A mid/late May update is below, including items included in my reports to the Town and Parish Councils this month after my main May update:

Waste collections next week:

Don’t forget that waste and recycling collections will be delayed by a day next week due to Spring Bank Holiday Monday – see here.

Packsaddle planning application:

A full planning application for the ‘Erection of 74 dwellings, 1 no. children with disabilities home, including means of access, drainage, landscaping and associated works’ at Somerset Council owned land at Packsaddle Way, Frome, has been submitted by LiveWest. The proposed site layout is below. Please see here for details and links, where I will post more information when I can.

Public consultation on Saxonvale proposals:

The Acorn Property Group are holding a pre-application public consultation event on detailed planning proposals for a riverside park, footbridge and children play area at the Saxonvale site in Frome, on Thursday 25^th May at 3-7pm at Frome Town Hall – see here. Both Acorn Property Group and Mayday Saxonvale have outline planning permission for their rival development proposals for the site next to Frome town centre, but the site is now subject to further legal action which is holding things up somewhat – see here.

Full Somerset Council meeting:

The first Full Council and Annual General Meeting of Somerset Council was on Wednesday 24th May at 2pm, the agenda and reports are now online here, (a link to a webcast of the meeting will be added in the near future). This included:

• Annual and various reports, including on redundancies arising from the senior leadership restructure, and the report of the Leader of the Council (here) – this is worth a read, about the ambition ahead for the Council.

• Opposition motions on treating experience in care as a protected characteristic, and a discounted bus pass for 16-25 year olds – both were passed with the support of the Lib Dem group.

Free Bus Day on the D2 and D2X on 1st June:

First Bus is hosting a free travel day on the D2 and D2X services between Frome and Bath all day on Thursday 1^st June – please see https://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/free-bus-travel-day-on-the-d2/.

The Government has also announced that the £2 single bus fare has now been extended again until the end of October, which should encourage more people to use the bus.

Great Big Green week:

Part of a national initiative, Frome’s Great Big Green Week will host 40 events and activities for all ages over 10 days from Saturday 10^th to Sunday 18^th  June, including at Rodden Meadow, Welshmill, Frome Medical Practice and Packsaddle Fields – please see here and https://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Great-Big-Green-Week-2023-interactive-programme.pdf.

The Rode, Beckington and Norton St Philip Climate Emergency Group are also organising four events in local villages, and you can sign up to the newsletter here:

• Green Open Doors, Sunday 18^th June in various locations with visits to over a dozen homes and businesses to see environmental initiatives in action – see here.
• Tour of Tellisford Mill, Sunday 18^th June – a guided tour of the hydro electric plant (well worth a visit) – free but tickets need to be booked in advance to manage numbers – see here.
• Veggie Week 12^th-18^th June, extra vegan and vegetarian meals in participating pubs and restaurants including Cross Keys, Rode; The Mill at Rode; The Foresters, Beckington; The Woolpack, Beckington; The Full Moon at Rudge.
• How do we tackle the Climate Emergency? Saturday 17th June 2pm – 5pm at Rode Memorial Hall: A series of talks setting out ways in which we can tackle the Climate Emergency, from individual action to community initiatives – see here.

Neighbourhood Plans:

Norton St Philip Parish Council is consulting parish residents, landowners and stakeholders on the proposed Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish, until 25th June 2023. If adopted, it would become part of the development plan. The Draft Plan together with supporting documents are at https://nortonstphilipneighbourhoodplan.com, and comments should be submitted at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CVNXSX6

Beckington Parish Council have also decided to start a Neighbourhood Plan, at their meeting on Monday 22^nd May (see here).

Rode roads:

Somerset Council’s Traffic Engineer has given an update on the timescales and public consultation on the Traffic Regulation Order for the 30mph extension and 20mph speed limit, and Glasdon gates, village name plates and terminal signs – this is being finalised in one single Traffic Regulation Order for the village of Rode, to replace and update several existing TROs, and should be ready for public consultation in the next few weeks. Officers have also confirmed the proposed works for the Rode Hill/ Bradford Rd crossroads, to finalise the Small Improvement Scheme there (drawings circulated in March) should be implemented by mid-late June.

Fly nuisance:

This follows my report to you last month about the swarm of chironomid flies re-appearing at Frome’s sewage treatment works, and some residents complaining of flies in their homes again. I heard back from Wessex Water’s Head of Water Recycling that they had not had any complaints in recent months, and the netting on all the filter beds is in place and being maintained. Somerset Council’s Environmental Health officers visited site the next day, and have informed me that officers observed the netting to be in place and fully intact for all the filter beds, that the previously adopted Fly Management Plan (v8) will be updated to include the netting and its maintenance and monitoring, and that they have not received any complaints around that time. However, since then, several residents have confirmed they have had flies in their homes, although less people than last year. If flies enter your property and cause a nuisance, I am advising residents to make an official complaint, to:

• Wessex Water’s complaints line 0345 600 4 6000 (Monday – Friday 8am-6pm) or at https://www.wessexwater.co.uk/help-and-advice/customer-commitments/enquiries-and-complaints
• Somerset Council – https://mdc.somerset.gov.uk/make-an-environmental-complaint

Please also let me know by email to adam.boyden@somerset.gov.uk and I will collate responses in a report to both Wessex and the Council. Frome Nub News covered the story here, and BBC News wrote about it here, after a radio interview on BBC Somerset radio on 11th May here (the item starts at 7.35am, 1 hr 35 mins in). Wessex Water will hold a review meeting in June (which residents will be invited to). Please see here for more information.

