Newsletter 18 December 2015

Dear All,

Please see below my newsletter for Frome College ward, Frome and Mendip. I hope you find it useful.

Congratulations to Frome: On Monday, Mendip District Council agreed to congratulate the people of Frome and Frome Town Council for the two national awards Best Town and Star Council! Thanks to cllrs Claire Hudson and Damon Hooton for putting the motion forward at the Full Council meeting in my absence. Please see here for details http://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/11/27/congratulations-frome/

Packsaddle parks saved: It’s even better news that Mendip’s Corporate Assets Management Group also agreed on Monday to transfer the Packsaddle park and Chapmans Close open space to Frome Town Council on a long term lease so that the parks are protected and local residents and the Packsaddle Community Group will be able to work with the town council on improvements to these areas. I proposed and requested this a year ago at Frome Town Council. Thanks go to Jane Bennett and the Packsaddle Community Group, and Chris Stringer at FTC, for their hard work. Please see http://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/12/18/packsaddle-parks-transfers-agreed/ for details

Free parking up to Christmas: Mendip District Council is suspending charges in all of its car parks in Frome and elsewhere in the days running up to Christmas. The free period will start on Saturday 19 December and will last until Thursday 24 December and also includes New Year’s Day. See http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/4422/The-gift-of-parking

Frome Christmas Get Together: there is no need to be lonely this Christmas as a free lunch is being provided for the community at Frome Town Football Club again – see http://www.discoverfrome.co.uk/event/fromes-big-christmas-get-together/ for details of how to get involved.

Revised bin collections over Christmas and New Year:

The revised days for rubbish bin and recycling collections over Christmas and New Year can be found here: http://www.mendip.gov.uk/xmasbincollections

Bus consultation on Saturday: A consultation event is being held on Saturday 19 December in Frome to gather opinions on the proposals for cuts to bus services and subsidies – see http://favbug.blogspot.co.uk/ for the details.

Planning and development news:

Co-op Fromefield: The new Co-op convenience store is open at Fromefield, with a cashpoint on the corner. I am now in discussion with residents and MDC officers on a few planning matters and I’m hoping to help persuade Radco to improve the appearance of the building in terms of the setting of the neighbouring listed buildings and the historic Conservation Area in which it sits.

Tesco Stonebridge: The big new Tesco Express opens on 26^th January, and they are finishing off the site currently. I am looking into a few planning matters, and to secure a community notice board on site, which is being discussed with Frome Town Council.

Saxonvale plans withdrawn: Frontier Estates has withdrawn their planning application at Saxonvale. As Thomas Edison would say, they found another of the 10,000 ways of developing the site that do not work. I have already asked that FTC now meet with MDC and the other landowners to start to plan a proper viable development scheme that does work for Frome. I hope to see progress on that soon. Please see here for the news: http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/Eleventh-hour-withdrawal-controversial-planning/story-28376958-detail/story.html

Mendip Local Plan Part 2: The deadline has now passed for comments about Mendip’s ‘sites and policies’ ‘issues and options’ consultation (see http://www.mendip.gov.uk/localplanpart2). I have submitted my comments, based on feedback from local residents, including to better protect our local open spaces, object to the development site at Packsaddle/Innox Hill and raise concerns about the ‘school site’ at Packsaddle/Leys Lane being developed for housing. Please see here for my full response – http://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/12/17/mendip-local-plan-part-2-consultation/.

Commerce Park: Acheson & Acheson have put in their planning application to extend their beauty products factory, as B1/B2/B8 (business/industrial/warehousing) uses, closer to residents, in area J1C. Under the outline planning permission, this zone currently allows B1 uses only as it is close to residents. This follows a consultation meeting in November with councillors and the Coalway Lane Residents Association. The plans and noise report can be found under reference 2015/2871/FUL at http://publicaccess.mendip.gov.uk/online-applications/. The consultation deadline is 13^th January. I’ll be looking into it.

Traffic: I and other councillors are meeting Somerset Highways officers soon to discuss traffic speeds and possible calming measures in Stonebridge Drive and Brunel Way, as well as hopefully Bath Road. Please let me know any issues you would like me to raise.

