Somerset this week: 31 January 2025

Floods in the Charltons, a new leaf in Chard, spurious political press releases, Ofsted reports on Bridgwater & Taunton College plus Stanchester, and how not to transform a council... its all go here!

Dear readers

Once more we have loads of news stories for you from around the county. These are brought to you free because we believe in maximising access to the news for as many people as possible.

To do that we need your support. And I’d like to start by thanking those who have subscribed in the last few weeks. But we are always chasing new subscribers. If you can spread the word to friends family and work colleagues that will certainly help.

Remember you don’t have to pay to subscribe. You can get all of our weekly articles with a free subscription. Please do try it out and see if you like it.

But of course I’m also asking those who know our material if they’ll consider taking a paid subscription too.

We do what we do because it matters to us and we are concerned at the decline in standards of local news publishing. But altruistic as we may feel, we can’t do it for nothing. You can’t get this level of investigation, interrogation and analysis without spending money.

If you can take a paid subscription you’ll be helping us do more. And the weekly cost of a subscription is about the same as a banana.

Thank you.

Andrew Lee - Editor

If you’d like to support us to do more work holding those in power in Somerset to account, then please join us as a paying subscriber. You can do that here:

---

Water, water everywhere

We may not be back in the dark days of 2014 when it comes to flooding, but last weekend the water fell in buckets and residents across Somerset, especially in recent hot spots – Chard and Ilminster – were inundated once again. In Somerton, though, flooding is not often a major problem.

But residents on the Primrose Hill park home estate at Charlton Adam have been flooded out more than once in the last few years. And Saturday night/Sunday morning was one of the worst incidents they’ve had to endure.

Water flowing down the hill inundated the site and by 2am on Sunday morning triggered a series of alerts. Tim Kerly, Somerset Councillor for Somerton, got the call. He opened up the Edgar Hall in Somerton as an emergency centre. This is the sort of emergency that has been planned on paper in Somerton in the past, but the first time it has been put into action.

Police, First Responders, the Red Cross, Exmoor Mountain Rescue and the army were all in attendance to help evacuate people to the Edgar Hall and set up an emergency response centre there.

People from Primrose Hill were taken in and provided with food and drink and bedding. Local MP Sarah Dyke put an appeal out on social media for help with bedding and food and managed to source emergency beds from RNAS Yeovilton.

Figs, a local catering firm, provided a free cooked breakfast for the evacuees later on Sunday morning.

Cllr Kerly praised the generosity of local residents: “the response was astonishing so much so we ended up having to turn down some of the donations.” However, donations of bedding and duvets from residents who did not want them returned, have been set aside in store for use in any future emergency.

It's in times like these you really see the spirit of our communities

For her part Sarah Dyke said: “It's in times like these you really see the spirit of our communities through our support for each other. It was a wonderful effort by all concerned. Unfortunately, with climate change upon us, flooding is now becoming more commonplace, and situations like this serve to highlight how serious, frightening and damaging it can be. It’s of utmost importance communities in Glastonbury and Somerton are prepared and resilient to extreme weather. I will continue to push the Government to fund flood mitigation and defences properly so all our communities in Somerset can be protected in the future.”

Later on Monday evening the residents were all moved to emergency accommodation, with the hope they would be able to return to their homes on Tuesday.

Despite their ordeal, the displaced residents told Ms Dyke how appreciative they were of the support of everyone involved in the evacuation effort.

An evacuee’s story

We spoke to Wendy and Andrew Lavallee who have lived at Primrose Hill for over 25 years. They told us that the park site which is half way up a hill hadn’t flooded at all in all the time they lived there - until December 2023. On that occasion 2 houses and 17 vehicles were flooded. But no evacuations were made.

Andrew Lavallee explains that the site is at the edge of an old quarry so the water flows off the hill at the quarry edge towards the site at the bottom. On Saturday evening they went to bed as normal unaware that anything was amiss. The next they knew was a team from Exmoor Search & Rescue knocking on their door at 1.30 in the morning.

They were taken out of the site in a dinghy to a tent where an emergency administration centre had been set up. Along the road was an array of vehicles, fire brigade, army, search and rescue, all lined up to help. Wendy told us: “it was almost like Armageddon.”

