A DRAMATIC late night meeting ended with Taunton Deane Borough Council voting to merge with West Somerset District Council.

The five hour meeting saw the opposition attempt to put the decision back until September, however their amendments were voted down until just before 11.30pm last night, when a vote was taken.

There were 32 votes in favour of the merger option, 16 against and 2 abstentions.

West Somerset Council will take its vote on September 7, however TDBC leader Cllr John Williams made it clear at last night's meeting that unless WSDC also opts for the merger, the councils will go their separate ways, which could leave West Somerset's cash-strapped council with a highly uncertain future.

Cllr Steve Ross said this approach amounted to 'nothing more than blackmail' of West Somerset.

The main criticisms from the opposition were that members of the public have not been consulted, that TDBC would be “propping up” West Somerset, and that the plans were being rushed through.

Cllr Simon Coles said: “We were told there would be no loss of either council’s sovereignty and that we would be making no financial contribution to West Somerset.

“No one has asked the taxpayers of Taunton Deane if they are happy with this. 

“We have taken a huge amount of new houses. We wont be using the new homes bonus for its intended purpose as we would now be using it not for infrastructure across Taunton Deane, but to prop up and subsidise West Somerset.”

Cllr Jefferson Horsley added: “You have sold out Taunton Deane Borough Council by doing this. You are not taking into account public opinion. This is a real decline and it is going to be painful. 

“It is a wholesale slaughter of services and it will lose Taunton Deane a lot of respect.”

However, Cllr Williams defended the proposal, and said that it had been in the pipeline since 2013.

Cllr Williams told the meeting that if a decision was delayed, Sedgemoor would be controlling the timeline of events, and not the two councils.

He said: “We have been on this journey since 2013. We had clear intent that continuing to work together would have financial savings. 

“I am confident option two (the merger) is the best option. West Somerset Council is not sustainable in the future.
“Going our separate ways is not an attractive option."

TDBC and WSDC also submitted a last-ditch approach to Sedgemoor District Council asking it to join in the talks, which said it was 'at a loss' to explain the approach.

Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger also slammed the proposals, describing the ultimatum facing West Somerset Council as little more than blackmail.

Mr Liddle-Grainger, who has been a fierce critic of the way the merger has been presented, said he would be speaking with the secretary of state to say that this was unacceptable behaviour by Taunton Deane.

"It is pathetic to see one Conservative council show such contempt toward another and I am ashamed of my Conservative colleagues for acting in this way," Mr Liddell-Grainger said.