town and parish councils were promised “by the end of the summer.” Yet here we are in late August, and no consultation has even begun.

When recently questioned, the administration admitted it does not know how some existing car park charging agreements were calculated, has no clear system for identifying the real cost of running each car park, and cannot explain what happens to any surplus once charges are paid. In other words: they are demanding more from motorists without having done the most basic groundwork themselves.

This is not fairness or consistency – it is muddled governance. Before the Liberal Democrats at Somerset Council ask the public to pay more, it should get its own house in order. Until then, these proposals should not move forward.

Diogo Rodrigues,

Leader of the Opposition at Somerset Council

Dear Editor,

This International Day of Charity (September 5) we would like to say thank you to each of the players of People’s Postcode Lottery whose generosity has enabled us to help around one million cats to-date.

Since 2018, People’s Postcode Lottery players have raised £12,439,702 for Cats Protection, helping us be there for cats and kittens in need. One million cats’ lives have been changed for the better and this incredible milestone could not have been achieved without players’ support.

Thanks to People’s Postcode Lottery players we have been able to remain at the forefront of research on cat welfare, using our decades of experience to support cat owners to keep their pets happy, healthy and safe.

Helping people understand their cats means we can often avoid owners having to give up their pets. But when rehoming is the right thing to do, our teams look after cats with care and kindness.

Yours faithfully,

Cat Jarvis,

Senior Philanthropy Communications Officer, Cats Protection

Dear Editor,

Unfortunately the Liberal Democrats were very much against one unitary council and spent a lot of taxpayers money on a pointless public vote for their Stronger Somerset proposal with two unitary councils plus three other organisations which would not have made any savings.

I’m afraid that Inspiring Innovation is telling me that you and your chief executive have done no merger planning since May 2022. He came here from Windsor and Maidenhead, a council that now needs £103-million in support. Surely, it was rather naïve to expect a bailout in Somerset when government itself is struggling with debt interest.

The leader constantly says that council funding is broken. Yet only 30 councils nationwide have been granted Exceptional Financial Support which is borrowing or selling assets to fund day to day expenditure. Alongside that, our associated Improvement and Risk Register highlights redesign failures, budget weaknesses, low staff morale, and an inability to recruit the digital and technical expertise we need. Somerset is one of just six councils permitted to raise council tax by over five per cent without a referendum.

Despite this, the deputy leader tells us again that this council is somehow advising others on how to avoid financial collapse — when we ourselves face merger failure, a £1-billion debt burden from four bad choices, repeated auditor warnings, and two statutory recommendations out of just four issued nationally.

Meanwhile, scrutiny — the safeguard for transparency — is being hollowed out. Replacing it with a single officer and a task-and-finish group is simply inadequate. And secrecy persists, especially around the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny report.

On top of this, we find that the Resources Strategy and Transformation team tasked with plugging the financial gap has itself failed to follow policy: £10.3-million spent in just three purchases without proper compliance. That is unacceptable.

Today, the executive is asked to approve a consultant for Inspiring Innovation at a likely total cost of £45-million. Commissioners, by contrast, would cost £7.5-million and deliver savings. Have we learned nothing from the disaster of Southwest One, which was supposed to save £192-million but instead cost us £80-million? Inspiring Innovation is Southwest Two but on a much larger scale — risky, very disruptive and a fifth bad choice needing yet more borrowing.

I urge you: at the very least, postpone this decision. Give residents the time and information they deserve to understand the effect of bankruptcy on what is being proposed. Do not rush us into another costly mistake.

Thank you,

Chris Mann, via email