The new Frome Health Centre is expected to open in January on the old Showfield.  The developers are contributing £38,000 for improvements and enhancements to the facilities at the Showfield, with nearly £5800 also for public consultation, through a ‘Section 106 agreement’ agreed with Mendip District Council.  Frome Town Council has been given an addition sum for Outdoor Gym Equipment that will be installed on the Showfield as well.

‘Vision 4 Frome’ and Frome Town Council ran a public consultation in October to gather initial ideas for how this money should be spent on improving the Showfield, including through a survey and public meetings at Frome Cricket Club.  I also added in the responses that some residents contributed via email to me in response to my leaflet in the summer. Thanks to those of you that responded!  Over 200 people responded in some way to this consultation overall.

The report of that consultation has now been made public by Frome Town Council – Frome Showground report Final 31st October 2012.pdf.

The report states that ‘a common theme that emerged indicated that people would like to keep the Showfield as a desirable open space that encourages family and community use for leisure, recreation and sporting activities. …  The public were asked how the Showfield could be enhanced or improved over a 5 year period. Many people offered more than one suggestion.’ The ‘top five’ suggestions are to:

–          improve the general appearance and feel of the Showfield by providing more seating, frequent grass cutting, a picnic area with more trees and areas that encourage wildlife;

–          improve the children’s play area with a fence and more equipment for both younger and older children;

–          create a ‘mini pitch’ for community use, and improve the ‘dug out’ on the pitch that is used by Frome Collegians;

–          increase number of bins for dog owners to use and consider creating a designated ‘dog area’ or employing a dog warden;

–          create a community flower market garden with allotments.’

Other suggestions included:

– improvements and increase to paths which could be lit with solar lights;
– outdoor gym equipment to supplement the ring fenced money for the new facilities due to be installed over the coming months;
– information boards;
– enforcement of ‘no dumping’ of household refuse in streams that run along the south side of the Showfield;
– improvements and increased car parking facilities;
– improved security at entrances;
– a tearoom that could be seasonal, and public toilets (please note that a tearoom, and toilets, will be provided in the new Health Centre);
– a major pavilion with facilities for functions;
– changing facilities for footballers;
– better drainage on the northern side;
– a sculpture park;
– a boating lake; and
– seats around the cricket pitch.

The responses and the report have been discussed between FTC, V4F and Mendip District Council’s Planning team. FTC staff are now costing up the priorities to work out how the S106 money can be spent, out of all the possible improvements that have been suggested.  Some measures identified also relate to the ongoing management of the Showfield by Mendip District Council (as leaseholder), which will need commitment from Mendip to deliver in the long-term.

I will work with Mendip and Frome Town Councils and Vision for Frome to ensure that residents concerns and ideas are progressed, and will ensure that all local residents are consulted again once an affordable set of proposals or options has been worked out, before any decisions are made on how the money should be spent.

In particular, residents highlighted to me earlier this year that a fence around the playground (to keep out dogs), additional play equipment for toddlers, improvements to the footpath surfaces (to enable easier access by disabled and elderly people, and cycling), somewhere for children to kick a ball around, a community garden, wildlife enhancements, and general improvements to make the Showfield more of a park (more seating, bins, trees planting, areas of shorter grass), and better control of dogs, were their priorities.

Thanks to residents for their input so far on this. Please let me know if you have any concerns or queries.

Public art

A work of public art is also to be designed and installed on the surgery site, subject to approval from Mendip District Council, as required under a planning condition.  I am also asking for consultation on the proposals for public art before any decisions are made, to allow some public discussion and inputs to what may be a significant and positive change to the site.

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