WEST Somerset District Council is looking increasingly likely to merge with Taunton Deane Borough Council to form one council following a Special Scrutiny meeting this week.

Councillors Bryan Leaker and Ian Aldridge both voiced concerns about the way the merger had been handled, and TDBC leader John Williams' ultimatum to WSDC.

Both councils were originally due to vote on three options at full council meetings on Tuesday, July 26 however West Somerset Council opted to delay its decision until Wednesday, September 7.

The options on the table were 1) to continue working together in partnership and further assimilate services but remain as two sovereign councils, 2) to work as one council or 3) to separate entirely.

Following a marathon five-hour meeting Taunton Deane opted for option 2, the full merger - and leader John Williams issued an ultimatum to West Somerset that if it did not vote for the same option then Taunton Deane would go its own way.

At West Somerset's Special Scrutiny meeting on Tuesday, leader Anthony Trollope-Bellew said: "The decision is up to us but it takes two to tango. We are being pushed down the road but by central government rather than by Taunton Deane.

"John Williams does not want to go for Option 1 as he does not believe it will work and we will have to go for a merger five years down the line anyway, and that would be a waste of taxpayers' money."

Cllr Ian Aldridge was one of the most outspoken critics of the potential merger, questioning the motives behind Taunton Deane's decision to join with West Somerset.

"Cllr John Williams says this decision has been reached on the basis of the benefits for West Somerset, but I do not like him saying he knows what it is best for us – he should be looking out for the people of TDBC first," he said.

"I understand that it is illegal for one council to subsidise another, but if the boundaries are removed then this can be worked around.

"But we are a financial black hole, so why should the people of Taunton Deane want to subsidise West Somerset? What advantage can John Williams sell to his council?," Cllr Aldridge asked.

Chairman of the committee, Cllr Peter Murphy replied: "What do they get out of the merger? I think we all know what West Somerset has that other councils want to get their hands on – and we have not got it yet," alluding to Hinkley C.

Cllr Mandy Chilcott said that the most important thing was to make sure the council could ensure the best services for the community.

"I think we all feel the weight of this decision we are being asked to make. We want to give the best services possible to our community, and for me this decision is about having a more sustainable future," she said.

"People want basic services such as having the streets cleaned, having their recycling and bins collected and we need to make a decision that best allows us to deliver those services.

"We all became councillors because we wanted to make great things happen but its getting more and more difficult to do that."

The scrutiny committee voted 5 to 3 to dismiss Option 3, and the recommendation will go to Full Council on September 7.