The Midsomer Norton Town Council was challenged at their meeting to explain how the High Street could be kept safe and welcoming as the latest budget showed them cutting money for security.

The council, which is still tackling the budget for the coming year, has slashed the funding for Street Marshalls, leaving just over £6,000 in the budget for help at night on the High Street.

Members of the public challenged, and the B&NES councillor Shaun Hughes, asked what this would in any practical terms pay for.

A Midsomer Norton resident told the meeting, that in the whole of 2021 there were 22 reported incidents of anti social behaviour and problems on the High Street, while for just the first six months of 2022, there was a huge increase, up to 140 incidents.

She had already been in contact with the council and has been told that keeping the streets safe in the centre of Midsomer Norton, specifically on Friday and Saturday nights " would be the responsibility of the new council." (There are elections in May)

" Based on your own numbers what will we actually get for £6,425 ? I would really like to hear what is the strategic objective of this council and how you are going to encourage civic pride in our town, and how a well-run council can deliver results ?"

These were the figures Midsomer Norton Town Council has been using to work to setting a budget.

Cllr Hughes said: " Getting rid of Street Marshalls is a mistake. Because of shift patterns you rarely see a PCSO, so that just leaves CCTV. That is in Bath and is only checked if Street Marshalls (or police officers) call them to monitor it, so CCTV is useless as well.

" Two years ago most of our councils pledged to make our streets safer.. this is a retrograde step. Our High Street has the worst security for a number of years. There are incidents every week which Street Marshalls take care of. I seriously hope there are not any serious incidents that occur which could have been prevented by the presence of Street Marshalls."

Cllr Gordon Mackay, wo had earlier welcomed the participation of the public insisted the council did not want to "hide anything away" said: " What I would like to see going forward is that we engage with the stakeholders of those on the High Street to work together to come up with proposals.. to promote the High Street, the evening economy.. so it is not just the council (making decisions)."

The full video of the discussion about the safety worries about what happens on Midsomer Norton High Street can be seen HERE.