Brent Knoll Councillor Bob Filmer has questioned whether Somerset Council can deliver the pace of change needed to tackle rising pressures and secure its long‑term future. Councillor Filmer’s intervention at the latest council meeting comes as Somerset Council is forecasting an overspend of £30.863m just three months into the financial year, with members seeking assurances that meaningful reform can be delivered before budget pressures become even more severe. Councillor Filmer acknowledged the work already being done by officers and members to respond to the challenges facing Somerset Council, but he said issues around growing demand‑led costs had been raised repeatedly since discussions on local government reorganisation first began. “Are we actually capable of stepping up that pace and make that step change now to address this?” Chief Executive Duncan Sharkey said he believed the council could increase the pace of change, but warned that many of the solutions required are long‑term rather than immediate.