Somerset this week: 6 June 2025
This week: no transport money for Somerset, Glastonbury Life Factory update, the analogue switch off, a resident is declared not a nuisance after all, Yeovil takes on more and rural policing...
Dear readers
Today’s issue of Somerset Confidential® is free to everyone. Please subscribe to get your free weekly news summary. There’s no need to leave credit card details, just sign up and we’ll do the rest. You can do that here - just select “None” and you’ll be in.
But if you can help support us in what we do, please consider a paid subscription.
Reliable, accurate, news is not free and it is not written by AI either, it is written by trained and experienced journalists. And that costs money.
A paid subscription to Somerset Confidential® costs just £30 a year or 58p a week. For that we’ll give you all this:
at least 48 exclusive paid subscriber only stories a year
access to our full back catalogue
the chance to comment on our stories
the pleasure of supporting Somerset’s most innovative independent journalism
You can subscribe here:
Thank you
Andrew Lee - editor
Crumbs and no crumbs
The big announcement this week was the Chancellor telling us all that £16 bn would be given to various parts of the country to improve local transport networks.
It turns out that the smallest award announced, some £800m nevertheless, was for what the Treasury called “the West of England”.
These are words that in the wrong hands can be misleading. Certainly the Mayor of what is lovingly called the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), understood. On Wednesday she was quoted as saying: “I promised to work with government and get the West of England moving. Three-quarters of a billion pounds of new money for transport will do just that, as we start a new chapter for our region.”
What she means of course is not the west of England but the West of England Combined Authority. And this is not the same thing. Unless Helen Godwin (said Mayor) is getting delusions of grandeur and thinks she now has a brief for Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall as well. And she seems far too grounded for that.
What the Treasury means by “West of England” is now clear. Its the West of England Combined Authority. So no money is to be allocated to the area that the rest of us understand by the term “west of England”. All the money is, in essence, being given to Bristol.
all the money is, in essence, being given to Bristol
That said, nearly half of the money is allocated on two projects, £150m to improve rail infrastructure across the region, including funding to support WECA’s ambitions for increased frequency of services between Brabazon and the city centre and £200m for mass transit development between Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
The core of the latter will see the introduction of a tram network. To imagine that this can be completed for £200m sounds wildly optimistic. Even a simple system upgrade such as the 11 miles of tramway reworked in Blackpool cost over £100m and that was back in 2012.
The idea of having a budget of £200m for the Bristol trams and then money being left over to improve rail links into North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset.
Why do we say this? In 1993 Phase 1 (of three phases) of the Manchester tram network cost £145m at 1993 prices. At today’s prices that would work out at around £400m. And that was just Phase 1.
Council leaders across the West of England Combined Authority area are already waking up to the idea of having been short changed. But frankly, they did at least get something. None of them had the decency to acknowledge that they received 100% of the money allocated to the west.
Somerset has been given nothing.
While this is extremely disappointing for Somerset residents, it should not come as a surprise. Every large sum handed out by the Treasury in this announcement was to a Mayoral Authority. Somerset’s bid to create a Mayoral Authority with Wiltshire, Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole failed last year after they failed to follow the Government brief.
This required potential new authorities to ensure that no “orphans were left behind”, in other words councils that were left without a mayoral authority to join. By leaving out both North Somerset and the Borough of Swindon, this is precisely what the bid achieved.
And so, unsurprisingly, it was rejected.
Somerset Council don’t see it that way. They told us: “The proposal did meet the government criteria of scale, sensible economic geography, contiguity, alignment and identity. The criteria for ‘no devolution islands’ is dependent on the preferences of individual councils - discussions were had with both North Somerset and Swindon. North Somerset have a stated preference to join WECA; Swindon expressed an interest in joining with Thames Valley councils (but an open door to join the Wessex proposal has been maintained). As such they were not left without a mayoral authority to join.”
While Somerset and the others will hope to have another go in the next round, the cost in lost transport investment given out this week must be left to our imagination.
It has been a spectacular own goal.
We asked the Treasury to confirm that there was indeed no funding allocated to anywhere west of Bristol, but to add insult to injury they couldn’t be bothered to reply….
Lifeless Factory – an update
Last week in our article, Lifeless Factory we announced the resignation of the then Chair of the Glastonbury Town Deal, Lynne Sedgemoor. The Town Deal is the body which monitors progress on the 10 projects in the deal and keeps Somerset Council informed on progress with spending the £23.6m in town deal money allocated to Glastonbury.
