Strat Plan agreed Nov 2025 (updated fin info)

Source page 1

Strategic Plan
This plan sets out the Town Council’s plans and priorities starting in 2026 and
looking forwards
Approved by Council 20 January 2025,
Reviewed and updated November 2025
(finance information updated February 2026)

1
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 2

Vision Statement / Overarching Council Aims
North Petherton Town Council – Towards a vibrant, resilient community with shared
aspirations
Our aims:
• To be effective, efficient and provide value for money
• To provide and improve facilities, services and projects of agreed benefit to
the community’s wellbeing and to regularly review their impact
• To listen to and consult with local businesses and residents from all age
groups and the different areas, take appropriate actions and communicate
with the community about what has been achieved, in relation to the ongoing
strategic plan
• To maintain and further develop strong partnerships with organisations
across the town area
• To ensure that everything we do is sustainable and takes account of the
relevant risks
Introduction

The area covered by North Petherton Town Council has a population of
approximately 10,000 of whom approximately 8,000 are on the electoral roll (as 1May
2025). At the time of preparing the first draft of this strategic plan (April 2024) North
Petherton was the 11th largest local council in Somerset by population size.
The Town Council area is a very diverse mixture of industrial (the edge of the area
bordering Bridgwater) and very rural where agriculture is predominant, there are also
areas where large scale housing development has taken place during the last 10
years - Wilstock and Stockmoor - and there are some distinct, well-established
communities such as North Newton, and Moorland.
The Town Council does not currently meet the criteria to have the general power of
competence so it can only fund, enable or provide projects and services where there
is a legislative provision for a local council (parish or town) to do so.
The Town Council’s responsibilities include the cemetery, an allotment site with
approx. 70 allotments, provision of a library in North Petherton by working in
partnership with Somerset Council and the Friends of North Petherton Library, public
conveniences, provision of some litter and dog bins, provision of youth services
including a youth club, and open spaces such as the Memorial Park and Parker’s
Field (acting as the sole managing trustee of the North Petherton Playing Fields
Charitable Trust).
The Town Council has a role to help shape the future of the area and the provision of
services by other organisations; it does this by commenting on and responding to
consultations on matters which may affect services and facilities or impact upon
residents and businesses. The Town Council may also bring matters pertaining to the
area to the attention of relevant bodies and organisations. This influencing role
ranges from making observations on planning applications, through commenting on
parking / traffic restrictions to responding to surveys etc on legislation changes and
can be at a very local through to a national level.

2
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 3

The civic year runs from May and starts with the election of the Mayor, appointment
of the Deputy Mayor and Council deciding which Councillors will sit on each
committee.
There are 14 Town Councillors and elections to the Town Council are held every 4
years, the next election being due in May 2027.
Context of the Strategic Plan
This Strategic Plan (2026 – 2030) is the Council’s second rolling strategic plan and has
been drafted following a number of informal Councillor workshops where there have
been discussions on broad topics such as communications, future projects, priorities,
expenditure and funding.
The strategic plan will be reviewed and updated annually (usually at the Annual Town
Council Meeting) so that ideas for projects, priorities and budgets can be amended and
updated. Progress on achieving the projects and priorities identified in the plan will be
reported to the full Council at least twice a year (in addition to the annual update review).
The annual update will also be used to inform the budget for the following year and assist
with determining work priorities.
The Town Council’s resourcing levels (time and money) are finite and constrained by a
number of factors, including some beyond the Town Council’s control such as the
impact of new legislation and the performance of partners.
The development of a 3 year rolling strategic plan and complementary medium term
budget is intended to focus activity and decision making, help prioritise projects and
resourcing, and provide a baseline against which progress can be measured. It is
intended that the plan provides a clear indication of the Town Council’s intended future
activities, so that local residents are better able to understand how the Council intends to
work for the benefit of the whole area and the likely timescale for projects to reach
fruition.
Current Information
Staffing
The Town Council has 3 directly employed members of staff:
Town Clerk – full time 37 hours per week
Admin Assistant – Part time 21 hours per week
Cleaner - part time 4 hours per week (the cleaner cleans the Town Council office,
the library and the toilets and kitchen in the library side of the building)
In addition, the Town Council re-imburses Somerset Council for the cost of a part-time
Library Information Assistant
Office
The Town Council moved to its current office accommodation at Junction 24 in May
2025. The small office next to the library has been retained as it is suitable for 1 person
to work in or for 1-2-1 meetings. The library office is open to the public for enquiries
every Tuesday between 10:00hrs and 12noon.
Finance
The precept for 2026/2027 is 513,500 The estimated income (other than the precept) is
£55,000 and the estimated expenditure is £569,000

