Residents of Middlezoy, a village in Somerset, are eager to regain ownership of their local playing fields and village hall on Nethermoor Road, but Somerset Council’s limited staffing means the transfer won’t happen anytime soon.
The fields were originally transferred from Middlezoy Parish Council to Sedgemoor District Council in 1979. After Sedgemoor was dissolved in April 2023, control passed to Somerset Council. Now, Middlezoy Parish Council wants to bring the playing fields and village hall back under local management as part of the council’s broader initiative for devolving services to communities.
However, Middlezoy is one among many communities seeking asset transfers. Somerset Council has received over 80 expressions of interest and is currently juggling a backlog of more than 90 transfer requests. Despite Middlezoy’s strong management record—they already lease the site until 2043—the council cannot expedite their request ahead of others.
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At a recent full council meeting, Anthony Betty from nearby Othery questioned why Middlezoy must wait, highlighting the parish council’s willingness to cover legal costs and to simplify management to benefit residents. Somerset Council’s response emphasized fairness in processing all requests and noted Middlezoy’s existing lease offers reasonable security of tenure.
Councillor Theo Butt Philip, who oversees transformation and localities, explained that while the council aims to devolve more assets, limited capacity means they prioritize transfers where communities don’t already manage the sites through leases. Somerset Council is undergoing an extensive restructuring to reduce costs, affecting the speed of asset handovers.
Despite these challenges, the council has successfully transferred over 125 assets to parishes so far and continues working through its pipeline. Councillor Butt Philip expressed optimism about commencing discussions with Middlezoy Parish Council within the next year but warned that timing depends on the complexity of each transfer.
In the meantime, Middlezoy’s community continues to benefit from local management of their playing fields. Somerset Council remains committed to supporting devolution but insists on an orderly, fair process that respects all communities awaiting their turn.