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To: The Right Honourable Sajid Javid MP - Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Defer the Merger of Taunton Deane and West Somerset
We ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP, to defer his decision on the merger between Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council; and to enable the electorate to express their view in a vote, in conjunction with the Borough Council elections that will be taking place in May 2019, so that our citizens' fundamental rights to choose are exercised.
Why is this important?
On the 19th March, Taunton Deane Borough Council voted by a narrow margin to merge with West Somerset Council to create a new Borough Council.
Since 2013, repeated assurances to the people in both Boroughs have been made that each would remain independent; although the two councils have been working to provide some services together in order to reduce costs, and utilising a common senior management team, it has always been maintained that the two groups would remain separate.
This move to merge the councils contradicts the assurances given and is being taken without a democratic mandate from the electorate of either borough. Furthermore, the local paper ran a poll which showed the majority of people did not want the merger to take place.
We must uphold democracy and stop this happening until the public can have a real say in the future of their councils.
Since 2013, repeated assurances to the people in both Boroughs have been made that each would remain independent; although the two councils have been working to provide some services together in order to reduce costs, and utilising a common senior management team, it has always been maintained that the two groups would remain separate.
This move to merge the councils contradicts the assurances given and is being taken without a democratic mandate from the electorate of either borough. Furthermore, the local paper ran a poll which showed the majority of people did not want the merger to take place.
We must uphold democracy and stop this happening until the public can have a real say in the future of their councils.
