This content was first published in The Leveller.
I haven’t yet had the luxury to read my opposition colleagues contributions for the Leveller this month but I suspect that we would all like to see additional monies for Council Services as part of any party’s election manifesto. More money for Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Highways, Housing, Leisure. An almost endless list!
Sadly though, even if these do appear then I suspect they may be a hollow promises; unfortunately, Local Government sits well below the NHS, Defence and many other departments for any ‘spare’ funds.
There are however several asks for Somerset that I would like to see in any party’s manifesto and overall, cost relatively little or even nothing to implement. Namely:
- To provide Somerset Highways with a five-year funding allocation (as per Highways England) rather than yearly, as this would provide highways with more certainty to plan and forecast spend much better.
- To prioritise a legislative agenda around flexibility and powers for Somerset Council including requiring high street banks to create banking hubs in our communities.
- To devolve powers to set fines for fly-tipping, littering and graffiti allowing Somerset Council to set fines at a rate which not only seek to cover costs but also to act as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.
- To provide Somerset Council with maximum freedom over Apprenticeship Levy funds to help address workforce challenges and create green jobs for the future.
- To set up a Royal Commission to consider the future of leisure and sport nationally.
- To bring exempt accommodation into the planning system to allow Somerset Council the power to control their spread and loss of family housing.
- To give Somerset Council the ability to set planning fees locally at levels which reflect demand, particularly of large housebuilders.
- To allow social housing rents to be set locally in Somerset to ensure that the Housing Revenue Account has long-term-sustainability and allows greater investment into social housing.
- To make ‘right to buy’ receipt collection permanent giving Somerset Council a powerful arm to build more social housing.
- To allow tax incentives to technology companies who are actively working to reduce the cost of Adult Social Care and associated workforce pressures.
...the list could go on!
Of course more money would be great and is the easy ask but being realistic, we must recognise that so much could be done without too much additional cost, and that must be the right thing for everyone, whichever party you support.
Cllr David Fothergill, Conservative Group Leader
