Somerset Council has disclosed that it spent nearly £19 million on consultants over the past three years, council leader Bill Revans revealed in a recent meeting.
Since its establishment in April 2023, the council has invested heavily in external consultancy and advisory services to support its extensive transformation programme.
However, former Conservative councillor Anthony Betty raised concerns about what he described as the council’s “heavy reliance” on consultants. Comparing consultants to a “sat nav that dictates every turn,” Mr. Betty questioned the transparency of these expenditures and urged for a detailed breakdown.
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Responding to the allegations, Bill Revans emphasized that consultancy spending has actually decreased in the last year. He clarified that consultants are brought in to complement, not replace, democratic decision-making, providing specialist expertise on a targeted, proportionate basis.
Mr. Revans confirmed the total consultant expenditure amounted to £18.9 million over three years—averaging about £6.9 million per year—representing less than 1% of the council’s annual revenue budget. This figure excludes costs related to agency staff employed to deliver frontline services such as social workers or occupational therapists.
Although a detailed breakdown was not provided during the discussion, Mr. Revans assured that a full written report, including expenditure by directorate or service area, would be delivered in the coming weeks.
He stated, “All consultant spending is approved through established governance and decision-making protocols. In alignment with local government transparency codes, all payments over £500 are publicly published each quarter on our website.”
The council also highlighted that the consultancy spend in 2025/26 has significantly decreased compared to previous years, noting that higher spending levels were necessary during periods of local government reorganization and workforce restructuring.
Committed to transparency and value for money, Somerset Council aims to ensure that external consultancy investments effectively support improvements, risk management, and cost savings for the benefit of its residents.