I am pleased to be able to say that at last week’s Frome Town Council meeting, councillors agreed unanimously to purchase the main part of the old Showfield (the open area, the childrens playground and the Collegians football pitch, excluding the cricket pitch, car park and pavilion) and to take a long-term lease on the […]

Letter to residents, 4th November 2014: Dear all, Thanks for contacting me and informing me over the years about issues and your concerns about the old Showfield. Since 2011 I have raised these issues, including a lack of management, security against travellers, flooding, dogs in the playground and the need for a fence, and the […]

The proposed transfer of management of the old Showfield to Frome Town Council, which would see the area maintained more as a park, has run into a legal problem, and the plan to invest over £40,000 in improving the open space for local people to enjoy, has been delayed for quite a while. Mendip District […]

Showfield improvements plan – updated 5th June The proposed transfer of management of the old Showfield to Frome Town Council, which would see the area maintained more as a park, has run into a legal problem, and the plan to invest over £40,000 in improving the open space for local people to enjoy, has been […]

Update 22nd April: Yesterday on Bank Holiday Monday, the travellers left the old Showfield.  The site is now secure from further incursion, due to swift action from various parties – well done all. The clear up will cost a fair bit, as there are multiple piles of tree cuttings, domestic waste and assorted things left […]

I received calls and emails from local residents at the weekend to inform me that a group of travellers, about 6 vehicles, had moved onto the old Showfield. I quickly informed the landowners (Frome & District Agricultural Society), Mendip District Council’s enforcement officers and assets department (as leaseholders), Mendip’s Cabinet members responsible, the Police, Frome […]

Public meeting on flytipping: I am working with another local councillor to arrange a public meeting in the near future, to allow local residents to ask questions, raise concerns and hear from Mendip District Council, the Police and other authorities, about how the community and authorities can work together to tackle the horrendous flytipping on […]

Showfield update 17 December 2013: The proposed transfer of the old Showfield leases from Mendip District Council to Frome Town Council, has run into a problem due to a legal issue. I am supporting the transfer to FTC as it would enable FTC to manage the site and spend over £40,000 improvements fund to improve […]

The old Showfield is the most important public open space in this part of Frome, used by dogwalkers, as a traffic free route into town and to the health park, and by children playing or walking to school. Recently I was pleased to help Mendip agree to transfer the leases to Frome Town Council, as […]

Update 15th October: Mendip’s Cabinet have approved the transfer of leases to Frome Town Council, subject to the Council entering into negotiations with Frome Town Council about whether the proposed fence to the children’s play area should be included in the Section 106 improvements fund. See the following joint press release here: http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/3179/Town-council-to-take-over-leases-for-Frome-Showfield See also the […]

Following previous articles (see bottom of this page), and recent discussions and decisions, I can now give a brief update on the latest situation on the plans to improve Frome’s old Showfield using funds from the Frome Medical Centre’s Section 106 Agreement. Frome Town Council recently applied to Mendip District Council’s Corporate Assets Management Group (CAMG) […]

A Community Garden at the old Showfield? Please see below a message from Helen Johnstone of Frome Community Gardens about a new initiative for a ‘community garden’ at the old Showfield: “Plant a seed and share your views: The Frome Community Gardens Group is looking at putting a community garden on the old Showfield. This could have vegetable beds […]

Plans are taking shape for the scheme of improvements to the old Showfield. Background: The developers of the new Frome Health Centre are contributing over £40,000 for improvements and enhancements, and an addition sum for outdoor gym equipment, through the ‘Section 106 agreement’ (agreed with Mendip District Council when planning permission was granted in April […]

My letter to Someset Standard, 7 February 2013: “I am pleased to report that, after residents expressed concerns about the security of the old Showfield (to me as one of the ward councillors, and in this paper in January), a meeting was held soon after between officers of Mendip District Council and the Frome & […]

The new Frome Health Centre is expected to open in January on the old Showfield.  The developers are contributing £38,000 for improvements and enhancements to the facilities at the Showfield, with nearly £5800 also for public consultation, through a ‘Section 106 agreement’ agreed with Mendip District Council.  Frome Town Council has been given an addition sum […]

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 […]

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) […]

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 […]

Apologies for the radio silence. I have taken some time off since my mother sadly passed away at the end of February, after we moved her to Frome to be closer to me in January – please see here for my mother’s tribute site, and here for my tribute. It has been a huge shock […]