Energy & Cost of Living Crisis – help that is available from Somerset Council and Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice Somerset, in partnership with Somerset Council, is here to support residents facing financial hardship. If you’re struggling, help is available — don’t wait to reach out. A range of support is available to help Somerset residents struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy costs. Somerset Council is again distributing funds from…
Read MoreMajor fly-tipping incident cleared within 48 hours thanks to swift council action & local residents reporting.
Wednesday 2 April 2025 · Pilton, Somerset A large illegal dump of roofing tiles along a bridle way in Pilton was reported, investigated, and cleared in under two days — with an MP on the scene to personally thank the workers. On Tuesday 1 April, at around 8.40am, a significant amount of rubbish was discovered…
Read MoreTaking Control: Why Pilton Parish Council Commissioned Its Own Housing Needs Survey
When a developer presented plans to Pilton Parish Council for 79 affordable homes on the Old Police House field, councillors and parishioners alike raised their eyebrows. There was clearly some housing need in the village — but did it really justify a development of that scale, on that site? The Parish Council thought the number…
Read MoreA Turning Point for Mental Health: Why This Weekend’s Lib Dem Policy Matters
This weekend, members passed a landmark mental health policy at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in York. For me, it marks the culmination of a year’s work as part of the working group that helped make this moment happen — and I could not be prouder. Mental health touches every one of us. It reaches…
Read MoreA Game-Changer for Rural Somerset: Why Glastonbury TrainLink Must Be in the New Transport Plan
Somerset is at a crossroads. A new Local Transport Delivery Plan (LTDP) is being finalised that will shape how people travel across our county for the next four years. For too long, rural communities have been left behind by a bus system designed around profit rather than people. That must change — and the Glastonbury…
Read MoreFrom Gallery Walls to Council Halls: Women Who Lead (for International Women’s Day, 2026)
Recently I visited the National Portrait Gallery with my daughter, one of our favourite London haunts. Watching her immerse herself in the lives and stories on the walls made me think about how many women appear in those frames—and how many more have been written out of history because we so often see only “his…
Read MoreUnited for Residents: Budget Agreed, Now Let’s Collaborate
Somerset Council says it is shifting from financial emergency to recovery after councillors approved a balanced 2026/27 budget. Lib Dem leader of the council, Cllr Bill Revans, told Full Council that independent reports show the authority has “grasped the challenges” and is on the right track after difficult decisions that have protected frontline services and…
Read More174 bus “new” timetable adjusted (again) after student bus user raises concern
A young 174 bus user raised concerns with their parent about the 174 Shepton to Wells timetable changes — the parent then contacted me to report the plan would see students arriving in Wells a full hour before school and 20 minutes before the gates open. I raised the issue with Somerset Council, who negotiated…
Read MoreSomerset Council — Mendip South Division: Three‑Month Road Safety Defect Summary
This report summarises the number of safety defects completed by Somerset Highways in the Mendip South division during the previous three months, grouped by defect type and location. For reference, road codes beginning with T or U denote Unclassified roads. Please help us keep our roads safe by reporting any defects you find. Report online…
Read MoreMonthly Somerset News from Cllr Claire Sully: Serving Mendip South & Somerset (March 1st)
Plan in place to smarten Somerset’s roads, pavements and cycleways Somerset Council to spend up to £5m over 3 years to smarten roads, pavements and cycleways — more drain and gully clearance, improved signs and road markings, litter collection and vegetation clearance near walking/cycling routes. Current road maintenance programmes focus on safety critical works which…
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