A CONSERVATIVE councillor has resigned and thrown in her lot with the Independent group on Taunton Deane Borough Council.

Cllr Jean Adkins, who represents Norton Fitzwarren, is livid at her group's proposals to merge the Deane and West Somerset District Council into one authority.

Mrs Adkins reacted angrily to an e-mail from Tory councillor Richard Parrish supporting council leader John Williams's decision to go ahead with a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, July 26) to discuss the possible merger - even though West Somerset has put back debating the issues until September 7.

She fired back an e-mail saying she never told her constituents she would be "voting to disband the very council to which I was asking them to elect me" during campaigning ahead of the last election.

She added: "I do not wish to see my home town reduced to a few wards of Greater West Somerset, without so much as a town council.

"Your ward and mine at least have parish councils. If this makes me parochial, so be it, but at least I'm democratic and principled.

"I wish to see the people consulted on this very important decision. Neither you nor I have the right to ignore the public."

She then sent a follow-up e-mail to all 56 councillors at the Deane House, saying: "Please note that I am no longer a member of the Conservative Group."

Mrs Adkins told the County Gazette: "I don't agree with the Conservative leadership on this issue (the merger).

"I think there should have been more public consultation. The only honest thing I can do is to leave the group so that I am in a position to vote according to my conscience."

Mrs Adkins pointed out that if the two councils unite as one, then while Wellington, Wiveliscombe, Williton and Minehead have their own councils, the town of Taunton would be left without its own council while its district council would cover a far larger area.

She added: "I support John Williams as leader of the council, but I need to be free to vote according to my conscience.

"It doesn't mean to say I won't support the Conservatives on other issues, but I won't be rejoining the group - I don't yo-yo in and out of a party."

Mr Williams said: "Jean is a long-term, valued associate and has done much good work.

"I am truly sorry that we don't agree on this one issue.

"We have left on the best of terms and I fully understand that Jean has made a decision on principle and I respect that.

"The hope is that in time Jean will return and contribute as she has done so well in the past.

"In the meantime, I look forward to Jean's continued valuable contribution in the chamber."

Mrs Adkins is now sitting as an Independent, alongside Cllr Ian Morrell, who made a similar move from the Tories a number of years ago, although she says she does not consider herself to be a "colleague".

Mr Morrell said: "Instead of concentrating on delivering public services all we have for consideration is another reorganisation, concocted by the same people who instigated the wasteful multi-million pound SWOne project.

"Best value for the taxpayer and improvement in our area doesn’t require merger with WSC, but change in TDBC leadership to a team accountable to local needs.

"Due to the risk to our county town the final say must be put in the hands of the people at the ballot box."

LibDem councillor Jefferson Horsley said his group "fully agree" with Mrs Adkins view that the meger discussions at Taunton Deane should be deferred to a later date.

He added: "The Tories did not include in their manifesto  the disbanding of the very council they were standing for election for in 2015. Neither did we (the Lib Dems).

"We neither wish to see, in her words, 'our town reduced to a few wards of Greater West Somerset without so much as a (Taunton) town council.

"I wish to see the people consulted on this very important decision. We don't have the right to ignore the public."

The council is now made up of 35 Conservatives, 14 LibDems, four Independents, two Labour and one UKIP.