Chair’s Reflections – Council Meeting, 25 March 2026

FTC’s Chair and Leader Fiona Barrows once again joined the 25 March council meeting remotely, as she continues chemotherapy, so one of the first actions of the meeting was to make the appointment of guest chairs easier for the coming months. This month, the guest chair was Cllr Sara Butler, councillor for College Ward.

“The dominant theme of last night’s meeting was Packsaddle Fields, which were fenced off by Somerset Council on 10 March following pressure from housing developer LiveWest. Several members of the People for Packsaddle group came to the meeting to ask questions of Chris Hall (Executive Director: Community, Place & Economy) and John Kulasek (Interim Head of Property) from Somerset Council.

“Residents and councillors spoke clearly and passionately about the site. For many, this is not just a piece of land, but a valued green space that has been part of daily life for 50 years; supporting wellbeing, recreation and a sense of community. The frustration, confusion and concern expressed in the room were unmistakable.

“They raised important questions: why the fencing was necessary at this stage, what it achieves, and what the plan is for the future of the site – as there is no planning permission in place to build anything there and it’s been named an Asset of Community Value (ASV).

“As a town council, we share the community’s desire for clearer answers. We will continue to press Somerset Council on this issue, particularly around future plans, community access, and how any proposals will take into account both planning constraints and the clear value the space holds for residents.

“We heard from Lenka of Fair Frome about the increasing financial pressures on families and growing demand for support services. There were also concerns raised about litter and the cleanliness of the town centre and riverbanks—areas where we will continue to work with partners and support community efforts.

“Environment Manager Rob Holden gave an update on the contract for emptying the town council’s network of bins in Frome’s open and green spaces and councillors voted to switch to using local company Busy Bees for bin emptying and litter picking from April 2026. The majority of bins in Frome are managed by Somerset not FTC, but here’s hoping we can be a shining example from now on!

“We also heard from Hannah, Melody and Emily from the Communities team about the funding landscape in Frome, how we can make our grants processes fairer, more accessible and more transparent, and the success of the new young people’s grant-making panel and grants advisory group.

“You can look at all the reports from the meeting in the table below or watch it on our YouTube channel. The next full council meeting is on Wednesday 22 April at 7pm – all welcome.