Somerset Council has robustly defended the pace of its ambitious £20 million transformation programme, emphasizing that the timeline is both realistic and achievable despite criticism from local residents and auditors.
Faced with a projected £73 million budget deficit, the council is implementing significant changes to local services to manage rising demand, reduce costs, and enhance financial sustainability. To oversee the next phase of this initiative—named ‘Inspiring Innovation’—the council engaged Newton Consulting in September. This phase targets substantial savings over the next three to four years.
Chris Mann, a Taunton resident, has voiced strong concerns about the programme’s sluggish progress, echoing worries from external auditors that the council may be losing critical management talent too soon. Mr Mann questioned the council’s approach during a recent executive committee meeting, suggesting that redundancies initiated before finalizing a transformation plan could undermine departmental leadership and service delivery.
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Deputy Leader Liz Leyshon responded by reaffirming confidence in the council’s strategy. She assured that all business cases related to the transformation would receive thorough scrutiny by relevant committees before being enacted. Leyshon also highlighted that councils undergoing local government reorganization often face complex challenges that extend far beyond standard mergers, citing additional pressures such as increasing service demands, austerity measures, the global pandemic, Brexit, and inflation.
Leyshon explained that the council aims to achieve a three-to-one savings-to-investment ratio, seeking £135 million in savings for an investment of £45 million over the programme’s lifetime. She emphasized that while some initiatives may not yield immediate financial returns individually, they are crucial enablers for broader savings across the council.
The diagnostic stage by Newton Consulting, costing £1.5 million and set to conclude by the end of January, is intended to establish a strong foundation for the programme’s success. Since the council’s formation in April 2023, approximately £50 million in savings have been realized, mainly from the first phase which resulted in the reduction of about 300 staff by April 2025.
Council members stressed that the transformation prioritizes enhancing service delivery, not just cost-cutting. Portfolio holder Councillor Theo Butt Philip highlighted the value of preventive measures to reduce long-term expenses, while Councillor Sarah Wakefield warned against rushing the process at the expense of service quality.
Council leader Bill Revans summed up the sentiment by distinguishing between pace and haste, expressing confidence in the innovation and partnerships driving the transformation forward to deliver timely and effective results.