They were evacuated to the Edgar Hall in Somerton and offered hot drinks and in the morning a very welcome bacon roll. Andrew notes: “the communication hadn’t been great but once we were at the Edgar Hall everyone was brilliant, trying to help with lots of support.”

Because the Lavallees knew people in Somerton they were able to find people to stay with the next day. Those who did not have that option were put in a Travelodge in Wincanton.

They returned to the site on Tuesday afternoon when the site manager agreed it was safe to return. However now they have a new problem as Wendy explains: “we might be half way up a hill, but after the last two incidents, it’s now been decided that for insurance purposes we are in a flood zone!”

Half truths and hopes

On Wednesday we received a Press Release from MP Anna Sabine who represents Frome and East Somerset. The PR lauded the LibDems for turning out in force to support a Ten Minute Rule Motion “Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme)”. And Ms Sabine noted: “Labour and Conservative MPs failed to vote in favour of WASPI women and again allowed the injustice to continue.”

There’s no doubt that many feel passionately about this issue. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) produced a report which recommended the UK Government pay compensation to the so called WASPI women, that’s women born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men. The recommendation was that the government pay between £1,000 and £2,950 to women affected by the state pension age increase.

However, last month the Government ruled out a compensation package.

So on Tuesday an MP introduced a Ten Minute Rule Motion “Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme)”. A Ten Minute Rule Motion allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to 10 minutes. An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.

Ms Sabine in her PR noted: “I am greatly disappointed by both Labour and Conservative MPs who have once again failed WASPI women” Anna said “and I intend, with my Lib Dem colleagues to continue to fight on behalf of the Somerset women affected”.

So did the motion not pass? Is the issue to die a death at the first stage?

Err no. The nature of PRs from MPs being as it is, information may be incomplete and, heaven forfend, even inaccurate as it serves to paint a political picture, rather than report the actual things that took place.

information may be incomplete and heaven forfend, even inaccurate

The first thing we must acknowledge is that it is absolutely true to say that the LibDems were the party that provided most support to the motion.

However, it was no doubt a shortage of space or time that prevented Ms Sabine from mentioning that the Ten Minute Rule Motion was presented, not by the LibDems at all, but by the SNP’s Stephen Flynn.

You might have thought having read the PR that the motion did not pass because: “Labour and Conservatives MPs failed to vote in favour of WASPI women.”

But, firstly the motion did pass, something Ms Sabine omitted to mention.

Secondly, no MPs, whether Conservative or Labour voted against the Ten Minute Rule Motion. It was passed by 105 votes to 0.

Thirdly, contrary to Ms Sabine’s assertion, 10 Labour MPs and two Conservative MPs actually voted in favour of it.

Nor was there sufficient space for Ms Sabine to recognise that three Reform UK MPs voted for it (including Nigel Farage), or five DUP MPs for that matter. Or indeed – at the other end of the political spectrum – three Green MPs, three Plaid Cymru MPs, nine Independents and seven SNP MPs.

Be that as it may, the motion is now converted into a Private Member's Bill with its second reading scheduled for 7 March. And a lot of women of a certain age will be hoping it receives a positive reception.

Mixed messages (but plenty of good ones)

It has been a mixed month for Bridgwater and Taunton College. The college, which is the sponsor of a multi-academy trust (the Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust), has been subject to an Ofsted inspection as has one of the schools in the Trust it sponsors. The results have been very different.

First the good news. Bridgwater and Taunton College was graded Outstanding by the inspectors for the first time since 2006. And not just an overall grading of Outstanding, but Outstanding in every single area the assessors looked at.

The college provides training for 3,200 young people (of whom over 10% are higher needs pupils) and 2,000 adults with a mix of on-site and online education.

The college is the result of a merger over the past 20 years of Bridgwater College, Cannington College and Taunton’s Somerset College of Arts and Technology and the add on of the National College for Nuclear established at Cannington in 2018.

barely a word of criticism from the inspectors

There is barely a word of criticism from the inspectors. Students thrive, they behave professionally; the curriculum is carefully devised to meet local needs with stakeholder involvement in creating it; staff prepare students well and there are plenty of ‘enrichment’ activities for those attending the college. Even the governors are praised.

