Published: June 19, 2007
Burnham-On-Sea MP welcomes vote against unitary council

District council leaders have joined Burnham-On-Sea's MP David Heathcoat-Amory in welcoming the news that voters in Somerset have rejected the County Council's proposals for unitary status.

About 400,000 people across the county were asked their views on replacing the county's five district councils with a single authority - an idea favoured by the county council.

But in the poll results announced on Tuesday (June 19th), 82 per cent of respondents voted against the plan, with an estimated turnout of almost 200,000.

Burnham's MP said: "This is a shattering blow against the County Council plan to abolish the districts and set up their own giant unitary council. The Government, which makes the final decision, has said that any proposals for change must have broad support. This poll result shows that people overwhelmingly want to keep local democracy and not be run by a single authority from Taunton."

"I will be pressing the Minister for Local Government to drop this plan and leave Somerset alone. The Liberal Democrats must also concede that their vision of huge local authorities and regional government has been rejected by public opinion."

But Somerset County Council says it rejects the findings of the poll by the five district councils. "The fact remains that a two-tier system of government in Somerset is wasteful, costly and does not empower local people to control the destinies of their communities," said a county council spokeswoman.

The turnout was above the average turnout in local elections and close to the turnout level expected in a general election.

The exact voting figures were 158,754 against the proposals and 34,851 for the proposals. In percentage terms, the vote was 82% against and 18% for.

Representatives of Somerset's District Councils immediately declared the County Council's plans "dead in the water".

Councillor Ken Maddock, leader of Mendip District Council, said: "It is now absolutely impossible for the County Council to proceed with its plans. They are as dead as a Dodo. The government has made it crystal clear that unitary authorities can only proceed if they have broad public support. The plans for a unitary authority in Somerset could hardly be less popular."

Cllr Duncan McGinty, leader of Sedgemoor District Council, added: "We are not against unitary authorities as a matter of principle but we are against them where the proposers have failed to put together any kind of case for change and where local residents are so clearly opposed."

Pictured above are delighted leaders and representatives from Somerset's district councils