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Somerset this week: 1 December
Another one bites the dust
This week we’re going to start off by telling you about Nottingham. Which the more astute of you will instantly realise is not in Somerset. However as Nottingham City Council have just filed a s114 notice, it is very relevant to things that are happening in our patch.
A s114 notice is the council equivalent of declaring bankruptcy.
As Somerset Confidential readers will know, our own Somerset Council is grappling with the thorny issue of balancing the books. Councillors have intimated that unless substantial savings can be found the they will have to file their own s114 notice in February.
Nottingham City Council may not have the same scale of budget as Somerset Council, but even so it is noteworthy that they had a forecast £23m deficit.
The current forecast for Somerset, which was updated this week, is a £19m deficit for 23/24. This may be manageable, especially as the council has £50m in its general reserves. However the forecast for next year is now an £87m deficit. Without significant changes in government financing it seems unlikely that savings can be found to balance that year and avoid a s114.
It is important to recognise, despite the political in fighting at the council, that Somerset is not on its own in struggling to balance the books. Of the 16 councils who have so far filed a s114 notice, 11 have been since January 2018 and 3 since January 2023.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the Local Government Information Unit, writing after Nottingham announced its decision noted: “Sadly this news comes as no surprise. We know that around one in ten councils are at risk of effective bankruptcy. This represents a tragedy for millions of citizens who see the services they rely on at risk even as their bills rise.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Councils need multi-year financial settlements where funding is connected to service demand not to political expediency and they need more powers over raising and spending their own revenue.
Nottingham isn’t the first to issue a section 114 and certainly won’t be the last. More and more well-run and effective councils are saying that they could be next.”
Nottingham isn’t the first to issue a section 114 and certainly won’t be the last
We can only hope it that will not include Somerset Council.
How to get hold of your council in Taunton
As Somerset Council takes a more forensic look at the portfolio of offices it inherited from the five predecessor councils, it is inevitable that changes will be on the way. One of the big wins from becoming a unitary council should be the rationalising of office space and selling off the surplus.
So although new changes were announced this week for Taunton residents trying to get hold of their council, this should be a positive.
The reception desk at A Block, County Hall, home of Somerset Council finally closed on Thursday 30 November. So if you need to contact the council in person you now need to use the Customer Service Point at Deane House. This is the former home of Somerset West & Taunton Council.
We’re not sure that we quite buy the official party line that Deane House is more accessible for customers than County Hall. Both are out of the main town centre area. Both actually are quite good in terms of disability access.
Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture notes: “Whether customers need to ask about Blue Badges, Council Tax, homelessness or benefits our customer services team at Deane House, Station Road, Taunton, will be happy to help.”
And of course one by product of this ought to be, the ability to sell off or even rent out, the spare empty office space that follows reorganisation.
Ambulance service asks for your help
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is urging communities across the region to use its services responsibly this winter. SWASFT is the Trust that provides ambulance services to Somerset.
The Trust anticipates a difficult winter ahead. Flu and other respiratory illnesses are expected to rise, a drop in temperatures and ongoing pressures due to ambulance handover delays are set to compound the challenges already faced by the service.
To help them to help you they offer this advice:
· Only call 999 when someone is seriously injured or ill and their life may be at risk. For example, if someone is unconscious, not breathing or is bleeding heavily.
· If you’re waiting for an ambulance, please don’t call 999 back — unless the patient’s condition has deteriorated or you no longer need an ambulance — to ask when one will arrive, these details can’t be provided, as ambulances are sent to patients with the most life-threatening conditions first.
· For non-life-threatening emergencies, people can access appropriate care by visiting NHS 111 online, contacting their GP or getting advice from a pharmacy.
Coincidentally ambulance performance issues were raised at the NHS Somerset board meeting on Thursday 30 November. For the most serious types of emergency, called Category 1 and Category 2, SWASFT is a long way off the national target.
Category 1 response times for life threatening injuries or illness (including cardiac arrest) had a reported performance for September 2023 of 10.6 minutes against the 7-minute national standard. 3.6 minutes may not seem a lot, but in terms of the most serious injuries or illness it ca e the difference between, if not always life and death, then certainly the degree of recovery a patient may be able to make.
That said, the NHS Somerset board report that: ”no evidence has been supplied to our quality team that harm has occurred within our system because of these pressures.”
Category 2 ambulance calls are those that are classed as an emergency or a potentially serious condition that may require rapid assessment, urgent on-scene intervention and/or urgent transport and performance. Here the local performance has been among the worst in the country. Category 2 ambulance response performance for September 2023 reported to the NHS Somerset Board was 49.9 minutes against the 18-minute standard.