In short, it is a long time since we have seen such a glowing inspectors’ report locally. You can read their report in full here.

Unfortunately, this was not the experience when Ofsted visited Stanchester Academy at Stoke sub Hamden. Stanchester is one of the schools in the Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust family. It used to be a community school and was converted into an academy in 2012. Since 2016 it has been rated “Good” but the latest inspection downgraded it to “Requires Improvement”.

Stanchester Academy - Requires Improvement

Stanchester has several good points but they tend to be mitigated by negative ones (at least in the eyes of the inspectors). So when praise is given for the curriculum, the inspectors go on to note: “The work given to pupils does not provide enough opportunity for them to deepen their knowledge.”

Similarly, where the school is praised as: “an orderly place where most pupils focus well on their studies.” The Inspectors only go on to add: “However, there remain groups of pupils who do not yet reflect the school’s high expectations.”

There is also some criticism of SEND provision at the school noting: “a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are often absent. The support provided by the school does not reliably lead to sustained improvements in the attendance of individual pupils.” And although teaching is adapted to the needs of SEND pupils: “there are still occasions when pupils’ needs are not understood or addressed effectively.”

On the plus side, the school is praised for encouraging a love of reading with support for those who struggle with it and regular sharing of books between staff and pupils. There’s also praise for the school’s interest in the personal development of pupils which is rated “Good”.

Unfortunately it is hard to escape the overall grade of Requires Improvement, a grade also given to the school for quality of education, behaviours and attitudes and leadership and management. You can read the Inspector’s report here:

Cart before the horse

As the 2023/24 audit of Somerset Council has taken so long (it was the first audit for the new unitary authority), the arrival of a report from the external auditors into the control environment and performance of the authority is later than is strictly ideal. However it is now with us and was discussed at yesterday’s Audit Committee Meeting.

There are a lot of recommendations including two more serious ones which Full Council will need to consider and agree a formal response.

The gravity and implication for the controls – or lack of them – at Somerset Council is something we will dwell on at another time.

For now the standout issue, not just for us, but for union leader Nigel Behan representing Unite workers at Somerset Council is around the transformation programme. Regular readers of Somerset Confidential® will know a lot about transformation programmes. They have been a source of chaos and concern at both Somerset West & Taunton and South Somerset District Councils.

At Somerset Council there is a slightly different problem.

Imagine, dear reader, that you have to make change in your organisation. You know two things: that you will have to change the scope of what your organisation does; and you’ll probably have to reduce the number of staff.

So the only available options are:

Option A: to reassess what your organisation needs to do, then decide how many people you need and make redundancies in line with that.

Or Option B: to make a lot of redundancies first and work out what your organisation needs to do after, based on how many people are left.

It seems that Somerset Council have gone for Option B. The auditors noted that throughout 2023/24 the Council did not have a transformation programme in place or pipeline of savings to address future year budget gaps. And this despite declaring a financial emergency in November 2023.

throughout 2023/24 the Council did not have a transformation programme

However by the end of 23/24, despite not having a clear vision of the future and a transformation programme to show how to get there, they implemented a workforce reduction programme.

The Somerset approach? It doesn’t seem to be working

Speaking to the Audit Committee Meeting on behalf of his members, Mr Beehan explained: “The annual audit report from Grant Thornton raises concerns that Trade Unions have been raising for some months but without satisfactory answers to maintain the confidence and trust of our members. Their critical reports states that: “the Council is delivering the workforce reduction programme before the development of the detailed transformation programme business case and before key enabler projects, relating to ICT, data and process improvement, have been implemented….. the implementation of the staff reduction programme presents a significant risk that reductions in staff will impact on the Council's capacity to deliver services before they are effectively transformed”.

It may be the council have now got their act together and sorted things out. But on the surface this does not look like a sensible approach or an efficient one. And when money is tight, inefficiency costs scarce resources.

Turning the ship around

Chard Town Council has, over the past few years been more of a pantomime dame than an elegant ship of state setting a course for the future. We have seen the spectacle of reports into bullying, councillors reporting their own council to the Police, councillors making accusations against staff and on occasion putting Freedom of Information requests on their own council.