Libraries under review: Somerset County Council have just started an 8 week countywide public engagement from now until 11^th February on the future of hubs and libraries in Somerset. Please see here for more information and to have your say: http://www.somersetconsults.org.uk/consult.ti/LLCHubsandLibraries/consultationHome

Leisure news: Fusion have confirmed that Frome Leisure Centre will reopen in early March, with a delay due to more asbestos being found than expected. Updates will be available here: http://www.mendipsportandfitness.com/centre/frome_leisure/news/development-update

I have also attended the 3 meetings of the Frome Town Council Sports & Leisure Panel, which reported its recommendations to FTC full council on Wednesday. The outcomes includes agreement to form a new Sports Forum, to a programme of sports engagement, and to improving sports facilities at Frome Leisure Centre, behind Frome Youth Centre, at Frome Rugby Club, Frome Golf Club, and Frome Community College (see pages 20-27 of the agenda here http://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/meeting/council-meeting/). I am also now on the new Leisure Strategy Board at Mendip, so please let me know if there are any issues to raise.

Health Connections Mendip: Health Connections Mendip work out of Frome Health Centre and are dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing to patients, through fun, support and informative workshops-very often outside the confines of a GP’s surgery. In Frome, they have helped create events as the Talking Cafe. To find out more and how you can be part of what they do just click on to www.healthconnectionsmendip.org

Bailiffs: I attended the first meeting of the Mendip’s Bailiff Working Group, set up after the council motion I and other Lib Dems proposed was passed in October. The Council’s policies in collecting Council Tax are now being reviewed to find ways of further reducing the use of enforcement agents (bailiffs) which can harm vulnerable residents and families in financial difficulties. Mendip Citizens Advice and Mendip Community Credit Union will be involved and consulted in the review. Please see: http://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/11/02/mendip-lib-dems-win-vote-to-protect-children-and-vulnerable-people-from-bailiffs/

Unconventional gas development licences confirmed near Frome:

The Government has confirmed its intention to grant licences for unconventional gas (coal bed methane) exploration in areas near Frome, in and around Rode and Beckington, Westbury, Trowbridge and Warminster. See http://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/12/18/unconventional-gas-development-licences-confirmed-near-frome/ for details.

Government cuts renewable energy:

The Government has also confirmed massive cuts to renewable energy funding with a 65% cut in the solar ‘feed in tariff’ in 2016 – see http://www.theguardian.com/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2015/dec/17/uk-cuts-renewable-energy-make-a-mockery-of-its-pledge-paris-climate-talks. These have been strongly criticised by environmental groups, investors, community energy groups and the Lib Dems (see here and here and here). This despite the Government having contributed to the very positive outcome of the UN Paris Agreement on climate change. More on the local impact of this, and the Paris Agreement, next time.

Frome Town Council news:

Please see here http://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/news/ for news of:

• Report of this week’s FTC full council meeting, and moving forward
• Saxonvale – the way forward
• Packsaddle parks – transfer agreed!
• Follow up to the Victoria Park public meeting
• Work has started on three community tennis courts in Victoria Park (Mary Baily Playing Field);
• Sign up to parks and green spaces mailing list
• Frome Business Breakfasts
• Public consultation on Foundry Barton public open spaces

The agenda for Frome Town Council’s recent meeting can be found here http://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/meeting/council-meeting/

Mendip District Council news:

Please see here http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/4430/December-2015 for news of:

• Community projects (Local Legacy Fund) awarded £200,000
• Free parking trial for Shepton Mallet market days
• Staying safe this Christmas when booking a taxi
• Lonely this Christmas? (Please see Frome Christmas Get Together at the top)

MDC’s meetings calendar is here – http://www.mendip.gov.uk/calendarmeeting

I hope all this is useful. My next newsletter will be in New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks for reading,
Adam

 

Adam Boyden, Mendip District Councillor for Frome College ward (Liberal Democrat) www.adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk

Useful Contacts:

Frome Town Council – 5 Palmer Street, Frome, 01373 465757, www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk

Mendip District Council – 0300 303 8588, www.mendip.gov.uk

Somerset County Council – 0300 123 2224, www.somerset.gov.uk

Lib Dem news: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news

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