We asked, you said, we did

We asked what you thought about the draft Somerset Adult Social Care Strategy for 2026 to 2029.

We used different ways to gather feedback so more people could take part.

We asked about your experience of getting care and support in Somerset, and what could make services better.

We received 116 responses to the online consultation.

• 94 responses were from people who use services, carers, or Somerset residents.
• 8 responses were from health and care providers or professionals.

You told us about the challenges of getting support.

You told us what works well and what needs to improve.

You told us what would help you live the life you want.

We read all your feedback.

We will use your feedback to update the strategy.

We will keep involving people and professionals as this work continues.

This will help make sure services meet the needs of our communities.

More information about the Somerset Adult Social Care Strategy will be shared online in the next month or so. We’ll add a link here when it’s ready.

We asked your views on our draft Domestic Abuse Strategy which set out how we and our partners would prevent abuse, protect people, and support recovery.

We asked questions about how domestic abuse is responded to in Somerset to help us understand what is working well and where improvements are needed.

All responses were anonymous.

In total 131 responses were received. Almost half of these (63) were from survivors of domestic abuse.

There was strong support for the priorities identified.

Feedback received suggested a lack of awareness of some of the support services currently available.

We will be developing how we communicate better with people who need these services in Somerset.

We’re using your lived experience to strengthen the strategy. This includes reviewing how we tell you about domestic abuse support within Somerset.

The Somerset Domestic Abuse Strategy 2026-29 will be published later this year.  

We asked for views on a new charitable licensing policy because, since Somerset became a unitary authority, we needed one consistent approach across Somerset.

We received 47 responses from a range of people and organisations, including residents, elected members, parish councils, charities and other non-commercial groups.

Most respondents welcomed the introduction of a new policy and steps to support fundraising groups by modernising rules and reduce administration. 

A number of respondents asked for the council to include non-registered charities and other fundraising groups in those eligible for licences and permits.

Some respondents raised concerns about collections taking place at anti-social times of day or causing nuisance in the street.

We considered the responses and made changes to our draft policy ahead of it being presented to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee for implementation, which includes expanding eligibility, further amending proposed rules and issuing advice to applicants to address community concerns.

This statutory consultation gives parents, schools and interested parties the opportunity to comment on the admission arrangements for Somerset Council or for an own admission school or academy or trust.

11 online responses were received.

For Somerset Council maintained schools, final admission arrangements were determined by the executive board on 24 February 2026 - see Our admission arrangements.

For own-admission authority schools and academies, please refer to the individual school’s website for the final admission arrangements.

We asked councils to share local risks and how ready they feel, so we can target support and build stronger community resilience.

A total of 35 online responses were received, with more again received in other ways.

You said access issues, power cuts and flooding are key risks, while many areas need stronger plans, training, equipment and links.

We are using your feedback to guide shape future work to build resilience and preparedness.

For example:

• We have, where requested, fed back via LCNs to provide an overview of the results.
• We decided to relaunch the Somerset Emergency Community Contacts scheme to help support communication between parishes and the Council in time of emergency.
• We have been able to tailor workshops and training to better suit the needs of those parishes attending.
• The data is helping to shape conversations and collaboration between Somerset Council and the various voluntary organisations that assist during an emergency response.
• Where requested during the completion of the survey, contact has been made with parishes asking for help and, where appropriate, site visits have been made.

📝 We asked you to help shape Families First Partnership so services work together and support families earlier, before crisis.

🗣️ You said: listen to families, involve them in decisions, respond faster, keep you updated, and reduce handovers where possible.

✅ We will review your feedback, check local needs, learn from others, run focus groups, and share clear updates on changes and timing.

See below for more on published results.

We asked local people to share their views so we can create a town centre that feels safer, greener and works better for the community.

The consultation received 575 responses, with additional input from emails, discussions with the project team at events, and two parking related petitions (4,900 combined signatures).