3
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 4

Use of contractors to provide services
For anything other than administration work the Town Council uses contractors. Some of
the work is on a long-term contract e.g. regular tasks such as grass cutting at the
cemetery, litter picking around the Town Council area, bus shelter cleaning, whilst for
specific tasks individual prices may be sought.
Where there are no significant differences between the best value offered by contractors
preference will be given to those who are based within or close to the North Petherton
Town Council area.
Future Opportunities and Service Provision
As the number of houses and residents in the area grow so do the needs, wishes and
expectations of the people who live, work and visit the area.
Following the merger of all the district councils and Somerset County Council in April
2023 and the resultant financial emergency, Somerset Council is open to discussion
about devolving assets and service delivery to local councils; this may be an opportunity
for the Town Council to enable services at a level it believes appropriate for the area.
Enabling more services, and possibly direct provision of some, may assist with
transparency, accountability and improve response times, as the general public will know
where to contact and local knowledge will assist in finding solutions and implementing
them.
When deciding whether or not to enable a service or undertake a project the
considerations are likely to include:
• Will it be possible, as a minimum, to maintain the current level of service?
• Will it be possible to improve the service e.g. standard of work, frequency,
responsiveness?
• Can any economies of scale be realised- perhaps by working with other councils,
or within the Local Community Network?
• Would it be possible to offer the service / deliver the project by working in
partnership -perhaps with Community Interest Companies or local charities?
• Is the service better delivered in-house or by using contractors – remembering
that employing staff carries significant legal responsibilities?
If it is agreed that a service or project will be delivered using contractors the Town
Council’s Financial Regulations will be followed and the steps to obtaining pricing
information will include:
• Identifying the overall scope of the work / project
• Identifying the specific work for each element of the service delivery / project
• Specifying the price assessment criteria
• Assessing prices received and suitability of contractors
• Managing the contract / contractor

4
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 5

North Petherton Town Council SWOT Analysis
In 2024 Councillors were asked to identify what, in their opinion, the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats were for the Town Council,

In October / November 2025 Councillors re visited the SWOT analysis done for
the first strategic plan and the results are in the table below
Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Good cash flow
Community Infrastructure Income (CIL)
Local Knowledge
Diverse skill set
Wide range of experience
Wide range of workplace knowledge
Good community engagement
Strong representation on Somerset Council
No political ideology
Continued growth

Opportunities
• ICT – Communications – internal & Public
• Collaboration
• Raise to precept to take on devolved services and mitigate
inflationary costs
• Media channels to exhibit knowledge on community events
and councillors
• Resilience plan formalised with knowledgeable input to
formulate
• Increase staffing to support larger council & community &
professional council
• Differentiated training
• Banking hub
• Transport service
• Capital infrastructure
• Bus service
• Councillor ???????
• Better communications
• IT Improvements
•

Weaknesses
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Perception
ICT
Communication
Greater Engagement
Consultation with Local Community
Funding
Lack of Training
Website Improvements
Social media
Support staffing for growing council
Effective communication with public
Lack of resources
Weak identity with community
Resilience plan for catastrophic events
Social media support
Overarching unitary authority disregard of views
Formal resilience & action plan with media support
Age of Councillors
Time restraints of Clerk
Lack of staff
6000 houses along A38
Threats
Perception
Skillset constraints
Communication
Greater Engagement
Consultation with Local Community
Funding
Training
Website Improvements
Social media
Understanding of NPTC actions & times it takes to complete
processes by public
Climate change & increased regular extreme weather
events
Higher costs for contracting + inflationary costs
County S114
End of CIL income
Precept increase
Alterations to planning laws
Staff illness
Threat of floods

5
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 6

In addition to the SWOT, Councillors were also asked to do a PESTLE analysis
which looks at how factors outside of the Town Council may affect the Town
Council’s processes and service delivery. The results are in the table below
Political

