My letter below appeared in the Frome Times on 17th July and in the Somerset Standard on 19th July:

Dear Sirs,

On Wednesday last week, the group of travellers living on the old Showfield left after two weeks, complying at last with the 2nd eviction notice served by Mendip District Council. I and the local residents I have spoken to, do appreciate the efforts of council officers to try and prevent the incursion, to make it as brief as possible, and to organise the clear up of all the waste the travellers left behind soon afterwards.  Frome Town Council’s grounds and properties manager also deserves credit for efforts to secure the site against future incursion and put up signs warning people to stay away from the area until the dangerous and rotting rubbish was cleared up.

I hope to find out how much this all cost in the end, and have asked Mendip to quiz the Police as to why they allowed the travellers on site in the first place, as a Mendip officer and health centre construction site staff initially blocked their way but were manhandled and verbally abused, but were advised to stand aside for their own safety.  I am also calling for the security of the site boundaries to be improved to prevent vehicles getting on site again.

On a more positive note, a substantial sum of money will soon be available from a ‘section 106 agreement’ from the new Frome Health Centre development for “improvements to the Showfield”. Public consultation will be organised soon by our councils with Vision for Frome, to find out how local people would like the money spent. In advance of this I am collecting initial ideas from local residents and have heard from several people already, so if anyone else wants to put ideas across, my email is cllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk.

Adam Boyden
Liberal Democrat, Mendip District Councillor, Frome College ward