Mayday Saxonvale's community-led plan will be determined at the Planning Board meeting on August 17th 2022. The Planning Board will finally decide, 42 weeks after the outline application was submitted, whether the Mayday Saxonvale plan for Frome's town center will be granted outline planning permission. 

Paul Oster, Mayday Saxonvale Director said: "We are extremely excited that the Mayday Saxonvale plan will now have the opportunity to be seen before the Planning Board. If permission is granted, our plan will be in the same position as the Acorn Property Group plan. We then expect Mendip District Council and Somerset Council to meet with us to discuss the purchase of the site. We firmly believe that our plan and delivery model for Saxonvale is the most advantageous for the council and the town, and we look forward to working positively with the council to make it a reality."

The Acorn Property Group Plan was first given outline planning permission 18 months ago, in January 2021, and works have still not commenced. The Mayday Saxonvale outline planning application was validated in October 2021, after an extended pre-application process. 

The New Somerset Council was elected in May 2022. It is expected that the new council will take a role in any significant decisions during the transition period, including major assets, such as Saxonvale. 

Cllr Bill Revans, Leader of the New Somerset County Council, said in a recent press statement: "It is important to us that this council has a positive relationship with Somerset residents. And we all know that the key to any successful relationship is listening. I want us to be a listening council… This is a county of communities and I want community voices heard."

Mr Oster continued: "The new Somerset Council has committed to listening to local residents, including establishing Local Community Networks 'to give communities power to influence decisions about their local area'. At all levels, Frome has been crystal clear that the Mayday plan is the right plan that meets the needs and aspirations of our town. Saxonvale provides the new council an immediate opportunity to put their new approach into action, by listening to our community, and empowering Frome to proceed with Mayday's community-led plan.

The Mayday Saxonvale plan has gained unprecedented support from the local community and the town council, with almost 1,300 comments of support on the planning portal. A "Big Hug" of the site saw over 500 people, including many local councillors form a human chain of support around the whole Saxonvale site.

Frome Town Councillor, Steve Tanner said: "Mayday Saxonvale creates a legacy we can all be proud of, for not just my generation, but my children's generation and my children's, children's generation. It's something that is going to be wonderful for the town. I love the fact it's community driven. I love the fact that the community has got behind it. Over one thousand people have written in to say it's the way forward. It's such a breath of fresh air from all the profit-driven developments we are seeing all over town."

advertisement