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2009 Liberal Democrat Group

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.

With 23 members, we are the main opposition group on Somerset County Council.

Recent updates and local news

Projected Costs of the Somerset Library Service Judicial Review

Article: Jan 25, 2012

Ownership of mobile library vehicles

o 4 of the mobile library vehicles are owned by Somerset County Council, including the 2 vehicles presently in operati

on, providing the much reduced service.

o 2 vehicles are leased. 1 is currently used as a spare as need arises, a

nd 1 is off the road. The leases expire respectively in December 2012 and March 2013.

Costs of mothballing

o 3 vehicles have been mothballed. There are no associated costs other than some administrative time from the County Fleet Management team and the County Fleet engineer for off-road signage and key security. Savings on maintenance and fuel for the 3 vehicles have been about £4,700 to date.

Costs of reinstating the mobile library service

o The immedi

ate cost of putting the 3 vehicles back on the road in maintenance terms is estimated to be between £450

and £700.

o There will be standard recruitment costs associated with recruiting 4 new mobile library drivers. There may be legal costs involved with making staff redundant that did not need to be made redundant. We cannot quantify the redundancy costs incurred unnecessarily.

o The annual cost of running each mobile library, inclusive of staff costs, is about £30,000. Thus, the annual cost of reinstating 4 mobiles to full operation will be about £120,000.

o On an ongoing basis, therefore the annual cost of operating 4 reinstated mobile libraries will be about £120,000.

The cost of reinstating the ordinary Library service.

o The annual cost of reinstating the reduced opening hours in all libraries where they have been closed half days and early afternoon will be approximately £205,000.

o The annual cost of maintaining services in those 11 libraries where funding was planned to be withdrawn will be about £240,000 per annum.o There will be standard recruitment costs associated with recruiting new library staff who were made redundant or who accepted voluntary redundancy to reduce hours. There may be legal costs involved with making staff redundant that did not need to be made redundant.

There are the costs of redundancy, either voluntary or compulsory and early retirement of staff that should have been kept on the payroll. The loss of experience and goodwill within the library service cannot be quantified.
Somerset County Council sale of Quantock Land

Article: Jan 24, 2012

By Cllr John Bailey

Somerset County Council sale of Quantock Land

It's official from Tory Cabinet member, Cllr David Huxtable "We want a smaller Council and will transfer this to others. That is the objective; it doesn't matter if it does not raise much money".

This was in response to a question of, how much money would be raised by the sale? In the case of some of these land sales there is very little competition and real concerns that the public interest has been ignored.
SOMERSET SERVICES WILL SUFFER FROM STAFF DEPARTURES

Article: Jan 24, 2012

SOMERSET SERVICES WILL SUFFER FROM STAFF DEPARTURES

Somerset County Council has been rightfully making savings, and a lot of the staff have left as a result. However in the last year those leaving have turned into a flood of departures of highly qualified expertise.

Sam Crabb, Leader of the Somerset Liberal Democrat Group said, "We suggested reductions through vacancy management and selected voluntary redundancies. What is now happening is a haemorrhaging of highly qualified expertise that puts all services at risk."
Youth service cuts: Reduce the cuts/ Eradicate the proposal.

Petition: Jan 24, 2012
Cuts in County Youth Service Funding of 75%?

Article: Jan 23, 2012

By John Bailey

The current 75% cuts are vastly greater than the cuts in County funding?

Why have the cuts been made without consultation with the very young people involved?

Large cuts have already been made to school support and in the number of PCSO's. Is there no joined up thinking or concern about the effects?

What has the the Tory administration of Somerset County Council got against Young People?
CONSERVATIVES LOSE THEIR FIRST VOTE IN COUNTY HALL

Article: Jan 17, 2012

By Sam Crabb

For the first time since taking control in 2009, the Conservatives today lost a vote in County Hall.

This was a vote to inform the Cabinet Member for Children & Young People to change direction with the County Youth Service. The Scrutiny Committee meeting voted 6:5 against the Tories recommendation.
Young people's dismay over Somerset Tory cuts

Article: Jan 17, 2012

Young people from across Somerset today pleaded with the Tory run Somerset County Council to save the Youth Service.

Cllr Sam Crabb, Leader of the Somerset Liberal Democrat Group said, "The Tory Cabinet at Somerset County Council just does not understand young people, finance or business. They are sleep walking towards disaster. They are determined to cut to the bone all non-statutory services, like they have already done with the Arts, tried to do with the Library Service and they are now decimating the Youth Service and our bus services."Once again another Conservative Shambles. The decisions taken in February 2011 for the budget relating to 2012/13 should be examined again in detail. I have no doubt that they were illegal. We need to go through them all again, looking at the impact of the decisions, especially upon Young People in Somerset."
LETTER TO THE EDITORS (Somerset County Council appears to be ignoring its own planning policies)

Article: Jan 10, 2012

By Gloria Cawood

Dear Sir,

We should all be concerned that Somerset County Council appears to be ignoring its own planning policies.

The officers agreed that Somerset County Council's land bank was sufficient. Aggregrate Industry's proposal to deepen Torr Works Quarry to just above sea level and increase out-put from 6m to 8m tonnes a year was nevertheless agreed. Four members of the Regulation Committee voted for and four against. The casting vote of the Chairman decided the matter.
Letter to the Editor (Speed Indicator Devices)

Article: Dec 21, 2011

By Councillor John Bailey in Letter to the press

Dear Editor

'I write in relation to your article about the reduction in Speed Indicator Devices in the Yeovil area.

We have all applauded the reduction in the number of Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI'S) in Somerset since the introduction of the Road Safety Partnership and the efforts of all involved. These results must have made a difference to the NHS costs of dealing with these and will have made a real the difference to many otherwise bereaved families.
Liberal Democrat dismay at proposals to restructure management at County Hall, Taunton.

Article: Dec 14, 2011

Sam Crabb, Leader of the Liberal Democrat County Group said today "I am dismayed at the plans agreed by the Conservative administration, to create 8 new Directors at County Hall. These changes will mean the people of Somerset will now be poorly served by having only one senior point of contact - who will be the new Customers & Communities Director."