Local council tax bills arrived for many households in Frome today (March 13) showing a 9.2 per cent increase in the costs of Frome Town Council.

That compares to a 3.1 per cent increase funding demand for the Mendip part of the bill and a 2 per cent increase for Somerset County Council payments (plus a 3 per cent additional amount towards the cost of adult social care.

One resident posted : " I wonder what the increase for other towns in Mendip are ? I suspect not as much. Disgusted with the increase for Frome. Because of all these lockdowns we should have had a decrease or refund on last year payment, being unable to use most of the facilities we pay for."

One other common complaint was the amount spent by the council on the Market Place work. Frome Town Council has conceded that it did not come in within budget and the works took much longer than had been scheduled.

Bus users also complained about the fact the shelters did not initially have any place for bus timetables to be posted and the seating was set at the wrong height for bus users. The bus timings were for many weeks simply printed out pieces of paper stuck on the etched glass of the new shelters.

You can read about the work on Frome Market Place by clicking HERE : the Frome Nub News site

In Midsomer Norton the Town Council increased its share of council tax by 5.7 per cent while Radstock Town Council, for a second year run, put through a zero rate increase. Meanwhile Bath and North East Somerset Council increased council tax by 1.99 per cent – with an additional three per cent for adult social care.