Wincanton - Governance

Governance

Wincanton is within the area of Somerset County Council and the Non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, with its own town council. The town council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The town council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic; their role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council. The South Somerset district council is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism. Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, the library, roads, public transport, trading standards and waste disposal.

It is part of the Somerton and Frome a constituency of the House of Commons. The current member of parliament is the Liberal Democrat politician David Heath CBE. He is the Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.

Residents of Wincanton also form part of the electorate for the South West England constituency for elections to the European Parliament which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.