from Cllr Fiona Barrows, Chair and Leader of Frome Town Council
Dear Bill and Mike,
CC: Anna Sabine MP
We were all shocked and saddened by the fire at the Western Warehouse last week. It is heartbreaking to see part of our industrial heritage – one of the few tangible reminders of Frome’s manufacturing past – lost in such a devastating way. Thank you for the work your team have done to secure the site.
I’m writing to highlight a concern for this site shared by many in our community – that in the search to find a buyer for the site, the importance of Saxonvale to Frome’s future might be lost.
As you know, Saxonvale is Frome’s last major brownfield site. It is our final opportunity for a genuine extension of the town centre and a once-in-a-generation chance to shape Frome’s future. While the site will need to include housing, this opportunity is about far more. It is about employment, enterprise and creating a sustainable local economy.
We have always had industries of our own, and that has helped shape our character. We do not want to simply become a dormitory town for Bristol or Bath, or even for the internet, with a workforce made up solely of remote workers and commuters. We want a thriving town centre with businesses, makers, employers and opportunities for people to work locally. I grew up in a commuter belt town in the South-East, and I watched as the high street became little more than a collection of chain restaurants, serving people who spent their days elsewhere. That cannot be Frome’s future.
We, like you, have declared a housing crisis. We need more homes, and in particular we need genuinely affordable housing. We know that Somerset is expected to allocate around 75,000 new homes over the next twenty years. From the work already undertaken on the Local Plan, we understand that much of this growth will be directed towards the county’s “sustainable” towns, of which Frome is one.
That means we are likely to see significant housing growth on the outskirts of Frome over the coming decades. In this context, the number of homes Saxonvale can provide is very modest. What Saxonvale can uniquely provide is central employment space, commercial premises, and the opportunity for the people living in those new homes to work, create and build businesses in Frome itself. That is what will make our town truly sustainable.
We therefore need to see a genuine and meaningful commitment to bringing the site back to life, whichever proposal is ultimately selected. We see that commitment reflected in the Mayday Saxonvale proposal, which is, after all, why Mayday was founded. However, whether the successful bid comes from Mayday or another developer, delivering a genuine mix of homes, jobs, public spaces and community facilities must be the priority.
Our concern is that the safeguards needed to ensure that outcome are not yet clear, and appear to rest almost entirely on the planning process that will follow the sale, rather than being embedded within the sale itself.
We recognise that Somerset Council must operate within a legal framework. However, we also know there are mechanisms through which the economic, social and environmental value of proposals can be taken into account. Given the importance of Saxonvale to Frome’s economic future and the opportunity it represents, I ask that these wider public benefits are given genuine weight as part of the decision-making process.
After so many years, Saxonvale has to be the right development for Frome – not simply the one that delivers the largest capital receipt. This decision will shape our town for generations. Please seize this opportunity to enable the kind of mixed-use regeneration that Frome needs and deserves.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Frome as this process continues, and we hope you will keep the long-term future of our town at the heart of your decision.
Best wishes,
Fiona
