Reminder – Road closure at Bath Road from 1st August for up to 12 days:

Please don’t forget that the improvements to the Cuckoo Lane/Bath Road/Oldford Hill (to reduce speed limits and improve visibility and safety at the junction) is being implemented with a road closure for 12 days from Monday 1st August – please see here for details. I have informed the Somerset Bus Partnership, and they are looking into what arrangements are being made for bus services to be diverted.

Other road closures in Frome are shown here. Of course the Frome Independent Market is on Sunday August 2nd, so the town centre is closed to through traffic as well that day during the Bath Road/Oldford Hill closure – please be aware and enjoy the market!

Wessex Water fly netting trial success:

After Wessex Water wrote to residents recently about their netting trial to control flies at Frome Water Recycling Centre, we had a very positive meeting with their area wastewater manager and scientific team, with MDC’s Environmental Health Officer, councillors Janine Nash (MDC) and Steve Tanner (FTC) and three local residents. The monitoring during the trial revealed that the netting installed by Wessex Water in March over five of the nine sewage treatment filter beds has reduced the number of adult flies leaving the five netted filter beds by c. 80-90%. Wessex Water will install and maintain netting at the remaining four filter beds in August and review the results next spring. Monitoring of fly larvae and flies will continue, with the trial extended to June 2023, after which another meeting will be called. Things do look very positive, although nothing is guaranteed, but thanks go to everyone involved in getting this far. Please see here for more.

As ever, please let Wessex Water and MDC know if there is a problem from fly nuisance or odour or noise associated with the works – see here. Please also let me know if there continues to be any problem.

Have your say on Council Tax Support in Somerset:

A consultation on Council Tax Support for the new unitary Somerset Council launched this week. This is the first major policy consultation for the new council and it proposes to harmonise policy across Somerset so that the lowest income households across Somerset get up to 100% Council Tax relief. Currently the four district councils have slightly different arrangements in each district. The consultation will run until 19 September and you can have your say here here. For full details, please see here.

Revised Commerce Park development approved with conditions:

At Mendip’s Planning Board meeting on 20th July, the Board approved the revised ‘Malthouse Lane Business Centre’ planning application to develop the south side of the Commerce Park next to the bund for 61 small business units in nine buildings and a single large industrial/warehouse building (in two units).

I was pleased to propose the approval as the scheme (and officer’s recommendations) had changed sufficiently to address all the concerns which the Coalway Lane Residents Association and I (and other Planning Board members) had raised on the original application which we deferred at Planning Board in April, including to:

• remove all the previously proposed B2 (general industrial) elements of the scheme (a key concern);
• include newly proposed planning conditions to restrict the timing of deliveries to the warehouse units, restrict the amalgamation of units and require silencing of air handling equipment, all to control noise;
• include solar panels that would generate around 25% of the site’s power needs, and electric vehicle charging points; and 
• secure improvements to surfacing and lighting of the Coalway Lane footpath, through a ‘Section 106 agreement’ to be drawn up (necessary to provide an active travel route which encourages people in Frome to walk or cycle to work at the Commerce Park, reducing the need to travel by car).

I thanked the case officer and applicants for listening to our concerns, the rest of Planning Board for their support on this one, and the chair of the Coalway Lane Residents Association for being so effective at requesting the changes. Please see the full update here for details.

Somerset declares cost of living and ecological emergencies:

At the Somerset County Council Full Council meeting on Wednesday 20^th July, a Liberal Democrat motion declaring a Cost of Living Emergency was passed by the Council with support from the Green and Labour parties, with suggested amendments from the Conservatives either adopted or referred to the next Executive meeting. A Lib Dem-led motion declaring an Ecological Emergency was supported by all Councillors.

Cost of Living

The motion (see here), introduced by Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, called on government to immediately reduce VAT to 17.5% for 12 months, re-introduce the pensions triple lock and restore the Universal Credit supplement of £20 which was removed by the Conservative government in September 2021. The County Council has joined other local councils in calling for a Cost of Living Summit to bring together local businesses, MPs, Citizens Advice, foodbanks and other charities to share experiences and ideas to tackle the crisis. Additional suggested measures will also be referred to the next Executive meeting for consideration.

A second motion was also carried, calling on the Chancellor to ensure the planned household energy bill rebates are available to all, including renters and those who rely on pre-payment meters. Somerset MPs will be asked to lobby Government to increase the cost-of-living payments available to sick and disabled people with immediate effect.

