Residents invited to have their say on the future Huish Episcopi and Langport parishes

Residents, businesses, community groups and other interested organisations are being invited to help shape the future of local governance in Huish Episcopi and Langport as part of a Community Governance Review.

Somerset Council has launched a public consultation to gather views on whether the current parish arrangements remain the best fit for local communities or whether changes should be made.

Community Governance Reviews are carried out to ensure local governance arrangements are effective, reflect community identities and support the delivery of local services. They can consider changes such as creating, merging or altering parish boundaries and councils.

Options under consideration

The consultation asks for views on a range of options, including:

• Keeping the current parish arrangements.
• Replacing the existing parishes of Huish Episcopi and Langport with a single new parish covering the same area.
• Whether a new parish should have an 11-member parish council.
• Whether any new parish council should operate without wards or, if wards are preferred, how they should be structured.
• Whether a different number of parish councillors would be more appropriate. Whether the existing parish councils should remain but with revised boundaries to create clearer and more logical parish areas.

Ensuring governance reflects local communities

Councillor Bill Revans, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Governance and Communications, said:

Community Governance Reviews are about making sure local governance reflects the communities it serves, both now and in the future.

We want to hear from as many people as possible so we can understand what matters most to residents and ensure any future arrangements reflect local identities, support effective representation and help councils deliver for their communities.

The Council is encouraging everyone with an interest in the future of Huish Episcopi and Langport to take part, including residents, local businesses, voluntary organisations and community groups.

All responses will be carefully considered before Somerset Council makes its final recommendations.

How to take part

The consultation is open until 14 August.

People can find out more about the proposals and complete the consultation online at:

Paper copies are also available on request by emailing consultations@somerset.gov.uk.