Which if not good news, certainly emphasises the importance of the appeal the Trust are making to the public. Inevitably the more people are sensible and helpful in the way they use the service, the more likely the service is to improve.
Claire goes for a run
Last week we reported on Claire Sully, the LibDem candidate for the new Bridgwater constituency. We noted that whilst she is undoubtedly an experienced councillor, the only two candidates so far declared (Conservative Ashley Fox is the other) do not actually live in the constituency.
Starting tomorrow (2 December) Cllr Sully is going to start running the length and breadth of the constituency. She will take on a series of organised runs which will take her “across the constituency, shining a light on the concerns of residents within the various towns and villages which make up the area.”
It is also a great way to get to know the constituency, and for constituents to get to know here.
The first run has a sad and serious undercurrent to it. It will be 5km in length and will begin next to Haygrove School, Bridgwater, at 10.30am on Saturday December 2. The run will be conducted in memory of Bridgwater resident Bethany Branson, who died in November last year following a road traffic collision.
Bethany, 19, was a passenger in a car that was hit by a van in Bridgwater. The van was driven at high speed through a red light on the A38 Taunton Road before it collided with two cars that had right-of-way at a junction.
There’s an open invitation to join Claire, and Bethany’s family, to run or walk all or part of the route. The van’s driver was sentenced to 10 years in January this year after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and for failing to provide an alcohol breath specimen.
Bethany’s parents, Amy and Ben Branson, have launched a petition with the hope of enacting change to prevent another heartbreaking tragedy on our roads.
Those interested in joining Claire as she ‘runs the new Bridgwater constituency’ can register their interest through the Facebook event page here, or by contacting Claire at contactclairesully@gmail.com.
Changing hands
Odd things are happening quite frequently at Chard Town Council. The latest involves the purchase of some sound and lighting equipment to the tune of some £11,836.95 plus VAT.
The equipment was purchased in 2021 and Chard Town Council dutifully reclaimed the VAT on it. They also received a grant from Historic England which was paid to the council through South Somerset District Council.
The town clerk told Somerset Confidential a more complicated story. He notes: “The equipment was bought by the town council on behalf of the carnival club back in 2021 from a grant from Historic England paid to the council through SSDC, as per a sub delivery agreement in 2021 and submitted by the carnival club and agreed with South Somerset District Council.” All clear?
However the intent appears to have been that the equipment would be made available for the use of Culturally Chard, an umbrella organisation covering a number of events in Chard including the Chard Carnival.
Indeed the Town clerk has told us that: “The carnival club have looked after the equipment since the date of purchase, used the equipment at 3 carnivals and other events – the town council used some of the equipment at its 2 spring festivals in 2022 and 2023. Both the carnival equipment, the carnival itself and the spring festivals have been supported by the Culturally Chard project”
So far so dull.
in closed session with press and public excluded
Then at the 13 November 2023 meeting of Chard Town Council (whose minutes were only published this week) in closed session with press and public excluded, councillors reconsidered the ownership of the equipment. The exact nature of the business is described in the minutes thus: “Consideration was given to ownership of the stage and lighting equipment funded by a grant from Historic England in respect of Culturally Chard.”
This is where things get murky. Was the equipment intended specifically for the carnival, or for the carnival as part of Culturally Chard and for the use of other organisations too?
Either way, it is not immediately clear why there was any need to change the ownership. The meeting minutes give no clue as to why there was an urgent need to consider a change of ownership. And as it was held in closed session, there is no independent record of what happened.
There was no prior record of any dissatisfaction with the way the equipment had been held by the town council and provided to the community.
There was frankly, no obvious legal justification for holding the meeting in confidential session either. The item was of the highest public interest especially as councillors were simply voting on whether or not to give the equipment away.
Be that as it may. The first important thing to note is that the minutes clearly state the grant funding was given “in respect of Culturally Chard.” The significance of this will become clear.
The first motion proposed by Cllr Tim Eggins, was simply that Chard Town Council should continue to own the equipment and make it available to all groups in the town to use it for their events.
With three councillors voting for, the motion was voted down by councillors Brown, Hassan, Bates, A Kenton and J Kenton.
Cllr Jenny Kenton then proposed that the equipment: ”was bought for Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited and belongs to them.” Councillors Brown, Hassan, Bates, A Kenton and J Kenton all voted for the motion with three against.
