Villages throughout Somerset are at risk of decline unless urgent action is taken to create local employment opportunities for young people, warns Liberal Democrat councillor Matt Martin. Somerset Council’s recently published economic prosperity strategy sets out a broad vision to attract new jobs and investment to the region, but Martin criticizes the plan for lacking ambition in securing high-quality, well-paid positions.
Representing the rural King Alfred division, which includes villages between Bridgwater, Glastonbury, and Highbridge, Martin highlights how the lack of appealing career prospects is driving young residents to leave for cities like London, Birmingham, and Sheffield. He paints a stark picture of the future, comparing Somerset’s situation to rural areas in Italy, Spain, and France that have suffered from population loss as younger generations were priced out and moved away.
“As a resident of Westhay, I have witnessed firsthand how gentrification has pushed local house prices beyond the reach of many young people,” Martin says. “This mirrors trends we’ve seen abroad where entire villages become unaffordable and empty. Without retaining jobs that pay well and invest in our youth, Somerset’s villages will die.”
He emphasizes that current employment offerings, such as warehousing, retail, and data centres, are insufficient to keep young talents rooted locally. These industries either do not provide stimulating, well-paid careers or are managed remotely, offering little real opportunity for residents. Martin also cautions against overreliance on artificial intelligence, arguing that AI in its current form mostly automates existing jobs rather than creating new ones, potentially exacerbating local unemployment.
“Young people want a future with meaningful, sustainable work,” he asserts. “Offering only warehouse jobs or retail work is not enough; it pushes them to seek opportunities elsewhere.”
A key part of Martin’s vision is the establishment of a fully-fledged university in Somerset. While proud of the local university college, he believes a proper university campus is essential to both attract and retain young people, fostering innovation and local economic growth.
“Building a university here will be vital to keeping our young people in Somerset and revitalizing our communities,” he explains. “If we don’t act now, I fear many of our villages will become ghost towns within a generation.”
The council’s economic prosperity strategy will be further debated and finalized in the coming months, as the community seeks solutions to protect Somerset’s future.