Castle Cary is a little market town and civil church in south Somerset, England, 5 miles (8 kilometres) north west of Wincanton and also 8 miles (12.9 kilometres) south of Shepton Mallet, at the foot of Lodge Hill and also on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett. The Town Council has responsibility for regional problems, consisting of setting a yearly principle (neighborhood price) to cover the council's operating expense and also generating annual accounts for public scrutiny. The Town Council examines regional preparation applications and also collaborates with the local police, area council officers, as well as neighbourhood watch groups on matters of criminal offense, safety, and also traffic. The Community Council's duty additionally includes starting projects for the repair and maintenance of town facilities, as well as consulting with the area council on the maintenance, fixing, as well as improvement of freeways, drain, footpaths, public transportation, as well as street cleansing. Conservation matters (including trees as well as listed buildings) and also ecological issues are the responsibility of the district council. The town falls within the Non-metropolitan area of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the City Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Wincanton Rural District. The district council is accountable for neighborhood planning and building control, neighborhood roadways, council housing, ecological health, markets and also fairs, refuse collection as well as recycling, cemeteries and also crematoria, recreation services, parks, and tourist. Somerset County Council is responsible for running the biggest as well as most costly neighborhood services such as education and learning, social solutions, collections, main roads, public transport, policing as well as fire solutions, trading criteria, waste disposal and also strategic planning. The town remains in the Cary electoral ward. This stretches south to the North Cadbury parish, as well as southern west to Babcary. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 5,502.