MORE special arrangements have been put in place for the hundreds of people expected to protest against sweeping spending cuts by Somerset County Council on Wednesday.

For the first time, three additional committee rooms in County Hall will be video-linked to Shire Hall enabling an extra 200 people to watch the debate live.

This follows last Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, held at Somerset College’s conference Centre, Taunton, where both the conference room and an additional overflow room were so packed that people sat on the floor.

The college was booked at an additional cost of £968 as County Hall could not accommodate the expected numbers and Shire Hall was unavailable at the time.

Leader of Somerset County Council, Cllr Ken Maddock, said: "Special arrangements, above and beyond what we normally do, will ensure people can see and hear what is being said during full council and, most importantly, hear the outcomes."

Full Council will meet at 10am to vote on the first wave of proposed budget cuts.

The £43m programme of cuts include proposals to reduce youth services, possible closure of household waste recycling centres and cuts in bus subsidies.

There is no parking available at Shire Hall for members of the public who wish to attend.

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