Residents have expressed their anger and disbelief after receiving notification of developer Live West's intention to proceed with plans to build on the beloved Packsaddle Fields. The option to build on the Fields was quietly sold by Somerset County Council (SCC) last year without adequate consultation or notification.  

The outline plans come despite LiveWest and SCC's knowledge of the decision by Mendip District Council (MDC) to officially include the Fields on the Register of Green Spaces, and to designate them as an Asset of Community Value.  

The online consultation on the plans to build on the Fields goes live on Monday 20th March. The fact this is also World Rewilding Day signals an unfortunate contradiction to the new Unitary Council's top priority of creating a 'Greener, more Sustainable Somerset'.  

Toby Culff, spokesperson for the community group People for Packsaddle (PfP) gave his reaction to the consultation. "When they entered into their agreement last year, perhaps LiveWest and SCC did not fully appreciate the value of Packsaddle Fields to this community. Well, there's no excuse now. Packsaddle Fields are an Asset of Community Value and a registered Green Space, and their importance to the community has been definitively proven and officially recognised. The decision to persist with these plans shows a contemptible disregard for the community. With every day that passes, it looks more and more like a shady money-grab, and it must be challenged. We urge residents to stand together in resistance, and councillors to be brave and stand with them. We urge LiveWest and SCC to reconsider: it's not too late to change course." 

The land has been accessed freely by the people of Frome for 50 years. It is vitally important both to the local residents as a space for enriching their health and wellbeing, and as habitat for a wide range of wildlife and plants.  

The rarely-granted Asset of Community Value was supported by compelling testimonies from over 100 Frome residents and backing from Councillors Adam Boyden, Dawn Denton, Drew Gardner and Helen Sprawson-White, and by Frome Town Council and its Mayor Sara Butler. The campaign to protect the Fields has the endorsement of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). 

Another member of the group, Janet Hague, said "The developers and County Council know full well that Packsaddle Fields have these special designations, yet they seem determined to build over them. We are also sceptical about the inclusion of the residential care facility in the plans, given the repeated failure of developers to deliver on such proposals, and the lack of prior notice, detail and any transparent needs assessment". 

Details on the consultation HERE

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