Useful links to reports, news and views about flytipping and recycling and my and cllr Sam Phripp’s motion to Mendip’s full council in September …  Local news story about the motion debate: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Row-erupts-fly-tipping-claims/story-17033501-detail/story.html Support from David Heath MP for Somerton & Frome (also now Minister for Agriculture), critical of some Conservative councillors’ ‘deranged response’: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Deranged-response-fly-tipping-alarm/story-17032752-detail/story.html Somerset Waste Board’s meetings, agendas and reports: http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/council/meetings/results.asp?ccode=32 […]

In April 2011, as people will remember, Conservative-run Somerset County Council’s drastic cuts to their waste and recycling budget forced Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) to close all recycling centres in Somerset for 2 and a half days a week, bring in new charges for recycling some materials, and to charge for entry to Coleford’s and […]

Mendip District Council, Full Council meeting 27th September 2012: The following Motion was submitted by Councillors Adam Boyden and seconded by Councillor Sam Phripp: “Mendip District Council notes with concern that, since opening hours were cut and new charges introduced at household waste recycling centres across Somerset in April 2011, the number of flytipping incidents […]

I received this news below from Clare Hein on behalf of Vision For Frome today: There is a public meeting on 4th October, and a questionnaire survey to respond to before then. “Hello to you all Frome Town Council and Vision for Frome wish to hear views from Frome people and others on how the Frome Showfield may be […]

I like and would recommend these recent posts from other local councillors: – Inspiring a Generation – Maggy Daniell, Somerset County Councillor, Frome Selwood division: http://maggydaniell.mycouncillor.org.uk/  – Pigeons, pigeons everywhere! – Sam Phripp, Mendip District Councillor, Frome Berkley Down ward: http://samphripp.mycouncillor.org.uk/ – Lib Dems: the Biggest reform of social care for over 60 years: Damon […]

Frome Town Council (FTC) and Vision 4 Frome (V4F) will soon be consulting local people, schools and other organisations on how to spend over £38,000 on improvements at the old Showfield.  This money has been allocated as part of the ‘Section 106’ agreement that was negotiated and agreed between the developers of the new Frome Health Centre (Pentagon / Frome Medical Practice) […]

My letter below appeared in the Frome Times on 17th July and in the Somerset Standard on 19th July: Dear Sirs, On Wednesday last week, the group of travellers living on the old Showfield left after two weeks, complying at last with the 2nd eviction notice served by Mendip District Council. I and the local residents […]

Soon after I wrote the original post yesterday, the travellers left the site during the afternoon, complying at last with the second notice served by Mendip District Council. I and local residents do appreciate the efforts of council officers and others to try and prevent the incursion and to make it as brief as possible. People […]

On Wednesday 20th June, a group of travellers vehicles entered the Frome Showfield site through a gap between fencing near the construction site for the new Frome Health Centre. The travellers were quickly confronted by the site manager and a Mendip District Council officer, who stood in the way and tried to prevent access. I […]

Here is our latest ‘Reporting back’ leaflet which highlights a few of the issues I have been working on, and which I will keep working on – Frome Market, open spaces and playgrounds, empty homes, flytipping, graffiti, speeding traffic, Frome Leisure Centre, supporting the Merlin Theatre and the arts in Frome, and future improvements to the Old Showfield.  Please […]

I have been busy recently tackling graffiti at and around the shops on Forest Road, Stonebridge. Below is the content of my letters to Frome Times and the Somerset Standard to be published on 22 and 24 May 2012.  Some useful phone numbers and websites are listed below so that people can take action when any new graffiti appears. Letter:  “Dear Sirs, […]

ALDC Briefing:  The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been published [on Tuesday 27 March 2012], with significant amendments negotiated by the Liberal Democrats in Government since the Draft NPPF was released for consultation last July.  Here, we outline some of the major changes made to the NPPF since its controversial Draft version:   The controversial […]

Last autumn I was contacted by a local resident about the ‘over the top’ boarding up of a house off Forest Road, no. 3 Chestnut Close. Along with the poor state of its back garden and fencing, this does nothing for the appearance of the neighbourhood.  Since then, I have been in touch with Mendip District Council officers and other […]

Dear Editor,   At last week’s Frome Town Council External Affairs Committee I was pleased to see councillors draw on local residents’ talents in drawing up a new strategy for improving Frome’s open spaces. I was able to report that Mendip District Council is also now drawing up its own Play Strategy, and I hope to help the two councils work together and with local residents to improve open spaces through targeted investment, joined […]

Press release: Mendip District Councillors Adam Boyden (Lib Dem, Frome College), shadow spokesperson on Tory-led Mendip District Council, and Gloria Cawood (Lib Dem, Cranmore, Doulting and Nunney), hit out this week at official denials that the recent reduction in opening hours and introduction of charges at recycling centres is having no effect on flytipping. They […]

Last week, many residents contacted councillors, including Helen Sprawson-White (Lib Dem, Oakfield) and others to complain about the number of lorries travelling through the town, on their way to and from the construction site of Frome Medical Practice’s new surgery development next to the hospital at the Old Shoground on Rodden Road.  I and other councillors worked to […]

A nice article from the front page of the Frome Times, issue 337, 12th October 2011, reads: “A project in Frome is aiming to improve the town centre section of the River Frome into a place which people can access, enjoy, and engage with the natural environment.  An initial application to Natural England for DEFRA’s Nature […]

See more info here about the great new Lib Dem campaign to Stay Warm, Save Money and Go Green, and more information here from the Government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change, led by Lib Dem Chris Huhne.

Recently, local residents have contacted me about a variety of local problems and issues they want to see addressed to improve the area. In each case I have tried to address the problems as quickly as I can by raising the matter with those responsible, be it at Mendip District Council, the county council or other organisation. I try to keep people informed of […]

At last Thursday’s full meeting of Mendip District Council (29 Sept), the Conservative-run Council’s Leader and Cabinet member said ‘Yes’ to my 2 questions. Firstly, would the Council support a local bid to fund a project to enhance the River Frome? The answer was ‘Yes’ – Cllr Harvey Siggs, Leader of the Council, said he would love to support […]