Economic

Social / Cultural

Technological

Legal

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Recognition housing not working
Government influence over housing development
Bring back social housing
Cancelling of CIL
Designate precept rises
Controlled rents
Changes in government policy
Invasion of Taiwan
Hostage release
Changes to funding as result of political change
Somerset Council – bankruptcy / funding
Policy frameworks (Planning)
Inflation
Limited job growth
Job shortages
HPC
Interest Rates
Increases to costs of capital projects
Education
Proper uni research base
Economic downturn
Country could go into recession
Tarif
Battery centre
Hinkley provides capital grants
Increase revenue in these areas
Eastern European influence to fuels & conflicts

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Barriers
Demographics – age of population
Health & social care
Population growth
Childcare costs – accessibility
Hygiene poverty
Cultural inclusion of local facilities
Christmas competitions
Friends of Library
Cost of Adult & Child services
Pressure on health resources
Food poverty
Mobile services
Cyber security
Internet poor
WFH
AI
Improved tech & Hinkley Point
Employment law
BREXIT
Discrimination law
Public safety
Changes to framework / structure

6
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 7

• Town Clerk advises on legalities
• Somerset Council 114
Environmental

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Climate crises
Environmental policy
Clean water
Solar Farm funding
Ever encroaching threat of drought and flood
Public opportunities
Flooding ? / climate change
Sustainability

Work Undertaken in Current Year (2025/2026)
• Co-ordination of events to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day
• Held 2 informal meetings with allotment holders
• Evicted allotment holders for non-payment of rent and where cultivation
levels have not met the expected standards
• New litter and dog waste bin at Maunsel Lock car park
• Extended Christmas Light display
• Moved into new office accommodation
• Box hedges around the Gardens of Rest replaced with yew hedging
• Tablets and vases in the Gardens of Rest realigned
• Fallen tree in the Cemetery removed
• Arrangements made to fell large cedar tree in the cemetery
• 3 new waste bins provided along A38
• Loan of £400,000 obtained from the Public Works Loan Board
• Christmas competitions extended – including a new competition for a
community festive lights and a children and young people’s competition
to design a festive banner for the website or a festive greetings
message for the Facebook page
• Councillor workshop on community resilience planning held
• New equipment purchased for the Youth Club
• WWII Memorial Stone moved within the boundary of the Memorial Park
• Remembrance Service held in the Memorial Park
Routine / Operational Work
The Town Council has a number of responsibilities and provides or enables services
which could be described as routine or operational, these include:
• Dealing with general enquiries from the public
• Convening, providing reports and minuting formal meetings of the Town
Council and its Committees
• Providing support and guidance to Councillors
• Cemetery administration, including interments and Exclusive Rights of Burial
• Allotment administration, including inspections, lettings
• Administration for North Petherton Playing Fields Charitable Trust
• Financial Administration, including checking invoices, bank reconciliations,
VAT return
• Commenting on planning applications
• Grant administration
• Communications – media releases, facebook posts
• Maintenance administration and contractor liaison e.g litter picking, grass
cutting, bus shelter cleaning
7
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 8

Priorities and Future Projects
Councillors were asked to undertake an exercise (a pairing exercise in which each
potential project was prioritised against every other project) to prioritise projects that
had already been identified, the results are given in the table below.
Some of the items listed may include enhancing facilities / services provided by other
organisations including Somerset Council.

Project

Score

Provision of More Allotments

82

Wilstockhub

61

Cemetery Chapels

58

Resilience Planning

50

Road Safety (including 20mph & SIDS)
Parking at the Cemetery
Parker’s Field Car Park (responsibility of North Petherton Playing Fields
Charitable Trust) for which the Town Council is the sole managing
corporate trustee
Maunsel Lock \Car Park – resurface car park & upgrade picnic benches

48
47
45

Health & Wellbeing

43

Leisure facilities at Wilstock & Stockmoor including play areas and
country park
Encourage Tourism, e.g. solar walk, toilets, Maunsel aire, Macmillan Way
Welcome to North Petherton Goodbye / thank you signs

