Wells City Council has agreed a devolution package with Somerset Council to save local services, and to take on the running of the weekly markets.

In recent months, Wells City Council have debated the devolution of services on multiple occasions and during their discussions, councillors considered the impacts to residents of the loss of services, whilst still being aware that the cost-of-living crisis still being keenly felt. In doing so, they considered the community feedback received via written statements, the public consultation evening held last September in the Town Hall, and the recent requests for opinion through Wells Voice. The vast majority of people who responded expressed the view that maintaining local services was critical and that providing them locally through Wells City Council rather than the current arrangement with Somerset Council would benefit the city.

In January, we took a decision in readiness of these services being passed from Somerset Council, and increased its precept to ensure that there were adequate funds to continue delivery of these functions, which include grass cutting, hedge management, play parks, public toilets and trees on council owned land. 

The Devolution Officer, Haylee Wilkins, provided a report for councillors that was considered at the Finance and Council Matters Committee meeting and the Full City Council meeting in December 24. The report outlined that the cost of the services that the city council is taking on would equate to £510,043 per year. 

With this in mind, a precept of £1,603,433 for 2025/26 was approved – up from £1,178,497 in 2024/25, a rise of £424,936, or 36 per cent. For the city council element of council tax, residents will see an average increase of £137.35 per year.
Through the negotiations with Somerset Council, the City Council has also secured a number of key assets, which will, it is expected, be further developed into a wider income strategy for the council. These include the weekly markets, alongside securing other assets such as closed cemeteries, allotments and the skatepark. 

“The decision to increase the precept is not one that has been taken lightly” said Cllr Stewart Cursely, the Council’s Chair of Finance and Council Matters Committee. He went on to say, “when considering the impacts to our residents, we have weighed up the financial impact, as well as the feedback we have received from residents, regarding those services that are considered to be of the greatest value and set a precept accordingly. We have challenged officers to provide realistic budgetary predictions to ensure that we can sustain services and through efficiencies, in some cases offering a greater level of service than is currently delivered”
Services and assets will be transferred to Wells City Council by 31st May 2025 and a full list of services and locations which will now be managed by the City Council can be found here.