Our work programme continues to focus on bringing people together, enabling and supporting strong resilient communities. We will continue to support local community groups and neighbourhoods. Young people and families will need support more than ever before. We will work to improve the quality of our green environment and continue to work to reduce the impact of climate change. We will carry on working with partners to support economic recovery. Our 2021/22 programme remains ambitious and you can see the combined Work Programme and the Budget here. What follows is an overview of the work programme ahead.
Communities
- Over the past six months we have seen what neighbours can do for each other when need be. We plan to increase the support we give the emerging community networks and help to build ever more resilient communities
- Identify and address gaps in services and provision for families, children and young people and launch a new Family Connect signposting service
- Continue to offer support and advice to community groups including administering our grant schemes, providing training and help with fundraising
Open spaces
- We look after 65 acres of the town’s parks and green spaces – from riverbanks to meadows, woodland to pleasure gardens and play parks. We expect to acquire Egford Lane park and green space in 2021/22
- Within this, we look after 7 children’s play areas plus the community tennis courts, the skatepark and the hard sports court on Mary Baily
- We’ll add to the number of trees we planted last year and importantly work with local people to support them to plant more trees
- We manage our parks and green spaces with biodiversity in mind as part of our Wild about Frome campaign
- We lead groups of conservation volunteer rangers and support litter picking teams across the town
Resilience
- We take the lead on mitigating the impacts of the climate change emergency and will continue to work on a plan to ensure Frome is carbon neutral by 2030
- We have been successful in our joint bid to the National Lottery for funds to deliver a ‘Green & Healthy Future’ programme. Working with Frome Medical Practice and Edventure Frome, we will deliver a series of projects that are designed to improve health and address climate change including the better insulation of homes, more e-bikes and cycle confidence classes
- We promote clean energy production locally and work with developers to ensure that the impact of new developments is carbon neutral
- Subject to the outcome of a bid to the Somerset Climate Emergency Community Fund, we will develop a Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan and strengthen our engagement of the community on all things related to resilience
Prosperity and development
- We review 1500 planning applications each year, provide planning advice to residents and businesses and have a strong influence on Mendip’s decision making
- We will develop a wish list aimed at developers that sets out our sustainability and other ambitions drawing on the Neighbourhood Plan, Town Design Statement etc. to influence new development at Saxonvale, Selwood Garden Community and elsewhere
- We will work with local authority partners to develop a sustainable transport strategy for Frome
- Where strategic opportunities arise and subject to viability, we will work to bring forward new regeneration projects e.g. Western Warehouse
- We support and advise local businesses and develop our visitor offer through Discover Frome and the Information Point
- We work with local partners to develop Frome’s vocational training opportunities
General
- We work hard to retain and increase pride in our town and the Town Council. This is a common thread running through all our communications
- Look after the Town Hall making it welcome, open and accessible for all and provide homes and meeting places for numerous local organisations like WHY, the Frome Learning Partnership and Frome FM
- In a normal year (and we hope 21/22 will be more normal) Town Hall Reception and Discover Frome Information Point handle an average of 1,200 queries per month (700+ to the Town Hall and 500+ to Discover Frome)
- We administer and provide content for our websites, social media, the press, so that the town can find out what the council is doing easily and conveniently and be more engaged.
- We facilitate engagement via 40+ public meetings a year
- We help to co-ordinate volunteering opportunities across the town
- We lead and support and fund, through People’s Budget, numerous events throughout the year, and through our websites and noticeboards help to support hundreds more events for the town
- We will ensure demonstrate prudence and good financial governance
Staff
To deliver this extensive programme we have 16 work full-time and 18 part-time staff. We also have a pool of 10 support stewards available to engage when needed for events and to support the Town Hall meetings
We propose to employ a Kick Start apprentice Ranger in the Environment Team (which will be budget neutral) and once we fully return to the Town Hall, the Business Apprentice that we had planned for 2020-21
We want to retain the quality in everything we do – from how we communicate with each other through to how we manage our open spaces and work with businesses and communities.