There has been a growing sense of frustration from the public and some unedifying scenes in the council chamber.

“Things”, to quote Professor Brian Cox, “can only get better.”

Up until this month we are not sure we would have ventured to say that. Not least because previous assumptions along the same lines have time and again turned out to be wrong.

The town has had three town clerks in two years and a couple of months before Christmas the latest one resigned. A month later the Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) also resigned. A town without a clerk or an RFO is getting close to being unable to function.

However, on a recent visit to the Guildhall our editor was stopped by a member of staff and told how much better things were and the way staff were being managed had improved noticeably.

That was a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. So what has changed?

Step forward David Bell. A resident of the town, previously involved in the Chard Area Resilience Group, he put forward a proposal to take on the job of clerk (Chief Executive) on an 18-month contract. He provided a CV and references and went through a full recruitment process with the town and was duly appointed.

Not only does the town now boast a new town clerk with a wealth of local government and public sector experience, they have also found a new RFO, Carrie Pillow, in double quick time too.

Mr Bell has moved quickly to improve communication

Mr Bell has moved quickly to improve communication with – and between – councillors and especially with the town’s folk. He has already developed a good working relationship with Chard Mayor, Victoria Bates.

He notes that when he arrived, questions from the public were not getting answered – whether that was direct responses or on social media. That was causing frustration and questions at council meetings that should have been answered without the need to raise them at a council meeting.

He told Somerset Confidential: “we have started to create and foster relationships with stakeholders which, in turn, will assist the development of positive relationships between the council and the community we serve.”

The immediate priority was the new budget which was duly signed off on at this week’s town council meeting. Again a new approach. Not just taking everything from last year and adding x% to the cost.

He tells Somerset Confidential® that this was a genuine zero-based budget. Start with nothing, work out what the council has to do, what it has to complete and what it would like to do. Then cost it.

For starters he wants to see an end to money being spent on solicitors. He understands the events of the past, but wants to stop the haemorrhaging of cash for things that add no value for the townsfolk who pay the bills.

Too often money gets left in reserves and sinking funds for projects and sits accumulating interest without ever being actually spent. Mr Bell intends to change that. Money is to be spent from the play equipment reserve this year on improving, well, play equipment of course!

Similarly £25k will be taken from the aptly named sinking fund for the Guildhall, to mend a leaky roof.

The improved communication shone through in other areas too. Monday’s council meeting had no confidential items.

But there’s a more proactive agenda in other areas. Take planning for instance. Both Mayor Victoria Bates and Mr Bell agree that Somerset Council must take more notice of local knowledge when it comes to planning. There’s been a failure to understand that Chard is a town and area with 23,000 potential patients and a local surgery capacity of just 13,000. This must, says Mr Bell, be reflected in any new local plan. And Somerset councillors must understand that when approving new planning applications and seek funds from developers accordingly.

Especially the implications for flooding caused by excessive run-off from building too many houses halfway up a hill.

Which proved to be highly relevant, when once again Chard was inundated last weekend, not just specific known problem areas, but large parts of it. Council staff, councillors and volunteers were our in advance of the floodwaters arriving giving out contact details for anyone in trouble, or in an area likely to get flooded and setting up a relief centre in the Guildhall with hot drinks and advice.

Meanwhile the Mayor would like to see more community use of the Guildhall. At present it can be hired out but Cllr Bates would like to explore the idea of providing it free for local charities and volunteer groups putting on events to raise funds.

And another new project on the Mayor’s horizon is a food fair. She believes that with so many quality food producers in the area it is an obvious step for Chard to take. The hope is that a fair can be organised for this spring. If any local producers or foodies out there would be interested in taking part, please contact Tim Bickham, Events Officer on: tim.bickham@chard.gov.uk

There’s a lot to do to make positive changes at Chard Town Council. But it does genuinely feel as if the journey has begun. It is certainly going to be a long journey, but some good positive things have started happening.

---

Somerset Confidential® is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Why not gift a subscription as a present for a friend or family member? You can do that here: