‘THEY'VE got cars big as bars, they’ve got rivers of gold’ - well, that’s the popular perception of Taunton here in Bridgwater, but very soon we won’t need to worry about that as we’re heading for independence, writes the town council leader, Cllr Brian Smedley.

2024 could be Bridgwater’s year.

After the mistimed idiocy of the unitary catastrophe and as county Liberals try to solve the crisis the county Conservatives left for them, which national Liberals caused by forming a coalition with national Conservatives (keep up)... it’s places like us here in Bridgwater – and working with the other larger towns across the county - that can solve this.

2024 will be a crucial year for us all across the county. 

Towns will be taking back powers that we haven’t had since the early 1970s, and we’ve been working together to achieve that.

Led naturally, by Bridgwater, we’ve been the ‘devolution pilot’, and what we are looking for is becoming a local hub for our neighbouring parishes, running our own services, owning our own assets, and naturally being the ones responsible and therefore accountable.

We won’t be blaming Taunton as they’ve just got their own town council (copying us again!) and we’ll be working with them – no matter what the political colour – as the situation is the same for all of us: government as local as possible and as close to the people as practical.

So, Bridgwater has held its ground, led the way and will be leading by example in 2024.

I think it will be a good year for us all - happy new year to everyone.