Be part of Frome’s plan for the future

Story posted on June 6, 2012

A NEW Neighbourhood Plan for Frome is in the process of being development by the town council who say that one of the most important things about the plan is the involvement of the local community.

The Neighbourhood Plan will allow local people to be part of shaping the future of Frome and what the town will look like for future generations. Frome has received funding from the Government in order to be a front runner in the scheme.

Developing a Neighbourhood Plan allows communities to shape new development by coming together to talk about what they want and to discuss how to drive this forward. Frome Town Council will lead the creation of the Neighbourhood Plan, supported by the local planning authority, and involving the local community in a number of consultation exercises. Once written, the plan will be independently examined and put to a local referendum for approval.

In the referendum, 51% of the people voting, drawn from the electorate, will carry the plan forward. Once the referendum has been passed, the Neighbourhood Plan is made and it becomes a legal document which forms part of the suite of planning documents held by the Local Planning Authority. It is the first time that anything produced at town council level will have legal status. a series of citizens’ panels, to encourage local people to come along and have their say will be held at the following locations on the following dates; 23rd May, Masonic Hall 1.00pm – 3.00pm; 13th June, Selwood Academy 6.00pm– 8.00pm; 20th June, Key Centre 6.00pm–8.00pm; 3rd July (venue to be confirmed).

Local people will have the opportunity to sign up and become a member of the citizens’ panels. Through the introduction of the Localism Act, neighbourhood planning is a new way for communities to decide the future of the place where they live. The Neighbourhood Plan will include determining the locations of shops and homes, to setting standards of design. There is already a “Vision for Frome” so this initiative will help take this forward and also help to; choose where new homes, shops and offices should be built; have a say on what those new buildings should look like; and grant planning permission for the new buildings the community wants to see go ahead. Frome Town Council says, “The Localism Act is about growth, so a Neighbourhood Plan isn’t about stopping development, it is about ensuring that as a community, it takes place in the places you prefer and in the styles and shapes and sizes that the local community needs and wants.” For more information on the citizens’ panels, call Liz Bourne on 01264 720500.