At the time of our article the formal announcement has not been made. On Tuesday this week the rest of Somerset’s media caught up, in the usual manner, when a press release issued by Somerset Council on behalf of the Town Deal Board provided an update, which validated our story.
What we now know is that, as we announced last week, Lynne Sedgemoor has indeed resigned as Chair of the Town Deal Board. She says she has stood down for personal reasons. In addition another member of the Town Deal Board, Kama McKenzie, a community representative, has also resigned.
The Town Deal Board say they have: “consistently advised speedier action on the issues facing The Life Factory project and release of the internal audit findings and recommendations.”
However as we pointed out in our article, if either Somerset Council or the Town Deal Board had identified the lack of match funding secured by the Life Factory (and the lack of a viable plan to complete the project) before funds were issued to it, then much of this debacle could have been avoided.
neither body seems to have shown the necessary curiosity
Neither body seems to have shown the necessary curiosity, as pointed out by the SWAP audit report into the Life Factory.
Meanwhile, again as we pointed out last week, not only are contractors who acted in good faith left high and dry, but there is a significant risk that Somerset Council will be asked to pay back the money already disbursed to central Government.
And of course they refuse to make the full report from auditors SWAP - paid for with council tax payers money - available to council tax payers.
If you want to read our article you can do so here.
Switching off – and on again
Earlier this week the Government put out an alert to remind people that landline phone lines are switching to digital. Between now and 2027 most telephone providers will be moving their customers from old analogue landlines to new upgraded landline services using fibre technology. The vast majority of landlines remaining are provided by either BT or Virgin Media.
During the switchover, telecoms companies will send engineers to help customers and test connections of telecare alarms used by two million nationwide.
The Government claims that a digital landline network will provide a more reliable and dependable broadband service: “that will support the UK for decades to come.” However….
With the switch there is a significant risk that telecare alarms will stop working. These are alarms used by elderly and vulnerable people so that, if for instance they have a fall, an automatic alert is sent via their phone system. The incident is instigated by the person pressing a button on a device they wear, such as a pendant that will connect them via their telephone system.
Anyone who is identified as using one of these alarm systems will be given help by the landline provider. They will send an engineer to carry out the switchover and personally test the telecare alarm while they are there to ensure it continues to work once the landline is switched to the new digital network.
They have also undertaken to provide vulnerable customers with a free battery back-up device so their landline can continue working in the event of a power cut (a concern that has been raised by a number of analogue landline users).
However the success of this operation depends on Government, councils and landline providers being able to identify telecare users.
As a result, Government is appealing to people asking that, if you or someone you know uses a telecare alarm, then please call your landline provider. They will make sure your alarm keeps working through the switchover.
Meanwhile local authorities, many of whom administer the telecare service, have been asked to play their part too.
We asked Somerset Council where they were with their own work on making sure all those likely to be affected by the change were being looked after. A spokesperson for the council told us: “We have been aware of the Government’s plan to replace the analogue telecommunications network with a digital one for some time and proactively made the decision to transition to digitally-compliant equipment prior to becoming a Unitary Authority in 2023. As part of this process, we signed data sharing agreements with several Telecom providers to ensure our Lifeline customers remain safe and connected.
we have since replaced several thousand analogue units
We have since replaced several thousand analogue units in both council-owned and private properties across the county with new, digitally compliant ones. We expect to complete our replacement program by the end of July 2025, well in advance of the target completion date of January 2027.”
If you are a BT or Virgin Media customer and you want to get in touch about the switchover, you can call on 150 from your home phone.
Not a nuisance after all
Is David Orr a nuisance? Somerset Council certainly seemed to think so. Indeed he was, they considered, an “Unreasonable Customer”.
David Orr is a Taunton resident and someone who does engage in large volumes of communication. Mr Orr is definitely persistent, but as a former Somerset County Council employee and someone with a firm belief in open and transparent government, he has a history of contacting the council and challenging some of their behaviours.
And if he doesn’t get answers he is adept at using the council’s complaints procedures to escalate his requests and, in extremis, is not averse to going to the Information Commissioner.
Now it is certainly true that in campaigning mode he can produce a high volume of questions and that means work for council officers.
So last September they took action. In a letter to all elected councillors, the Executive Leadership of the council said: “The volume and persistence of Mr Orr’s interactions with both councillors and staff at Somerset Council is having an unsustainable impact on our ability to manage and deliver key services. Despite significant efforts by Councillors and Staff to provide thorough responses to Mr Orr’s queries, he continues to ask for more information.”
Mr Orr was instructed not to approach councillors directly; the Executive Leadership did offer Mr Orr a means of communication with the council, via the customer experience email address. This itself is not unreasonable. Their objection was to Mr Orr contacting elected members directly.
Unfortunately the Executive Leadership forgot that Mr Orr is absolutely entitled to contact his own elected councillor and the instruction appeared to prevent Mr Orr attending meetings of the council and asking questions there. Mr Orr challenged them on both points. He was also offended that this view of his behaviour was shared with all council staff before it was discussed with Mr Orr.
Eventually the Council realised they had overreached themselves and a further letter was sent pointing out: “Your comments regarding attendance at Council committee meetings are also noted and we acknowledge your right to do so. The instruction contained in the letter do not affect your right to contact your division councillor or to make requests under the Freedom of Information Act or The Environmental Information Regulations.”
However, what Mr Orr really objected to was that the process that the Council had gone through had effectively designated him as an “Unreasonable Customer”. So, being the persistent sort that he is, he challenged that designation and asked for a review of the decision.
After all, his intent has always been to challenge in a constructive way with a view to improving transparency and openness. Something the Council claim is their own aim.
That review process has now reached an end and Somerset Council have modified their position. In a letter from Alyn Jones, Executive Director Resources, Strategy & Transformation (Monitoring Officer) deals specifically with the point about labelling Mr Orr. He notes that Mr Orr: “also raised concerns about the tone of earlier communications, and we acknowledge there was no intention to imply vexatious behaviour.”
we acknowledge there was no intention to imply vexatious behaviour
He then deals further with the issue saying: “I previously wrote to you regarding the designation of Mr David Orr under the Council’s Unreasonable Customer Behaviour Policy. I am now writing to confirm that this designation has been removed following further review, appeal, and discussions with Mr Orr.
Going forward Mr Orr will direct future correspondence through a single point of contact. This does not restrict his right to contact Councillors or submit public questions to Committees in accordance with the Constitution and statutory rights.
A review of the Unreasonable Customer Behaviour Policy is being undertaken, and officers will be recommending amendments to strengthen the policy and its application.
The Council and Mr Orr have agreed to de-escalate this matter and focus on building a constructive and respectful relationship.”
Which appears to be common sense. It is simply a shame that it has taken eight months to get to this position. The letter will also be circulated to all council employees in much the same way as the initial one labelling Mr Orr as an “Unreasonable Customer” was.
Not enough
Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke is good at making her presence felt in Parliament. Whether that is asking questions of Ministers, winning debating time in Westminster Hall or taking part in debates in the House of Commons, barely a week goes by without some update on her latest activity.
Whatever you think of her politics, she has certainly put her constituency and the issues it faces on the map.
This week the issue of rural crime was in her sights. Speaking during the debate on the Police and Crime Bill she noted that: “Avon and Somerset police has little or no resource to police rural crimes properly.”
The Home Secretary (Yvette Cooper) was surprised at the question noting that: “Avon and Somerset police will be getting 70 additional neighbourhood police officers across the area this year as a result of the neighbourhood policing guarantee.”
Which rather begs the question what do the Police think about this. Presumably they do think they can police rural crime properly. So we asked them about the rural crime team.
They told us: “We are committed to keeping our rural communities safe and responding to rural crime in all its forms, especially incidents which are in progress. Our specialist Rural Crime Team (RCT) is made up of one Inspector, one Sergeant and three Police Constables.”
Which sounds shockingly small when you consider the rural area they have to cover, not just across Somerset but South Gloucestershire too. However the RCT is only part of the effort and the Police tell us (echoing the Home Secretary) that they provide expertise to help the Neighbourhood Policing Teams.
Specifically they told us: “the RCT forms part of our Neighbourhood Policing Team and their role is to provide expert support to colleagues who police rural areas as well as providing invaluable crime prevention advice and supporting with investigations.
Through the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, 70 additional, experienced officers have joined our Neighbourhood Policing Teams. This additional resource will enable us to increase visible patrols and focus on the areas that matter most to our communities.”
this additional resource will enable us to increase visible patrols
All of which sounds more encouraging, but we cannot help but wonder if policing in Somerset gets the same resources as policing in Bristol. The two have a very similar population after all.
