Practical proposed steps for Somerset.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Turn Wells’ skatepark permission into a viable community facility
The skatepark has planning permission, while fundraising continues.
The proposal could give young people a better place to skate. Permission does not establish that construction or long-term maintenance is funded.
Evidence
Who could lead: Local skatepark charity, supported by Wells City Council.
- Start now
Publish the remaining funding and operating requirements in clear terms and involve young users in access and design checks.
- Over the next few years
Proceed through procurement and construction only when the required funding and responsibilities are secured.
- Over the longer term
Maintain the facility and review accessibility, condition and users’ experience after opening.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Wells skatepark proposal: Planning permission reported; fundraising continues.
Measure: Confirmed funding, construction milestones, usable opening and ongoing maintenance.
Trade-off: Fundraising can take time; construction costs and future repairs must be planned without treating permission as a promise of delivery.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Wells skatepark proposal →
Proposal
Turn Wells’ emergency plan into tested local readiness
The new plan identifies flooding, power loss and severe weather as risks. Adopting a plan is only the starting point for a usable local response.
Proposed response: test the contact arrangements, practical support and communication routes before a major incident.
Evidence
Who could lead: Wells City Council and its emergency-response and community partners.
- Start now
Make the public advice easy to find and confirm routes for residents who cannot rely on the internet.
- Over the next few years
Run practice exercises with partner organisations and publish the improvements made afterwards.
- Over the longer term
Keep contacts and equipment up to date and review lessons after incidents or exercises.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Community Resilience Plan adoption announced on 12 October 2026.
Measure: Exercises completed, follow-up actions closed and accessible public information kept current.
Trade-off: Volunteer capacity and communication failures can limit support. The plan does not replace emergency services or individual household arrangements.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Community emergency preparedness →
Proposal
Give Yeovil’s cleared Glovers Walk site a useful next stage
The cleared shopping site has bus facilities back on it. Public-space works and a later transport interchange remain separate delivery stages.
This is a local delivery priority; the wider authority totals cannot establish this project’s effects.
Evidence
Who could lead: Somerset Council.
- Start now
Verify safe public routes and current temporary uses.
- Over the next few years
Agree a viable phased redevelopment and transport plan.
- Over the longer term
Track occupied space and accessible connections.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Glovers Walk redevelopment: Demolition complete; temporary uses and longer-term redevelopment being planned.
Measure: Usable space rather than prolonged vacancy.
Trade-off: Demolition does not secure the long-term development.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Glovers Walk redevelopment →
Proposal
Deliver Bridgwater’s traffic decision with safe crossings
The latest decision returns Salmon Parade and East Quay to two-way traffic, with pedestrian safety measures to accompany the work. The decision is not proof that the changes are already installed.
This is a local delivery priority; the wider authority totals cannot establish this project’s effects.
Evidence
Who could lead: Somerset Council.
- Start now
Publish the works programme and crossing designs.
- Over the next few years
Implement the approved changes with pedestrian safeguards.
- Over the longer term
Compare traffic and walking conditions after the change.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Celebration Mile traffic changes: Two-way traffic reinstatement approved in October 2026.
Measure: Safe crossings and measured journey conditions.
Trade-off: Improving vehicle access can conflict with a quieter walking environment.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Celebration Mile traffic changes →
Proposal
Maintain Wells’ improved route signs
New Strawberry Line signs have been installed.
Progress should be checked against the named project and the needs of its users.
Evidence
Who could lead: Wells City Council and the Strawberry Line team.
- Start now
Check signs are visible and accurate.
- Over the next few years
Maintain connections and repair defects.
- Over the longer term
Review the route with users.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Strawberry Line signs and route access: New signs installed.
Measure: Clear usable routes.
Trade-off: Signs alone do not establish a fully accessible route.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Strawberry Line signs and route access →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £1,016 a month (August 2026) in Somerset council area. This is £443 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.6% in Huntspill to 30.6% in Taunton East — a gap of 21 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Taunton East and Huntspill; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £1,016 a month (August 2026) in Somerset council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.6% in Huntspill to 30.6% in Taunton East — a gap of 21 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
24.8% of people in Somerset council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14% in Bridgwater North & Central to 37.1% in Minehead — a gap of 23.1 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Minehead and Bridgwater North & Central; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 24.8% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 14% in Bridgwater North & Central to 37.1% in Minehead — a gap of 23.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
5.1% of people reported bad or very bad health in Somerset council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.5% in Monkton & North Curry to 8.4% in Highbridge & Burnham South — a gap of 5 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Highbridge & Burnham South and Monkton & North Curry; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 5.1% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.5% in Monkton & North Curry to 8.4% in Highbridge & Burnham South — a gap of 5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
30.5% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Somerset council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.4% in Monkton & North Curry to 27.9% in Bridgwater North & Central — a gap of 15.5 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Bridgwater North & Central and Monkton & North Curry; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 30.5% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.4% in Monkton & North Curry to 27.9% in Bridgwater North & Central — a gap of 15.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Glovers Walk redevelopment →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Somerset council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Community emergency preparedness →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
5 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Wells skatepark proposal →
Strawberry Line signs and route access →
Community emergency preparedness →
Glovers Walk redevelopment →
Celebration Mile traffic changes →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.7% in King Alfred to 26.8% in Bridgwater South — a gap of 16.1 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Bridgwater South, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.7% in King Alfred to 26.8% in Bridgwater South — a gap of 16.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 55 of 55 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Wells skatepark proposal →
Community emergency preparedness →
