A business park on the edge of Frome will be able to expand following a decision by district councillors.

The Commerce Park lies off the A361 at the town's eastern edge, and includes the Frome Flyer restaurant, a Premier Inn hotel and other businesses.

Nick Dowdeswell of Stonecutter Construction Ltd applied to build a new spur road on Imperial Way within the park, to allow three new plots to be unlocked.

Mendip District Council's planning board gave the plans the green light when it met virtually on Wednesday (April 22).

The new road will allow three new plots – dubbed J1A, J1B and J1D respectively – to be opened up for new businesses.

Planning officer Anna Clark said in her written report: "The proposal would facilitate the construction of some of the last plots of this well-established business park, for the benefit of the local economy.

"The new access road would tie into the existing and maintain highway safety standards."

Since the business park was given planning permission in 2004, the council has had a policy that all decisions over its future should only be made at its public meetings, rather than by its planning officers behind closed doors.

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Officers tried to overturn this in October 2019, arguing that asking councillors to make decisions could cause delays and put off businesses from coming to the town.

But councillors threw out this request, expressing their desire to protect residents who live near the site.

At a virtual meeting on Wednesday (April 22), members of the council's planning board voted to approve the plans without discussion.

The new road will not form part of the adopted highway network – meaning the businesses who use the site, rather than Somerset County Council, will be responsible for its upkeep.