Showfield improvements plan – updated 5th June

The proposed transfer of management of the old Showfield to Frome Town Council, which would see the area maintained more as a park, has run into a legal problem, and the plan to invest over £40,000 in improving the open space for local people to enjoy, has been delayed for quite a while.

Mendip District Council and Frome Town Council officers and councillors, including myself, with help from Vision for Frome, have been working to help realise local residents’ aspirations to improve the old Showfield. A transfer of leases to FTC had been agreed in principle which would enable FTC to take responsibility for a Section 106 fund for improvements, and enhancements to long-term maintenance, as the best way to fully realise the community’s aspirations as expressed in the FTC/V4F– led public consultation in Autumn 2012.

However, with the undetermined Town & Village Green application (submitted by FROGS to Somerset County Council in 2011) still pending consideration, which will still take several years to be beard, the Agricultural Society (although happy in principle) objected to the lease transfer unless MDC retained legal liabilities. Mendip’s Cabinet are unwilling to retain liability, and so will not transfer the leases to FTC.  MDC is therefore planning to work out a scheme of improvements itself. However MDC’s legal advice is that most of the priorities people identified (a fence around the playground, a mini-pitch, new paths and an outdoor fitness trail) cannot be carried out with the TVG application hanging over the site. MDC’s budget decisions also mean that cutting grass shorter in anything but a small area will also not happen. MDC may or may not consult local people on their eventual improvements plan, depending upon resources.

Because of this, I wrote a report for Frome Town Council to set out the issues and options ahead, for the Full Council meeting on 21st May. At the meeting my report was discussed with a covering report from the Town Clerk (see item 13 here). Council leader Mel Usher also proposed that FTC be proactive and commission an improvements plan that can be implemented with the TVG application in place. Town councillors agreed the following unanimously:

1. To note my report; 2 Confirm to MDC that FTC is still prepared to take on the lease (or a sub-lease) of the Showfield and express FTC’s disappointment that they unwilling to enable this. 3 Retain the action to explore freehold acquisition with the Agricultural Society and if it is possible, in principle, explore how much this might cost and where funding could be sourced; 4. Return to a future meeting of the Internal Affairs Cttee with updates; 5.  Request Somerset County Council’s Regulation Committee prioritise the determination of the TVG at the Showfield and/or provide additional resources, to hear the application soon; and 6. Instruct a landscape architect to prepare a plan of improvements that can be implemented with the TVG application in place, including improved security, improvements to existing footpaths, improvements to the playground… [wording to be confirmed].

I am now, once again, trying to arrange a meeting with all relevant parties to move things forward. The Frome Standard story on 5th June is here.

Travellers

After a group of travellers set up camp in April, I moved quickly to ensure Mendip officers started the eviction straight away. The travellers were legally evicted 2 weeks later, and measures have been put in place to secure the site once again, but I hope to see more done to prevent this in future, as it caused residents considerable distress and left a large cleanup bill for the Council. Thanks to the people who contacted me about this.

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