April news
Somerset Councillor for Frome North (Lib Dem) Learn more
by adamboyden on 8 July, 2016
Dear All, I hope you find this update on news for Frome College ward, Frome and Mendip useful. How can I help? As ever, please get in touch if you have any issues you need help with.
Super Frome 10k:
Once again I am running the Frome 10k on Sunday 17th July as part of the Frome Half Marathon/10k/5k/1k events. Last year as Scooby Do was tricky, with the tail wagging… so this year I’ll be Super Mario, which might be easier, unless there’s a heatwave… I am trying to raise money for Cancer Research UK – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AdamBoyden2016
I am also encouraging donations to local boy Daryl Allinson’s fundraising page for his life-saving bone marrow treatment. Thank you for any support you can give. “Here we go!” Do come along to cheer the runners on, or to help marshall the event, if you’re not already helping or running! My three children should also be running the 5k or 1k. Please see more about the Frome Half, 10k, 5k and 1k events, including details of road closures and diversions, here http://fromehalfmarathon.co.uk/
What’s On:
There is still lots on in the final weekend of the Frome Festival. Tomorrow (Saturday) there is also an open day at the new community tennis courts from 2-4pm at Mary Bailey Playing Field. On Sunday the Frome Children’s Festival is on from 12 noon to 6pm from the Cheese & Grain to Welshmill Park (with a Fair Frome picnic from 12-2pm).
Frome Selwood Tennis Club are also having another Tennis Open Day on Sunday 17th July. A new Frome River Festival, celebrating life in and along the river, also runs from 17th to 23rd July.
Frome Sport & Fitness officially opens:
Frome Leisure Centre was officially reopened last weekend as Frome Sport & Fitness by the Mayor of Frome and Vice-chairman of Mendip. I attended with other local councillors, we heard a speech from the chair of Mendip’s Leisure Board (which I am a member of) and we had a tour of the place while the Open Day started. I was impressed with the large modern gym, and the number of young people using it, as well as the new changing rooms. Over 7 months of work and £2.5 million invested by Fusion has focused on building the new gym and fitness studios, changing rooms, reception area, soft play area and replacing the swimming pool plant (to improve water quality). Snagging issues remain with the water pressure and drainage in the changing rooms, the upstairs viewing room needs better ventilation, and many people are asking for a café to serve healthy food. I have raised these issues and others with Fusion at and after the meeting of Mendip’s Leisure Board last week, and hope they can be resolved soon. At the meeting it was also announced that the sports hall will be refurbished this summer, and the artificial pitch will be replaced next year. Please let me know what you think of the changes, and if you have issues for me to raise – I would appreciate your feedback. Please see my previous news on this here.
Mendip consider ‘Devolution’ for Somerset & Devon:
The next Mendip District Council meeting on Monday (see here) will mainly consider a proposal to sign up ‘in principle’ to the pursuit of a Devolution Deal, and the creation of a ‘Combined Authority’ for the ‘Heart of the South West’ sub-region to administer the powers and funding devolved from central government through the Deal. An ‘in principle’ agreement from all of the local authorities, partners and MPs involved in the devolution process will open up negotiations with HM Treasury to work towards a Deal. The official statement from Mendip explains that council leaders have endorsed the plan, that the Government should not be imposing an elected mayor for Devon & Somerset as part of a deal, and that public consultation will take place on detailed proposals in future. I and other Lib Dem councillors are considering the proposals and will be asking probing questions on Monday, to find out if it is the right course of action for us in Frome and Mendip. Please let me know what you think and if you have any questions.
Bath Road Heights phase 2 – planning application submitted:
At long last a planning application has been submitted by Latona Leisure for 7 new houses at Bath Road Heights. Please see the reports and plans for application 2016/1593/FUL via the link below:
Do take a look and send your comments in to Mendip – let me know if you need any help with that or have any comments to share. I will be having a good look at the documents and plans and consulting residents further before submitting my ‘ward councillor’ response. The previous application and why it was refused can be found here.
Frome police meeting goes online:
The next Frome Police public PACT (Partner and Communities Together) meeting is on Wednesday 13th July at 8pm at Frome Medical Practice, but if you cannot make it in person you can ‘attend’ online – please see here for details.
Council news:
Yesterday I attended a ‘3-tier’ cross-party meeting with councillors from Frome Town, Mendip District and Somerset County Councils, to discuss several emerging proposals to improve the town centre, car parking, funding for local open spaces, tourism, Saxonvale, litter bins, weedkiller, fracking, anti-racism, and work on the Town Hall. Good progress was made on several issues.
Frome Town Council’s next meeting is on Wednesday 13 July, 7pm at Frome Medical Practice, Enos Way. Councillors will discuss a crowdfunding initiative in Frome for projects in the town, how the council can help Fair Frome with storage for their future projects, and review the use of herbicide glyphosate in Frome. Please see here for details.
Frome Town Council are also now looking to recruit someone to manage and market the new Town Hall (see advert here). This should open in January 2017, after the building works, which start soon, are completed.
How can Frome move away from fossil fuels? Frome Town Council’s energy and recycling officer is organising a meeting on 21st July – see here.
Mendip District Council are investing, along with other councils, in superfast broadband for rural areas, and are supporting Food Safety Week. Mendip’s Cabinet meets on Monday (see agenda here) to discuss the Somerset Homefinder Allocations policy, a new lottery for Mendip, the Better Care Fund and Disabled Facilities grants, fixed penalty notices for flytipping, and council performance across all departments.
Brexit – what now?
So the UK narrowly voted to leave the EU. My thoughts, including my letter to the Frome Standard on this is here. Since then, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has announced that the Lib Dems will campaign in the next General Election to remain in, or rejoin, the EU (with more detail here), argued that the Government should give direct support to businesses affected since the referendum vote, and that EU citizens must have a right to stay in Britain, and shown solidarity with the Polish community targeted by xenophobic attacks.
Chilcot Inquiry vindicates Charles Kennedy
The Chilcot report of inquiry on the Iraq war was released earlier this week, and can be found here. Tim Farron’s response for the Lib Dems is here. The late former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy campaigned against the war, Robin Cook resigned from the Cabinet with a blistering speech, and every Lib Dem MP (and many Labour MPs) voted against it, as we are reminded here. I think it vindicates their position entirely. What do you think?
Old Showfield improvements:
Frome Town Council are still progressing the resurfacing of footpaths, new seating, outdoor gym, playground boundary, and meadow making, and this should be done over the summer and early autumn. A launch event is being organised by the Town Council on Saturday 3rd September. This is all part of the Old Showfield Management and Improvement Plan approved by Frome Town Council in March, which includes an outdoor gym, a fence/hedge around the playground, playground resurfacing, more tree planting, benches and bins, and hopefully more play equipment in future. Previous Showfield news can be found here. To sign up to direct email updates from Frome Town Council (and join a future Residents Action Group) please email Chris Stringer (Environment Manager) at admin@frometowncouncil.gov.uk or call Frome Town Council on 01373 465757. I hope the Old Showfield will soon become a park to be proud of.
Flytipping:
The 18 month closure of Gypsy Lane to through traffic remains in place as part of Mendip District Council’s action plan against flytipping. Please do keep letting me know whether you see any flytipping in the area.
Catch the Bus Week, 4-10 July:
Catch the Bus Week is aimed at getting people who do not normally catch the bus to give it a try – to get involved please see the Catchthebus website, and check FAVBUG’s website for the latest news on local bus services. I aim to catch the bus next week!
Tributes to David Rendel, former Liberal Democrat MP for Newbury and our candidate for Somerton & Frome at the last general election, were heard at a special memorial event last week, movingly reported here.
Thank you for reading,
Adam
Adam Boyden
Mendip District Councillor for Frome College ward (Liberal Democrat) www.adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk
I am sending you this email as you are on my contacts list and an email newsletter is a good way of keeping residents informed about local council–related news and my work as a local councillor. You can opt out and ‘unsubscribe’ from this email from any time, please just reply to this email to let me know. Thanks.
Useful Contacts:
Adam Boyden, Mendip District Councillor, Frome College ward (Lib Dem): 07809 284817, aomboyden@yahoo.co.uk, www.adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk
Frome Town Council – 5 Palmer Street, Frome, 01373 465757, http://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/news/
Mendip District Council – 0300 303 8588, http://www.mendip.gov.uk/resident
Somerset County Council – 0300 123 2224, https://somersetnewsroom.com/
Lib Dem news: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news
InFacts, the fact-based case to remain, can be found here.
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