By Local Democracy Reporter, Daniel Mumby
REVISED plans for 1,700 new homes in Frome have been slammed as “all sizzle and no steak” by campaigners.
Outline plans were submitted in August 2021 for the Selwood Garden Community (SGC), which would see green fields between the A361 and the southern edge of Frome transformed into a substantial new community.
A decision on the initial plans – which also promised to deliver new employment sites, a primary school and other facilities – was delayed in April 2022 after National Highways raised concerns about how the development would affect the capacity of the A36 between Frome and Bath.
Land Value Alliances, acting on behalf of the SGC landowners consortium, has now put forward amended proposals – which have been greeted negatively by those campaigning against the development.
Of the 1,700 homes proposed for the site, 30 per cent will be affordable – the equivalent of 510 homes, which will be a mixture of social rented, shared ownership and other low-cost options.
The development will also include a local centre and community hub (which will include shops, restaurants and offices), more than 25,000 sqm of employment space, two residential care homes (providing a combined total of 105 beds), a 420-place primary school, playing fields, allotments, orchards and new pedestrian and cycle routes.
Under the amended proposals, all of the employment units planned to the south of the A361 have been removed and replaced with a new nature reserve.
Much of the housing planned on the north-eastern edge of the development has been pulled back to “allow for more planting” and preserve the existing views as much as possible.
The planned green corridor network will also be widened to protect existing bat populations, and a new all-weather pitch will be included near the primary school and community hub to “maximise sports provision.”
Finally, the vehicular access from Little Keyford Lane will be restricted to buses, pedestrians and cyclists only, following feedback from local residents.
However, the plans have been dismissed by the Stop SGC campaign group, which opined that “not a lot has changed” since the original proposals.
A spokesperson said, “The northern access point is still at Little Keyford Lane (even with an already increased amount of traffic from other builds already approved in that area), but there now seem to be plans to place traffic lights on the Blatchbridge roundabout – for reasons unknown.
“There has been nothing put in place to prevent pre-existing bypass traffic being pushed down through Marston.
“The housing density appears to have increased in some areas of the site – mostly downhill. There are now more industrial units, covering a wider area and the ‘wildlife area’ has been moved to underneath a motorway – we believe this change is due to concerns raised by Historic England to do with not blighting the views from Cley Hill, among other things.
“The ‘sister project’ to SGC, the solar park which was supposed to be the basis of this ‘sustainable build’, has been withdrawn – and we can see no evidence of new commitments towards ecological benefit (no solar panels on roofs, no air source heat pumps, no promises made about cladding).
“It’s all bluff and bluster. All sizzle and no steak.”
Since the original outline plans were submitted, several sizeable developments in Frome have been approved by Mendip District Council’s planning board.
Curo Enterprise Ltd. was granted permission in February for 198 homes either side of Sandys Hill Lane, with the first homes in what has been dubbed ‘Keyford Meadows’ due to be delivered by the middle of 2023.
Three separate developments either side of the B3092 The Mount have also been approved, with David Wilson Homes being granted permission for 249 homes across two sites in February and Wainhomes finally securing permission for a further 70 homes in July.
The council is expected to make a decision on the revised SGC proposals in early-2023.
