The latest on the long running issue around the development of Frome's central site, Saxonvale which last week saw the alternative plan - Mayday - given consent.

Mayday Saxonvale (Mayday) have now achieved consent for the alternative plan for our Saxonvale site in Frome's town centre. The plan was approved 12 to three at the Planning Board. The result was reflected with overwhelming support from our local community who have made abundantly clear that the Mayday plan is the right plan for Frome. This means Mendip District Council (MDC) now have the enviable position of having two consented schemes for the Saxonvale site.

The MDC can now initiate discussions with both Acorn and Mayday to establish which provides the best consideration for their land interest and which scheme offers the best outcome for the residents of Frome and the future of our town. Mayday continues to have no contact whatsoever with the administration at MDC. 

Rather than take this route, the current administration has put the approval of Acorn's S106 agreement (which sets out the developers obligations, such as highways and education contributions) on the agenda of the MDC's Asset Management Group at 4pm on 24th August. The group is composed of MDC Leader Ros Wyke and three other Cabinet members. 

The draft agreement has been published on the MDC planning portal since March 2021, so it is unclear why Mayday achieving planning consent on 17th August should trigger this. The paper for the meeting suggests that after signing the S106 the MDC will still be in a position to re-evaluate the Acorn scheme and "pursue the best option for the taxpayer", and that "other options would still remain open". However, the details of the exact mechanisms that would allow this are not detailed.  

Should the S106 be signed, then the planning authority will issue a decision notice, which starts the six week period to initiate a Judicial Review (JR) against the associated Acorn planning consent. This is the only chance to challenge Acorn's planning consent, and so a JR will have to be launched. A JR will be costly for the claimant and the MDC as well as further delaying the development of Saxonvale. It will also set a damaging, and possibly fatal, background against which the MDC could engage in discussions with Mayday to ensure the right decision is taken for the Saxonvale site.

The MDC are also currently contesting a JR of the Principle Planner's issued consent to demolish a series of curtilage listed and heritage buildings within the Saxonvale site. These are all buildings that the Mayday plan retains and Acorn's plan demolishes. A hearing for this challenge is set for 16th September, and a request to delay this by eight weeks to allow time for the MDC to discuss the Mayday plans has been vigorously rejected by the MDC. The result of not agreeing to a delay is further cost to the public purse and further damaging background for discussions.

The approach of the MDC in these matters appears directly designed to frustrate their own ability to assess their options as land owner of the Saxonvale site. It is an approach that appears designed to block any prospect of the Mayday plan being delivered, despite the clear desire of their constituents in Frome for this to happen. 

We call on them to pause the approval of the Acorn S106 and engage in that assessment. 

Paul Oster and Damon Moore

Mayday Saxonvale Directors