March newsletter

by adamboyden on 29 March, 2019

Dear all, as one of your local councillors I need to keep you up to date on local matters, so please see below…

Lilleys Cider factory proposed off Cuckoo Lane: The long awaited planning application for the cider factory off Cuckoo Lane has been submitted. Please see here for details. Please let me know what you think.

Local elections: Drew Gardner and I have been selected to stand for Frome College ward for Mendip District Council in the local elections on 2nd May. Drew is a video and photo journalist, who has been very supportive in my campaigns for better access to GP appointments and to save Getset family support services at the Key Centre. Please see a bit more about us here.
Please get in touch if you can help deliver our next newsletter!

Crossing Bath Road: A new pedestrian ‘island’ crossing will be built across Bath Road, at the top end by the College and bus stops, funded and implemented by the developer of the seven new houses at the former Mendip Lodge Hotel site, which should make crossing this busy road safer – please see here for details.

Litter: Drew and I got stuck into the recent Frome Litter Warriors litter pick in Stonebridge, but where should we clear up next? please see here.

Citizens Advice cuts: I have been lobbying our councils to better support of Citizens Advice Mendip who support thousands of residents with problems every year and whose budgets have been cut by Somerset County Council. Some additional funding has been provided but cuts have affected services – please see here.

Key Centre family support: Thanks to everyone who signed the petition and responded to the consultation on the County Council’s proposed abolition of the family support services at the Key Centre – you helped save the service for a year – please see here.

Climate change: Mendip District Council, along with Frome Town and Somerset County Councils, has declared a climate emergency, please see here.

Old Showfield survey: I surveyed residents on the Town Council’s proposals for the Old Showfield, and the results are in – please see here.

Saxonvale news: Frome Town Council and Mendip District Council have announced they are working together on the Saxonvale redevelopment proposals, as FTC has just exchanged on the sale of their land adjacent to the Saxonvale site – see here. This will make the redevelopment proposals comprehensive and cover the training centre site bought by FTC a few years ago. You can see the exhibition boards from last month’s consultation here.

Changing Places no. 3: A third Changing Places facility has opened in Mendip, at the Bath & West Showground, please see here. It is great to see another facility that people with severe disabilities can use to help them and their families enjoy a day out. This follows our successful motion to Council in 2017 which called for Mendip to support Changing Places throughout the district, which led to Changing Places opening in Frome and Wells (see here).

Police news: Police ‘patrol’ officers are moving out of Frome later this year. We have also just had a Council Tax rise to pay for new police officers. So I and Drew have asked for reassurances – that the Frome area will have more officers for our area, and that the move to Shepton will not lead to a reduction in police service in any way – please see here.

Call the midwife! Concerns have been raised about the apparent reduction in staffing at the midwife-led Frome Maternity Unit at Frome Community Hospital – please see here. I have arranged to meet with the Friends of Frome Community Hospital and those responsible for the Frome Maternity Unit and RUH midwifery teams, and Frome NCT branch, in a few weeks. Please let me know if you have any concerns.

Consultation on changes to Local Plan: Mendip District Council is now carrying out a focused consultation on the Proposed Changes to its Local Plan Part 2 (site allocations – see here). This follows the submission of the Local Plan to the Government in December which included some changes which had not been consulted on. Changes include the removal of policy FR06 and site FRO061 (land at Innox Hill / Packsaddle Way) from the sites proposed for housing, after a successful campaign by residents to object to the site, which I objected to as it was unsuitable for 100 houses for several reasons (see here). To respond to the changes and have your say again, please see here. Public hearings on the Local Plan will start on 23rd July (see here).

Skydive for Frome children: I am supporting John Clarke (one of Frome’s county councillors) who is jumping out of a plane to raise funds for Frome’s Toy Library, Children’s Festival, the Sports Festival and more – I hope you can support him too – please see here.

Frome Town Council news:
Please see here. Frome’s Annual Town Meeting is on Wednesday 3rd April, 7pm in the Town Hall. The results of the People’s Budget events vote are in. Frome leads the way with carbon neutral initiatives. The next round of Community Grants is now open. Frome’s litter warriors declare war on rubbish! Frome Busks is hitting the streets again, and new rail services could be coming to Frome next year (see here).

Mendip District Council news: Mendip has also announced a last chance to enter Mendip Business Awards 2019 (http://www.mendip.gov.uk/lastchance); its support for the Great British Spring Clean (http://www.mendip.gov.uk/keeptidy); and published the notice of elections for district and parish councils –
http://www.mendip.gov.uk/noticeofelection.

Lib Dem news – 14 progressive policies the Government don’t want you to know about: https://www.libdems.org.uk/14-libdemmotions.
See all Lib Dem news here.

Please get in touch any time on any issue and I will see what we can do to help !

Best wishes,

Adam Boyden

Mendip District Councillor, Frome College ward and Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Somerton & Frome (Lib Dem)

email aomboyden@gmail.comcllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk

Web: http://www.adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/

Somerton & Frome: https://www.somertonandfromelibdems.org.uk/

07809284817

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