Somerset’s six Liberal Democrat MPs have criticised the Government’s provisional funding settlement for Somerset Council for 2026–27, warning it could place further pressure on services relied upon by residents in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge.
In a joint letter to Local Government Minister Alison McGovern, the MPs have requested an urgent meeting after the settlement indicated Somerset would receive £252 million next year, only a small rise from £249 million in the current year.
They say the announcement suggests that almost all rising costs in adult social care, children’s services and other statutory duties would need to be met through Council Tax increases, placing a heavier burden on local households already facing cost‑of‑living pressures.
The MPs also warn that Somerset appears set to lose out significantly on business rate income, further widening the financial gap.
They argue that Somerset faces a unique combination of pressures, including a large and ageing population, significant rurality, higher service delivery costs and sustained growth in demand for adult social care, children’s services and SEND support.
Despite these challenges, they say the settlement fails to provide the level of funding required even to maintain core services, let alone invest in prevention or long‑term resilience.
Their concerns echo warnings from the County Councils Network, which has said recent changes to the funding formula have disproportionately benefited London and metropolitan areas at the expense of rural counties.
The network has highlighted that the continuation of the Recovery Grant and the removal of “remoteness” from the formula will divert hundreds of millions of pounds away from rural areas over the next three years.
It has also questioned whether the last‑minute changes amount to ministers unfairly selecting which councils benefit from additional funding.
Following major savings programmes and redundancies at Somerset Council, the MPs say the authority has already taken difficult decisions to stabilise its finances during the transition to a unitary authority.
However, they warn that the current settlement risks forcing further reductions to non‑statutory but highly valued services that support community wellbeing and economic resilience, including public transport support, highway repairs, arts and culture, libraries and local infrastructure.
The MPs are calling on the Government to ensure future settlements properly reflect rurality, demographic change and relative need, and to provide a sustainable multi‑year funding framework that gives councils the certainty required for effective financial planning.
They also want a “credible long‑term solution for funding adult social care and SEND,” rather than continued reliance on short‑term measures.
They conclude that Somerset’s residents deserve “a fair funding settlement that enables the council to meet its statutory obligations and support thriving, resilient communities,”and say they would welcome an urgent meeting with the Minister to discuss the issue further.
