Tenant empowerment
Somerset West and Taunton Council came into being on 1 April 2019, bringing together Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council. The tenant groups which existed under Taunton Deane Borough Council formally ceased on that date, and the new Council worked to develop a new tenant empowerment structure which would meet the needs of our tenants. A number of members from the previous groups agreed to work with us to develop terms of reference and ways of working for two new groups.
These groups enable tenants to have their voices heard, make it easy to raise concerns to those in the Council who make the decisions and to influence and shape what the Council does.
A new Tenants Strategic Group replaced the Tenant Services Management Board. As of April 2021, the current members are:
- Alex Akhigbemen
- Samantha Rickward
- Jessie Bunn
- Ivor Hussey
- Paul Cram
- Kevin Hellier
- Corrine McMylor
- Stephen Smith
- Luke Manning
- Colin England
- Councillor Mark Lithgow (Elected Councillor)
- Councillor Francesca Smith (Housing Portfolio Holder)
- Councillor Janet Lloyd (Shadow Housing Portfolio Holder)
Tenants Strategic Group Terms of Reference
View minutes and agendas from the Tenant Strategic Group meetings.
We have also developed a Tenants Action Group which has replaced the Tenants Forum and the Supported Housing Development Group. The current members are:
- Wayne Hobson (Chair and Community Area Representative Middleway) - hobsonwayne605@yahoo.co.uk, 07581 064351
- Malcolm Holliday (Vice-Chair and Community Area Representative Wellington) - 01823 401023
- Shirley Betts (Community Area Representative Darby Way, Bishops Lydeard) bettsshirley6@gmail.com
- Alison Heath (Community Area Representative Darby Way, Bishops Lydeard)
- Alan Carlton (Community Area Representative Milverton) carltonaljan@btinternet.com
0773 6442828 - Christine Smith (Community Area Representative Monkton Heathfield)
- John Beaman (Community Area Representative Priorswood) - 07514 246713, 01823 335393
There will also be opportunities to become a member of either group in future years and we will advertise these widely. If you are interested in being involved next year you can let us know through the general enquiries form.
Other tenant contacts
Denise Chidgey, Chair of LETRA (Lane Estate Tenant and Resident Association) - community@linkpartnership.org, Link Centre, 12 Moorland Close, TA1
Related pages