Somerset councillors have called for long-term financial settlements and reform of council tax to ensure local residents can receive public services in the most efficient and effective manner.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) made a formal request to all local authorities in April to produce a productivity plan, demonstrating how they can deliver better value for money for taxpayers and the challenges which prevent them from doing so.

Following the general election and the subsequent renaming of the department to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Somerset Council’s executive committee ratified its plan when it met in Taunton on July 15.

The plan is intended to serve as a springboard for further conversations about the future funding and scope of local government – including possible future devolution and changes to the funding of adult social care.

Council leader Bill Revans, a former teacher, quipped at the meeting held at Deane House: “This feels like we have been set some homework and then we have a different teacher at the front of the class when you come to hand it in.”

The plan identifies a number of areas where the council has been working to become more efficient, with all the services previously handled by the county and district councils now being streamlined within one organisation.

The original business case for the new unitary authority estimated that £18.5m would be saved each year in this fashion; however, from April 2025 that is set to rise to £20.3m per year in light of the transformation programme which is currently under way within the council.

The plan acknowledges the steps that have been taken so far towards delivering services more productively – including:

Reducing the workforce by between 20 and 26 per cent through the transformation programme, eliminating duplication and unnecessary layers of management to save up to £50m

The devolution of assets and services to town and parish councils (such as Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil), allowing for a more local and responsive approach to public services

Reforming the delivery of adult social care through the ‘My Life, My Future’ programme, which has saved £10m through fewer residential placements and speedier care assessments and reviews

Improving outcomes for children in care through the delivery of ten new children’s homes and 20 new specialist foster carers

Using AI and other digital technology to streamline how services are delivered

However, the plan also identifies a number of barriers which prevent services from being delivered in a more cost-effective manner – namely:

A lack of long-term financial settlements: because the government has thus far only provided one-year settlements, the council finds it hard to plan where resources need to be invested over a period of time. The council has called for multi-year grant settlements, council tax reform, an end to “resource-intensive competitive bidding” for central government grants (such as the levelling up fund) and a national council tax reduction scheme to provide fair relief for the most vulnerable in society

Funding adult social care: despite the savings which have been generated so far, adult social care still comprises a significant chunk of the council’s budget and spending continues to rise year on year. The council are called for more funding on a reformed model, with a pay rise for care workers to aid recruitment and retention, and greater data sharing with the NHS

Funding children’s social care: looking after vulnerable children is the other major draw on the council’s budget, with care placements being expensive and school struggling to meet pupils’ needs with their current funding. The council has called for all school grant debts (which are escalating) to be written off, for further investment in both mainstream and special needs education, and reforming procurement processes to prevent “profiteering by providers”

Climate change and net zero: while Somerset boasts significant natural beauty, it has struggled to secure funding for schemes which preserve its environment and cut carbon emissions, especially regarding transport. The council for a move away from “city-focussed policies” and more funding for rural public transport and active travel schemes

Regeneration and devolution: the council has called for a “level playing field”, with the government providing a fair allocation of funding for regeneration schemes and projects designed to boost economic growth. The plan also aspires towards greater devolution of services from Whitehall to better meet local priorities

Housing and transport infrastructure: Somerset is expected to deliver large quantities of new housing, but its infrastructure (whether roads, railways, schools or medical facilities) often struggles to keep pace with population growth and demand. The council is calling for “legislative reform and strategic investments” to speed up the delivery of infrastructure when is it most needed

Councillor Ros Wyke, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, said more needed to be done regarding the delivery of super-fast broadband, especially in the rural north of the county.

Ms Wyke – whose Mendip West division includes numerous villages around Glastonbury and Wells – said: “We are singularly failing a large number of people in the northern part of the county on broadband.

“We need to be very clear that we are expecting a continuation of the replacement for EU funding, particularly outside of the urban areas of the country, to actually help deliver productivity improvements.”

The completed plan will now be sent to new communities secretary and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner MP, with Mr Revans formally requesting a meeting to discuss through the council’s concerns in person.

In a statement released before the executive met, he said: “We are doing everything in our power locally.

“We have already saved millions of pounds by moving from five councils to one, we are selling assets and property, we are working in partnership with city, town, and parish councils to protect services, and we are currently going through a top-to-bottom restructure to reduce our pay bill.

“But we need this country to prioritise local government and all the vital services it provides, from bin collections and roads to social care and children’s services

“The new government faces many challenges, but there is a crisis in local government that is having a real and devastating impact on local services, and it needs urgent attention.

“We have a duty to raise this matter urgently.”