Frome Town Council has, with a show of hands and to a packed meeting at the hall shown its support for more than just a field.

The meeting heard from campaigners trying to ring fence and protect five and a half acres of Easthill Field from development and, it turned out, being used as a cemetery extension.

A selection of speakers spoke out about the mis designation of Easthill, which at one stage had been listed as potential development land under mis- aligned Mendip rules.

As one 'self-proclaimed NIMBY', Mendip Cllr Janine Nash of The Friends of Easthill Field told Frome Town Hall, we are here to make a plea for Easthill to be recognised for its special biodiversity status. She told councillors " We can find other sites for social housing" , later claiming that if Easthill was dug up, even as part of an extension to the neighbouring cemetery, that would mean the loss of 600,000 tonnes of carbon capture. " If we were to replace this we would need to compensate by planting 30,000 trees."

In addition to the area being used as an education resource and a home for 269 species of moth, including one nationally rare, the team made a passionate plea for the trees which are on the field. Natural heritage of trees left over a lime avenue that led to a 19th century house.

" You cant replace these trees just by planting new ones, " argued Julian Hight. " They have become biodiversity veterans, some of these trees can support 2,300 different species because of their age. let's hear it for the ancient trees, we want Frome Town Council to take this site under your trust."

Cllr Nick Dove was one of the few in the room who was not supportive of the appeal for Frome Town Council to take on care of the field. Admitting that it might make him a minority in the room he said : " WE are desperate for land for affordable homes. I know I am in a minority in the room.. but we really need to look after our human beings. "

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You can watch the presentation from the Friends shortly on the FTC You Tube channel HERE

In a show of hands, which is not binding but showed the passion in the room, FTC agreed to support the campaigners, who need to get permission to access the field to complete a biodiversity assessment.

After the meeting one of the speakers and lead campaigner Bharati Pardhy  told us of their next steps.

She told us : " With the help, advice and already confirmed support of a number of ecologists and conservation organisations including the Woodland trust, Natural England, Somerset Wildlife Trust, the Woodmeadow Trust, SERC and CPRE, we will be seeking permission to access the 5.5 acre parkland site to enable ecological surveys to be conducted as a baseline study. 

"This rare habitat plays a critically important role in the Nature Recovery Network as part of SC and UK Government strategy to strive to enact solutions to the Climate and Biodiversity crisis."