Somerset Council forms partnership to curb M5 closures and allocates £7 million to children’s services

Somerset Council has established a multi‑agency working group with National Highways, Avon and Somerset Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to analyse incident data and develop coordinated plans aimed at reducing the frequency and duration of M5 motorway closures. The council also plans to explore a Somerset Road Safety Partnership and the council leader will write to government highlighting repeated closures.

In a separate move, the council approved a £7 million investment in a programme called “My World, My Tomorrow” to improve children’s services. The scheme focuses on early intervention, reducing reliance on costly residential placements, expanding foster‑carer numbers and delivering a projected £28.4 million return by 2031/32. The investment follows a Best Value Notice and an Ofsted report that flagged the need for improvement in the county’s children’s services.