Frome Town Council has joined with local groups and organisations to press home its objections to the controversial Frontier proposals for the Saxonvale site in the heart of the town which will be considered by Mendip District Council’s Planning Board next month.
Working together with the Chamber of Commerce, The Civic Society, Keep Frome Local and Vision 4 Frome, the Town Council will be campaigning hard for the refusal of the current Frontier scheme right up until the decision on the application is made my Mendip District Council’s Planning Board on Wednesday 16 September. The Town Council together with their alliance partners have produced a joint position statement regarding Saxonvale which can be found here: Joint Position Statement on Saxonvale .
The idea of working together has been a logical step for the various members of the new alliance as they all share the same view that this particular development does not suit Frome and will be detrimental to the town’s retail and commercial future. Getting the right kind of development on this key site is the objective and working together to achieve that is now a priority.
Frome Town Councillor Mel Usher says “It’s gratifying to see so many local organisations getting behind the widespread opposition to the Frontier application for a large supermarket at Saxonvale. This is the wrong development in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ He added, “None of the organisations including the Town Council are against development. Indeed we are keen that this land is finally put to good use in a comprehensive development appropriate for Frome with some retail, some housing and some business space, all well integrated into the fabric of the town. The current application fulfils none of these criteria.”
The Frontier proposals which have been slammed by various groups for reasons such as pedestrian access, traffic problems, parking provision and its overall effect on the town have long been a contentious issue in the town. With the decision finally being made in September, the Town Council want to re-state that they see the Frontier project as being unviable and outdated.
Public interest in the project is still running high and the Council wants to remind people that they can still express their views to the planning officer at Mendip District Council.It is suggested that people submit their comments before Wednesday 2 September directly to oliver.marigold@mendip.gov.uk You can view details of the application and the comments already made by the Town Council and others online. Go to http://publicaccess.mendip.gov.uk/online-applications/ and type in the following Reference Number: 2013/2260/OTS. Alternatively, you can view a hard copy of the application at the Town Council’s offices at 5, Palmer Street, Frome.
Published 25th August 2015
