Castle Cary is a small market community and also civil parish in south Somerset, England, 5 miles (8 km) north west of Wincanton and 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Shepton Mallet, at the foot of Lodge Hill as well as on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett. The Town Council has obligation for regional issues, consisting of establishing an annual mandate (neighborhood rate) to cover the council's operating expense as well as creating yearly accounts for public scrutiny. The Town Council examines local preparation applications and also collaborates with the neighborhood cops, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch teams on issues of criminal activity, security, as well as website traffic. The Community Council's function also includes starting jobs for the maintenance and repair of town facilities, along with seeking advice from the district council on the upkeep, repair work, and also renovation of freeways, drain, footpaths, public transportation, and also road cleaning. Preservation matters (including trees and also provided buildings) and also environmental issues are the responsibility of the district council. The community falls within the Non-metropolitan area of South Somerset, which was based on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously belonged to Wincanton Rural District. The district council is accountable for local preparation as well as building control, neighborhood roadways, council housing, environmental wellness, markets as well as fairs, reject collection and also recycling, burial grounds and crematoria, leisure solutions, parks, as well as tourism. Somerset County Council is responsible for running the biggest and also most expensive regional services such as education, social solutions, collections, main roads, public transport, policing as well as fire services, trading requirements, garbage disposal and tactical preparation. The town remains in the Cary electoral ward. This extends south to the North Cadbury parish, and also southern west to Babcary. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 5,502.