THE leader of West Somerset Council is to recommend that the authority approves the option for a merger with partner Taunton Deane Borough Council.

Cllr Anthony Trollope-Bellew is to also recommend that the council agrees to a shared programme, which the authorities say are designed to modernise and streamlime services and the way decisions are made.

The full council is due to meet on Wednesday, September 7 to decide whether to merge with Taunton Deane, separate from its partner, or carry on the existing partnership, although Taunton Deane has rejected this choice.

Taunton Deane and West Somerset have been partners, with a single officer team, since 2013.

The initiative has delivered £1.8 million in savings annually shared proportionately between the two authorities for investment in community services.

Earlier this year Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils requested a business case to examine the potential for future savings and ways to streamline service delivery.

Taunton Deane Borough Council has voted for a merger of the two existing councils to create a new authority covering both geographical areas.

This option, agreed by the Taunton Deane’s full council on July 26, would produce savings of at least £3.1m a year through modernising processes and decision-making.

West Somerset Council’s scrutiny committee has met twice to debate the business case and options.

At its meeting on Tuesday, August 16, scrutiny members agreed to recommend that the third option, for West Somerset to leave the partnership and follow its own path, should not be the preferred option.

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