Residents, visitors and organisations, including businesses and community groups, gave feedback.

Links for more information at the end of this page.

We listened to what you said and made a series of changes to the masterplan.

Some examples of changes include:

• Removal of North Lane and Court Ash car parks as opportunity sites
• Strengthened emphasis on brownfield site prioritisation
• Community amenities and activation are now embedded into key sites
• The redevelopment of the bus station at Glovers Walk refers to the provision of high quality public facilities to encourage greater use of public transport.
• We have carefully considered the suggested alternative development sites and have made some changes to the Masterplan to reflect a greater focus on these types of sites.

The latest on Yeovil Town Centre Masterplan can be found here.

Somerset Council asked people what they thought about plans to bring Bridgwater Docks back to life. The aim is to make the Docks a lively place for visitors and local people, with better links to the town centre and a design that celebrates its history.

The ideas included:

• Better walking, wheeling and cycling routes
• Nicer public spaces with planting and seating
• A new swing bridge and repairs to the historic Bascale Bridge and locks
• New places for boats to stay (residential and leisure moorings)

A total of 205 people took part. Most lived in Somerset (175). Others included local business owners (4), people who work nearby (14), visitors (15), community group representatives (9) and others (12).

Overall support

Nearly 90% of people supported the plans for regenerating the Docks.

What mattered most to people

People shared views on several themes, including travel routes, planting, heritage, paving, lighting and water quality.

Key findings included strong support for:

• Better pedestrian routes (83.90%) and new cycle routes (56.10%)

• Accessible routes for wheelchair users and disabled people (80.00%)
• Greener spaces with planting (80.97%)
• Street furniture, such as benches and bike parking (80.00%)
• New lighting (84.39%)
• Restoring the Docks’ heritage (93.18%)

People also shared views about:

• Planting preferences, with many liking wildflowers, small trees and shrubs. Some asked for low maintenance designs, while others raised concerns about antisocial behaviour or upkeep.
• Paving colours, with most choosing a mix of red and grey (42.93%).
• Infrastructure improvements such as bridge repairs, historic features, and marina facilities, all of which saw high levels of support.
• Water quality improvements, including reedbeds, rubbish filtration and clearing old waste from the Dock bottom, which received very strong backing (82%–96%).

The Council listened to what people said and made several changes to the plans for Bridgwater Docks. These changes reflect the feedback shared during the consultation.

1. We added extra CCTV (closed‑circuit television).
   We did this because people raised concerns about antisocial behaviour.
2. We changed some of the materials we planned to use.
   We chose materials that better match what people preferred and that fit the conservation needs of the area.
3. We removed water‑quality improvements from the planning application.
   People shared mixed views, so we decided to deal with water‑quality work separately, alongside repairs and maintenance to the lock.
4. We added more landscaping near Newton Lock.
   People asked for more planting and greener spaces, so we increased landscaping around the swing bridge.
5. We simplified the plan for the path at Anson Way.
   We removed proposals that affected land under private ownership because people raised concerns.
6. We added more and better water‑safety equipment.
   People told us safety matters, so we improved the amount and quality of safety equipment around the Dock.
7. We changed the plans for refuse and cycle storage in the car park.
   We reworked this part of the design after people gave feedback on how it should look and work.
8. We added more information signs about historical features.
   People wanted the Dock’s history to stand out more, so we included extra signs to help tell its story.

We asked you to share your views on Somerset’s draft nature recovery strategy and habitat map to help shape the final plan for nature.

This consultation received 151 responses representing a wide range of people and organisations.

Feedback showed broad support for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and its aims. Most respondents supported the direction of travel, including the focus on nature recovery, habitats and community action.

Overall, people supported the strategy but asked for clearer explanations and stronger delivery detail.

For more information see Local Nature Recovery Strategy Citizen Survey Results November 2025 at the end of this page.

The strategy was revised following feedback. You can find the strategy and more information about it here: Somerset’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy