Could you make a real difference for your local community? 

Whatever needs changing in your area, you could effect those changes by becoming a local Councillor. No other role gives you such a good opportunity to make a huge difference to your neighbours’ quality of life. We need people who really care about their community to come forward and talk about what’s involved. Being a councillor and standing up for my local community is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. To find out more there is also, Mendip residents, a Question Time event on Wednesday 24th October 7.30pm (see here http://www.mendip.gov.uk/questiontime) when councillors (including one of us) will be talking about what it means to be a councillor and taking questions.

My personal email address is adamsomertonfrome@gmail.com or give me a call on 07809 284817 if you want to have a chat about what being a councillor means. There is also

Over the last 7 years, as a Lib Dem councillor for Frome College ward on Mendip District Council (since May 2011) and Frome Town Council (from December 2013 to May 2015), I have:

1. successfully campaigned over several years for local control of the old Showfield (the largest open space in northern Frome), and helped Frome Town Council purchase and lease the site, overcoming a legal impasse, unlocking £40,000 of improvements and improving management and residents’ involvement. This is now becoming a park to be proud of.

2. led a successful cross party campaign to persuade Mendip District Council to facilitate Changing Places facilities throughout the district, so that severely disabled people and their carers have accessible toilets in each of the 5 main settlements. Changing Places are now found in Frome and Wells, with more on the way.

3. won improvements to the GP appointments system in Somerset’s largest GP surgery, to help busy working people, by doing a survey of patients experiences and reporting back to the surgery.

4. helped people in financial distress by tackling Mendip’s use of Council Tax bailiffs, getting Mendip to improve its service agreement with bailiff companies and sign up to a good practice protocol with Mendip Citizens Advice.

5. while welcoming Mendip’s purchase of the derelict Saxonvale site, joined with other councillors to call for local people to be fully consulted by Mendip before a planning application to regenerate the site is submitted.

6. opposed Mendip’s increase in car park charges, helping to win concessions to help the Frome Independent and Shepton Mallet monthly markets.

7. Fracking: protected the local environment and Bath’s hot springs with a strong Lib Dem and cross-party MDC motion on fracking.

8. persuaded Mendip to sign up to fight climate change by joining the Local Government Association’s Climate Local initiative (more needs to be done to get Mendip to prepare the required action plan).

9. helped the campaign to save the Frome to Bath weekday evening bus service.

10. helped secure the future of Frome Leisure Centre and £2m investment through my involvement on MDC’s Steering Group.

11. helped steer early stages of what became the amazing ‘Frome Independent’ market.

12. worked to protect the Packsaddle play areas from development and transfer them to Frome Town Council, so they can be improved in line with local community wishes.

13. campaigned for a new pedestrian crossing at the old Mendip Lodge Hotel site, for new residents and existing residents to be able to cross Bath Road more safely.

14. responded to and influenced major planning applications: Fromefield Co-op, Stonebridge shops.

15. successfully opposed the over development of the field at the end of Packsaddle Way.

16.  organised a public meeting, and kept the pressure on MDC to tackle the massive flytipping problem at Gypsy Lane, as well as flygrazing.

17. pushed for better street cleaning by MDC, and helped organise community litter picks in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

18. successfully campaigned for 7 day opening at Frome recycling centre, and to get Tetrapak recycling in Frome.

19. supported positive initiatives in Frome, and supported community initiatives through Mendip’s Community Environment Fund.

20. campaigned for better public engagement and devolution of powers from Mendip to Frome.

21. kept in touch with residents in person, via leaflets, email, and frequent email newsletters, been positive and proactive, and formed good working relationships with everyone I can, to help get things done.

I am currently working on investigating the effects of Somerset County Council cuts and calling on Mendip District and Frome Town Councils to step up to mitigate the impacts (see here).

Please contact me on 07809 284817 or adamsomertonfrome@gmail.com or cllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk to discuss anything, anytime.

Thank you, Adam Boyden

 

 

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