Noise from idling freight trains:

I am also looking into complaints from residents about the noise from idling engines at night in the Innox/Welshmill area along the quarry freight rail line at the rail traffic lights, which can disturb residents sleep, especially during warmer months when windows are opened. Please let me know if anyone is hearing complaints or has had previous contact with the minerals freight companies.

Parks and Recreation:

The playground at Hawksworth Close has a new multi-purpose unit with a climbing frame and a slide, and the twister playground is also now open. Already a parent of young children has sent thanks: “My girls have been watching the building of the park all week and finally got to go and play this morning. The roundabout isn’t finished yet but they were very excited that they could play on the play set this morning…”.

Frome Skatepark project:

The Frome Skatepark project (which is raising money to design a new skate park in Frome) are holding a Ramp Antics event at Frome College on 27^th May with skate lessons and free sessions from 11am – 5pm. See their Instagram account and posters for details.

Frome ‘school 20’:

I have had confirmation from Somerset Council officers that the proposed ’20 when lights show’ informal speed limit lights around Frome College and Selwood Academy should be implemented within the next few weeks. I have also questioned the location of the signage going up along Bath Road, in relation to the College’s main entrance, and am meeting the College Principal soon.

Car park charging:

The potential for car park charging to be introduced at the Frome College/Merlin Theatre/Leisure Centre car park owned by Somerset Council (raised at the last Frome Town Council meeting) has been subject to discussions between the parties, including with Dawn and I and Fusion Lifestyle. I asked Somerset Council (Exec lead member cllr Ros Wyke) to look into how charging can be avoided with outcomes satisfactory to all users. Discussions continue.

Affordable homes proposed at North Parade car park:

A planning application has been submitted for 18 new low-carbon affordable homes on an apparently underused part of Somerset Council’s North Parade car park, comprising 9 houses and 9 flats. The scheme was initiated by Mendip District Council as part of the first social and affordable housing programme by a local council here for 20 years (see here), and draft plans were shown a public consultation last autumn (see here). The consultation ran until 17th May, but some late responses will still be considered – please see here for details. Five public comments were received, including three objections and one in support.

My response as one of the division councillors is that I will not comment in detail at this stage as the application is likely to come to Planning Committee (as the site is owned by Somerset Council) of which I am a member, and that plans for social housing on brownfield sites should be supported, but that issues raised by residents on the impacts on trees, access, the use of the car park, and potential noise from freight trains, should be investigated. I note that Frome Town Council are in support (subject to caveats) and there have been only two comments from members of the public).

North Hill House school planning application:

The planning application for ‘Change of use from residential school (Class C2) to day school (Class F1), external alterations to the 1970s building to rear and works to the existing playground’ at North Hill House, Fromefield, (application ref. 2022/2495/FUL) was submitted in December 2022, and I have just been notified it has been approved – please see here. Eight planning conditions were imposed, including:

• to limit pupil numbers to 66 (in the interests of highway safety and neighbour amenity); and
• to require that the playground to the east of the school building shall not be in use as a playground outside the hours of 08:00 to 18:00 Mondays – Fridays and 08:00 to 12:00 Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays, bank or public holidays, or on any day outside school term time; and that no other part of the school grounds shall be used as a formal playground (to safeguard the amenities of adjoining occupiers).

Truespeed broadband:

Broadband provider Truespeed is proposing to bring ultra fast broadband to Frome, Beckington and Norton St Philip this spring and summer – see here. I went to the recent Town Council meeting with Truespeed to help relay resident’s concerns about the telegraph poles proposed in some areas of Stonebridge. Truespeed have since responded to the objections, and are not now going to install poles and connections in Laburnam Close or Ashtree Road in Frome where objections were received, but are now proceeding in other areas which had no objections. The traffic management along Mendip Drive area is also under review. Please let me know if you have any concerns.

Keeping in touch:

I keep in touch with residents with a monthly newsletter and occasional alerts, so please sign up or get in touch on any issue by emailing me at cllrboyden@gmail.com or my official email adam.boyden@somerset.gov.uk and I will get back to you.

Next Community Chat:

My next informal councillor advice surgery is at the Cheese & Grain café in Frome on Saturday 3^rd June from 9am to 10.30am (no appointment necessary). I saw over a dozen people at my last one, and am working through the casework.

There are of course plenty of other issues going on that cannot yet be reported. Please get in touch if you have any concerns or questions. I hope you find this useful.  

Best wishes,

Adam

Adam Boyden, Somerset Councillor for Frome North (Liberal Democrat) email cllrboyden@gmail.com / adam.boyden@somerset.gov.uk
phone 07809284817
https://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/

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