Flood alert!
A flood alert app has been updated with extra information for Somerset following work by Somerset Councillor Henry Hobhouse. The app is designed by Sobos, a German company. You can find out more about it here.
Cllr Hobhouse was given a £1,500 from Persimmon Homes’s Community Fund. This allowed the app creator to include a whole raft of new water flow gauges across Somerset to be included.
The new water gauges installed after 9 May 2023 have been provided by the Somerset Rivers Authority. Each gauge uses a solar panel to power it and communicates data via the cloud to update water levels.
The app uses data from these gauges (and others across the country) and provides a map with the location of each. You can see the location of each gauge on the map as either a green or blue circle.
Click on the circle and you’ll find the water height in centimetres. The information for each meter also includes whether the water level is rising or not.
Click on the graph and it will come up in detail showing the history of water heights over the past one, seven or 30 days.
However the most important feature is the flood alert. Choose the meter nearest to your property and the red alarm bell will appear on your screen. This allows you to set an alarm so that if the water rises to the point where you are in danger of flooding, the app will send a (loud) alarm to your phone.
Something that many residents of Somerset may find useful. If you want an alarm for more than one location, you will have to pay a subscription (£18 a year per alarm). However most people will only need one alarm/alert and this you can have free of charge.
If you are interested in trying the app out, search your app store for “Flood” “Alert” “Sobos” and you’ll find the app which you can download free of charge.
Yeovil takes on more
Another year and another set of new responsibilities passes from Somerset Council to one of our towns. This time it is Yeovil Town Council that are “taking the strain” as they started to take on management of open spaces and play areas in the town this week.
This follows the In Bloom programme that devolved on 1 April 2025 (it might have been an April Fool but it doesn’t look like it) and the Country Park and Recreation Centre that transferred to the Town Council in August 2024.
For the last few months, the town has been readying itself, recruiting a new Estates Team and sourcing machinery to ensure they can manage the parks and open spaces effectively. In all, 21 open spaces and 23 play areas are transferring to the care of the Town Council. The new team comprises three estates officers and a manager who will work across all the sites being devolved, as well as cutting the grass at Yeovil country park and managing the allotment sites.
the new team comprises three estates officers and a manager
Taking over the 25 parks and recreation areas, from the Abbots Meade Play Area to the Yew Tree Recreation Ground, is not going to be a small task. But it is an opportunity for the local community to have more of a say in the way their parks and open spaces are run.
Cllr Roy Spinner, Chair of Leisure & Environment Committee explained: “Our new Parks Engagement Officer will be working with local communities to discuss how they use the spaces, and how we can improve that access with new activities and opportunities”.
Of course the cost of taking on this work is now borne by Yeovil council tax payers. Whilst the responsibility came from Somerset Council, as well as the authority to run them as they see fit, no additional funding came along with it.
As a result, the precept or council tax in Yeovil has risen from £1.3m in the year 2023/24 to £3.3m for this current year 2025/26. Not all of that is down to parks and open spaces, but around £862k of the total is. The budget for open spaces and parks in 2025/26 is now £497k, the Country Park £23k and Recreation Centre £360k.
Meanwhile Yeovil Town Council is still carrying £153k as a contingency, just in case other items are passed down to them by Somerset Council.
Let the bells ring out
They are having a bit of a do in Compton Dundon. The village between Somerton and Street is celebrating the fact that the church bells of St Andrew’s Church can ring out again for the first time in a century.
Two of the bells were cast in the village in the 1600s by the Austin family so there’s something of a local flavour to them.
The PCC decided to embark on the restoration six years ago running an appeal to raise £160,000 to remove, repair and restore the bells.
A new ringing gallery has been built as part of the work and the whole project has been put forward for an award.
To complete the celebrations on Sunday 8 June the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt Reverend Michael Beasley, will dedicate the bells during a service at St Andrew’s Church. Following the 10.30am service there will be refreshments and of course the bells will be rung.
If you enjoyed this article please share our website link so others can read it too:
Why not gift a subscription as a present for a friend or family member? You can do that here:
Somerset Confidential® is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Good for Mr Orr (and Mr Rigby). The standard, defensive attitude of so many local government employees merely tends to confirm that they have something to hide.
So still no station for Somerton or Langport, very disappointing.