Effectively the motion asked councillors to vote the equipment to be donated for the sole ownership of Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited. Once the motion was passed of course, the equipment did belong to the company.
The more legally astute among you will realise that there are some problems here. It is true that Chard Town Council bought the equipment. That’s a fact. Indeed they had even reclaimed the VAT on it.
The statement that says the equipment “belongs” to Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited is not true. Or at least it was not true. Not only was it accepted that Chard Town Council bought the equipment, the accounts of the Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited show no assets in them at all. And certainly no record of any lighting or sound equipment. Therefore how could the equipment “belong” in a legal sense to Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited?
Until of course five Chard Town Councillors voted otherwise.
But there’s another problem. The minutes of the Town Council clearly state “the stage and lighting equipment (was) funded by a grant from Historic England in respect of Culturally Chard.”
Culturally Chard is an umbrella organisation of which Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited is but one member.
Voting ownership to Chard Carnival Committee Limited effectively gives them the right to decide who can and cannot use the equipment. But the whole point of a collaboration such as Culturally Chard, was to enable all organisations to benefit in Chard, not just one.
Surely the minutes are wrong or the transfer of ownership goes against the spirit of the grant from Historic England. Again it was a closed session meeting so much remains shrouded in secrecy.
But there is more. This is Chard so it is almost inevitable that there will be more.
Quite correctly Cllr Baker, as Chair of the Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited declared an interest and left the room. Before doing so he made a statement (as he is entitled to do). The minutes do not record any of that statement. It is not clear why that is.
She resigned from the company on 13 November, the very same day of the Chard Town Council meeting
Another Chard Town Councillor, Cllr Claire Brown is also a director of Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited. Or rather she was. She resigned from the company on 13 November. The very same day of the Chard Town Council meeting at which the vote was taken on ownership of the equipment. Cllr Brown did not declare a conflict of interest or feel the need to leave the room.
As a matter of record she voted against the equipment being kept by the town council for community use and voted for the ownership to be given to Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited.
Having been a member of the company benefiting from her vote, right up until the day of the vote, that is let us say, interesting. Would the man or woman on the Clapham Omnibus consider that this was appropriate behaviour? A correct interpretation of the rules on declaring an interest? Does it pass the smell test?
Another councillor who stayed in the room and voted was Cllr Andy Kenton. His declaration of interests filed with Chard Town Council clearly states that he owns the property at 4 High Street, Chard. The same is true of his wife, Cllr Jenny Kenton.
The problem here is that 4 High Street, according to Companies House records, is the registered office of Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited.
Again it is not clear whether the Cllrs Kenton should have declared an interest or not. Arguably the very least they should have done is clarified their relationship to the property they own, relative to the Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited, to the meeting and for the record.
The fact is they did not. The further facts are that they too voted against the equipment being kept by the town council for community use and voted for the ownership to be given to Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited.
It may well be that Cllrs Kenton and Cllr Brown acted properly. We cannot know that one way or the other. We can only report the facts that have been disclosed.
It is however also a fact that if all three councillors had declared an interest and left the room, then the equipment would not have been voted into the ownership of Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited.
One curiosity remains. If the grant from Historic England was intended for Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited, then why wasn’t it paid to them? They have a bank account, they had at the date of their last set of filed accounts, over £27,000 in their bank account. In members funds, equivalent of net assets, there was £26,934. All in all the company was more than capable of buying the equipment themselves without the need for any grant funding.
A lot of this angst and anguish could have been saved if the grant was intended for Chard & District Carnival Committee Limited, by simply paying them direct. Was there a reason why Historic England decided not to pay the company direct, but route the money through Chard Town Council?
Christmas Cards
We thought we’d end with something more upbeat and seasonal. Avon & Somerset Police Chief Constable Sarah Crew and Police Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford are looking for creative young artists to help design this year’s official Christmas card.
The final day for entries to be received is Wednesday 6 December 2023.
Children aged between 4 and 11 are asked to draw a design, combining Policing, Christmas and optionally any local sites or landmarks. All entries must be hand-drawn!
Entries can only be submitted via email, to digitalcomms@avonandsomerset.police.uk with the subject ‘Christmas Card’.
We also need the following details provided with your entry:
· Full name of entrant
· Date of birth
· Home address (including postcode)
· Home phone number
· Email address
· Name of parent/guardian who gives permission
· School that the entrant attends
By submitting an entry, applicants are confirming that permission has been given by a parent or guardian to the terms and conditions of the competition.
Winners will be announced on social media week commencing 11 December 2023.
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