The new Somerset Council will see the abolition of the four District Councils in Somerset. To disperse power away from the new larger council, 18 new ‘Local Community Networks’ will be formed (see map below).

The terms of reference and LCN boundaries were set out at Constitution and Governance Committee on 30th January (see item 9 report and the presentation here) after a public consultation last year, and were agreed at the Executive meeting on 18 January 2023, and at Full Council on 22 February. The link to the Terms of the Reference can be found here: Somerset LCNs Draft Terms of Reference.

All the parishes around Frome (18 parishes, see list below) are in the ‘Frome LCN’.

These will initially not be formal committees of the council but will be advisory, making recommendations to the Executive and others, which could make them more engaging. Either the Chair or Vice-chair will be a Somerset Councillor, and the other could be a parish councillor or other local stakeholder. Developing the current ‘pilot’ Frome LCN into an effective and engaging partnership with local people, parish councils and other local organisations to achieve positive local outcomes across all issues is the aim. The next Frome pilot LCN meeting is on Thursday 28th March at 7pm in Frome Town Hall and online.

The LGR website Home (newsomersetcouncil.org.uk) has a wealth of information on LCNs, with a presentation that can be shared with your communities and networks and a video too, featuring the South East Somerset (SES) LCN Pilot in action. Importantly, there is a whole section on FAQs to explore which covers dozens of common queries. There is a dedicated LCN inbox monitored by experienced officers on hand to help – email direct lcn@somerset.gov.uk (LCN specific questions only please).

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