Getting Somerset Working Again Starts With Getting the Finances Working Again Monday, 20 July, 2026 Last week, Somerset Council received a clear warning from Government. Following an independent review by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Somerset Council's financial management was awarded just one star out of five and described as "weak". And last week, the Government issued Somerset with a Best Value Notice because of concerns about the pace of improvement... Local News
Statement on Somerset Council Best Value Notice 15th July 2026 Today's decision by the Government to issue Somerset Council with a Best Value Notice is a damning verdict on the Liberal Democrat administration's handling of... Local News
Diogo Rodrigues: It Should Never Have Taken a Crisis to Act on SEND 13th July 2026 Leader of the Conservative Opposition on Somerset Council, Cllr Diogo Rodrigues, has said it is "unforgivable" that Somerset's SEND service was allowed to... Local News
Borrowing Linked to £8 Million Property Loss Comes Under Scrutiny 8th July 2026 Somerset Council has lost almost £8 million on the sale of a single commercial property, raising fresh questions about the long-term cost of the authority's... Local News
East Bridgwater 750-Home Development: If They Can't Afford the Infrastructure, Don't Build It 6th July 2026 A planning application for up to 750 new homes on land east of Bower Lane is due to be considered by Somerset Council's Planning Committee. As the local... Local News
Supporting a local independent business in Bridgwater 4th July 2026 I recently joined Steve Manley for lunch at The Café Cream in Bridgwater, where we had the opportunity to meet owner Laura and see first-hand the warm welcome... Local News
Public consultation opens on Bridgwater traffic changes 30th June 2026 Somerset Council has launched its public consultation on the future of traffic arrangements on Salmon Parade and East Quay, giving residents the opportunity to... Local News
Thanking Our Armed Forces on Armed Forces Day 27th June 2026 I was pleased to attend Bridgwater Armed Forces Day at Morganians Rugby Club, where people from across the community came together to recognise and celebrate... Local News
Visiting North Petherton Community Market & Cafe 23rd June 2026 I recently visited the North Petherton Community Market & Cafe at the North Petherton Community Centre, where it was great to see another busy event bringing... Local News
Planning Performance Slips Despite Emergency Measures 22nd June 2026 Conservatives have questioned why a number of key planning performance measures have deteriorated at Liberal Democrat-run Somerset Council over the last year... Local News
