County Councillor Report for Frome Town Council, 15 March 2023, by Adam Boyden, Somerset County Councillor for Frome North, Mendip District Councillor for Frome College ward (Somerset Councillor for Frome North from 1st April 2023)

This is an edited version of his presentation to Frome Town Council's meeting March 16

Local Government Reorganisation

The last few weeks have seen the final ever Full Council meetings of both Mendip District Council and Somerset County Council, quite historic events. Mendip District Council has been with us since 1974, Somerset County Council since 1889 – both will be abolished at the end of March along with the other three districts to make way for the new unitary Somerset Council which begins operation on vesting day 1st of April 2023. The 110 current Somerset County Councillors elected in May 2022 (including the six of us for Frome North, East and West) will form the new Somerset Council. An incredible amount of work continues behind the scenes to get everything in place.

There will be a single phone number and website for the new council to access all council services, to be announced just before Vesting Day. People will also still be able to access the new council's services in person (and supported to access services online) at the Council Access Point in Frome Library.

Somerset CC approved the new Somerset Council's budget, the "most difficult budget setting any of us can remember" – see https://somersetnewsroom.com/2023/02/22/budget-approved-for-new-somerset-council/ and further links here.

The new Constitution, the legal cornerstone of the new unitary council, was also approved. The ten-part document, over 500 pages, sets out the new council's commitment to public participation in its meetings, makes sure that the council meets its legal duties and supports decision-making and governance – see here and here.

The new adopted Council Plan highlights four key priorities for Somerset Council: a Greener, More Sustainable Somerset; a Healthy and Caring Somerset; a Fairer, Ambitious Somerset; and a Flourishing and Resilient Somerset. A further Business Plan will be developed in the coming months. See here.

An expert team from the Local Government Association (LGA) has commended work to create a new unitary council, and concluded that 'everything is in place to ensure that Somerset Council will be a safe and legally functioning body from day 1, assuming the current progress and leadership is maintained' – see here.

A calendar of meetings, Committee places and membership of outside bodies were also agreed on 1st March. I will sit on the Planning Committee for Somerset East (which takes over from the MDC Planning Board), and will Vice-Chair the Climate & Place Scrutiny Committee.

Consultation on planning consultations

Reminder: The consultation on the new Statement of Community Involvement – how Somerset Council will involve and consult local communities in preparing planning policy documents and in determining planning applications – runs until the end of 16th March – please see https://somerset.inconsult.uk/sci/consultationHome. While the online consultation portal will close tonight, people will be able to respond to the consultation by e-mail to [email protected] up to 31st of March.

New planning arrangements

The new planning arrangements involve one Strategic Planning Committee and four area-based Planning Committees (Somerset East will cover the Mendip district). Several issues were raised with the initial proposals at meetings of the Constitution & Governance Committee, but were all addressed in the final agreed proposals, see here for details.

Mendip's Planning Board meets for the final time on Weds 29th March (see here).

Local Community Networks

The Terms of Reference for the 18 new Local Community Networks were also agreed – see here and here. A parish (/Town) councillor from each of the Frome LCN's 18 parishes will be members, along with the Somerset Councillors for divisions in the LCN (Frome East, West and North, Mendip Central & East, and Mendip South), and other specified organisations listed (which can be added to). The next and final meeting of the pilot Frome LCN on 28th March will be important.

Parks and Recreation

Thank you for supporting the spending of Section 106 agreement funds from local developments on improving two playgrounds in Stonebridge (Hawksworth Close and Blackbird Way) despite some concerns, as this will really benefit local children, see here. We await the date for when the improvements will start. I will also be supporting FTC's refresh of the Old Showfield play area using Section 106 funds.

A few weeks ago a Mendip District Council Panel approved an application by the residents group People for Packsaddle to list the Packsaddle Fields site as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), as the primary use of the land is the informal recreational use of green space by the local community. This has some implications for any future land sale or planning application for development. I advised the group to gather information form local residents on their actual use of the land, and supported the application – see here.

The Packsaddle Fields site together with Selwood Crescent green are also now officially identified as open spaces in the Mendip District Council Open Space Audit, after so many residents responded to the consultation. The update to the audit was presented to Mendip's Cabinet on 6th February (see item 8 appendices 2 and 3 here).