YOUR correspondent raises a very important point thrown up by the merger proposals (Merger angst, Postbag, February 16).

He is quite correct that the centre of Taunton comprising around 34,000 voters is unparished (total TDBC electorate is over 82,000).

In fact, it would appear that to some councillors the boundaries of Taunton Deane are coterminous with those of this unparished Taunton.

I therefore find it strange that those councillors objecting to the merger are those very ones who succeeded in passing a resolution to create a Taunton Town Council.


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A merger (envisaged from the very start of the get-together) with West Somerset and in due course Sedgemoor will enable us to plan strategically for the whole area of Somerset West.

It will also provide the opportunity to create a Taunton Town Council to take responsibility with other Taunton organisations for getting to grips with the future of Taunton and its life as the county garden town.

The pendulum has swung – we are exchanging a top down world for a bottom-up world.

We have got to do it ourselves – no one else is going to.

I do agree that sorting out assets and liabilities will be hard work but nothing ventured, nothing gained!

D BRADLEY
Kingston St Mary
Taunton