Anyone in Somerset struggling to pay the bills can seek help through the Household Support Fund administered by Somerset County Council, and Council Tax support and energy efficiency advice from Mendip here.

The Somerset Financial Wellbeing project has been launched to support people concerned about money and help people to plan for a better financial future, by signposting people to the free expert help and the ethical financial services offered by their local credit union (see here and here). Funded by Somerset County Council, this is a collaboration between SCC and local credit unions, providing free information, events and training to individuals and businesses that want to support financial wellbeing throughout their workforce.

I have also been talking to Mendip Community Credit Union about what further support Mendip DC and other councils can offer to help them help more people. A Mendip-wide summit is also being organised by Mendip District Council, and ideas for local action were gathered at the three-tier Frome Councillors Forum on 26th July, hosted by the Town Council. All tiers of council will be working together with local organisations on this issue to help residents as best we can.

Ecological Emergency

The Ecological Emergency motion (see here), proposed by Cllr Sarah Dyke, reaffirmed the council’s commitment in ensuring that ‘tackling the climate and nature emergencies’ policies are at the heart of everything the council does, including to enhance Somerset’s biodiversity and resist the destruction of habitats when development occurs. It also referenced the Council’s role as a lead partner in delivering a strategy to reverse negative impacts on the habitats, flora and fauna of Somerset.

SCC supports local decision making:

A plan for the development of new Local Community Networks (LCNs) has now been announced.
Having inherited the unitary Council’s business case, Lib Dem Somerset County Council is working to make sure LCNs support our vision of a fairer, greener, more flourishing Somerset. These LCNs will be Committees of the Council with specific decision-making powers and influence. Three LCN pilots (Exmoor, Frome and South East Somerset) continue to progress, and learning from those is being fed back into the development programme. Please see here for more. The timeline for LCN development is:

• Consider the role, geographies, governance and funding of LCNs – July 2022
• A plan on how LCNs are developed will go before the Local Government Reorganisation Implementation Board – Friday 29 July
• Refine governance and financial modelling, linked to Medium Term Financial Planning – July to
  September 2022
• Engage and consult on geographies for LCNs – Autumn 2022
• Publish a formal Decision Paper including a resourcing plan – November 2022

SCC appoints new Chief Executive:

Following a rigorous interview and assessment process, the Council has agreed that Duncan Sharkey will become Chief Executive of Somerset County Council, then the new Somerset Council from April next year.
This appointment means the leadership is in place to move forward with our work developing the new Council ready to deliver services from 1st April 2023. Currently Chief Executive of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Mr Sharkey will take up the post with SCC in the autumn (see here). Paula Hewitt, Deputy Chief Executive of SCC, will be Acting Chief Executive until Mr Sharkey joins the Council.

Full Council decisions:

A summary of all the decisions made at Somerset County Council’s Full Council meeting on 20th July can be found here.

Mendip Cabinet meeting reports on climate action:

Mendip’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 8th August will consider various reports, including on finance and budget, multi-use paths, health and wellbeing, the Local Plan Part II hearing (in confidential session), and performance on climate change (Carbon Management Plan). You can read the reports and watch the meeting online (see here).

Somerset Re-use Week:

Organised by Somerset Waste Partnership, the awareness week on 16-23 July was devoted to promoting repair and reuse, encouraging more people to consider repairing their broken electrical and electronic stuff and reusing it, rather than throwing away and buying new. The Fixy van – known as ‘Fixy McFixface’ after a public vote – visited Frome and other parts of Somerset with more visits planned later this year. Fixy McFixface will also take and recycle your unwanted electrical and electronic goods (see here).

I’ve also been in discussions about:

• potential Changing Places facilities for the Frome Sports & Leisure Centre
• tree works and grass cutting
• Selwood Crescent green
• consultations with ward members when MDC considers the sale of open space
• waste and recycling collections
• renewable energy in conservation areas and properties
• bus services
• support for hosts of Ukrainian refugees
• highway safety improvement schemes

I hope this is useful, and please let me know any concerns or issues.

Thanks,

Adam Boyden

Lib Dem Mendip District Councillor for Frome College ward, and Somerset County Councillor for Frome North division

Email: cllrboyden@gmail.com, adam.boyden@somerset.gov.uk and cllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk

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