41

44

39
30

It is intended to do a short public consultation exercise to ask the public to rank the
top 5 priorities.
In June 2025 the Town Council agreed an initial project list for section 106 monies /
infrastructure contributions.
A section 106 (S106) agreement is a legally binding agreement (may also be referred
to as “planning obligation” or “developer contribution”) made between a local planning
authority, and a developer / property owner. The purpose of a S106 agreement is to
mitigate the impact of the development on the local community and infrastructure
The agreement will set out the terms binding on the owners or developer to provide,
facilitate or fund the provision of infrastructure, services or other measures that may
be needed for the development to be acceptable in planning terms.
The initial project list for developer contributions towards future infrastructure,
schemes and projects within the North Petherton Town Council area is as follows (in
alphabetical order):
• Allotments – provision within new residential sites
• Coach stop (with short (drop off / pick up) and long term parking)
and toilets
• Public Car Park
8
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 9

•
•
•

Pedestrian crossings (including pelican crossings, pedestrian
islands traffic light controlled) on the A38 (Broadlands Avenue,
A38 south of Newton Road, Parker’s Field / Carrots Farm)
Sports Facilities (including a football pitch)
Public Toilets – additional equipment to meet modern standards in
the existing disabled toilet and new public toilets

9
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 10

Financial Information

Predicted Precept
£700,000.00
£600,000.00
£500,000.00
£400,000.00
£300,000.00
£200,000.00
£100,000.00
£0.00

25-26

26-27

27-28

28-29

29-30

30-31

Estimated Expenditure Totals 2025/26 - -2030/31
£700,000.00
£600,000.00
£500,000.00
£400,000.00
£300,000.00
£200,000.00
£100,000.00
£0.00
25-26

26-27

27-28

28-29

29-30

30-31

10
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 11

Predicted Income Excluding Precept

£32,000.00
£29,000.00
£29,840.00
£30,705.00
£31,596.00
£32,514.00

£40,000.00

£20,000.00

£17,258.00
£15,998.00
£16,178.00
£22,680.00
£21,101.00
£16,654.00

£30,000.00

£0.00
Income
bond/bank Wayleaves
interest

Misc
income

Former
Land Rent
allotment
Allotment
(NP
Cemetery
land rent
rents &
Bowling &
fees
(Moorland
deposits
NP Cricket
, and
Club)
Fordgate)

Library
fees

Grants

Playing
Contributi
fields/ope
on to
n spaces
Library
recharge

25-26 £17,258.0

£200.00

£100.00

£32,000.0 £3,500.00 £1,723.00 £1,916.00 £1,200.00

26-27 £15,998.0

£200.00

£100.00

£29,000.0 £3,500.00 £1,723.00 £1,916.00

£400.00

£500.00

£2,000.00

27-28 £16,178.0

£200.00

£100.00

£29,840.0 £3,640.00 £1,723.00 £2,108.00

£400.00

£500.00

£2,000.00

28-29 £22,680.0

£200.00

£100.00

£30,705.0 £3,786.00 £1,923.00 £2,108.00

£400.00

£500.00

£2,000.00

29-30 £21,101.0

£200.00

£100.00

£31,596.0 £3,937.00 £1,923.00 £2,108.00

£400.00

£500.00

£2,000.00

30-31 £16,654.0

£200.00

£100.00

£32,514.0 £4,095.00 £1,923.00 £2,108.00

£400.00

£500.00

£2,000.00

25-26

26-27

27-28

28-29

29-30

30-31

11
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

£0.00

£2,000.00
£2,000.00
£2,000.00
£2,000.00
£2,000.00

£500.00
£500.00
£500.00
£500.00
£500.00

£1,200.00
£400.00
£400.00
£400.00
£400.00
£400.00

£1,916.00
£1,916.00
£2,108.00
£2,108.00
£2,108.00
£2,108.00

£1,723.00
£1,723.00
£1,723.00
£1,923.00
£1,923.00
£1,923.00

£100.00
£100.00
£100.00
£100.00
£100.00
£100.00

£200.00
£200.00
£200.00
£200.00
£200.00
£200.00

£3,500.00
£3,500.00
£3,640.00
£3,786.00
£3,937.00
£4,095.00

£10,000.00

£0.00

Source page 12

Estimated Budget Expenditure 2025/2026 - 2030/2031
£180,000.00
£160,000.00

25-26

26-27

27-28

28-29

29-30

30-31

£140,000.00
£120,000.00

£100,000.00
£80,000.00
£60,000.00

£40,000.00
£20,000.00
£0.00

Commu
Local
nal
Democr
areas/St
acy e.g
reet
councill
cleaning
Playing
or
(include
Employ Adminst
Cemete Allotme Fields &
training,
s bins, Grants
ees
ration
ry
nts
Open
Civic
bus
Spaces
expense
shelters,
s, Alfred
toilets)
Jewel
&
Award
devolve
d works

Other
Capital
Contrib Public
Services
Projects
ution to Works
(include Former (other
Earmark Loan
Library s youth allotme than
ed
Board
services, nt land funded
Reserve repaym
christm
from
s
ents
as)
EMR)

25-26 £104,39 £42,150 £6,400. £30,158 £4,255. £31,640 £88,491 £36,000 £26,660 £78,411 £55.00 £30,000

£30,067

26-27 £142,61 £47,352 £6,700. £32,279 £5,860. £71,440 £92,955 £36,000 £29,500 £66,019

£0.00

£38,116

27-28 £147,33 £66,531 £20,143 £31,364 £5,585. £68,545 £78,534 £35,000 £28,584 £67,542

£0.00

£0.00

£37,204

28-29 £153,60 £68,685 £20,130 £32,496 £5,802. £70,620 £85,052 £35,000 £28,975 £70,562

£0.00

£0.00

£36,292

29-30 £159,59 £71,769 £20,624 £33,663 £6,023. £72,877 £91,626 £35,000 £29,961 £66,644

£0.00

£0.00

£35,380

30-31 £165,83 £73,820 £20,873 £34,583 £6,350. £75,127 £92,958 £35,000 £30,225 £76,090

£0.00

£0.00

£34,468

12
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 13

Estimated Expenditure 2025/26 - 2026/27

Commu
Local
nal
Democr
areas/St
acy e.g
reet
councill
cleaning
Playing
or
(include
Employe Adminst
Cemeter Allotme Fields &
training,
s bins, Grants
es
ration
y
nts
Open
Civic
bus
Spaces
expense
shelters,
s, Alfred
toilets)
Jewel
&
Award
devolve
d works

£30,067.00
£38,116.00

£30,000.00

£55.00
£0.00

£78,411.00
£66,019.00

£26,660.00
£29,500.00

£36,000.00
£36,000.00

£88,491.00
£92,955.00

£4,255.00
£5,860.00

£30,158.00
£32,279.00

£6,400.00
£6,700.00

£42,150.00
£47,352.00

£31,640.00
£71,440.00

25-26

£104,399.00
£142,616.00

£150,000.00
£140,000.00
£130,000.00
£120,000.00
£110,000.00
£100,000.00
£90,000.00
£80,000.00
£70,000.00
£60,000.00
£50,000.00
£40,000.00
£30,000.00
£20,000.00
£10,000.00
£0.00

Other
Capital
Contribu Public
Services
Projects
tion to Works
(include Former (other
Earmark Loan
Library s youth allotme than
ed
Board
services, nt land funded
Reserve repaym
christma
from
s
ents
s)
EMR)

25-26 £104,39 £42,150 £6,400. £30,158 £4,255. £31,640 £88,491 £36,000 £26,660 £78,411 £55.00 £30,000

£30,067

26-27 £142,61 £47,352 £6,700. £32,279 £5,860. £71,440 £92,955 £36,000 £29,500 £66,019

£38,116

£0.00

13
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025

Source page 14

Proposed Expenditure Budget 26-27

Former allotment
land, £0.00

Public Works
Loan Board
repayments ,
£38,116.00
Other Services
(includes youth
services, christmas) ,
£66,019.00
Employees,
£142,616.00
Library, £29,500.00

Grants, £36,000.00
Adminstration,
£47,352.00

Communal
areas/Street cleaning
(includes bins, bus
shelters, toilets) &
devolved works,
£92,955.00

Local Democracy
e.g councillor
training, Civic
expenses, Alfred
Jewel Award,
£6,700.00
Allotments, £5,860.00

Cemetery,
£32,279.00

Playing Fields & Open
Spaces, £71,440.00

14
Agreed January 2025, Reviewed November 2025