Conserving and improving open spaces

Conserving and improving open spaces – transfers to Frome Town Council:

As I wrote last month, Frome Town Council is asking Mendip District Council to transfer several open spaces currently owned by MDC into FTC ownership, before the formation of a new unitary Somerset Council, so that they can be protected and improved. This was discussed between Town and District Councillors at the three-tier Frome Councillors Forum meetings in December 2021 and January 2022, and was debated and agreed by Frome Town Council at the meeting on 19th January.

I have encouraged FTC to apply for the transfer of open spaces, as FTC have a very good recent track record of engaging with the local community and investing in and managing local open spaces to improve equipped play areas and green spaces in accordance with the local community’s wishes. FTC has sufficient resources including an in-house Rangers team, to achieve local priorities and can spend time working with local residents, as is evident in the improvements to Welshmill Park, Packsaddle park, the Old Showfield and other spaces over the last 10 years, and they could do so again, for the benefit of the residents living around them.

Open spaces in our area that FTC have applied for are: Selwood Crescent green open space, and the Hawksworth Close play area in Stonebridge, the Brunel Way open space, the small play areas at Acacia Drive, Cheddar Close and Blackbird Way, land behind Sycamore Drive, the corridors between Leys Lane and Mendip Drive, and Mendip Drive and Fairfield Close/Tankeys Close, and the freehold of Packsaddle Park and Chapmans Close games court. Other open spaces requested include land next to Easthill cemetery, the former Broadway allotments, Farley Close, St Johns Road play area, and Millennium Green, and FTC have also requested the freehold of the Cheese & Grain (currently leased from MDC). The full list of sites is included in FTC’s updated Open Spaces Strategy in Appendix 1 to the report in item 4 in the recent FTC Full Council meeting here.

To give the request the best chance of success (when it comes to a MDC panel of councillors and officers to decide), I have written supporting statements to outline the community and environmental benefits of transferring the spaces to FTC, for the Selwood Crescent green open space (as many residents want some seating and a community noticeboard, see here), and the Hawksworth Close play area in Stonebridge (as many residents want the play area improved to offer more play opportunities for their children locally), with the support of interested residents and other district and town councillors. Please get in touch if you want to support this, see a copy of the statements, or have any concerns or comments.

Selwood Crescent green: