Efforts to redraw Somerset's political map without public consultation have been branded a "sham" and "an affront to democracy".

Work is under way to create a new unitary authority to replace Somerset County Council and the four district councils by April 2023, following a decision by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in late-July.

The five existing councils had all spoken in favour of retaining the existing electoral boundaries for the May 2022 local elections, with a view to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) conducting a full review after the new council formally took office.

But the government has instead ordered the councils to think again, giving them until October to redraw the electoral map – prompting concerns about "gerrymandering" and the public being excluded.

Following criticism from councillors on Mendip District Council and South Somerset District Council, a senior figure on Somerset West and Taunton Council has given his two cents on the matter.

Councillor Ross Henley, portfolio holder for corporate resources, launched a blistering tirade against the new boundaries at a full council meeting on Tuesday evening (September 7), branding it "an affront to democracy".

Based on work conducted so far, there are three options for redrawing the councils' boundaries at such short notice

Using the current county council division boundaries and doubling up the number of representatives to leave 110 councillors

Combining current district ward boundaries to leave 100 councillors

Combining current district ward boundaries in a different way to leave 85 councillors

Mr Henley said: "There was an understanding in the One Somerset bid that they were going to double up on the county council divisions, having 110 councillors, and then a full, formal boundary review, subject to full public consultation, would be conducted after 2023.

"That work is apparently still going to take place – so why is the secretary of state demanding this work?

"I find it disturbing that the secretary of state is trying to force Somerset into a position where it has between 70 and 80 councillors. That would create huge, huge wards or divisions, particularly in rural areas – it's plain wrong."

Mr Henley went on to cite examples of other recently-created unitary authorities in the south of England, arguing that the government insisting on such a low number of councillors in Somerset went against legal precedent.

He said: "Look at the facts across the country. Buckinghamshire, which only became a unitary council two years ago, has 146 councillors.

"Wiltshire, which has now been a unitary council for 13 years, still has 98 councillors – that's not even including Swindon, because they have their own separate authority.

"Dorset Council has 82 councillors – that's the very nice rump of the rural part of Dorset. It doesn't include Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole – they have their own separate authority.

"What on Earth is the angle of this secretary of state, trying to force Somerset into having far less councillors than these other, comparable rural shire counties? I think it's wrong, and it is an affront – it's a sham of a process."

The three existing proposals will be discussed by the county council's cabinet when it meets in Taunton on Wednesday morning (September 15).

The proposals will be submitted to communities secretary Robert Jenrick MP in October, with a decision being laid before parliament in the spring of 2022.