Local councils in Somerset will manage parks and street cleaning, empowering communities and aiding the main council’s finances.
Towns like Clevedon and Weston will manage parks and street cleaning services. Early efforts focus on safety and litter. This is a joint effort between councils.
This plan lets communities make key choices, and the council aims to keep services good and cheap. They want local groups to run them well, and they are talking with other councils too.
Mike Bell leads North Somerset council. He is happy towns are working together. They seek ways to run services differently. The goal involves local control over local things.
The council is facing money problems now. Costs for children and adults increase, and they need to save millions soon. Their budget will be short over three years.
Towns will pay for their own services, so people will not pay twice for things. The council makes tough calls to protect services. Bell thanks town councils for their help.
The plan does more than just save money. It aims to improve the way things are done. Locals can affect their own areas more. They will have added influence over services.
Laws limit how much the council can raise tax. Town councils face no such limits. They can adjust funding as they deem fit, which makes local control more viable.