In November, Mendip District Council officers approved the detailed plan for a ‘pedestrian island’ crossing at the top of Bath Road between the new housing development at the former Mendip Lodge Hotel site and Frome College. This is being paid for and built by the developer of the site Latona Leisure.

Last year I was successful in lobbying Mendip planners to include a planning condition requiring a pedestrian crossing so residents can get out of the development safely on foot, in accordance with Mendip’s adopted Local Plan policy.

When the developer initially refused to build a zebra crossing, due to the cost, and proposed dropped kerbs instead, I argued that was not safe, but Somerset Highways would not require a zebra crossing.

I called a meeting and we reached a compromise with the developer last summer in the form of a pedestrian island – please see details of the latest application 2018/1741/VRC here, which was finally approved in November. The crossing has to be built prior to the occupation of the 5th dwelling on site. I await news of when that will be.