Looking back at 2015 - life moves at an ever increasing pace - everybody so busy ‘getting on with it’, that quite

often the time for reflection is at the bottom of the list.

Just six years ago, 70 per cent of the money for local council services was provided by Westminster; today that figure is 34 per cent and reducing. Despite the funding cutbacks and the recession, SDC have attracted over £400 million of investment in the last year. Companies both large and small have chosen Sedgemoor as their base. Our unemployment level is now the lowest in the South West, only 170 long-term unemployed, despite our population growing by over 1,400 in each of the last five years.

To accommodate this, 570 new homes were built during this past year. There are positive signs of continued growth in both jobs, new businesses and housing together with large investments in health, schools, skills and our roads.

It would be wrong to say that there will be no disruption caused to our day-to-day lives by this activity; but without this change and investment our area would stagnate and we would miss out on the opportunities.

The easiest route for your Council is to do nothing and make no decisions, but that’s not the Sedgemoor way.

Looking forward to 2016? – I wish you a peaceful and healthy Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cllr Duncan McGinty

Sedgemoor District Council