WELLINGTON Town Council could take on extra responsibilities if proposals to change the way local government is organised in Somerset are accepted.

The leader of Somerset County Council, Cllr David Fothergill, met town councillors last week to discuss proposals for a unitary authority.

The move to a unitary authority would see the county council abolished along with the four district councils in the county.

“Staying as we are is not an option,” he said. “Something has to change. We have to change because of what Somerset is going to look like in ten-15 years.”

He said that there would be 30 per cent more people aged over 65 in the county; there would be fewer younger people living in Somerset; and there would be twice as many people aged 85 and over.

“The county is going to have some considerable changes and...there are some considerable challenges ahead,” he said. “I don’t think anyone is disagreeing about the fact that changes need to be made, we’re just disagreeing about how we go about it.”

Cllr Fothergill said it would mean that parish/town councils – such as Wellington Town Council – would play a key role and take on more responsibilities.

“People in Taunton shouldn’t determine the car park charges in Wellington,” he said, suggesting the town council takes on the management of local car parks.

A consultation report into the possible move to a unitary authority has suggested it would result in £47 million in savings, although Cllr Fothergill was less than convinced and believed it would be nearer to £25 million.

Cllr Fothergill said ‘just think of all the things we could do with that £25 million’ and gave the planned re-opening of a railway station in Wellington as an example of something which could benefit from the savings.

“This county will be very different in ten-15 years and it will be very difficult to run it if we don’t do anything now,” he added.

Cllr Fothergill received a mixed response from town councillors. Cllr Ross Henley said the unitary authority proposals should have come to the fore ahead of the merger of Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset District Council.

Councillors said the creation of the Somerset West and Taunton Council had been an administrative disaster and a waste of money – especially if it would be scrapped in favour of a unitary authority.

Cllr Henley said it was estimated that to set up a unitary authority would cost a whopping £82 million. “That is a lot of money,” he said. “But as taxpayers do we really want to go through this again coming so soon after Somerset West?

“This should have happened before the new Somerset West council was started. I think you’ve missed the boat and it’s left the harbour.”

Cllr Mark Lithgow said the town council was not geared up to start managing car parks and other extra services.

But Cllr Andrew Govier said: “We are an ambitious council and this could give us an opportunity to be more proactive.”

Cllr Fothergill said: “We need to work together and come up with the right answer for Somerset.”

Councillors were told the proposals – which would go out to full public consultation – were still at a very early stage.