How animation helped power Somerset’s Local Government Reorganisation: The One Somerset case study
“Animation is a flexible format that can be used online, on social media and in community meetings to help explain the key benefits to residents.” Cllr Faye Purbrick
Local government in England is changing. Across the country, councils are exploring Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)—the process of moving from the traditional two-tier system of counties and districts to streamlined unitary councils.
Areas on the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) face the fastest timetable, with final proposals submitted in September 2025, shadow elections in May 2027, and new councils going live in April 2028.
Surrey, while not part of the DPP, is also progressing quickly. It submitted final proposals in May 2025, will hold shadow elections in May 2026, and plans for its two new unitary councils to be established by April 2027.
For non-DPP areas, final proposals must be submitted by November 2025, with elections expected in May 2027 and the new arrangements coming into effect in April 2028.
But structural change alone is never enough. Successful reorganisation requires clear, accessible, and trustworthy communication, ensuring residents understand not just what is changing, but why. That’s where strategic public engagement becomes essential.
Supporting Somerset’s transition to a unitary authority
“We selected Senate Media because they have vast experience in working within the public policy sphere and their portfolio reflected this.”
In 2020–2021, Somerset County Council sought support in communicating their proposal for a single unitary council—known as One Somerset.
Senate Media worked with the council to produce a series of engaging explainer animations, designed to help residents understand:
- Why Somerset was proposing reorganisation
- What a single council would mean in practice
- The benefits for services and communities
- The timeline and process for change
Animation was chosen for its clarity, accessibility, and ability to present complex reforms in a friendly, non-political format. The films were designed to fit seamlessly across online platforms, social media, community presentations, and earned media opportunities.
The result was a set of visually engaging assets that played a meaningful role in Somerset’s wider engagement strategy—and, ultimately, in helping the One Somerset proposal move forward.
One Somerset Animation – Case Study
Faye Purbrick, a councillor representing Yeovil South ward on the new Somerset Council, was on the project team involved in creating a series of animations to support the One Somerset campaign. We spoke to Faye about why they selected animation and Senate Media to support their campaign.
Why did you choose to create a series of animations to support the campaign?
We wanted to create a series of animations that would explain the reasons, process, benefits and timelines for creating a single council for Somerset.
We felt that animation would be an engaging and cost-effective way of communicating the need for change to residents. We wanted to create content that spoke to all of Somerset in an open and engaging way. And we felt animation would bring our vision for One Somerset to life in a way that a talking heads video couldn’t.
How did you use the animations that we produced? (online/ at events etc)
We used the animations to inform Somerset residents on the changes at community events, online and social media. They featured on our One Somerset website, as well as on X (formerly Twitter), and on a BBC local news for a piece on the plans for local government reorganisation in Somerset.
How successful were the animations in supporting the overall campaign objectives?
Ultimately the One Somerset proposal proceeded, and the explainer animations played their part in this. In particular in evidencing an array of engagement with the public and other stakeholders throughout the process.
Would you recommend this approach to other councils currently embarking on reorganisation?
Each council embarking on local government reorganisation will have their own priorities and ideas; but for all it is essential to communicate clearly and effectively with their residents, setting out the case for the different options being proposed.
Animation is a flexible format that can be used online, on social media and in community meetings to help explain the key benefits to residents. The graphics, tone and story can easily be moulded to match other campaign materials. And it is a more engaging format than talking heads videos.
By not featuring any known personalities, it also has the advantage of removing the ‘politics’ from the communication, putting the focus squarely on the facts being delivered.
And finally, would you recommend using Senate Media to other councils considering this approach?
We selected Senate Media because they have vast experience in working within the public policy sphere and their portfolio reflected this.
We found the process of creating the animation collaborative and flexible – and the ability to adapt scripts and pick voiceover artists and styles that worked for our area was simple too. The end product was well received and a good reflection of Somerset, the challenges and the opportunities.
